COVID-xix Vaccine: What Y'all Need to Know

Featured Experts:

  • Dr. Gabor Kelen

  • Dr. Maragakis

Updated on March 7, 2022

The U.S. Nutrient and Drug Administration (FDA) has canonical use of vaccines for the coronavirus that causes COVID-19. Lisa Maragakis, Thousand.D., M.P.H., senior director of infection prevention, and Gabor Kelen, Thou.D., manager of Johns Hopkins Office of Critical Outcome Preparedness and Response, address common questions and explain how a vaccine could impact the current pandemic.

Acquire more than most:

  • COVID-nineteen Vaccines and How They Piece of work
  • Getting the Vaccine
  • Protection and Amnesty
  • Vaccine Safety and Side Furnishings
  • Women and Children

COVID-nineteen Vaccines and How They Piece of work

How do vaccines work?

Vaccines help people develop immunity to a virus or other germ. A vaccine introduces a less harmful office of that germ — or something created to wait or behave like it — into a person's body. The trunk's allowed arrangement develops antibodies that fight that particular germ and proceed the person from getting ill from it. Later, if the person encounters that germ over again, their allowed arrangement can "recognize" it and "remember" how to fight information technology off.

Is there a vaccine for the coronavirus disease?

Aye. Two COVID-19 vaccines – Pfizer and Moderna - have been fully canonical by the FDA and recommended by the CDC.

Johns Hopkins Medicine views the FDA-approved mRNA vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna as highly effective at preventing serious disease, hospitalization, and death from COVID-xix.

The CDC notes that in well-nigh situations the 2 mRNA vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna are preferred over the Johnson & Johnson vaccine due to a adventure of serious adverse events. The J&J vaccine may be available for those who notwithstanding prefer information technology and for use in certain circumstances.

It is also important to receive a booster when y'all are eligible. You can get any of these three authorized or approved vaccines, but the CDC explains that Pfizer and Moderna are preferred in most situations.

Learn more virtually coronavirus vaccine safety.

How volition a vaccine prevent COVID-19?

The coronavirus that causes COVID-19 has spikes of protein on each viral particle. These spikes aid the viruses attach to cells and cause illness. Some of the coronavirus vaccines are designed to help the torso "recognize" these spike proteins and fight the coronavirus that has them.

An effective vaccine helps protect the person who receives it from serious illness, hospitalization and death. Widespread vaccination will aid limit spread through communities and will restrict the virus's opportunity to continue to mutate into new variants.

When can I get the coronavirus vaccine?

Vaccines and boosters are being distributed beyond the United states of america.

If you are a Johns Hopkins Medicine patient, visit our COVID-nineteen Vaccine Information and Updates folio for current information on getting vaccinated or receiving a booster. Your country's wellness department website can also provide updates on vaccine distribution in your area.

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Getting the Vaccine

How many shots are in the COVID-nineteen vaccine?

Pfizer's and Moderna's vaccines require two doses given several weeks apart (Pfizer's second shot is given three weeks after the showtime, and Moderna's is four weeks after the get-go).The COVID-19 vaccine from Johnson & Johnson requires only 1 dose.

What does "fully vaccinated" mean?

Co-ordinate to CDC guidelines, you are fully vaccinated when it has been:

  • 2 weeks afterwards your second dose in a 2-dose series, such as the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines.
  • 2 weeks subsequently a unmarried dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. However, data from clinical trials are articulate that there is further improvement four weeks after the unmarried-shot vaccine, specially for preventing severe COVID-19 or having asymptomatic infection. For this reason, Johns Hopkins Medicine recommends four weeks after the unmarried-dose vaccine to be considered fully vaccinated.

If yous don't meet these requirements, you are not fully vaccinated.

For the two-dose COVID-nineteen vaccines, what happens if my second dose is delayed?

If you accept received the start dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-nineteen vaccination, the Centers for Disease Command and Prevention (CDC) states that the second shot should take identify three weeks after the outset one.

If your first coronavirus vaccine was from Moderna, the CDC says your second shot should be given to you iv weeks after the first 1.

If something happens that prevents you from getting the 2d dose of either COVID-xix vaccine on fourth dimension, you can all the same receive it up to half dozen weeks (42 days) afterwards the first dose. We do not recommend delaying your 2nd dose, but the data from clinical trials support this range. There are currently limited data on the efficacy of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines administered beyond this window. According to the CDC, however, if the second dose is administered beyond these intervals, at that place is no need to restart the serial.

What if I received my second vaccination earlier than recommended?

You should not get the 2d vaccine dose earlier than the recommended times. Only, if you've already received your second shot, and it was early by 4 days, or less than the recommended fourth dimension window, your vaccinations are OK, and y'all practice not need to echo the vaccination series.

Should I go a COVID-19 vaccine if I already had COVID-nineteen?

Yes, evidence continues to betoken that getting a COVID-19 vaccine is the best protection against getting COVID-19, whether you have already had COVID-19 or not.

