1. The document discusses various questions and answers regarding the Corona virus vaccine. It provides information on the different types of vaccines including whole virus, protein subunit, nucleic acid and viral vector vaccines. 2. Details are given about Indian vaccines like Covaxin and Covishield, developed by Bharat Biotech and Serum Institute of India respectively. 3. Practical issues regarding registration and administration of the vaccine through the CoWIN portal are outlined in steps. Precautions to be taken by cancer patients in taking the vaccine are also explained.

1. DR KANHU CHARAN PATRO
MD,DNB [RADIATION ONCOLOGY], MBA. PDCR. CEPC, FAROI
HOD, RADIATION ONCOLOGY. MGCHRI. VISAKHAPATNAM
1
drkcpatro@gmail.com
M-9160470564
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ON CORONA VACCINE
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2. Structure of a CORONA virus
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3. What is a vaccine?
1. A vaccine is a biological preparation that provides
active acquired immunity to a particular infectious
disease.
2. A vaccine typically contains an agent that
resembles a disease-causing microorganism and
is often made from weakened or killed forms of the
microbe, its toxins, or one of its surface proteins.
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4. What are vaccine types?
1.WHOLE VIRUS
2.PROTEIN SUBUNIT
3.NUCLEIC ACID
4.VIRAL VECTOR
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5. Types of vaccine
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6. Types of vaccine
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7. What whole virus vaccine?
1. Many conventional vaccines use whole viruses
to trigger an immune response.
2. Live attenuated vaccines use a weakened
form of the virus that can still replicate without
causing illness.
3. Inactivated vaccines use viruses whose
genetic material has been destroyed so they
cannot replicate but can still trigger an immune
response.
4. Both types use well-established technology and
pathways for regulatory approval
5. Live attenuated ones may risk causing disease
in people with weak immune systems and often
require careful cold storage, making their use
more challenging in low-resource countries.
6. Inactivated virus vaccines can be given to
people with compromised immune systems but
might also need cold storage
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8. What is whole protein subunit vaccine?
1. Subunit vaccines use pieces of the
pathogen - often fragments of protein
- to trigger an immune response.
2. Doing so minimizes the risk of side
effects, but it also means the immune
response may be weaker.
3. Therefore, they often require
adjuvants, to help boost the immune
response
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9. What is nucleic acid vaccine?
1. Nucleic acid vaccines use genetic material – either RNA
or DNA – to provide cells with the instructions to make the
antigen.
2. In the case of COVID-19, this is usually the viral spike
protein.
3. Once this genetic material gets into human cells, it uses
our cells' protein factories to make the antigen that will
trigger an immune response.
4. The advantages of such vaccines are that they are easy
to make, and cheap.
5. Since the antigen is produced inside our own cells and in
large quantities, the immune reaction should be strong.
6. A downside, however, is that so far, no DNA or RNA
vaccines have been licensed for human use, which
may cause more hurdles with regulatory approval.
7. In addition, RNA vaccines need to be kept at ultra-cold
temperatures, -70C or lower, which could prove
challenging for countries that don’t have specialized cold
storage equipment, particularly low- and middle-income
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10. What is viral vector vaccine?
1. Viral vector vaccines also work by giving cells
genetic instructions to produce antigens.
2. But they differ from nucleic acid vaccines in that
they use a harmless virus, different from the one
the vaccine is targeting, to deliver these instructions
into the cell.
3. One type of virus that has often been used as a
vector is adenovirus, which causes the common
cold.
4. As with nucleic acid vaccines, our own cellular
machinery is hijacked to produce the antigen from
those instructions, in order to trigger an immune
response.
5. Viral vector vaccines can mimic natural viral
infection and should therefore trigger a strong
immune response.
6. However, since there is a chance that many people
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11. Pros and cons of different vaccines.
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12. What are Indian vaccines?
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13. The Bharat Biotech-HYDERABAD
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14. The serum institute of India-PUNE
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Cyrus S. Poonawalla/Adar Poonawalla

