00:00Doctor, I have cardiopathy, a heart problem. Should I get vaccinated or not?
00:09Hello friends, today we're going to talk about COVID-19 vaccines for patients with heart disease.
00:17I'm Aldo Santos and this is Medicine Explained, where we tell you everything so you feel good.
00:30What happens with COVID-19 in patients with heart disease?
01:00You can find it on social media and on the Medicina Explicada platform, as well as on the website of Cardium, the comprehensive cardiology center, www.cardium.net.
01:14Well, remember that if you have any medical issues, any questions, any concerns, let me know.
01:21Tell me in the comments, here where you're watching me, and we'll get it ready.
01:25Let's start by briefly explaining what vaccines are.
01:30Well, vaccines, as we all know, are technological products for medical use.
01:35Its objective is to prepare the immune system so that it can then respond more quickly and effectively to an infection,
01:44preventing its occurrence or reducing its severity.
01:48Basically, vaccines present our immune system with proteins or substances that are part of a virus, bacteria, or other microorganism capable of causing disease.
02:02The goal is for our defense system to identify these proteins and mark them as foreign and dangerous.
02:10Then, it will be able to generate antibodies and some substances that defend us.
02:16It is a process that we call immune response.
02:19In this way, after vaccination and the generation of an immune response,
02:24If the germ comes into contact with our body, we would already have defense mechanisms prepared.
02:31to be able to combat it more effectively without it causing us a major health problem.
02:37Some people and certain groups are very critical and reject all vaccines.
02:44However, throughout history its effectiveness in preventing diseases or making them less aggressive has been more than demonstrated,
02:53prevent epidemics and save lives.
02:56Statistics don't lie.
02:58The numbers demonstrate the enormous positive impact that vaccines have had on human health over the past few decades.
03:07Even diseases such as smallpox, polio, and measles have been completely or virtually eradicated.
03:15But on this, as on many other issues, the internet and social media are full of fake news,
03:21of nonsense and gruesome claims against vaccines.
03:24We can say that so far there is no evidence linking vaccines with diseases such as autism,
03:32Alzheimer's or some other conditions that some people attribute to them.
03:38Thanks to the efforts of thousands of scientists around the world, several vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 are now available,
03:47which is the technical name given to the type of coronavirus that causes the disease called COVID-19.
03:53Some are already being applied massively, while others are still in the development phase.
04:00and some of these vaccine candidates will probably begin to be widely administered in the coming months.
04:06The best known are those of Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, and AstraZeneca, also known as Oxford.
04:14These are three vaccines with different efficacy values, but they are within an acceptable range.
04:19And although they have the same goal, they don't have the same technology.
04:23This is important to clarify because we are going to talk about it later.
04:27The vaccines from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna laboratories use a novel messenger RNA method.
04:34to initiate the production of the antigenic protein in the person's own body.
04:40Later I will explain to you what an antigenic protein is.
04:43The AstraZeneca vaccine, for its part, uses another technique known as a viral vector.
04:48That is, a virus that is harmless to humans is used, in this case a chimpanzee adenovirus,
04:54which has been modified to enter the cells of our body
04:58and use the cellular machinery of our cells to produce one of the antigenic proteins.
05:05Okay, so what are antigenic proteins?
05:07Well, they're a kind of harmless little piece of the virus, in this case the virus that causes COVID-19.
05:14What does this mean?
05:16That these vaccines, through different pathways, cause our own cells to produce proteins
05:22which are like those of the virus, but which were never part of any virus.
05:27That is, it was our own body that produced proteins that are similar to those of the virus.
05:34So our own immune system detects the proteins that our own body made.
05:40that resemble those of the virus and produce antibodies, that is, generate an immune response.
05:46That is why, contrary to what some believe, these vaccines do not inoculate the virus,
05:51the coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.
05:56Therefore, this makes them safer.
06:09Are COVID-19 vaccines very dangerous?
06:13Do they have more adverse effects than other existing vaccines?
06:18Well, not exactly.
06:19All vaccines, like any other medical product, have potential adverse effects.
06:26Most are mild and transient, such as pain at the injection site,
06:31fever, weakness, headache, general malaise.
06:37Although very rare, some side effects can be more intense.
06:42and even cause dangerous complications.
06:45However, if vaccines are handled properly,
06:49the likelihood of them causing a severe or fatal reaction is extremely low.
06:55In other words, in the current context of the pandemic the risk is much greater
07:01of complications and even death from COVID-19 than from some of its current vaccines.
