Over a year after the COVID-19 virus changed our lives as we knew it, one thing is on all the minds of people worldwide: when can we get back to normal again? By normal, we mean gathering together in public places and traveling and living our lives without masks, without fear, without social restrictions. Health officials say the answer is immunization against the virus. And normalcy is only one of the many reasons why you should get the COVID-19 vaccine if you can.
Benefits of the COVID-19 Vaccine
The COVID-19 virus has infected 25 million Americans, with over 500,000 lives lost. Many want protection from developing the virus, and a vaccine does just that. Aside from being highly effective at preventing infection, other benefits are:
- It’s a tool that helps stop the pandemic. Social distancing, mask-wearing, and hand washing are all tools that help in reducing our chances of infection. Adding the vaccine to our toolbox is the most effective way to end the pandemic and decreasing its impact on the economy, education, and health care.
- Vaccines don’t interact with your DNA. mRNA vaccines give your body’s immune system instructions on fighting and defeating the virus. It never enters the cell’s nucleus, where we store our genetic material .
- It is a safe way to help you build up protection. Getting COVID-19 does offer some protection from getting it again. The vaccine takes a few weeks for your body to reach full immunity, but in the meantime, reinfection is uncommon during this time. So, the vaccine is a safer way to build immunity versus taking your chances with an infection first.
Vaccines are Safe and Effective.
Before a vaccine is available to the public, it undergoes testing in a lab, then in clinical trials. Only when a vaccine is deemed safe and effective by the FDA after reviewing trial data can it be available to everyone. Every batch of vaccines produced is tested for quality and safety. This makes sure it works the way it was supposed to, and is pure and sterile.
Not everyone can get vaccines due to compromised immune systems or allergic reactions to the ingredients. For those that can, immunization allows you to play a vital role in ending the COVID-19 pandemic. To learn more about what phase of vaccinations you are in and how to register in the San Diego area, visit the sandiagocounty.gov website today.
References:
https://www.vaccines.gov/basics/safety
https://www.aarp.org/health/conditions-treatments/info-2020/coronavirus-vaccine-research.html
https://www.uabmedicine.org/-/here-s-why-you-should-get-the-covid-vaccine