  • A written report published in August 2021 indicates that if y'all had COVID-19 before and are not vaccinated, your risk of getting reinfected is more than than ii times higher than for those who were infected and got vaccinated.
  • While testify suggests in that location is some level of immunity for those who previously had COVID, it is not known how long y'all are protected from getting COVID-xix once more. Plus, the level of immunity provided by the vaccines after having COVID-19 is college than the level of amnesty for those who had COVID just were non subsequently vaccinated.
  • Getting vaccinated provides greater protection to others since the vaccine helps reduce the spread of COVID-19.

At the time of vaccination, be sure to tell your intendance provider well-nigh your history of COVID-19 illness, including the kind of treatment, if any, you received and when you recovered. Await until your isolation period ends earlier making an appointment to get the vaccination.

Protection and Immunity

If I go a coronavirus vaccination, practice I notwithstanding take to habiliment a mask? Physical distance?

The CDC continues to monitor the spread of COVID-19 and makes recommendations for wearing face masks, both for those who are fully vaccinated as well as those who are not fully vaccinated.

The CDC also recommends that masks and physical distancing are required when going to the medico's function, hospitals or long-term intendance facilities, including all Johns Hopkins hospitals, care centers and offices.

Johns Hopkins Medicine's electric current mask condom guidelines have non changed, and we still require all individuals to wear masks inside all of our facilities.

Does taking over-the-counter medications before receiving the vaccine lessen its effectiveness?

Some studies have suggested that taking medications such as Tylenol or Advil before getting a vaccination might reduce your trunk's power to mount an immune response to the vaccine. It's unclear if these findings take whatsoever clinical significance, though, and other studies did not find any effect of anti-inflammatory medications on the immune reaction to vaccines.

If you lot regularly take aspirin or other over-the-counter medications such equally acetaminophen (e.m., Tylenol), ibuprofen (due east.m., Motrin, Advil) or naproxen (e.grand., Aleve) for other medical conditions, please continue to do and then equally directed by your md or as needed. Otherwise, it's probably all-time to non have over-the-counter medications such equally acetaminophen or ibuprofen that reduce fever or inflammation before receiving a vaccine. If you are uncomfortable or have symptoms after vaccination, that is the time to have an over-the-counter medication to assistance yous feel better.

Vaccine Prophylactic and Side Furnishings

How will nosotros know if a COVID-nineteen vaccine is safe and effective?

In order to be alleged rubber and effective, a COVID-19 vaccine must pass certain tests and standards. Organizations such every bit the National Academy of Sciences, the National Institutes for Health, and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) apply scientific data from enquiry to assist determine if and when new drugs and vaccines can get bachelor to the public. Information technology is of import to annotation that you cannot become COVID-19 from a vaccine. The vaccines contain proteins or other biological substances to stimulate the allowed response, but non the coronavirus itself.

Learn more than about the safety of the COVID-19 vaccines.

Demographics of the COVID-19 Vaccine Trials

What are the coronavirus vaccine side effects?

You lot may have hurting in the arm where you got the shot, and y'all might run a fever and feel trunk aches, headaches and tiredness for a twenty-four hour period or two. Chills, swollen lymph nodes can also occur.

Read more almost possible COVID-19 vaccine side effects.

Is information technology OK to go the COVID-nineteen vaccine if I take allergies?

While there have been reports of astringent allergic-type reactions in a very small number of patients, the CDC says that people with allergies to certain foods, drugs, insects, latex and other common allergens tin can still get the COVID-19 vaccine.

If you accept had a severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) to injectables or other vaccines, be sure to discuss the COVID-19 vaccination with your md, who can evaluate you and assess your risk. The vaccine provider should observe you for 30 minutes rather than the routine xv minutes after vaccination, and if you have an allergic reaction to the outset shot, yous may not receive the 2d.

The CDC says that at this time, anyone who has a astringent allergy (such every bit anaphylaxis) to whatsoever of the vaccine ingredientsshould not get that vaccine.

How Do Nosotros Know a COVID-19 Vaccine Will Be Condom and Effective?

Women and Children

Can children receive a COVID-19 vaccine?

The Centers for Disease Command and Prevention (CDC) at present recommends a COVID-19 vaccine for children ages v and older. Johns Hopkins Medicine encourages all families to have eligible children vaccinated with the COVID-19 vaccine. Currently, Pfizer'south vaccine is the but canonical COVID-19 vaccine for children and teens age 5 to 17.

Read more almost what parents demand to know most the COVID-19 vaccine.

Does the COVID-19 vaccine interfere with getting a mammogram?

Getting a mammogram also soon after your 2d dose of the coronavirus vaccine could event in a fake positive and a callback due to temporarily swollen lymph nodes.

The Johns Hopkins Sectionalisation of Breast Imaging supports the recommendation from the Society of Breast Imaging: When possible, and if it does not delay care your physician recommends, you lot should schedule screening mammograms before your first dose of a COVID-nineteen vaccine or 4 to six weeks subsequently the second dose.

Read more virtually the COVID-19 vaccine and mammograms.

Why is information technology Important that I Consider Getting the COVID-xix Vaccine?