The Hill
Briahna Joy Gray, Kim Iversen, and Robby Soave discuss the future of Covid-19 vaccines.
According to the CDC COVID 19-vaccines are effective and can lower your risk of getting and spreading the virus that causes COVID-19. COVID-19 vaccines also help prevent serious illness and death in children and adults even if they do get COVID-19.
COVID-19 vaccine boosters can further enhance or restore protection that might have waned over time after your primary series vaccination.
Booster shots enhance or restore protection against COVID-19 which may have decreased over time. Everyone ages 12 years and older who has completed their COVID-19 vaccine primary series should get a booster.
An additional primary dose is for people who are moderately to severely immunocompromised and did not build enough or any protection from their primary vaccine series.
People are protected best from severe COVID-19 illness when they stay up to date with their COVID-19 vaccines, which includes a booster for many people.
There are different COVID-19 vaccine recommendations for people who are moderately or severely immunocompromised.
According to the CDC risk for covid increases steadily as you age, and it’s not just those over the age of 65 who are at increased risk for severe illness. The CDC says A person is fully vaccinated two weeks after receiving all recommended doses in the primary series of their COVID-19 vaccination. A person is up to date with their COVID-19 vaccination if they have received all recommended doses in the primary series and one booster when eligible. Getting a second booster is not necessary to be considered up to date at this time. According to the CDC people who were unvaccinated and did not have prior COVID-19 infection remain at the highest risk of infection and hospitalization. Those who were previously infected, both with or without prior vaccination, had the greatest protection.
According to Pfizer and the CDC, potential side effects from the vaccine include pain, redness, or swelling at the injection site. Other side effects could include tiredness, headache, muscle pain, fever, chills, and nausea. In rare cases, people have experienced serious health events after the COVID-19 vaccination. Any health problem that happens after vaccination is considered an adverse event. An adverse event can be caused by the vaccine or can be caused by a coincidental event not related to the vaccine.
According to the CDC Measles is a very contagious disease caused by a virus. It spreads through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes. Measles starts with a cough, runny nose, red eyes, and fever. Then a rash of tiny, red spots breaks out. It starts at the head and spreads to the rest of the body.
Measles can be prevented with an MMR vaccine. The vaccine protects against three diseases: measles, mumps, and rubella. CDC recommends children get two doses of MMR vaccine, starting with the first dose at 12 through 15 months of age, and the second dose at 4 through 6 years of age. Teens and adults should also be up to date on their MMR vaccination.
The MMR vaccine is very safe and effective. Two doses of MMR vaccine are about 97% effective at preventing measles; one dose is about 93% effective.
Children may also get MMRV vaccine, which protects against measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella (chickenpox). This vaccine is only licensed for use in children who are 12 months through 12 years of age.