07:07We know that for various reasons, some people are currently afraid of getting vaccinated against COVID-19.
07:23It's not just the fear of the jab, it's known that COVID-19 vaccines
07:27They have been developed very quickly, very rapidly, and in the midst of a pandemic situation.
07:33And therefore, they have not followed this lengthy process of verification and experimentation.
07:38which other vaccines and all medications have usually been submitted to.
07:42Fear is also based on false beliefs, rumors and superficial information.
07:49and not only from social networks, but also from certain media outlets.
07:54At this point, it is important to clarify that delays in obtaining vaccines
07:59and other medications often do not depend so much on the research process
08:03as well as institutional regulations and bureaucratic mechanisms
08:07which excessively delay the procurement process, but which have been eliminated in the context of the pandemic.
08:14On the other hand, the current progress in technologies such as genomics, proteonomics,
08:20They allow for accelerated development processes and greatly shortened the time to obtain vaccine candidates.
08:28We all know that science is experiencing a process of acceleration
08:32and what took a long time to achieve, even years,
08:36Today it is possible to achieve this in months.
08:39This principle is also valid in biotechnologies that allow the development
08:44of vaccines like this one we have today against COVID-19.
08:48Another issue we cannot lose sight of is that COVID-19 vaccines
08:52are currently being applied massively.
08:56In just a few months, millions of people have been vaccinated around the world.
09:00For the first time in human history, mass immunization is being carried out.
09:05on a planetary scale with a few types of vaccines.
09:10So statistically the appearance of adverse effects will be more evident than in other circumstances.
09:17This means that we will soon notice what might take years to notice with other vaccines.
09:23This vaccination like no other has been in the focus of attention of the authorities,
09:29from regulatory bodies, also from the press and public opinion in general.
09:34This often leads to the reporting of side effects being exaggerated or even outright distorted.
09:41The truth is that the vaccines being applied are under rigorous analysis.
09:47and in countries like Israel where successful immunization of the majority of the population has been achieved in a very short time
09:55have demonstrated efficacy and safety.
10:00However, if any relevant problems are detected with any of these products
10:05As in a few days, in recent days it has been reported with one of these vaccines in Europe,
10:10Your instructions will be reviewed, adjusted or even the product will be withdrawn.
10:15Should vaccination then be mandatory?
10:21Mandatory? Should it be mandatory?
10:26However, the clear benefits of immunization,
10:29Every person should be free to voluntarily decide whether or not to receive a vaccine.
10:35Personally, I am not in favor of forced immunization,
10:39because the end does not justify the means.
10:41And a mandatory vaccination would be violating the principle of autonomy.
10:46and therefore human dignity.
10:49On the other hand, even if a certain part of the population decides not to apply the COVID-19 vaccine,
10:54They will also be receiving protection in an indirect way,
10:59as long as it is received by a certain critical mass of individuals within the community
11:04in which they develop, unfold and share.
11:07And now we get to the heart of this conversation.
11:21Patients with heart disease,
11:24Can we get vaccinated against COVID-19?
11:28Yeah.
11:29None of the currently available vaccines are expressly contraindicated.
11:34in patients with heart disease.
11:36In fact, patients with heart disease and other chronic illnesses
11:41They are one of the vulnerable groups facing the pandemic
11:44and with a higher risk of complications and even death.
11:48Therefore, heart patients may be among those who benefit most from these vaccines.
11:54What about children with congenital heart disease?
11:59So far, COVID-19 vaccines are not used in children.
12:05and can only be administered to people over 16 years of age.
12:09This is because, as pediatric patients are not one of the most vulnerable groups
12:15and work has been done against the clock, with research giving priority to adults and older adults.
12:23Therefore, there is currently insufficient data on its safety and efficacy in infants.
12:29When the clinical trials already underway are completed,
12:33we will know if it is safe to apply it to children.
12:36To our relief, there is no evidence so far that children with congenital heart disease
12:42are at higher risk of developing the disease or experiencing serious complications.
12:49Any other recommendations?
12:50Yes, while vaccination is being rolled out, it is very important to maintain the same precautions,
12:59the same ones we have been recommending since the beginning of the pandemic.
13:03Respect physical distancing, frequent handwashing, and the use of masks.
13:08It is also wise to avoid closed and poorly ventilated spaces as much as possible.
13:13or crowds of people, even in open spaces.
13:17Finally, we recommend vaccination to all people for whom it is indicated.
13:23as soon as possible, provided that it is an approved and validated vaccine.
13:30Yes, that is my recommendation for my patients.
13:33Get vaccinated!
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