In the United States, there is not yet an authorized or approved vaccine to prevent coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). #eudebates #Covid_19 #coronavirus #Corona #COVD19 #Health #COVID #vaccine #RapidTests #Testing #COVIDtests #COVIDtest #CureVac #Moderna
The federal government, through Operation Warp Speedexternal icon, has been working since the pandemic started to make one or more COVID-19 vaccines available as soon as possible. Although CDC does not have a role in developing COVID-19 vaccines, CDC has been working closely with health departments and partners to develop vaccination plans for when a vaccine is available. CDC is working with partners at all levels, including healthcare associations, on flexible COVID-19 vaccination programs that can accommodate different vaccines and scenarios.
Below are answers to commonly asked questions. Regular updates will be made as needed.
Possible Side effects from Vaccines
Any vaccine can cause side effects. For the most part these are minor (for example, a sore arm or low-grade fever) and go away within a few days. Listed below are vaccines licensed in the United States and side effects that have been associated with each of them. This information is copied directly from CDC’s Vaccine Information Statements (VISs), which in turn are derived from the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommendations for each vaccine.
Remember, vaccines are continually monitored for safety, and like any medication, vaccines can cause side effects. However, a decision not to immunize a child also involves risk and could put the child and others who come into contact with him or her at risk of contracting a potentially deadly disease.
Active Immunity
Active immunity results when exposure to a disease organism triggers the immune system to produce antibodies to that disease. Exposure to the disease organism can occur through infection with the actual disease (resulting in natural immunity), or introduction of a killed or weakened form of the disease organism through vaccination (vaccine-induced immunity). Either way, if an immune person comes into contact with that disease in the future, their immune system will recognize it and immediately produce the antibodies needed to fight it.
Active immunity is long-lasting, and sometimes life-long.
Passive Immunity
Passive immunity is provided when a person is given antibodies to a disease rather than producing them through his or her own immune system.
A newborn baby acquires passive immunity from its mother through the placenta. A person can also get passive immunity through antibody-containing blood products such as immune globulin, which may be given when immediate protection from a specific disease is needed. This is the major advantage to passive immunity; protection is immediate, whereas active immunity takes time (usually several weeks) to develop.
However, passive immunity lasts only for a few weeks or months. Only active immunity is long-lasting.
Making the Vaccine Decision: Addressing Common Concerns
Most parents choose to vaccinate their children according to the recommended schedule. But some parents may still have questions about vaccines, and getting answers they can trust may be hard.
With so much information—and sometimes incorrect information—available today, learning the facts before making health decisions is very important.
How vaccines work: preventing diseases
The diseases vaccines prevent can be dangerous, or even deadly.
Statistically, the chances of your child getting diseases such as measles, pertussis, or another vaccine-preventable disease might be low, and your child might never need the protection vaccines offer. HOWEVER, you don’t want them to be lacking the protection vaccines provide if they ever do need it.
Vaccines Recommended for Travel and Some Specific Groups
People in certain research jobs and travel situations may be exposed to dangerous or deadly diseases that are no longer common in the U.S. Because of the increased risk of disease exposure in these instances, these 9 non-routine vaccines are available, listed below by disease. These are considered non-routine vaccines because they are not part of the recommended immunization schedules for children, adolescents and adults.
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