The COVID-19 vaccine is your first step to protect against the coronavirus but do you know that there are certain things you should do or rather not do to boost its overall efficacy. Today’s post will give you an insight into them and by the time you finish reading this article, you are ready to boost the efficacy of your vaccine and share this precious knowledge with all those around you too.
Getting back to a normal life
Everyone is yearning for those good old pre-pandemic days and this is why most of them have signed up for the COVID-19 vaccination. If you have done so too, give yourself a big pat on your back for making this choice- even health specialists will applaud you for this prudent step.
Now the question is- how can you get the best out of your dose or two? Does your daily diet have a role to play? How will your lifestyle choices impact the vaccine efficacy? These are the key concerns in your mind right now and you are not alone when it comes to figuring out answers to the above questions.
Clear your confusion with the correct information
There are many people like you who are confused and aware of half-baked truths. You are not to be blamed- there is an overload of data right now and all of them are not from verified sources.
Now, when it comes to protection against coronavirus, some people state that vaccines are not needed as supplements in the market will suffice. It is true that today there are multiple supplements available in the market that boost your overall immune system but they do not safeguard you from the virus.
They can improve the efficacy of the vaccine but here again no one is precisely sure. The subject is up for debate and this takes you to the next step of getting inoculated at the earliest to stay safe.
First Know Your COVID-19 Vaccine
In India, there are three vaccines that are doing the rounds now. They are-
- Covaxin– This is India’s first indigenous vaccine; it has been developed by the Hyderabad based company Bharat Biotech International Limited in association with the National Institute of Virology (IVR) and The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).
It is an inactivated vaccine created on a tried and tested platform comprising of dead viruses. They do not infect an individual but they do teach your immune system to establish a defence mechanism against active infection causing viruses in the air.
The method used in this vaccine is known as The Whole- Virion Inactivated Vero Cell derived technology. This technology has been used for several years now and is quite conventional in nature. The vaccines made with the same technology are today used for polio, seasonal influenza, rabies, Japanese Encephalitis and more.
- Covidshield – Covidshield is manufactured by The Serum Institute of India (SII) and developed by Oxford-AstraZeneca. It is created with the viral vector platform whose technology differs from the above.
Here ChAsOX1 – a chimpanzee adenovirus has been altered to enable it to carry the COVID-19 spike protein into human cells. This cold virus is incapable of infecting an individual and it can reach the body’s immune system to build a defence mechanism against the virus. This same technology was deployed for preparing vaccines for viruses like Ebola.
- Sputnik V – This vaccine is an adenoviral based vaccine produced in Russia. It is a two-part vaccine that works against the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. It uses a weakened virus to deliver minute parts of the pathogen to stimulate a potent immunity response. This vaccine reduces the duration of time taken for the development of the body’s immunity to the SARS-CoV-2, the actual virus that sparked the COVID-19 Pandemic across the globe.
For more details about your specific vaccine, please consult your healthcare specialist for correct information.
Lifestyle choices
Be wary of products that claim to boost your immune system. The words “boosting the immune system “is nothing but a marketing term, something that immunologists do not use. Note, the immune system of a person is unique complex and robust. There are factors like sleep deprivation, alcohol, cigarettes, drugs, malnourishment etc that severely affect your immune system. Taking a vaccine does not mean that you can continue the above poor lifestyle choices and stay unaffected or safe.
A person with a chronic illness will also have a compromised immune system. Daily stressors caused at the workplace or at home in life weaken the immunity system of the body as well. Every vaccine has mild side effects that vary from person to person. So, before vaccination, consult a good healthcare professional to know what to expect.
Healthcare experts state people who are sad and depressed are likely to have unhealthy habits, for example, addiction to alcohol and smoking, poor nutrition, lack of exercise and poor sleep due to erratic bedtime patterns. They need to change these habits or else they put their immune system at risk. It is prudent to seek professional aid for mental health issues that are prevalent and rising today.
The Need To Practice Healthy Habits Both Before And After The COVID-19 Vaccine
Doctors recommend you should practice the following to boost the efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccine for your health-
- Do not smoke and subject yourself to alcohol abuse
- Eat balanced and healthy meals rich in whole food, fruits and vegetables
- Stay hydrated
- Give priority to the quality and length of sleep
- Keep your levels of stress under control
- Spend quality time with your loved ones
- Exercise regularly- even freehand exercises at home boost endorphins and serotonin levels in the brain. You can even go for a short walk or jog in the neighborhood.
- Practice social distancing and maintain all COVID-19 safety protocols
Last but not the least, just because you have received COVID-19 Vaccine but this does not mean you can freely roam into large gatherings and mingle with the crowd like before. During the window period of the vaccine, you are still exposed to the risks of the coronavirus infection. Remember your body is gradually building its defence mechanism and this certainly does not occur overnight, so wear a mask, practice good hygiene, wash your hands in the proper manner, clean/sanitize surfaces and stay safe!
