Vaccine Facts

Vaccine Facts

COVID's not that bad.

Wrong. COVID has killed over two million people worldwide and Black, Hispanic, and Native Americans are dying from COVID at three times the rate of white Americans.

The vaccine will give me COVID.

Wrong. The Pfizer vaccine and the Moderna vaccine are both mRNA vaccines. They do not contain viruses of any kind. The Johnson & Johnson vaccine does contain an adenovirus, similar to the common cold but modified so it won't make you sick.

The vaccine will change my DNA.

Wrong. All three types of vaccine work by giving your cells instructions on how to make a "spike protein", a harmless protein that looks like a protein found on the surface of the COVID virus. The Moderna and Pfizer vaccines use messenger RNA whereas the J&J vaccine uses DNA to carry this set of instructions to your cells. When our bodies start producing the spike protein, our immune system recognizes that this protein should not be there and starts building antibodies. The antibodies will remember how to fight the real COVID virus if they see it in the future.

How effective is the vaccine?

Very effective. The Pfizer vaccine is 95% effective against death, severe illness, and moderate illness from COVID. The Moderna vaccine is 94% effective. The J&J vaccine has about the same effectiveness for death but may drop down to 85% effective against severe or moderate illness. Due to limited supply, it is recommended that everyone get the first vaccine that is available when they become eligible to receive the vaccine.

Do I have to come back and get the second shot?

Yes. The J&J is a one-shot vaccine, while Moderna and Pfizer require two shots. The two-shot vaccines will not protect you if you only get the first dose. Also, it's important to get the same vaccine (Pfizer or Moderna) the second time as the one you got the first time.

Are there side effects?

There may be. After your shot, your arm may hurt, you might feel a bit tired or have a headache, you might even get chills, diarrhea, or a low-grade fever. You could have some of these side effects, or none at all. After receiving the second shot, you are more likely to experience some of these side effects. This is normal and in fact, it means your body is making the antibodies necessary to fight COVID. Be sure to have fever-reducing medicine at home before getting your second shot and plan on eating bland foods that day.

Is the vaccine safe?

Yes. The FDA has used the same strict standards they use on all medicines and vaccines. Although the vaccine was produced quickly, no steps were skipped in the safety evaluation process. 50,000 people participated in COVID vaccine trials and were monitored for 8 weeks for possible side effects.

What about the Johnson & Johnson vaccine?

The State of Ohio temporarily paused use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine on April 13, following extremely rare blood-clotting events of six people in the US after receiving the J&J vaccine. It's important to remember that 6.8 million doses of the J&J vaccine have been distributed in the US and only 6 people (all women between the ages of 18-48) have been affected by this extremely rare side effect. Following a safety review, the CDC and FDA lifted the pause on April 23. The review conculded that the benefits of the vaccine in preventing COVID-19 outweigh the risks of very rare blood clotting that has occurred in a small number of people who have received the Janssen COVID-19 vaccine.