Get vaccinated!

Not a day goes by without us reading a news story about the COVID-19 vaccines. Furthermore, new misinformation is constantly being added to the dissemination of misinformation, especially on social media. The vaccine causes infertility, but it doesn’t exist; the vaccine isn’t effective against variants; it doesn’t exist; the Turkish couple who developed the BioNTech vaccine haven’t even vaccinated themselves; this mRNA is a new method, and it’s unclear what will happen, etc. This endless misinformation is driving people to avoid vaccination. Or those afraid of vaccinations are using these conspiracy theories as an excuse to avoid vaccination. This, in turn, is damaging our fight against the virus. Humanity’s greatest enemy is once again those whose mindset is warped within themselves or who can’t overcome their fears.

Now, let’s correct some of the misinformation that has become so pervasive because of these misinformation campaigns (I’ll provide the correct version of the misinformation in the subheadings):

 1) The disease causes infertility, the vaccine fixes this problem

I got the answer to this from an article I read recently. It stated that the disease, not the vaccine, halves sperm count, and that the vaccine, on the contrary, corrects this situation. I would like to share two important quotes from the article:

“Prof. Dr. Ateş Kadıoğlu stated that the COVID-19 infection is very fond of the male reproductive system, just like the lungs. “Because ACE2 receptors are extremely dense in the testicles, just like in the lungs, the virus binds to these receptors and affects the cells. As a result, inflammation develops in the testicles, testosterone secretion from the Leydig cells decreases, hormonal problems occur, and certain immunological events occur. At the same time, fever also negatively affects the testicles. A fever above 37.8° in COVID-19 patients causes negative effects on the testicles. Consequently, there are negative changes in the genital system, that is, the reproductive system. Sperm count drops by 50%. Sperm motility decreases. Sperm viability is also negatively affected.”

The following information was shared regarding the vaccine’s correction of this problem:

“A study published in JAMA, a publication of the American Medical Association, one of the world’s most respected medical journals, has shown that the vaccine does not cause any adverse effects on the male reproductive system.” Prof. Dr. Kadıoğlu, explaining that the study was conducted to determine whether it caused any side effects, provided the following information:

Semen analysis and semen parameters were evaluated in 45 males before (7 days before) and after (up to 70 days after) the vaccination. These evaluations revealed increases in sperm volume, count, motility, and total advanced sperm count. For example, sperm count increased from 26 million to 30 million / cm³. Sperm motility increased from 58% to 65%. This study included a very special group of eight individuals whose sperm count was below normal. It was observed that seven of these patients also experienced positive changes after the vaccination. In these individuals, sperm count increased from 8.3 million to 22 million / cm³.

You can read the full article at the link “ ‘Aşı kısırlık yapıyor’ polemiğini bitirecek araştırma! (msn.com).

In conclusion, it is the COVID-19 virus that impairs reproductive functions, and the vaccine corrects this problem.

2) Effective against all variants, such as the BioNTech Delta variant

BioNTech founder Uğur Şahin recently stated, “There is currently no evidence that it is necessary to adapt our vaccine to existing variants.” Emphasizing that a third dose may also be necessary, Şahin said, “I assume that the third dose may be highly valuable for restoring immunity. However, we don’t yet know when and how often a booster vaccination (third dose) will be necessary,” he said. You can read the news report on this subject at; Uğur Şahin: BioNTech aşısı Delta varyantına karşı etkili (msn.com)

Of course, it may be necessary to update the vaccine for the newly emerged Delta and Delta Plus variants and the more potent variants that may emerge in the future, and to obtain these updated versions of the third dose. However, with current data, this does not seem necessary. However, BioNTech’s founders recently stated, “If necessary, a new COVID-19 vaccine can be developed within 100 days.” You can read the relevant article at the link  BioNTech kurucuları: Gerekirse 100 gün içinde yeni bir Covid-19 aşısı geliştirilebilir (t24.com.tr).

In conclusion, although BioNTech remains effective against all variants, if a variant emerges that it cannot overcome or that significantly reduces its effectiveness, the statement that the BioNTech vaccine developed against that variant can be released within 100 days at the latest should remind us all. It’s reassuring. We will follow developments.

 3) BioNTech’s founders and all employees have been vaccinated.

