COVID-19 Vaccines

Vaccines Offer Protection

Vaccines ¹ protect you against infectious diseases. Your immune system fights off different illnesses, and vaccines help your immune system do this. Vaccines imitate viruses that your body works to fight off, to prepare you against infection.

What Does a COVID-19 Vaccine Do?

COVID-19 vaccines serve the same purpose as other vaccines: protection. The United States authorized three vaccines for emergency use to protect you against COVID-19 infections. COVID-19 vaccines do not make you immune from infection. Some COVID-19 variants cause breakthrough cases, which means that fully vaccinated people become infected. However, they reduce your chances of infection, experiencing severe symptoms, and hospitalization or death. Some states allow vaccinated people to relax on certain precautions, while others strongly encourage that everyone follows them. However, you may want to continue to implement some preventative measures to protect you against COVID-19 variants.

Are Vaccines Mandatory?

At this point, vaccines are not universally mandated. However, they are strongly encouraged in many places. For many people, COVID-19 infections and complications from an infection are still a threat to many people, like the immunocompromised or people with underlying conditions. You may consider getting one of the COVID-19 vaccines if you:

• are a member of or live with someone from a vulnerable group
• work in an industry where you come into contact with lots of people
• want added production

Vaccine Facts

Before you get your COVID-19 vaccine, you should be aware that:

• You can have side effects that resemble respiratory symptoms, such as fatigue, weakness, runny nose, and sore throat.
• Rare side effects are possible. These can include allergic reactions, blood clots, immune disorders, and death.
• You can get a COVID-19 vaccine if you had and recovered from a COVID-19 illness.
• Many states opened their eligibility so that more residents receive vaccinations.