Covid-19 and Cerebral palsy: Are there reasons for worry?
One of the most common searched topics around the world right now is the COVID-19 vaccine. Vaccines have been authorised and rolled out in a variety of countries starting December 2020. As the pandemic continued to ripple across the world, the solutions to prevent it have been seen as a wave of relief.
In today’s article, we want to tackle the topic of the COVID-19 vaccine and cerebral palsy. So we’re going to try to give a bit of insight into COVID vaccines, having cerebral palsy and other diseases and how that impacts or not the decision to sign up for a vaccine. We also include a list of resources at the end. If you want to find out more on the topic and do a bit of research on the COVID-19 vaccine, they’re really helpful.
Covid-19 vaccine roll out
Following the evaluation by the European Medicines Agency (EMA), the European Commission has authorized the first vaccines to prevent the spread of COVID-19. These vaccines protect people from becoming ill. They’re particularly important for a range of vulnerable categories such as older people, healthcare professionals and people with long-term diseases.
The CDC informs that the Pfizer BionTech should be administered in 2 phases, separated by 21 days. Currently, millions of doses are being administered worldwide.
Does having cerebral palsy this put me more at risk for coronavirus?
There are 2 levels of higher risk from coronavirus, according to the NHS and various other health organisations. There is a high risk category (with 1 or more of the conditions listed) and a moderate risk category.
Each country should have these conditions listed on their national organisation website, so make sure to check your country’s government website to find out more about this. However, usually elder people and people with chronic diseases fall into the higher risk category.
As to the question of whether having cerebral palsy puts you at higher risk of contracting COVID-19, there is no evidence for it. Simply put, having cerebral palsy doesn’t automatically mean you enter the higher risk category.
It depends on each person’s health, disability level, and other associated diseases. That’s why it’s important to check first with your doctor what category you fall into. Therefore, make sure you are aware of the state of your health. We recommend having a check-up and talking to your medical doctor. Ensure you are taking all the measures you can to stay safe.
We understand that these are difficult times and you might feel under stress if you have cerebral palsy or any other underlying condition or other types of disability. That’s why we want to emphasize that taking sensible precautions and informing yourself first are key.
What vaccines for COVID-19 were approved?
The Pfizer BionTech and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines were approved for user according to the FDA. More than 205 million doses will have been already administered, according to Bloomberg.
The vaccines use messenger RNA (mRNA) in order to give cells instructions on how to make a copy of an S protein. That protein is found in coronavirus. Once vaccinated, your immune system learns to recognize the protein and starts to build an immune response. Both vaccines are said to have an efficiency rate of over 94%. Currently, other vaccines are being developed.
What can I do to protect myself from COVID–19 if I have cerebral palsy?
There is a set of measures that have been adopted worldwide for preventing the spread of COVID-19. You should be washing your hands regularly, for at least 20 seconds. Also, make sure you wear a mask, and avoid all close contact and all unnecessary travels.
According to the CDC, all people can be at a higher risk of contracting COVID-19 if they have other underlying conditions. So do make sure you talk to your healthcare provider about your health condition and if there are any additional measures you should take.
We hope you stay healthy and safe during these times and we hope we helped with some information regarding the COVID-19 vaccine and cerebral palsy. Feel free to check out our blog on Cerebral palsy and how it can be treated for more info.
Other ressources:
- https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/index.html
- https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/different-vaccines/Pfizer-BioNTech.html
- https://cerebralpalsyscotland.org.uk/covid-vaccines-and-cerebral-palsy/
- https://cerebralpalsyscotland.org.uk/covid-vaccines-and-cerebral-palsy/
- https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/coronavirus-vaccination/coronavirus-vaccine/
- https://ourworldindata.org/covid-vaccinations
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