In an interview with DW on 22 December 2020, Prof. Şahin stated that, according to German law, he was not allowed to receive the COVID-19 vaccine because he was not included in the vaccine priority group, and that BioNTech employees were therefore unable to receive the vaccine. Şahin stated that BioNTech employees were also prohibited from receiving the COVID-19 vaccine and that a legal and fair solution would be developed to avoid any disruptions in vaccine production. In an interview on 19 March 2021, he stated that he had been vaccinated alongside BioNTech employees. You can read the details at BioNTech CEO’su Uğur Şahin’in COVID-19 Aşısı Olmadığı İddiası | Doğruluk Payı (dogrulukpayi.com).

In conclusion, claiming that all BioNTech employees, especially the founders of BioNTech, have not been vaccinated is a blatant lie. The delay in their vaccinations is simply because they acted in accordance with German law. Thinking about everything with the mindset of “I discovered the vaccine, I’ll be the first to administer it to myself and my loved ones,” as in Turkey, is simply backward-thinking. The law in the country dictates what it says, no one is exempt.

4) mRNA is a long-standing method with well-established results.

Uğur Şahin and Özlem Türeci have worked exclusively on this method for over 25 years. They’ve now applied the mRNA they developed for cancer to infectious diseases, creating the most effective vaccine on Earth. The results of the mRNA method are clear; it’s not a new method; mRNA is.

If you’d like to learn more about how it works, you can read the article at https://popsci.com.tr/yeni-mrna-asilari-nasil-calisiyor/?utm_campaign=later-linkinbio-popularscienceturkiye&utm_content=later-18237065&utm_medium=social&utm_source=linkin.bio. I’d like to share the section of this article explaining how the vaccine works:

How do mRNA vaccines work?

mRNA vaccines have two important components: mRNA sequences and lipid nanoparticles that carry them. As their name suggests, lipid nanoparticles are small, fatty particles that are more easily absorbed into cells and remain intact for much longer than mRNA sequences alone.

Once inside a cell, an organelle called a ribosome reads this mRNA sequence and translates it into a protein. As this process repeats, some of the proteins are transported outside the cell, while others remain inside. Eventually, enough protein is formed for immune cells to recognize, and the immune cells begin producing antibodies that bind tightly to these foreign proteins. These antibodies act as a signal light, signaling other immune cells to come and destroy the pathogen. Enough antibodies can even defeat an infected cell without needing any support.

The crucial point here is that once a person’s immune system knows how to make antibodies for a specific protein, it will retain this knowledge in the form of memory cells. If that person encounters a pathogen harboring that protein, they won’t have to go through the process of producing the correct antibodies and can go and eliminate the pathogen directly. Because mRNA vaccines encode only a small portion of a pathogen, they cannot cause infection.

Other vaccines, such as protein subunit vaccines, utilize an adjuvant that stimulates the immune system. mRNA vaccines, however, do not require adjuvants because mRNA sequences, along with impurities in the form of double-stranded RNA, activate the immune system.

In conclusion, regarding anti-vaccine sentiment, I recently read at https://www.cumhuriyet.com.tr/haber/harvard-tip-profesoru-gokhan-hotamisligil-asi-karsitligi-salginin-kendisi-kadar-vahim-1848144 . I strongly agree with Harvard Medical Professor Gökhan Hotamışlıgil, who stated, “Vaccination opposition is as serious as the pandemic itself.” I believe we should not compromise with anti-vaccine advocates.

I would like to point out that at my own workplace, we also mandate vaccination (and all our employees started getting vaccinated themselves before we made it a rule). I believe that nothing that endangers the lives of others should be allowed. I personally received the vaccine. After completing both shots, my antibody level was 31,659 (normally, the immune system needs to be above 50 to effectively fight the virus).

I admit, my body may have overproduced antibodies, which is a good thing. Although I feel comfortable now, I’m still taking precautions. For example, I always wear a mask outside.

It’s also known that the BioNTech vaccine (known as Pfizer because they distribute it in most places) produces significantly more antibodies than vaccines produced using methods other than mRNA. Here’s a study conducted in Hong Kong that showed BioNTech produced 10 times more antibodies than Sinovac: COVID-19: Hong Kong study shows BioNTech vaccines create 10 times more antibodies than Sinovac | Hong Kong Free Press HKFP (hongkongfp.com)

I’d like to conclude my article with Gökhan Hoca’s words on vaccination:

“If the world doesn’t slow down the pace of vaccination—and this is also true for Turkey—the virus’s range of motion will begin to narrow. When it does, the likelihood of new mutations emerging decreases significantly. This is purely a numbers game… Every mutation can slightly alter the virus’s behavior. However, this isn’t infinite. After a certain point, the virus no longer has much room to maneuver.