Vacinas contra a COVID-19: uma revisão narrativa

Abstract

The number of cases of people infected with the Sars-Cov-2 virus, in 2020, grew considerably and expanded beyond the territorial limits of Wuhan, a city located in China, where the first cases of coronavirus were reported in 2019. Knowledge about the new strain of coronavirus was scarce, on the other hand, the symptoms worsened the health status of patients and the number of deaths reached alarming rates. In this pursuit, scientists from all over the world produced knowledge about the disease, seeking treatment methods and a vaccine capable of immunizing the population against COVID-19. In this context, this study aimed to analyze studies available in the literature that deal with the characteristics of vaccines approved by National Health Surveillance Agency (ANVISA) regarding infection caused by the Sars-Cov-2 virus. To this end, the following specific objectives were considered: to understand, in the light of the literature, the effectiveness of vaccines against COVID-19 used in Brazilian territory; to identify the adverse effects caused by the immunizer against the Sars-Cov-2 virus; and, present the technological platforms of the COVID-19 vaccines that are commercialized. A literature review was carried out. A descriptive bibliographic research based on a qualitative approach was built. The search for the analyzed studies was carried out in the PubMed and Latin American and Caribbean Literature on Health Sciences (LILACS) databases, specifically, dating from the years 2021 to 2022. The results indicate that, in Brazil, four vaccines against COVID-19 can be used by the population, as regulated by ANVISA: At the end of these three stages of project development, four main COVID-19 vaccines in Brazil resulted: Astrazeneca, Coronavac, Janssen and Pfizer. In addition, it was found that Brazilians follow the recommendations indicated by the Ministry of Health and, therefore, most completed the vaccination schedule. Notably, each vaccine has side effects that can vary from individual to individual and it has been proven through studies that vaccines are efficient and, therefore, reduce the symptoms caused by the virus and, consequently, avoid serious complications of the disease that can lead people infected to death.