I’ve gotten a lot of questions about the COVID-19 vaccine recently. “Should I get it if I’m pregnant?” “What if I have an allergy to bee stings?” “What if I’ve already been infected with COVID-19?” “What side effects have you had?” And the most common one: “If you get the vaccine and have immunity from the disease, can you still transmit it?” (Hint: most likely not).
So here is your best resource for your answers (click here for full article from NEJM)
In short:
Should I get it if I’m pregnant? So far, there have been no reports of the vaccine injuring fetuses, however, thus far there have been no large studies on this. On a personal level, I have had friends get the vaccine who are pregnant, and have since had their babies and all is well.
What if I have an allergy to bee stings? Thus far, there does not appear to be anaphylaxis responses to the vaccine for people that have anaphylactic responses to bee stings. The best way to gauge your allergic response is if you have had allergies to vaccines in the past.
What if I have already been infected with COVID-19? Those who have active infection to COVID-19 should wait to get their vaccine (because it will be less effective). But if you have had the infection in the past, it is still recommended that you get the vaccine.
What side effects did you have? I had a sore arm for just done day with each shot (I’ve gotten the first and second dose of the Pfizer vaccine), and a mild headache after the second shot, which resolved after a day.
Can you still transmit the disease if you have been fully vaccinated? Probably not (after you have gained the full immunity, i.e. at least 1 week after your 2nd dose). For one, the virus is very unstable outside of the body. Prevention of disease also equates to prevention of infection. However, as this is still being studied, it is still recommended that you take all precautions as you did before such as hand washing, social distancing, and mask-wearing.
Remember, the vaccine is not just 95% effective in preventing COVID-19 infection, but close to 100% effective in prevent serious, life-threatening illness with COVID-19! This downgrades it to less deadly than influenza, and saves so many lives!
Click on this link to read more from the infectious disease expert, Dr Paul Sax in the New England Journal of Medicine.
The opinions expressed on this page and by the owner of this website are published for educational and informational purposes only, and are not intended as a diagnosis, treatment or as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis and treatment.