Should I Get My Covid Vaccine?

In December the FDA made the monumental decision to approve Covid vaccines made by Pzifer and Moderna. You may be asking, “Should I get my Covid vaccine?”

Why It’s More Important Than Ever to Get a Vaccine

Both Covid vaccines are highly effective and protect against the virus in most cases. And, similar to the flu vaccine, it prevents others from contracting Covid-19 by decreasing the spread of the virus.

The Pfizer vaccine is indicated for those over the age of 16 and the Moderna vaccine is indicated for those over the age of 18. Both require two shots, with the Pzifer vaccine three weeks apart and Moderna four weeks apart.

What is the Covid Vaccine?

The Covid vaccine is a groundbreaking development in modern medicine. According to the CDC, it is an mRNA (or messenger RNA vaccine) that teaches our cells how to make a protein to trigger an immune response inside our bodies to produce antibodies and those antibodies protect us from getting infected, if exposed.

In other words, the vaccine introduces just the spike of the virus instead of the whole virus, so you cannot get Covid from getting the vaccine.

Should People with Autoimmune Diseases and Chronic Illnesses Get the Vaccine?

Again, similar to the flu shot, we suggest people with autoimmune diseases and chronic illnesses get the Covid-19 vaccine. The CDC states that those who have an autoimmune disorder may get the vaccine. There are some people that should not receive the vaccine, so reference the CDC list here to check.

Will I Have an Allergic Reaction?

There is a chance of developing an allergic reaction, however the risk is very low. Thus far, there have been very few allergic reactions and all were resolved after simple intervention. Keep in mind, having a side effect from a shot is not the same as having an allergic reaction. Like the flu shot, it is common to feel fatigued or under the weather. This is our system mounting an immune response and creating those antibodies that will combat Covid.

Will I Still Have to Take Precautions?

Even after you get the vaccine, we still recommend taking all the current precautions, such as wearing a mask, washing your hands, and social distancing. You can still get Covid-19 even if you get the vaccine as the vaccines are 95% effective. However, it was noted with the Moderna trial that no one who got Covid-19 after receiving the vaccine developed a severe case. Additionally, it takes weeks to build full antibodies to the virus after receiving the vaccine. So, if you get the vaccine, it is important to still maintain proper precautions.

As always, Specialty Infusion Centers recommends consulting your doctor before you make any decision. That will help you answer the question, “Should I get my Covid vaccine?”