Q1: What are the benefits of getting vaccinated?
The COVID-19 vaccines produce protection against the disease, by eliciting the development of an immune response to the SARS-Cov-2 virus. Developing immunity through vaccination means there is a reduced risk of developing a severe form of illness and its consequences. This immunity helps you fight the virus if exposed. Getting vaccinated may also protect people around you, because if you are protected from getting infected and from disease, you are less likely to infect someone else. This is particularly important to protect people at increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19, such as healthcare providers, older or elderly people, and people with other medical conditions.
Q2: Is the vaccine safe for children?
Vaccines are usually tested in adults first, and only later assessed in children for safety. When safety has been proven in adults and children, then it can be given to children. COVID-19 has been a more serious and dangerous disease among older people. Now that the vaccines have been determined to be safe for adults, they are being studied in children.
Q3: Can we stop taking precautions after being vaccinated?
Vaccination protects you from getting seriously ill and dying from COVID-19. For the first fourteen days after getting a vaccination, you do not have significant levels of protection, then it increases gradually. For a single dose vaccine, immunity will generally occur two weeks after vaccination. For two-dose vaccines, both doses are needed to achieve the highest level of immunity possible.
While a COVID-19 vaccine will protect you from serious illness and death, we are still learning about the extent to which it keeps you from being infected and passing the virus on to others (transmission). The data that is emerging from countries is showing that the vaccines that are currently in use are protecting against severe disease and hospitalization. However, no vaccine is 100% effective and breakthrough infections are regrettable, but to be expected.
The current evidence shows that vaccines provide some protection from infection and transmission, but that protection is less than that for serious illness and death. We are still learning also about the variants of concern and whether the vaccines are as protective against these strains as the non-variant virus. For these reasons, and while many of those in the community may not yet be vaccinated, maintaining other prevention measures is important especially in communities where SARS CoV-2 circulation is significant. To help keep you and others safe, and while efforts continue to reduce viral transmission and ramp up vaccine coverage, you should continue to maintain at least a 1-metre distance from others, cover a cough or sneeze in your elbow, clean your hands frequently and wear a mask, particularly in enclosed, crowded or poorly ventilated spaces
Q4: Can I have the second dose with a different vaccine than the first dose?
Clinical trials in some countries are looking at whether you can have a first dose from one vaccine and a second dose from a different vaccine. There isn’t enough data yet to recommend this type of combination.
Q5: Can I have the second dose with a different vaccine than the first dose?
No. Clinical trials in some countries are looking at whether you can have a first dose from one vaccine and a second dose from a different vaccine. There isn’t enough data yet to recommend this type of combination.
Q6: If I didn’t get my second shot of a 2-dose COVID-19 vaccine within the recommended time, what should I do?
You should get your second shot as close to the recommended 3-week or 4-week interval as possible. There is currently limited information on the effectiveness of receiving your second shot later than 6 weeks after the first shot. However, if you receive your second shot of COVID-19 vaccine at any time after the recommended date, you do not have to restart the vaccine series, and you can be considered fully vaccinated 2 weeks after getting your second shot.
Q7: How quickly could COVID-19 vaccines stop the pandemic?
The impact of COVID-19 vaccines on the pandemic will depend on several factors. These include the effectiveness of the vaccines we are using currently; they are deployed; the possible development of other variants of the virus and how many people get vaccinated
Whilst trials have shown COVID-19 vaccines to have high levels of efficacy, like all other vaccines, they are not 100% effective. WHO is working to help ensure that approved vaccines are as effective as possible, so they can have the greatest impact on the pandemic.
Visit the WHO website for more information on the COVID-19 vaccines