Your questions about the COVID-19 vaccine were answered with Dr. Alsip of University Health

SAINT ANTHONY – With COVID-19 vaccines still relatively new, it is understandable that many people still have questions about how it works, who should get it, and how much protection it offers.

The Chief Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Bryan Alsip, answered some of the most frequently asked questions about COVID-19 vaccines. You can read their answers below and watch a video on the video player above.

What protection does a first dose of the vaccine provide?

The best protection comes from two doses in a series of two doses, but the data available for the two currently authorized vaccines indicate that a single dose offers some protection of 50 to 80% efficacy.

How long does it begin to develop immunity after the first dose?

The initial response comes about two weeks after the vaccine dose, it’s about the time it takes your immunity to kick in, your antibodies to develop, and so on.

What do I do if I feel bad after receiving the vaccine?

Side effects are common with the two currently authorized vaccines, but are usually relatively minor. Most people experience tenderness or swelling at the injection site, headache, fatigue, sometimes body aches and rarely fever. And in these cases, for the most part, people can take acetaminophen or Tylenol or ibuprofen to help with these symptoms. Generally speaking, they only last 24 or 48 hours.

What if I don’t have my second dose?

Well, for example, nothing happens, but so far we would like people to continue taking this second dose, if possible, because it really offers the highest level of effectiveness, probably between 90 and 95%, for both vaccines currently available.

What if the second dose is delayed for some reason?

Because we want people to take the second dose of the two-dose series, the goal would be to get it as soon as possible. Like most vaccines, you can always take the second dose later than the interval. But since the studies were actually done based on the twenty-one or twenty-eight day interval, it is important to try to get this second dose as close as possible.

Is the booster different from the initial dose?

The (second) injection is the same, the same dose, the same volume, but it increases your immunity, hence the name it offers, you know, the maximum level of effectiveness of the vaccine. And it is likely to also allow the vaccine to run longer for a period of time.

Do we know how long the protection against the vaccine lasts?

We don’t. There are some recent reports from Moderna that say they consider it to last at least a year and that may also be true for the Pfizer vaccine, as they are very similar. So the hope is that it would be something that would be at least a year old in terms of protection.

Can I get a different vaccine if it is available when the time comes for my second vaccine?

It is not currently recommended to mix the vaccine, so whatever brand you receive for your first dose, you should look for the same for your second dose.

Should pregnant women receive the vaccine?

The COVID vaccine is indicated for pregnant women and pregnancy is on the list of priority conditions in phase 1B. This is stated in the vaccine allocation panel of Texas experts. I think it is often recommended that pregnant women discuss their particular situation with their healthcare provider to see what works best for them.

Should I get the vaccine even if I already have COVID-19?

For COVID infection, the natural immunity against it is relatively unknown and can vary between individuals. Therefore, the vaccine, which has been shown to be effective in reducing symptomatic disease, was considered to be a better way to ensure immunity and is also believed to last longer.

When I am vaccinated, can I stop wearing a mask?

The answer is no. Clinical trials used to study vaccines did not actually determine whether the vaccine prevents transmission. Therefore, it is very possible that getting a vaccine may reduce your likelihood of illness, but it will allow you to transmit that disease to someone who has not been vaccinated or is still vulnerable. So the recommendations are at least until we have enough people immunized to keep the protections we’ve been doing.

If me and my friends are vaccinated, can we go without masks?

If everyone nearby has been immunized, chances are you are protected from the symptomatic effects of the disease. But since any of you could still transmit the disease, you need to be very careful about how you are around others. I think this is the important message to remember.

Does the vaccine prevent the disease or just the symptoms?

We don’t really know if the vaccine prevents you from getting infected, but we do know that the efficacy data support what is basically the prevention of symptomatic diseases. Therefore, you are much less likely to get sick if you get the vaccine than if you didn’t have it.