The Covid vaccine has been proven to be safe and effective, and offers the best protection against the corona virus, and hospitalizations for those infected.
Three COVID-19 vaccines are available in the U.S.: Pfizer-BioNTech (Pfizer), Moderna and Johnson & Johnson/Janssen (Johnson & Johnson). These vaccines have been shown to be very safe and effective in protecting people from severe COVID-19 illness, hospitalization and death. Hundreds of millions of doses of vaccine have been administered in the U.S.
These vaccines are the best protection we have against COVID-19. No matter how old you are, COVID-19 can lead to hospitalization, long-term health issues and death. Even if you had COVID-19, it is important to get vaccinated because it lowers your risk of getting COVID-19 again and may prevent you from passing it on to others.
Also, getting vaccinated helps protect those around you, particularly people who have not been vaccinated yet, such as children. Vaccination, along with other prevention measures, can help us end the COVID-19 public health emergency.
Below is information about the vaccines, including how they work, when and where to get vaccinated, and what to expect when you get vaccinated.
The COVID-19 vaccines that are available in the U.S. were shown to be safe through clinical trials. These trials involved testing the vaccine on tens of thousands of volunteers. The process was monitored closely by the FDA and other organizations.
To ensure the safety of the vaccines:
- The FDA reviewed clinical trial plans and protocols to make sure the procedures met the highest scientific and ethical standards.
- Clinical trials were closely monitored by data safety monitory boards made up of outside experts (medical personnel, ethicists, statisticians, patient advocates), among other groups.
- FDA scientists and medical professionals evaluated all available information to determine if the vaccines should be authorized.
How Does the Pfizer and Moderna Vaccine Work
Both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines. mRNA is a molecule that contains the blueprint for making proteins. These are the first mRNA vaccines to be available, but the technology has been studied for over 30 years.
Here is how mRNA vaccines work:
- The mRNA molecules enter the body with instructions on how to make a protein that is part of the virus that causes COVID-19.
- The proteins produced trigger the body to make antibodies (special proteins that fight against a specific infection) and other defenses.
- The mRNA is then broken down and destroyed by the body.
- If a person is exposed to COVID-19 after they were vaccinated, the body will be able to recognize the virus and produce antibodies and other defenses to fight it.
In short, mRNA is similar to email that gets sent to your body with instructions on how to identify and destroy the virus. Your body uses those instructions and then deletes the email completely.
mRNA does not interact with or change a person’s DNA.
For more information, click on this link https://www1.nyc.gov/assets/doh/downloads/pdf/covid/truth-about-covid-19-vaccines.pdf
We would continue the series with some basic facts about the Johnson & Johnson vaccine in the next post.
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