Vaccines are a much safer path to immunity from COVID-19 than the disease itself. Many ask, “Do the benefits of COVID vaccines outweigh the risks?” Evidence shows that the answer to that question is a firm, “YES.” More than any other vaccine in history, the benefits greatly outweigh the really miniscule risks. COVID has killed more than 1.1 million people in the U.S. Many people develop Long COVID and others develop health conditions like diabetes, heart disease, blood clots, or brain and nerve damage. If you’re vaccinated, you’re more likely to avoid COVID’s worst effects if you do get infected, including hospitalization, developing Long COVID, or dying. It makes sense to get vaccinated.

The virus that causes COVID is changing rapidly. It’s important for adults to get the updated booster if they received their last dose of vaccine before September 2022. Children 6 months to 11 years should get boosted if they received their last dose of vaccine before October 2022.

You should still get vaccinated even if you’ve had COVID.

Nearly 700 million doses of COVID vaccines have been given in the United States, with very, very few people experiencing serious side effects.

a. The most common side effect of the COVID vaccine is a sore arm. Some people also experience flu-like symptoms for a few days, including fever, headache, body aches, and tiredness. These are signs that your immune system is responding to the vaccine.

b. The most common serious side effect of the COVID vaccine is a serious allergic reaction. A very few people, mostly young adult males, have experienced inflammation of the heart called “myocarditis.” In almost all cases, these people have recovered fully and quickly. The risk of heart damage due to COVID-19 is hundreds of times greater than from the vaccine.

c. Ask your doctor if you have questions about COVID vaccine safety

The methods used to develop COVID vaccines are based on technology that researchers have been working on for more than 40 years. Researchers have been working on vaccines for coronaviruses for decades. That previous work is why the vaccines were rolled out so quickly.

COVID vaccines are safe for people who are pregnant, trying to get pregnant, or are breastfeeding. COVID-19 can be dangerous for pregnant women and increases the risk of preterm birth and other problems. Vaccination helps to protect against the dangers of COVID-19 during pregnancy.

COVID vaccines have been rigorously tested in children and found to be safe and effective.

The mRNA vaccine does not affect your DNA. It never enters the nucleus of the cell, which is where DNA live. The mRNA in the vaccines delivers instructions to your immune system, teaching it how to make the antibodies to fight the virus. The mRNA breaks down quickly. It’s a very fragile molecule, which is why COVID vaccines need to be handled carefully.

Vaccination protects you and others around you. If you do get COVID despite being vaccinated, you are likely to have a lower level of virus to “share’ with others.

Even if you’re vaccinated, you should take other precautions like wearing a face mask in crowded indoor spaces, avoiding crowds, and opening windows to increase room ventilation.