A PROBLEM SHARED
Got a problem? Dr Ranj Singh is here to offer his advice
I’ve been reading lots of worrying things about the COVID-19 vaccines. I’m HIV positive and am not sure if I can have one, but I still feel they’ve been rushed out. Are they safe?
Joe, London
It’s natural to have questions about any new medical development — especially one as significant as the COVID vaccines. However, be very careful where you get the answers: inaccurate, unbalanced information is rife on the internet. Let’s clear up a few misconceptions.
Firstly, it’s true that they have been developed at an unprecedented rate. Normally, vaccines take years to formulate, test and approve because the process is expensive and inefficient. Usually, scientists have to develop the technology to create the vaccine, seek funding and permission for research; recruit to sequential phases of trials (which takes a long time); and then get approval from medical authorities to manufacture and distribute them.