Maryland residents may rush to get a COVID-19 vaccine when it becomes available. Yet, as companies race to develop a COVID-19 vaccine, questions about the risks of a vaccine have been raised. All vaccines carry some risk for residents of a Maryland medication error, and according to a recent news report, many experts have speculated on the heightened risks of a COVID-19 vaccine in light of a condensed development timeline.
Experts in the public health field worry that a condensed timeline for developing and testing the vaccine might mean that it is approved without proper data and analysis. Some of those fears appear to have merit. One vaccine testing candidate did not test in animals. Another experimental vaccine was approved for China’s military before trials were even completed. A significant number of people in one vaccine trial experienced a “medically significant” adverse event. Creating a vaccine in the span of a year is “unprecedented,” according to one expert working to develop a new vaccine platform.
Some experts worry that the vaccine will not be safe or effective. A vaccine might produce unintended side effects, for example. One adverse event that had been seen with vaccines for other viruses is an antibody-dependent enhancement (ADE). An ADE is an immune reaction to the vaccine that makes subsequent exposure to the virus more dangerous by generating antibodies that encourage the virus to replicate instead of neutralizing it. One scientist said that the rare side effects of a vaccine likely will not be discovered until after the vaccine is approved.
It is also not certain how effective the vaccine will be. At this point, it is still unclear if antibodies are protective and how long immunity lasts. One expert explained that it would take at least one year to determine if a vaccine confers immunity for at least a year. Some have shifted focus from a vaccine that confers immunity to one that reduces the severity of the disease. One risk is that a vaccine could reduce the severity of the disease but still allow individuals to carry and spread the virus.
Pharmacists generally are allowed to administer vaccines to patients, although the various requirements and circumstances to do so varies by state. In Maryland, pharmacists may administer certain vaccines, including the flu vaccines to individuals who are at least 9 years old. However, pharmacists must administer a vaccine properly and with the proper safety precautions, including screening for adverse reactions.
Contact a Maryland Pharmacy Error Attorney
If you have suffered due to the administration of a vaccine or from another pharmacy injury, contact a Maryland pharmacy error attorney today. The personal injury lawyers at Lebowitz & Mzhen can help you by evaluating your potential claim and guiding you through each step of the legal process. Our legal team and attorneys and have the tenacity and the resources to file suit against all parties responsible for causing your harm or loss. To set up a free initial consultation, call us toll-free at (800) 654-1949 or contact us online through the form on our website.