What You Should Know About the COVID Vaccine
As we begin to transition out of the pandemic and into a new post-COVID era, an essential step in preparing our communities to rebuild and return to normal is to increase vaccinations as an effort to build “herd immunity” and protect our most at-risk members of society. For information regarding vaccine safety, effectiveness, and how to get vaccinated as a CU Boulder student, please continue reading.
Vaccine Safety
According to the United States Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), all COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective. Clinical trials of the vaccines involved intense monitoring of tens of thousands of trial participants after vaccine administration, and the vaccines met the FDA standards for safety.
Many people do not experience any side effects from the vaccine. However pain/swelling at the site of injection, chills, headaches, and fevers after the vaccine injection are not uncommon and are not cause for concern.
The main threat that exists with the vaccines are the potential for intense allergic reactions, known as anaphylaxis, by some members of the population. This can be a life-threatening condition, though it is experienced by very few vaccine recipients. For this reason, when you receive your vaccine, you will be asked to stay at the vaccination center for 15-30 minutes so that healthcare providers can monitor your response.
As of February 2nd, 2021, Pfizer has been authorized for people 16 years old and older. Johnson & Johnson has been approved for use in people 18 years old and older. Moderna has been tested and approved for populations 18 years old and older as well, though has started trials in 12-17 year olds.
Vaccine Effectiveness
The Moderna and Pfizer vaccines both use mRNA technology in order to distribute immunity. They are similar in their effectiveness, with Moderna being just over 94% effective and Pfizer being 95% effective in preventing symptomatic COVID-19 after a second injection.
By contrast, the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is a “viral vector vaccine”. More information on that can be found in clicking this link:
Johnson & Johnson’s trials were different from that of Pfizer and Moderna. Where Pfizer and Moderna were testing results related to symptomatic cases, Johnson & Johnson focused on effectiveness regarding the prevention of moderate to severe COVID cases. Thus, it’s difficult to truly compare the effectiveness of Pfizer/Moderna and Johnson & Johnson. However, Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine was shown to be about 66% effective at preventing moderate to severe infections after a single dose (a number that varies somewhat geographically).
How to Get Vaccinated
If you are a CU student, staff, or faculty member, you can sign up for vaccination through the university using this link:
https://www.colorado.edu/covid-19-updates/covid-19-vaccination
You may also be able to receive a vaccine by signing up at a local hospital or clinic.
Colorado is now vaccinating people in the 1.B.4 group, as well as all other preceding groups. After this phase of the vaccination process is over, all Colorado residents will be eligible to receive the vaccine. To learn more about what phase of the process you are in, reference this link:
Next Steps
If you have been vaccinated, it can be tempting to start living life “as normal”. However, there are still precautions that, for the safety of others, you need to take. There is not enough evidence showing that the vaccine prevents transmission for people who are vaccinated to completely let down their guard around those who are not. While you are no longer at a great risk of contracting severe COVID, you still may be able to pass the virus on to a loved one.
When around anyone who has not yet been vaccinated, mask up and socially distance, particularly if they are at-risk or live with anyone who is at-risk. When around someone who is also vaccinated, you still want to be somewhat cautious and use good judgement so as to avoid risking the health and safety of other people that you come in contact with, but you are reasonably safe to hug, hang out, and be together unmasked and indoors.
For more information on what vaccination means for you, click on this link:
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/19/opinion/covid-vaccine-guidelines.html
The end is around the corner. Stay safe, stay diligent, and stay mindful.
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