15. Covaxin
1. COVAXIN India's indigenous COVID-19 vaccine by
Bharat Biotech is developed in collaboration with the
(ICMR) - National Institute of Virology (NIV).
2. The indigenous, inactivated vaccine is developed and
manufactured in Bharat Biotech's BSL-3 (Bio-Safety
Level 3) high containment facility.
3. The vaccine is developed using Whole-Virion
Inactivated Vero Cell derived platform technology.
4. Inactivated vaccines do not replicate and are therefore
unlikely to revert and cause pathological effects.
5. They contain dead virus, incapable of infecting people
but still able to instruct the immune system to mount a
defensive reaction against an infection.
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16. Covishield
1. The Oxford–AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, code
named AZD1222, and sold under the brand
names Covishield, is a viral vector vaccine for
prevention of COVID-19.
2. Developed by Oxford University and AstraZeneca, it
is given by intramuscular injection, using as a vector the
modified chimpanzee adenovirus ChAdOx1.
3. The efficacy of the vaccine is 76.0% at preventing
symptomatic COVID-19 beginning at 22 days following
the first dose and 81.3% after the second dose
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17. COVISHIELD VS COVAXIN
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18. Non-Indian vaccines
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19. Can I have the second dose with a different
vaccine than the first dose?
1. Clinical trials in some countries are looking at
whether you can have a first dose from one
vaccine and a second dose from a different
vaccine.
2. There isn't enough data yet to recommend this
type of combination
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20. Shall I go for RAT before vaccination ?
There is no requirement for screening of the
vaccine recipients by rapid antigen test (RAT)
prior to COVID-19 vaccination
https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1719925
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21. I have recovered from covid illness
can I ?
COVID19 vaccination to be deferred by 3
months after recovery from the illness
https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1719925
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22. Can I donate blood after vaccination ?
An individual can donate blood after 14 days of either
receipt of COVID-19 vaccine or testing RT-PCR
negative, if suffering from COVID-19 disease.
https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1719925
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23. I have recovered from covid illness
can I ? Received 1 dose before
If infected with COVID after 1st dose, 2nd
dose to be deferred by 3 months after
clinical recovery from COVID-19 illness
https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1719925
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24. Is it ok for lactating women?
COVID-19 vaccination recommended for
all Lactating Women
https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1719925
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25. Is it ok for pregnant women?
Regarding COVID-19 Vaccination of pregnant
women, the matter is under discussion and
further deliberation by the National Technical
Advisory Group on Immunization (NTAGI)
https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1719925
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26. I am a cancer survivor not on
treatment can I take the vaccine?
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27. For newly diagnosed cancer patients
when they should get vaccinated?
1. Ideally, it is best to vaccinate before
treatment as the immune response to the
vaccine may be impaired in patients
receiving chemotherapy. The vaccine is
optimally administered at least two weeks
before chemotherapy starts.
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28. I have just completed cancer
treatment can I take the vaccine?
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29. I am on radiotherapy treatment; can
I take the vaccine?
1. For most patients receiving radiation
treatment, it’s recommended to proceed
with vaccination and radiation treatment
need not be interrupted.
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30. I am undergoing chemo treatment
for cancer; can I take the vaccine?
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31. I am a breast cancer patient, any
precaution?
1. Patients who have had surgery to remove
lymph nodes in the underarm area, including
many patients with breast cancer, may wish to
receive their vaccine in the opposite arm from
the cancer surgery.
2. It’s possible that lymph node enlargement
resulting from the COVID-19 vaccination could
exacerbate lymphedema
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32. I am on chemotherapy treatment;
can I take the vaccine?
1. Yes
2. it’s preferable to receive the vaccines at
a time when your white blood counts
are not expected to be low.
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33. I am on steroid for cancer
treatment, can I take the vaccine?
1. Corticosteroids may reduce the
response to COVID-19 vaccination. If
you require corticosteroids as a part of
your cancer treatment, you should
discuss the timing of vaccination with
your healthcare provider.
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34. For patients receiving rituximab, blinatumomab, anti-
thymocyte globulin, alemtuzumab and other
lymphocyte-depleting therapies
1. These treatments can affect the
lymphocytes, which are an important
part of the immune response to the
COVID-19 vaccines.
2. Vaccination may be more effective if
delayed for at least three months after
completing these therapies.
3. However, if COVID-19 rates are high in
your community, the benefit of partial
protection from vaccination during or
soon after treatment should be
considered.
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35. I am on hormonal therapy for
cancer, can I take the vaccine?
1. Endocrine or hormonal treatments for cancer
including tamoxifen, aromatase inhibitors,
LHRH analogs and anti-androgens are not
expected to alter the safety or effectiveness
of the vaccines
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36. I am on immunotherapy for cancer,
can I take the vaccine?
1. For most patients receiving immunotherapy
for cancer, it’s fine to proceed with
vaccination and immunotherapy need not be
interrupted.
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37. I have undergone bone marrow
transplantation; can I take the vaccine?
BUT WAIT FOR 3 MONTHS
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38. I am undergoing treatment for
leukemia; can I take the vaccine?
BUT WAIT FOR NEUTROPHIL RECOVERY
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39. I have undergone surgery for cancer,
can I take the vaccine?
1. Since fever can occur in the first 24 to 48
hours after vaccination, it’s best to avoid
scheduling your vaccination within a few days
of planned surgery as a fever may result in
cancellation of the surgery.
2. For those undergoing splenectomy, you
should receive the first vaccine dose at least
two weeks or more before surgery if possible
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40. I am undergoing chemo treatment for
cancer and having low platelet count,
can I take the vaccine?
AFTER PLATELET RECOVERY
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41. There are two vaccines available ,
which one I should take?
1. As government is giving free and you
do not have a chance to choose .
2. Do not worry take which is available
3. If there is an option, choose which has
having better efficacy.
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42. Any side effects will I get?
1. Few people may get fever and
local pain at injection site.
2. You can use paracetamol tab
as per your need.
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43. How to get vaccine?
1. Go to COWIN portal and
register and schedule your slot
at near by hospital
https://www.cowin.gov.in
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44. For cancer treatment I am outside form
native state can I get it where I am?
1. No problem
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45. Practical issues with vaccine?
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46. Step-1- COWIN website
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47. Step-1- You can also register with
Co-WIN app in your own mobile
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48. Step-2- Register yourself
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49. Step-3- Enter your phone number
and get OTP
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50. Step-4- Enter OTP
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51. Step-5- Enter details of individual .
Better is Aadhaar card
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52. Step-6- schedule
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53. Step-7- chose the hospital
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54. Step-8- Choose your nearest place
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55. Step-9- DOWNLOAD YOUR
DOCUMENT
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56. Step-10- Reach the vaccination
center with your Aadhar card
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57. Step-11- Take the vaccine
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58. Step-12- You can reschedule if you
want
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59. 5/24/2021 59

60. I am a cancer patient received
vaccine, still I need to use mask?
S-SANITIZATION
M-MASK
S-SOCIAL DISTANCING
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61. References
• https://jhoonline.biomedcentral.com/articles/
10.1186/s13045-021-01046-w
• https://news.cancerconnect.com/
• https://www.cancer.gov/news
• https://www.nccn.org/covid-19/pdf/COVID-
19_Vaccination_Guidance_V1.0.pdf
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62. Quote-1
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63. Quote-2
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64. 5/24/2021 64