Your questions about the COVID-19 vaccine answered with Dr. Alsip from University Health

SAN ANTONIO Since the COVID-19 vaccines are still relatively new, understandably many people still have questions about how it works, who should get it, and how much protection it provides.

Dr. Bryan Alsip, the university’s Chief Medical Officer, answered some of the most frequently asked questions about the COVID-19 vaccines. You can read his comments below and watch a video in the video player above.

How much protection does a first dose of the vaccine provide?

The best protection comes from two doses in a two-dose series, but the data available for the two vaccines currently approved indicate that a single dose provides some protection from 50 to 80 percent efficacy.

How soon do you start developing immunity after the first dose?

The first reaction comes about two weeks after your dose of vaccine, it takes about as long as it takes for your immunity to kick in, your antibodies to develop, and so on.

What if I feel bad after getting the vaccine?

Side effects are common with both currently approved vaccines, but they are usually relatively minor. Most people report tenderness or swelling at the injection site, headache, tiredness, sometimes body aches and rarely fever. And in those cases, for the most part, people can use acetaminophen or tylenol or ibuprofen to help with those symptoms. They generally only last 24 or 48 hours.

What happens if I don’t get my second dose?

Well, nothing necessarily happens, but so far we really would like people to keep taking that second dose if possible because that really offers the highest level of efficacy, probably around 90 to 95 percent for both vaccines that are now available.

What happens if the second dose is delayed for some reason?

Since we want people to take the second dose in the two-dose series, the goal would be to get it as soon as possible. Like most vaccines, you can always take the second dose later than the interval indicates. But since the studies are really done on the twenty-one or twenty-eight-day interval, it’s important to try and get that second dose as close to that as possible.

Is the booster different from the initial dose?

The (second) injection is the same – the same dose, the same volume, but it boosts your immunity, hence the name that gives you the highest level of vaccine efficacy. And presumably it also makes the vaccine work longer for a certain period of time.

Do we know how long vaccine protection lasts?

We do not. There are some recent reports from Moderna saying they think it will take at least a year and that may also be true for the Pfizer vaccine as they are very similar. So the hope is that this would be something that would last at least a year in terms of protection.

Can I get another vaccine if it is available when it is time for my second injection?

It is not currently recommended to mix the vaccine so whatever brand you get for your first dose you should try to get the same for your second dose.

Should Pregnant Women Get the Vaccine?

The COVID vaccine is indicated for pregnant women and pregnancy is on the priority condition list for Stage 1B. That is outlined by the expert panel for vaccine allocation in Texas. I think it is often recommended that pregnant women discuss their specific situation with their healthcare provider just to see what works best for them.

Should I get the vaccine even though I’ve already had COVID-19?

For COVID infection, its natural immunity is relatively unknown and it can vary from person to person. And so the vaccine, which has been shown to be effective in reducing symptomatic diseases, is believed to be a better way to ensure immunity and is also thought to last longer.

Can I stop wearing a mask after vaccination?

The answer is no. The clinical studies used to study the vaccines did not really determine whether the vaccine prevents transmission. So it’s very possible that getting a vaccine can lower your chance of getting sick, but still allow you to pass that illness on to someone else who hasn’t been vaccinated or is still vulnerable. So the recommendations are at least until we have enough people who have been immunized to maintain the protections that we have done.

If I and my friends are all vaccinated, can we go together without masks?

If everyone in the immediate area has been immunized, chances are you are all protected from the symptomatic effects of illness. But since one of you could still potentially transmit the disease, you have to be very careful about how you are around others. I think that’s the important message to remember.

Does the vaccine prevent the disease or just symptoms?

We don’t actually know if the vaccine will prevent you from getting infected, but we do know that the efficacy data supports what is essentially the prevention of symptomatic diseases. So you are much less likely to get sick if you get the vaccine than if you don’t get the vaccine.