“Whether before or after infection, our only weapon in protecting ourselves is vaccination”

Cyprus International University (CIU) Faculty of Medicine Academic Staff and Cardiovascular Surgery Specialist Prof. Dr. Barlas Aytaçoğlu, stating that the most important protective intervention in a viral pandemic is vaccination, continued, “Due to the lack of effective drugs against viruses, while the first prerequisite for protection is to not get infected, the only weapon that can protect us both before and after infection is vaccination".

Reminding that the COVID-19 virus has continued to spread and kill since our struggle with the virus began in 2019, despite the use of drugs such as chloroquine, Aytaçoğlu continued to advise, “However, it has been seen that in especially the past two months, one million 500 thousand healthcare workers have been vaccinated in Turkey, and although the virus has been contracted there have been no deaths”.

Prof. Dr. Aytaçoğlu stated that as a country we have the most communication with Turkey, and it has been observed that the most common infection agent in Turkey is the delta variant of COVID-19, with the delta variant currently constituting of almost 90-95% of cases.

Based on this, Aytaçoğlu expressed that no matter how many precautions are taken, this variant will be prevalent in our country and be the cause of illness, and that 98% of those patients currently in intensive care in Turkey, unfortunately, are made up of patients who have not been vaccinated.

As per the statements of the World Health Organization and the manufacturer, among the existing vaccines against the virus, the most effective vaccine against this variant is the BionTech-Pfizer vaccine informed Prof. Dr. Aytaçoğlu, who added that the vaccine has now received approval by the US FDA (Food and Drug Administration).

Stating that one of the biggest arguments of anti-vaccination individuals is the fact that the vaccines are yet to be approved, and so they took a big hit with this approval, Aytaçoğlu went on to advise, “At any moment, a significant portion of the other vaccines are expected to be approved”.

Drawing attention to the fact that the virus is the cause of death between 6% and 9% of individuals that are middle aged or elderly, and particularly those who suffer from a chronic illness, Aytaçoğlu elaborated, “Under normal conditions, when considering that even a coronary bypass operation is performed with a 1% risk of death, it becomes clear how deadly this disease can be. We currently are not able to discuss any permanent negative effects of the virus, as these will only become apparent in the years to come”.

Emphasizing that under these circumstances, it is undeniable that the most important way in which to protect ourselves and those we love is via vaccines, Aytaçoğlu concluded, “However, under the current circumstances, even if we have been vaccinated, masks, distancing, and hygiene are as important as the vaccine”.