Expert interpretation on SARS-CoV-2 vaccination

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Why can't I take away the swab after receiving the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine? Expert interpretation is here

 

Recently, more and more people are vaccinated, and how to deal with cotton swabs after injection has caused concern. A few days ago, the Beijing Municipal CDC issued guidelines for the prevention of nucleic acid environmental pollution in COVID-19 vaccination sites. According to the guidelines, after the injection is completed, a special person should be responsible for supervising the recipients to discard the cotton swabs that press the inoculation site in a designated recycling container, and not to take them away from the site. The guidelines also require that medical waste at vaccination sites should be collected in a centralized manner, and temporary vaccination sites not located in medical institutions should bring all medical waste back to centralized processing. The vaccine packaging box and vaccine instructions should be kept in the inoculation unit and treated as medical waste.

Now that many people who meet the requirements have begun to receive the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine, why can't the cotton swab be taken away? The environment of the "designated vaccination site" may have tested positive for the novel coronavirus. Is there a health risk? In addition, there are people who are concerned about whether they can touch it with their hands after vaccination. Will it remain on the clothes? Let's listen to Wang Guiqiang, Director of the Department of Infectious Diseases, Peking University First Hospital.

Wang Guiqiang, Director of the Department of Infectious Diseases, Peking University First Hospital:

1. The environment of the vaccination site may be positive, and the public need not worry too much

Now we emphasize that the corresponding operations must be carried out in a standardized manner in the vaccinated area to prevent the vaccine from contaminating the surrounding environment and leading to a positive nucleic acid test. This involves the training of medical personnel, the standardization of the entire operation process, and the entire medical treatment. A document has been published.

2. The vaccination point should strengthen the treatment of medical waste

The cotton swab itself is stained with vaccine components, which may also cause some so-called pollution problems. It needs to be discarded in a designated place in the vaccination area and cannot be taken away.

3. The swab is an inactivated virus and is not infectious

We also emphasize that the so-called environmental pollution in the vaccination area should not be panic. It is not contagious. These vaccines are inactivated viruses, which means that the nucleic acid test can be positive.

4. The injection point is not necessary and does not require nucleic acid environmental monitoring

Vaccines are not contagious. For places like hospital vaccine monitoring points, there is no need for environmental monitoring.

5. The public need not worry about residues on clothing

It is not a big problem for cotton swabs to stick to clothes, and it will not cause transmission problems. It is fine if the vaccine itself gets on it.

6. Immune status varies from person to person, and protection should be done after vaccination

Vaccinations are now being carried out on a large scale. During the vaccination process, everyone must continue to take good personal protection. After the vaccination, they must still take good protection.