By Aliza Rosen
August 25, 2024
Photo / Image Source: Unsplash,
Are there any side effects to the updated COVID vaccine?
The common side effects are the same as with previous COVID vaccines. Symptoms like soreness at the injection site, achiness or joint pain, fatigue, slight fever, chills, or nausea are normal and not cause for concern. These side effects are a sign that your body is mounting an immune response—exactly what it’s supposed to do following a vaccine. Side effects generally subside within a day or two.
If I haven’t gotten any COVID vaccines yet, can I start with this one?
If you’ve never been vaccinated against COVID, now is a great time to start. People 5 years of age and older are considered up to date on COVID vaccination once they receive one dose of an updated mRNA COVID vaccine.
How well does the vaccine protect against the variants currently circulating?
The vaccine is a close match to variants currently circulating and provides good protection against severe disease, hospitalization, and death. While KP.2 is not causing a significant number of infections, the most prevalent variants circulating right now are very closely related to them. The vaccine will never be a perfect match to the circulating variants because it takes 2-4 months to make the vaccine, and during that time the virus continues to change as it infects people.
Is vaccine-induced immunity better than immunity from infection?
Vaccine-induced immunity is better because it’s safer. When you get infected with COVID, symptoms from the infection wreak havoc on your body. Whether or not you’ve been infected or vaccinated previously, the updated COVID vaccine is going to strengthen your immune responses to high levels and do so in a safe way.
Can I still get COVID if I’m vaccinated?
People who are vaccinated can still get COVID, but it is much more likely they will experience mild symptoms. Vaccinated people are much less likely to experience severe illness or get so sick that they need to be hospitalized. Data continue to show that those who are hospitalized with COVID are largely people who have not received a COVID vaccine within the past 12 months.
Particularly for people at higher risk of severe COVID, vaccination is an essential tool for reducing COVID complications, hospitalization, and death.
Can you get the flu shot and the COVID vaccine at the same time?
Yes! In fact, studies have shown that people who decide to spread out their vaccines into separate appointments often don’t follow through with getting both. We’ve also seen that the immune response generated by each vaccine does not change based on whether they are administered at the same time or separately.
It’s important to remember that many of the same populations at high risk of experiencing severe illness from COVID are also at high risk of severe influenza. Especially for these vulnerable populations, it’s a good idea to time your vaccines together.
When might we see a combined COVID and flu vaccine?
Some vaccine manufacturers have been working on developing a combined vaccine for COVID and flu, but we’re not there yet. We certainly won’t see a combined vaccine this year. It’s possible one will be ready in time for fall 2025, but we won’t know for sure until more clinical trial results are available.
Have you taken the vaccine? Were you mandated to? By whom?
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