As the world still adjusts to the massive changes the COVID-19 pandemic has brought, there are silver linings and hope to return to a “normal life” soon. One of those positive steps is the COVID 19 vaccine. The vaccine has been released and recommended based on higher risk individuals and as the vaccine is soon to be released to the rest of the general public you may have some questions about the vaccine. Here is some general information about the COVID-19 vaccine, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). 

Key Things to Know

  • COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective.
  • You may have side effects after vaccination, but these are normal.
  • It typically takes two weeks after you are fully vaccinated for the body to build protection (immunity) against the virus that causes COVID-19.
  • Vaccines will become widely available, in the coming months. Find a COVID-19 vaccine.
  • People who have been fully vaccinated can start to do some things that they had stopped doing because of the pandemic.

What We are Still Learning

  • We are still learning how well vaccines prevent you from spreading the virus that causes COVID-19 to others, even if you do not have symptoms.
  • We’re also still learning how long COVID-19 vaccines protect people.
  • We are still learning how many people have to be vaccinated against COVID-19 before most people can be considered protected (population immunity).
  • We are still learning how effective the vaccines are against new variants of the virus that causes COVID-19.

Effectiveness

  • COVID-19 vaccines are effective at keeping you from getting COVID-19.
  • After you are fully vaccinated, you may be able to start doing some things you had stopped doing because of the pandemic.
  • Studies show that COVID-19 vaccines are effective at keeping you from getting COVID-19. Getting a COVID-19 vaccine will also help keep you from getting seriously ill even if you do get COVID-19.

COVID-19 vaccines teach our immune systems how to recognize and fight the virus that causes COVID-19. It typically takes two weeks after vaccination for the body to build protection (immunity) against the virus that causes COVID-19. That means it is possible a person could still get COVID-19 before or just after vaccination and then get sick because the vaccine did not have enough time to provide protection.  People are considered fully protected two weeks after their second dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, or two weeks after the single-dose Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine.

The physicians and staff at Bay Area Family Physicians appreciate the opportunity to provide your medical services. We want to strengthen communication between our office and you, our patients. As specialists in Family Medicine, we focus on primary care needs for patients of all ages – from newborns to the elderly. We diagnose and treat almost all medical conditions. Ideally, your entire family will see the same doctor, allowing both you and your doctor to establish a close, trusting relationship. Contact us today for more information!

Sources:

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/keythingstoknow.html