Learn more about the COVID-19 vaccine
In this month’s Get Fit Club article, we are going to take a look at the COVID-19 vaccine.
What is the COVID-19 Vaccine?
There are different types of COVID-19 vaccines. All COVID-19 vaccines prompt our bodies to recognize and help protect us from the virus that causes COVID-19. Currently, there are two types of COVID-19 vaccines for use in the United States: mRNA (Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna) and protein subunit vaccines (Novavax). MCH has the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine available for employees. None of these vaccines can give you COVID-19. These vaccines do not use any liver virus and cannot cause infection with the virus that causes COVID-19 or other viruses. COVID-19 vaccines do not affect or interact with our DNA. These vaccines do not enter the nucleus of the cell where our DNA (genetic material) is located, so they cannot change or influence our genes.
What type of COVID-19 vaccine is available at Med Center Health (MCH) Employee Health?
MCH Employee Health has the mRNA Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine (2024-2025 Formula) available to employees. mRNA vaccines use mRNA created in a laboratory to teach our cells how to make a protein-or even just a piece of a protein-that triggers an immune response inside our bodies. This immune response, which produces antibodies, is what helps protect us from getting sick from that germ in the future. Researchers have been studying and working with mRNA vaccines for decades. In fact, mRNA vaccines have been studied before for flu, Zika, rabies, and cytomegalovirus (CMV). Beyond vaccines, cancer research has also used mRNA to trigger the immune system to target specific cancer cells.
Who should get a COVID-19 vaccine and why?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that everyone 6 months of age and older should get a 2024-2025 COVID-19 vaccine. It is especially important to get your 2024-2025 COVID-19 vaccine if you are ages 65 and older, are at high risk for severe COVID-19, have never received a COVID-19 vaccine, or are pregnant, breastfeeding, trying to get pregnant, or might become pregnant in the future. The COVID-19 vaccine helps protect you from severe disease, hospitalization, and death.
When should you get vaccinated against COVID-19?
Vaccine protection decreases over time, so it is important to stay up to date with your COVID-19 vaccine. This includes people who have received a COVID-19 vaccine before and people who have had COVID-19 infection. For people who recently had COVID-19 may delay getting a COVID-19 vaccine for 3 months, as the risk of getting COVID-19 is less likely in the weeks to months following a SARS-CoV-2 infection. For most people the minimum interval between their last 2023-2024 COVID-19 vaccine dose and their 2024-2025 vaccine dose is 2 months.
What are the side effects of the COVID-19 vaccine?
Side effects after getting a COIVD-19 vaccine can vary from person to person. Some people experience a little discomfort and can continue to go about their day. Others have side effects that affect their ability to do daily activities. Side effects generally go away in a few days and tend to be mild and temporary, like those experienced after routine vaccinations. Even if you don’t experience side effects, your body is building protection against the virus that causes COVID-19. Common side effects can include: Pain, swelling, and redness on the arm where the shot was given; tiredness, headache, muscle pain; chills; nausea; and fever.
How can the side effects be relieved?
You may choose to take over-the-counter pain relievers after your vaccine to help relieve some of the side effects from the vaccine. It is also very important to get some rest. To relieve pain or swelling on the arm where you got the shot, apply a clean, cool, wet washcloth over the area and use or keep moving your arm. To reduce discomfort from fever, drink plenty of fluids and dress in comfortable clothes.
Have you received your 2024-2025 COVID-19 Vaccine? Please click link below for details.
https://medcenterhealth.org/mch-life-post/covid-19-vaccine-program/