7 Questions Experts CAN’T Answer About the COVID-19 Vaccine
Right now, our country is trapped in a mix of political, economical and public health crisis. As we’re all trying to recover from one of the most difficult years in recent history, our main focus remains health.
The U.S. is still on top of the list in terms of COVID-19 infection rates.
The news of a vaccine gave us hope and fear in equal measure: it might bring the end of the pandemic, but its side effects might also be risky for some people. Furthermore, there are many categories of people who still don’t know whether they can safely get the vaccine or not since it hasn’t been tested on them (pregnant women, children, those with some pre-existing conditions).
Frankly, there are many questions even experts can’t answer regarding the COVID-19 vaccine.
Today, we’ll take a look at those very questions and try to answer them as best as we can to shed some light on the most anticipated vaccine in recent history.
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How long does the vaccine immunity last?
Since the vaccine has been so rapidly created and tested, we still don’t know for how long the vaccine is effective.
So far, experts predict that the COVID-19 vaccine can offer up to two years of immunity, although they suspect it might be best that we take it annually (much like the flu shots). However, this information is only an estimation based on other vaccines and data, so no one can answer the question with 100% accuracy.
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How effective is the vaccine for us?
When I say ‘us,’ I’m referring to the general population – those of us who may not be able to self-isolate like the upper-class, maybe. Those of us who still do grocery shopping, go to work and attend other public facilities.
For us, it’s very important to acknowledge that the COVID-19 vaccine does not become effective immediately.
The vaccine for the SARS-CoV-2 virus is administered in two doses about 21 days apart. After you get the second shot, it might take up to one week until your body becomes immune to COVID-19. Therefore, from the moment you take the first dose, it usually takes one month until you’re truly immune.
It’s also worth mentioning that the vaccine is considered to be 90-95% efficient so there’s always that 5% chance of error. This is why it’s crucial that we continue to take all precaution measures even after vaccination.
