Last Community Translate for a bit! (Patreon)
Content
Hello patrons!
As you can tell, we're working on 3 different translates at once! We'll be finishing production for those over the next two months or so, so this is your last chance to contribute for a bit until we pick back up again! We are doing a PSA on the COVID vaccine.
Check out the script, run it through your favorite language combos and let's see what we can come up with!
xxMKR
--
To better understand how COVID-19 vaccines work, we should take a quick look at how our bodies fight illness.
When germs invade our bodies, they attack and multiply.
Our immune system uses several tools to fight this infection, primarily white blood cells.
Different types of white blood cells fight infection in different ways:
Macrophages are white blood cells that swallow up and digest germs, leaving behind parts of the invading germs called “antigens”. The body identifies antigens as dangerous, and produces antibodies to attack them.
B-lymphocytes are defensive white blood cells that produce the antibodies that attack the pieces of the virus left behind by the Macrophages.
And T-lymphocytes attack cells that have already been infected.
How does the COVID-19 vaccine work?
When you get the vaccine, your immune system makes antibodies that stay in your blood and protect you in case you are infected.
Different kinds of vaccines work in different ways, but with all types of vaccines, the body is left with a supply of “memory” T-lymphocytes and B-lymphocytes that will remember how to fight that virus in the future.
What are the options available?
Currently, there are three COVID-19 vaccines available in the United States.
Pfizer and Moderna are mRNA vaccines and they contain pieces of genetic material from the COVID virus that give our cells instructions on how to make a harmless, “fake” version of that protein.
Our cells make copies of the protein, and destroy the genetic material from the vaccine.
Our bodies recognize that this protein should not be there and build T and B-lymphocytes to kill it.
Johnson & Johnson is a Vector vaccine, which contains a different harmless virus than the one that causes COVID-19.
Inside the shell of the modified virus, it contains genetic material from COVID-19 virus. This is called a “viral vector”.
Once the harmless viral vector is inside of our cells, it gives our cells instructions on how to make the protein that simulates COVID-19, and our immune system to respond to those proteins.
To be clear, getting any of these 3 vaccines does not mean you are being injected with a live COVID virus. The vaccine is designed to trick your immune system into developing a response without making you sick with the virus itself.
What to expect after receiving the vaccine
Like other routine vaccines, the most common side effects are a sore arm, fatigue, headache, muscle pain, chills and possibly a fever.
These symptoms are a sign that the vaccine is working. They usually only last a day to a few days.
And if you have no side effects, that’s fine too. Your body is still developing antibodies, just without an inflammatory response.
It typically takes a few weeks after vaccination for the body to produce T and B-lymphocytes, so it’s possible that a person could be infected with COVID-19 just before or just after vaccination because the vaccine did not have enough time to provide protection.
Getting an appointment
You can head to the CDC’s official website to use VaccineFinder, a tool to help people find the latest COVID-19 vaccine availability in some states. More providers and pharmacies are being added every week, so keep checking back if you see nothing in your area yet.
Local governments also have their own resources available, so be sure to check those as well.
What is herd immunity, and how long will it take?
Herd immunity occurs when enough people become immune to a disease to make its spread unlikely.
Experts estimate that somewhere between 70 and 90% of the population needs to be immune in order to achieve herd immunity. As of now, we’re nowhere close to those numbers in the US, let alone globally.
While it is possible that we may need booster shots in the future, it is very important that we get the world vaccinated as quickly as possible to avoid dramatic mutations of the virus.
Why should you get vaccinated?
Stopping a pandemic requires using all of the tools available, and vaccines are designed to protect you and those around you from severe illness.
A major goal of vaccination is alleviating the burden on the healthcare system, and thus far all three vaccines have been nearly 100% effective in eliminating hospitalizations and death from COVID, including from the dominant variants. That alone is huge.
Once you’re vaccinated, while it may be tempting to throw the masks away and host large gatherings, we are still far away from herd immunity, and a vaccine is not a complete guarantee that you won’t still catch and transmit COVID.
We should continue to follow the CDC guidelines for behavior after full vaccination, including wearing a mask in public.