US (Washington Insider Magazine) – Fact Check: Does the COVID Vaccine work?
To vaccinate or not to vaccinate: This has been the key question as we near the hopeful end of the COVID-19 pandemic – however, many hesitate to get the jab due to several misconceptions and concerns about the effectiveness of the vaccine.
Below, we’re answering questions about the efficacy of the COVID vaccine and will bust commonly encountered myths about its safety and efficacy. Does the COVID vaccine really prevent the risk of COVID-19?
What are vaccines and do they work?
Vaccines are an effective way to protect us from viruses before we’re infected. They’re important because they boost our immunity to harmful diseases like COVID.
Vaccines work by introducing a small dose of the disease into your body which will train your body into recognizing the germ. The quicker your body can recognize the germ the faster it can destroy it before you get sick.
The Moderna and Pzifer COVID-19 vaccinations have proven to provide immunity against the original COVID strain. They’re also effective against some mutations:
What are some common misconceptions about the COVID-19 vaccine?
There have been a lot of misconceptions spread about them that stop people from getting the protection they need.
This is a problem as the fewer people that get the vaccine, the less effective it will be.
To encourage confidence in the vaccines, there is a consistent effort to bust damaging myths about the vaccine to increase its effectiveness. Here are some of the most common myths around the COVID jab:
- The current COVID-19 vaccine was developed too quickly so it’s not safe
More than 1 in 5 Americans don’t want to get the vaccine because they don’t think it’s safe. One reason why people don’t believe it’s safe is that they believe the vaccine was developed too quickly.
The COVID-19 vaccine is proven to be safe and people that experience any side effects quickly recover from them. The speed at which the vaccine was created does not impact the quality of the vaccine. The reason why the vaccine was created so quickly is that:
- Funding: Governments around the world prioritized creating a suitable Coronavirus vaccine, and because of this, they poured a lot of money and resources into making it happen. For instance, the European Commission funded $8 billion toward COVID research
- mRNA technology: The technology used to create the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines is the first of its kind and has proven immunity capabilities
Ultimately, Pfizer and Moderna were both determined safe for general use after an average of 12 months of trials and research to ensure this.
- The fact that we need boosters means that the COVID vaccines are ineffective
Another common misconception of the COVID vaccines is that they are ineffective because we need boosters. That’s also not true.
Data shows that vaccination effectiveness wanes over time. For Moderna and Pfizer, the effectiveness wanes after four months of the initial shot, which is why you need a booster.
Is the COVID vaccine worth getting?
Yes. The COVID vaccine can help to minimize the severity of the illness if you contract it, and can help your body to be more resilient to infection over time.
It’s not just the vaccines that matter, though. Boosters are also critical as vaccinations continue to evolve and provide protection for variants.
Due to the nature of vaccines, you need to have boosters to ensure that your protection remains strong over time.
