Can the COVID-19 vaccine reduce the risk of severe disease?

Vaccines Help Protect Children from Serious Complications

COVID-19 vaccination reduces the likelihood of multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) for children ages 12–18 years— according to one research study by 91%.

Will the COVID-19 vaccine protect you against hospitalization?

The good news, though, is that while Covid may be unpredictable, data continue to suggest that if youre vaccinated, you have excellent protection against infections severe enough to land you in the hospital.

How does the COVID-19 vaccine boost your immune system?

Vaccines work by stimulating your immune system to produce antibodies, exactly like it would if you were exposed to the disease. After getting vaccinated, you develop immunity to that disease, without having to get the disease first.

Can I get COVID-19 again after having the vaccine?

Getting COVID-19 after you've been vaccinated or recovered is still possible. But having some immunity -- whether from infection or vaccination -- really drops the odds of this happening to you.

What exactly does the COVID-19 vaccine do to the body?

COVID-19 vaccines help our bodies develop immunity to the virus that causes COVID-19 without us having to get the illness.

How do mRNA COVID-19 vaccines work?

Currently vaccines for COVID-19, the disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, are the only authorized mRNA vaccines. These vaccines use mRNA that directs cells to produce copies of a protein on the outside of the coronavirus known as the “spike protein”.

Is it normal to feel sick after having the COVID-19 vaccine?

It is normal to feel sick after getting a COVID-19 vaccine.

How long does immunity last after COVID-19 infection?

Early on, researchers thought that natural immunity to COVID-19 only lasted for about 2 to 3 months before fading. As the pandemic continued, experts started finding evidence that natural immunity could last for almost a year after infection. But along came the Omicron variant — and that's changed everything.

How long does it take for immunity to wane after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine?

A study published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that immunity against severe COVID-19 begins to wane four months after receiving a so-called "booster" third dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines.

Can you get reinfected with COVID-19?

Reinfections can and have happened even shortly after recovery, the researchers said. And they will become increasingly common as immunity wanes and new SARS-CoV-2 variants arise.

Why don't you get sick after the COVID-19 vaccine?

But you don't actually get sick because your body is only exposed to a small portion of the virus and not the intact virus that can cause the disease. The antibodies against the spike protein remain in your body and are available and ready to protect you if you're exposed to the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

Does your immune system get stronger after COVID-19?

Any time you catch a virus and recover from the illness, you retain antibodies. These antibodies help your body fight off future infections so that you either don't get sick or have milder symptoms.

Do COVID-19 vaccines protect people from getting COVID-19?

COVID-19 vaccines available in the United States are effective at protecting people from getting seriously ill, being hospitalized, and even dying—especially people who are boosted. As with vaccines for other diseases, you are protected best when you stay up to date with the recommended number of doses and boosters.

COVID-19 vaccines even offer protection to people who had COVID-19, including protection against being hospitalized from a new infection.

What is the level of protection granted by the COVID-19 vaccines?

Getting a COVID-19 vaccine gives most people a high level of protection against COVID-19 and can provide added protection for people who already had COVID-19.

Can you be asymptomatic with COVID-19 infection if you have previously been vaccinated for COVID-19?

Indeed, it is possible that vaccinated people who get infected may easily remain asymptomatic or present with mild symptoms and thus go unnoticed.

How long do COVID-19 vaccines last?

It is normal for virus-fighting antibodies—such as those that are stimulated by a COVID-19 vaccine—to wane over time. Monitoring antibody levels in the blood is one way to measure vaccine efficacy and research has found that protection remains high for six months after the second shot of a Pfizer or Moderna vaccine.

How long is the stability of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine?

Pfizer-BioNTech has submitted data to FDA supporting the stability of their COVID-19 vaccine when stored for up to one month (31 days) at 2°-8°C (standard refrigerator temperature).

How long does the protection from Pfizer and Moderna's COVID-19 booster vaccine last?

The most recent research from the CDC suggests that protection from the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines starts to fade around 4 months after a booster dose.

Should you get the COVID-19 vaccine if you already had COVID-19 and recovered?

If I already had COVID-19 and recovered, do I still need to get a COVID-19 vaccine? You should get a COVID-19 vaccine even if you already had COVID-19. Getting a COVID-19 vaccine after you recover from COVID-19 infection provides added protection to your immune system.

How long do antibodies last in people who have mild COVID-19 cases?

A UCLA study shows that in people with mild cases of COVID-19, antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 — the virus that causes the disease — drop sharply over the first three months after infection, decreasing by roughly half every 36 days. If sustained at that rate, the antibodies would disappear within about a year.

Is it normal to get symptoms of the COVID-19 vaccine?

It is normal for these to occur. Common side effects include pain, redness, and swelling in the arm where they received the vaccination, as well as fever, chills, tiredness, headache, nausea, and muscle pain.

What are the common side effects of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine?

The most commonly reported side effects were pain at the injection site, tiredness, headache, muscle pain, chills, joint pain, nausea and vomiting, swollen lymph nodes in the same arm of the injection and fever. Side effects typically started within two days of vaccination and resolved two or three days later.

When do COVID-19 vaccine side effects appear?

You probably experienced COVID-19 vaccine side effects fairly quickly when you had your initial injections. The same is true for COVID-19 vaccine booster shots: Most people notice side effects within the first 24 hours. The symptoms typically only last a day or two. Some people don't notice any side effects.

Is there a live virus in the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines?

The mRNA vaccines do not contain any live virus. Instead, they work by teaching our cells to make a harmless piece of a “spike protein,” which is found on the surface of the virus that causes COVID-19. After making the protein piece, cells display it on their surface.

How long has the mRNA vaccine been around?

mRNA vaccines have been studied before for flu, Zika, rabies, and cytomegalovirus (CMV). As soon as the necessary information about the virus that causes COVID-19 was available, scientists began designing the mRNA instructions for cells to build the unique spike protein into an mRNA vaccine.