If you’ve been following the news, you know that there are claims circulating everywhere about the COVID-19 vaccines and their side effects. Maybe you heard it from a friend. Maybe your mom sent something to you on WhatsApp. Whichever way you’ve heard it, you may be wondering if it’s truly worth it to get the vaccine. I can tell you, as a healthcare worker who has already gotten the vaccine: it’s definitely worth it.
One of the biggest reasons people have been skeptical about getting the vaccine is because of how quickly it became available and how short the trial and testing process was. While it’s true the testing process went faster than normal, the companies still followed the usual procedures and guidelines.
Since this development was a worldwide effort, it was easier to get past the usual barriers and roadblocks. There were also a lot of ordinary people who volunteered to participate in trials, which further sped up the testing process. The vaccines currently in use in the U.S. were approved, after extensive testing and reviewing, for emergency use based on rules set in place by the FDA long before this pandemic.
Another circulating claim is that the genetic material in the vaccine will find its way into your DNA and alter it permanently. I won’t bore you with an in-depth explanation of the biology but basically, the first two vaccines contain a specific kind of genetic material called mRNA or messenger RNA, which essentially explains what it does: it brings a message into the body to tell the immune system what to look for if the virus gets in. This mRNA doesn’t need to go into the nucleus of the cell, where the DNA is stored, to carry this message to the immune system.
Some people have seen claims circulating that a large number of people are getting seriously ill from the vaccine and the officials know the risks but are keeping them secret. Just like with other vaccines, the COVID-19 vaccines can cause temporary side-effects as the body gets used to the new message brought in. I received Moderna’s vaccine and after my second dose, I had chills and body aches the day after but when I woke up the morning after that, I was completely fine and back to normal.
Additionally, everyone who has received the vaccine is being asked to track and report their symptoms to the CDC. Side-effects differ for each person and while you may feel fatigued or achy, this is a sign that the vaccine is doing its job – waking up your immune system and warding off any possible infection of the virus.
If you’ve already gotten COVID-19, you might wonder whether you should still get the vaccine. According to the CDC director, those who have gotten the virus can afford to push their vaccination out a little further. However, in the long run, it can end up being riskier to not get the vaccine since there is a higher rate of reinfection compared to those who get vaccinated.
Overall, all vaccines must have clinical trials showing that they’re safe and effective to be authorized for use. Getting vaccinated not only protects you against the virus but it also protects others around you, especially those with an increased risk.