Opinion: Getting vaccinated: A few things you should know
It is undeniable that COVID-19 has had a devastating impact. As of March 16th, 2.6 million people worldwide have died of COVID-19.
There is, however, a light at the end of the tunnel: vaccines are getting more widely available. This gives us the opportunity to turn the tide and make COVID-19 far less deadly.
However, there is rampant misinformation online surrounding the vaccines. As a result, there have been some misunderstandings and confusion around them. It’s important to get information about the vaccines from credible sources like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) or the Mayo Clinic.
This misinformation has and will continue to make the effects of this pandemic worse. If everyone who was eligible and able to receive the vaccine got it, herd immunity would be established, meaning we could return back to normal life relatively soon. There are some risks, of course, but every action has risks, and the benefits far outweigh them.
The internet often spreads blatantly wrong information, so it’s crucial that people talk to their healthcare provider and do adequate research instead of taking Aunt Becky’s Facebook post about vaccines as an absolute fact.
The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are mRNA vaccines while the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is a vector vaccine. All three vaccines approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the United States (Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson) produce an immune response.
The Pfizer and Moderna mRNA vaccines work by injecting part of the SARS-CoV-2 virus’s genetic code into your arm. This tells your cells to make the spike protein of the virus, which will trigger your immune system to produce antibodies and T-cells to destroy it. This preps your immune system to fight against the real virus quickly and effectively.
This method is safe and will not give you COVID-19. The technology behind this method is not new; the science behind RNA and mRNA vaccines and therapies have been researched for decades.
Johnson & Johnson’s vector vaccine works by taking a harmless viral vector and replacing parts of its genetic code with the protein spikes on the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The vector is then injected into your arm, which sends a signal to your body that there is something foreign (the vector virus) inside, which then prompts an immune response.
The vector used for the J&J vaccine is an adenovirus, which is harmless to humans as it cannot replicate or cause disease in human cells, and the protein cannot cause COVID-19 by itself. This is not a new technique; J&J used this technique to make their Ebola vaccine.
The CDC says that if you have already had COVID-19, you are still eligible to get vaccinated, but you may need to wait a little bit before getting it. When you get vaccinated, you should receive a card and a fact sheet for the specific vaccine you receive.
If you are pregnant, you can still get the COVID-19 vaccine, but the CDC emphasizes that pregnant individuals should talk to their doctor before doing so. An important thing to note is that people should wait 4-6 weeks after vaccination before getting a mammogram because the immune response triggered by the vaccine can cause enlarged lymph nodes, which is an indicator of breast cancer.
Common side effects of all three vaccines are tiredness, headache, muscle pain, chills, fever, nausea, and swelling in the arm where the shot was delivered. These symptoms should go away after a couple of days.
After getting the vaccine, people are less likely to get COVID-19, and will have less severe symptoms and complications if contracted. It takes until the second dose of Pfizer or Moderna vaccine to experience the full protection of the vaccine and 28 days after the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
According to the CDC, a mask and social distancing in public places is still required after being vaccinated. If you are fully vaccinated, you can safely gather indoors with other fully vaccinated people without wearing masks.
You can also safely visit a household without wearing masks given that no one in that household is high risk. If you are exposed to COVID-19 after being fully vaccinated but experience no symptoms, you no longer need to quarantine or get tested before being around other people again.
Anyone living in the United States can get any COVID-19 vaccine for free. People should get the vaccine as long as they aren’t allergic to any ingredients. This creates herd immunity and protects those who cannot receive the vaccine. Medical experts have said that it doesn’t matter which vaccine you get, as they are all effective against COVID-19.
Check here to see when you are eligible to be vaccinated and where you can receive the vaccine.
Ella Olson is an opinion writer at the Statesman. She’s originally from Minneapolis, Minnesota and enjoys reading, debate, and hammocking.
ella.olson@usu.edu