A little under two years ago, the world was shocked when the world shut down as a result of the coronavirus. The talk then was about making sure you washed your hands. Many people even thought they’d be going to work in two weeks.
Years later, the world has seen a nightmare of social distancing, mask-wearing, and tons of deaths. However, with the development of several Covid-19 Vaccines, it seems like there is an end in sight.
Smart consumers will want to know about the vaccine before putting it in their bodies. This article will walk them through all they need to know.
How Vaccines Work
To understand the COVID-19 vaccine, you have to first understand how vaccines work in general.
Vaccines are not a “cure” in a traditional sense. They do not help people who already have a disease. However, they work preemptively by preventing people from catching it.
They do this by working with the immune system. Generally, a vaccine introduces a less dangerous version of the disease into the body. This allows your body’s immune system to develop antibodies to fight this disease; if you do encounter the real disease, your body will be ready for it.
The Covid Vaccine Is an Achievement
While the coronavirus is the biggest thing to shock the world in recent memory, there have been some unexpected upsides. One of these is the record-breaking speed at which the vaccine was rolled out.
After research and production, every vaccine has to go through a safety trial. The vaccine gets tested out on healthy volunteers, to make sure there aren’t any unwanted side effects. This phase of the process also helps determine the dosage the vaccine needs.
The next step is figuring out how well the vaccine works on the people who need it most. A wider group of people receive the vaccine, ranging across several different ages, weights, and health statuses.
After this comes the official testing period. In this phase, the vaccine gets administered to thousands of people to see if it actually consistently lowers numbers.
After this, the facilities to manufacture the vaccine en masse need to be built. The vaccine also needs to get sent to health organizations to be approved.
Approval Is Important
Most of the COVID vaccines you hear about have gone through this lengthy process and received approval from the people that matter. Many people worry that COVID vaccines are being “rushed out”, but it simply isn’t true. The health organizations of the world care about people’s safety and made sure to take the vaccines through every step of the process before rolling them out.
How Many Doses Do You Need?
The number of shots you need to feel the complete effects of the COVID vaccine depends on which vaccine you get. Pfizer’s and Moderna’s vaccines are both two-shot vaccines. That means you need to wait a bit in between each shot.
It should be noted, however, that your immunity to the disease goes up a bit — but not completely — during this interim period. This should dispel any notions that it’s “not worth it” to wait that long.
The Johnson & Johnson vaccine only requires one dose.
What Are the Side Effects?
Different people experience the first or second dose differently. For those who have been exposed to the COVID 19 virus, they may feel the effects more after the first dose. Those who haven’t been exposed may feel it more after the second dose.
The side effects of the COVID vaccine usually include fever, fatigue, headache, drowsiness, pain, chills, nausea, and swollen lymph nodes. They have been compared to flu symptoms and last for around 1-2 days. We recommend taking a day off of work when you receive the vaccine since it can cause some debilitating (albeit temporary) symptoms.
It should be noted, however, that some people have experienced adverse reactions to the COVID-19 vaccine. This is a risk any time someone takes a medication. If you experience symptoms such as difficulty walking, double vision, and bladder control problems, seek medical care.
Make sure you weigh the pros and cons of getting the vaccine.
The Vaccine and Culture
You’ll still likely have to wear a mask when you enter certain establishments. However, now, in places such as movie theatres, many places are requiring proof of vaccination. These places may or may not allow you to enter without masks if you can prove that you’re vaccinated.
On anti-vaxxers: understand that some people simply won’t like the fact that you’re getting vaccinated. However, you shouldn’t let their suspiciousness get the best of you, because they’re often rooted in anti-science rhetoric.
Know Your Vaccines
Many people fear the vaccine because they think it’s something shadowy that’s coordinated behind closed doors. Anti-vaxxers and skeptics assume that pharmaceutical companies don’t want you to know information about them, and to simply accept the “propaganda” and take the vaccine.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
Pharmaceutical companies are almost always started by people who have a genuine concern about public health and safety.
This phase is the longest because it’s the closest step to real-world conditions.
Check out this article on Moderna’s Kenneth Chien. Kenneth is a doctor and scientist with decades of teaching and leadership experience. If it makes you more comfortable, learn about this leader of modern, and get the Moderna vaccine since you know it came from a good place.
Understand the COVID-19 Vaccine
With the introduction of the COVID-19 vaccine, things, for the world, are looking up. However, smart consumers should make sure that they understand what the vaccine is all about before they jump into it.
Understand how vaccines work in general, how many doses are needed, what the side effects are, how the vaccine operates in culture, and research about the companies whose products you’re taking, and you’re more likely to stay healthy.
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