Questions and answers on the COVID vaccine

Public health experts agree that vaccinating enough people against COVID-19 is essential to help reduce transmission of the virus and end the coronavirus pandemic.

More than 7.26 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been given to people in 184 countries, according to data collected by Bloomberg. No unexpected patterns of reactions or other safety issues have been identified during early surveillance of vaccine safety, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In Colorado, more than 3.5 million people are fully vaccinated, according to data from the state’s health department, or more than 72% of those eligible for the vaccine in the state.

As of Monday, more than 1,394 people were hospitalized with confirmed COVID-19 in Colorado. Of those hospitalized with the virus across the state, 79% are unvaccinated, according to the state health department.

If you’ve been hesitant about getting a COVID-19 vaccine, here’s some information from public health experts to help you make up your mind.

Q: I have heard that the vaccine has side effects. What is it about?

Some people have side effects from their COVID-19 vaccine, including pain in the arm in which they received the vaccine, fatigue, headache, muscle pain, chills, fever or nausea, according to the CDC. However, these side effects are normal signs that the body is protecting against the virus and usually go away within a few days, the CDC said.

Some people don’t have side effects.

“There are a lot of people, especially young people, who think they could be invincible to this virus and they really underestimate the risk of getting the virus and think too much about the risk of side effects,” Lisa said. Miller, professor of epidemiology and associate dean for public health practice at the Colorado School of Public Health.

None of the COVID-19 vaccines licensed in the United States – Pfizer, Moderna, or Johnson & Johnson – contain the live virus that causes COVID-19, which means the vaccine cannot make you sick with COVID-19.

Millions of people have received COVID-19 vaccines and no long-term side effects have been detected, according to the CDC.

Q: If the vaccine can make me sick, why not just try my luck with COVID-19?

The severity of a COVID-19 case is unpredictable, the CDC said. And although it has been more serious – and deadly – for the elderly, young Coloradians remain at risk of serious complications from the virus.

Of the more than 43,500 people hospitalized with COVID-19 in Colorado so far, nearly 6% are between the ages of 20 and 29; almost 9% are between 30 and 39 years old; nearly 12% are between 40 and 49 years old; and more than 17% are between 50 and 59 years old.

Even if you are not worried about contracting COVID-19, the respiratory virus is very contagious and can spread among family members, friends and loved ones.

“You put others at risk by not getting vaccinated,” Miller said.

In Colorado, more than 8,700 people have died from COVID-19.

And some people continue to have long-term health problems after contracting COVID-19, the CDC said. Some of these problems include difficulty breathing, continued fatigue, brain fog, changes in smell or taste, coughing, trouble sleeping, and more.

Q: I have had COVID-19 before. Why should I still get the vaccine?

There is some protection against the virus for people who have already contracted COVID-19, Miller said, but much remains unknown.

“We don’t know how good that protection is if you’ve had a mild case,” Miller said. “It probably varies from person to person depending on your immune system and the severity of the case. We have good data to say that getting the vaccine will dramatically improve your immunity. If you’ve had COVID, it doesn’t. isn’t a very reliable way to protect yourself and others, and we know you can have this amazing protection if you’ve had it and you get vaccinated – you can have super power. “

A study showed that unvaccinated people who had previously contracted COVID-19 are more than twice as likely as fully vaccinated people to contract COVID-19 a second time, the CDC said.

Q: How accessible are vaccines? I am busy, uninsured, low income, or worried about my ability to receive one.