THE ABCs OF VACCINATIONS

For a year, we masked, social distanced, washed down surfaces, barely lived, and stayed home all the time. Sometimes we learned things about each other that bored us to tears! Some even said we might need to mask-FOR LIFE! Occasionally, we learned that a bit of witchcraft could cure COVID-19: take this root and that potion, and the virus will go away on its own if you stand on your head and cough.

More than 200,000 American deaths and well over a million worldwide deaths later, and the virus showed no signs of ‘going away on its own.’ Businesses were ruined and job loss was great. Then the FDA approved several vaccines for emergency use, and America began the long process of climbing out of this pandemic hole.

How does this vaccine work?

COVID-19 vaccines teach our immune systems how to recognize and fight the virus that causes COVID-19. It typically takes 2 weeks after vaccination for the body to build protection (immunity) against the virus that causes COVID-19.   People are considered fully vaccinated 2 weeks after their second dose of the Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine, or 2 weeks after the single-dose Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine.

Side effects:

• having side effects after vaccination is normal. You might expect redness and some swelling and itchiness at the injection site, occasionally there may be flu-like symptoms of fatigue and just feeling ‘blah’ or a headache. If any of these become severe or your breathing is compromised, you ought to seek medical attention immediately, but again, live COVID-19 is not being injected into your body, so it is impossible for you to get COVID-19 from the vaccine. Remember, the vaccine’s purpose is to teach your own body to RECOGNIZE COVID-19 virus should it encounter it.
• these vaccines are safe and effective, some in the 90th percentile in the prevention of COVID-19
• Usually, it takes 2 weeks after vaccination (after the second shot of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines for the effects of the vaccine to ‘take hold.’
• According to the CDC guidelines, people who have been fully vaccinated can begin to do some of the things they had stopped doing because of the pandemic-2 weeks after their last vaccine. They ought to still social distance and mask in public, because others may not be fully vaccinated.

Summary

In summary, how does vaccination against the Coronavirus work? These vaccines teach our immune systems which have NEVER encountered this virus before, how to recognize and fight the virus that causes COVID-19, Coronavirus. Coronavirus is a ‘novel’ virus (one never encountered by our immune systems before, compared to one that comes around all the time, like the yearly flu) so our immune systems, need to be taught how to recognize this virus and then how to fight it. Some experts believe that in the very rare case that you get COVID even though you have been fully vaccinated, you won’t become as ill and you will be able to fight the virus better. With several of the vaccines, you aren’t considered fully vaccinated until 2 weeks after a second shot.