COVID-19 vaccines offer hope to get out of the pandemic. They also raise many questions. Here are some answers.
Are they safe? What are the side effects?
Both vaccines approved in the United States, from Pfizer and Moderna, have been found to be safe after intensive reviews by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Experts looked at safety data from about 30,000 people enrolled in the clinical trials for each vaccine, and now millions more people have received the vaccines. Serious side effects have been extremely rare and so far have included severe allergic reactions in a few people. The rate of severe allergic reactions is about 4.5 per 1 million injections administered, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data. And allergic reactions can be treated.
“If this happens, vaccine providers will have drugs available to effectively and promptly treat the reaction,” notes the CDC.
Mild reactions that disappear within a few days are more common. These include injection site pain, fatigue, headache, and chills. The CDC even has a smartphone app for tracking responses.
How well do they work?
Both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines have been found to work extremely well, beyond many experts’ previous guesses. Both vaccines were about 95 percent effective at preventing people from getting COVID-19 in clinical trials.
Does it cost money to get the vaccine?
No. It’s free even if you don’t have health insurance.
Which vaccine should I get? Is one better than the other?
Both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines work extremely well, and experts say people should get what’s available at a particular location.
The choices can get a bit more complicated if and if additional vaccines are allowed. For example, Johnson & Johnson filed with the FDA and could get approval later this month or early March.
That vaccine was 66 percent effective overall, a lower level, but still above the FDA’s 50 percent minimum.
Still, Ashish Jha, dean of the Brown University School of Public Health, wrote in The Washington Post that Johnson & Johnson is 100 percent effective at what really matters: preventing hospitalizations and deaths.
“If you’re able to get a vaccine – any vaccine – take it,” he wrote.
How long will I be protected after vaccination? And how long will it take?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say it can take up to two weeks after the second dose to get full protection. Both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines require two doses. However, some protection may develop even after the first dose.
It is unclear how long the protection will last. It is possible that a booster shot will be needed in the coming years. Researchers need more time to monitor study participants to see if protection against the vaccine lasts or disappears over time.
Do I still need to wear a mask and take precautions after vaccination?
The CDC advises that, yes, you still do. Why? Because while the vaccines are very effective at preventing you from getting sick, there is less evidence that you can still pass the virus on to someone else, meaning wearing a mask and keeping your distance from others is still important until a higher percentage of people have been vaccinated.
The good news is that early evidence indicates that the vaccine also reduces the transmission of the virus to other people.
Anthony Fauci
Anthony FauciNight Healthcare: Biden visits Pfizer’s vaccine factory in Michigan | Snow slows down 6 million doses | Israeli Research Provides New Evidence in Single Dose Blumenthal Debate Urges Facebook and Twitter to Remove Misinformation About Vaccines Against Pregnant Women The Hill’s 12:30 Report: Vaccination outlook for the spring MORE, the government’s top infectious disease expert, said during a briefing that there are now “some studies that point in a very favorable direction” for vaccinations that reduce transmission.
Also, the CDC says that if you are fully vaccinated, you do not need to be quarantined if you are exposed to the virus.
When can I get vaccinated? Where am i going?
Suitability for the vaccine is determined by each state, although there are recommendations from the federal government.
Vaccinations have largely begun with health care providers and people in nursing homes. Now they have progressed in many places to categories such as over-65s and essential workers. The average person who does not fall into these categories is not yet eligible.
It’s unclear exactly when everyone will qualify, but it is expected to be sometime in the spring. Even then, it will take a while when the doors are open to everyone before everyone can actually make an appointment and get a shot in the arm.
How you apply also depends on your state and location. There are multiple avenues, including pharmacies such as CVS, other health care providers, and massive vaccination sites such as sports stadiums.
Consult the website of your local or state health department for more information.
How the vaccine works
Both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are mRNA vaccines, a new technology. The mRNA vaccine gives the body a genetic code to be part of the coronavirus, called a spike protein, which the virus uses to enter cells. The body then activates an immune response to these peak proteins and teaches it to fight the virus.
The vaccine cannot give you the coronavirus, as the vaccine does not contain the virus and does not alter your DNA in any way.
Were the vaccines rushed?
The vaccines have been developed in record time as the process usually takes several years. But the speed was not due to the cutting of corners. The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines both went through three phases of clinical trials, with approximately 30,000 people in the phase 3 trials each, and a full FDA review process with a public hearing of an advisory panel of experts. The speed was supported by the urgency of the crisis, which meant that sufficient resources were available, including from the government, and because the companies had already started producing doses before the trials were completed.
Do the vaccines still work against the new variants of the virus?
New, more contagious variants of the virus are of concern and lead to spikes in cases in some countries. The good news is that current vaccines have been shown to work well against one of the most common variants first found in the UK.
Experts are more concerned about a variant first discovered in South Africa. That variant has been shown in studies to lower the level of antibodies the vaccines produce to fight the virus, but exactly how much that will reduce its effectiveness is still unclear for the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines.
Moderna said in late January that although there was a drop in antibody levels, they are still “above the levels expected to be protective.”
The vaccines still provide protection, especially on the most important aspect – preventing serious illnesses that could hospitalize or kill you, Fauci said on MSNBC.
“There is enough protection in the efficacy of the vaccine that there is still some protection, especially against serious diseases,” he said.
It’s not yet clear whether the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines should be updated for the new variant, but the companies are working on that possibility.
What happens if I miss the second dose?
The Pfizer vaccine is for a second dose 21 days after the first dose, and the Moderna vaccine has a second dose 28 days later. But don’t panic if you miss that exact day. You should still get a second dose, but the CDC says that while it’s best to get it on schedule, you can get it up to 6 weeks after the first dose if you miss the window.
Can children get the vaccine?
Not yet. The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are currently only allowed for ages 16 and over and 18 years and over, respectively. Additional studies are needed in children. According to Fauci, data on children ages 12 to 17 is expected sometime in the fall, but data on children younger than that isn’t expected until the first quarter of next year.
Should i get the vaccine if i have allergies?
Yes. The FDA advises people to avoid the vaccine only if they are allergic to any ingredient in the vaccine. (Ingredients are listed here and here.)
Should I Get the Vaccine if I’m Pregnant?
The CDC says pregnant women can get the vaccines, although they may want to discuss the problem with their doctor. Experts believe [the vaccines] are unlikely to pose a specific risk to people who are pregnant, ”the CDC said. “The actual risks of mRNA vaccines to the pregnant and her fetus are unknown, however, because these vaccines have not been studied in pregnant women.”
Should I Get the Vaccine if I Already Had COVID-19?
The CDC says you should. That’s because it’s unclear how long the immunity to having the virus lasts. Some research suggests that only one shot of vaccination may be needed for people who have already had the virus, as the vaccine helps to increase the pre-existing level of protection.