The biggest risk is not receiving the vaccine, says world-renowned neurosurgeon Kenan Arnautović. The vaccine was developed in record time, but it was not made at the expense of quality, says Kenan Arnautovic (released to Al Jazeera): "Absolutely nothing, like any other vaccination. And what is the alternative? Get COVID-19 and die? The vaccine is the only way out." This is what Kenan Arnautović, a native of Sarajevo and a world-renowned neurosurgeon, said in an interview with Al Jazeera, who received the vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech in Memphis, USA, where he has lived and worked for many years, a few days after its approval and the beginning of vaccination in America, which started with the most vulnerable—healthcare workers. Arnautovic, vice president of the World Association of Neurosurgeons and one of the most respected neurosurgeons on the planet, says that he does not feel any consequences of vaccination and claims that it is the only way for the world to fight the scourge that befell it. As he says, vaccination in the US is currently not mandatory, and anyone who wants it can receive it, but also that "everyone wants to receive the vaccine," regardless of the many conspiracy theories that are linked to the vaccine.
"For now, everything looks good, and I don't feel any consequences. Vaccination covers all healthcare workers, especially those who are on the 'front line', in hospitals, intensive care units, and operating rooms... My hospital received the vaccine on Thursday, and I immediately went to receive it on Friday," says Arnautović, who will receive the second dose on January 8. What does the vaccination process look like? Arnautović says, very simply and briefly. "Before arriving, we had to register on the hospital's website, and upon arrival for the vaccination, I had to fill out a form and confirm that I was not allergic, and that was all. I got the shot, after which I had to sit there for another 15 minutes. And for later, I didn't get any special instructions. My arm hurts a little and I feel a little tired, which is good, as they say. Kind of like fatigue after recreation, but in the upper body. I don't have a temperature. There is still a possibility that it could be a side effect, but if we think about what the alternative is, that you get COVID-19, then the only correct conclusion is that the sooner the vaccination starts, the sooner everything will return to normal," he adds. In the US, in the meantime, another vaccine, the work of Moderna, was approved, which, as Arnautovic says, is almost the same, with the exception that it does not have to be kept at as low a temperature as Pfizer's, which requires a temperature of minus 70 degrees Celsius.
There is no exact data on how long the immunity to COVID-19 should last, but Arnautović was told that it is "very good" and that it "lasts a long time" and how long time will tell, which does not exclude a new round of vaccinations. for longer protection. Pfizer and BioNTech developed the vaccine very quickly, but Arnautović says that this is not a reason to fear the vaccine and unwanted consequences, which are discussed a lot on social networks. "I wasn't afraid in the slightest. This vaccine was developed in record time; instead of 5–6 years, which is usually required for such a process, it was made in just a few months. Nothing has been done at the expense of quality. I had faith in the Americans because when it comes to things like this, there's no messing around. All phases have been implemented. None were skipped; everything was just done much faster. And if we talk about risks, there are risks everywhere. If we are talking about this, then the biggest risk is not getting the vaccine," says Arnautovic. "Over 300,000 people died in the US. My hospital is full, the intensive care units are full, and the operating program is only for the most urgent cases, and this is the case all over America. The situation is very bad, and therefore there is no other solution than a vaccine," he adds.
Speaking about conspiracy theories and the determined refusal of a large part of the population of many countries of the world to receive the vaccine, Arnautovic said that history has written many lessons about vaccination. "Nothing can be done by force, but people who refuse the vaccine can be banned from working, getting on a bus, a plane, crossing the border... It must be remembered that humanity has suffered because of cholera, whooping cough, and smallpox, and all of these diseases are reduced by the use of vaccines. I would personally accept anything that has been confirmed by science and that has gone through all the necessary stages to determine effectiveness," says Arnautović, who could not speak about the Russian vaccine, which he says he has no information about. The beginning of mass vaccination, he concludes, should be a prelude to humanity's victory over the Coronavirus. "It can never be predicted with certainty, but I hope this is the beginning of the end. The alternative to vaccination is that in the coming months, millions of people will be infected and 10 percent of humanity will die in the following period. It's a terrible alternative. The vaccine should bring normalization in three to six months, and that is what we should strive for," Arnautović added. (https://balkans.aljazeera.net/)
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