Key Things to Know about COVID-19 Vaccines

Michelle MachenOur Stories

Vaccines to prevent COVID-19 are perhaps the best hope for ending the pandemic. As the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and World Health Organization (WHO) continue authorizing emergency use of COVID-19 vaccines, you likely have questions.

It is understandable that some people may be concerned about getting vaccinated. While more COVID-19 vaccines are being developed quickly, routine processes and procedures remain in place to ensure the safety of any vaccine that is authorized or approved for use. Safety is a top priority, and there are many reasons to get vaccinated.

Image
The safety of COVID-19 vaccines is a top priority.

COVID-19 vaccines have been shown to be safe and effective as determined by data from the manufacturers and findings from large clinical trials. This data demonstrates that the known and potential benefits of this vaccine outweigh the known and potential harms of becoming infected with COVID-19.

COVID-19 vaccination will help protect you from getting COVID-19. Two doses are needed.

Depending on which authorized vaccine you receive, a second dosage is required 3-4 weeks after your first inoculation.

CDC and local governments (in Europe) are making recommendations for who should be offered COVID-19 vaccine first when supplies are limited.

In the United States, CDC has published a recommended roll out plan. Each individual U.S. state is determining whether it will follow the CDC recommendation or apply its own prioritization criteria for vaccine eligibility. In the states, that follow the CDC’s recommendation, Mauser Packaging Solutions employees are currently eligible to receive the vaccine.

Employees are encouraged to discuss vaccination options with the local health department, personal healthcare providers, pharmacies, Department of Veterans Affairs or other reliable sources. For employees in the U.S., United Healthcare has a COVID-19 Vaccine Resource Locater tool available to identify reliable vaccination resources available based on zip code.

In Europe, local governments will determine who will get vaccinated and when. For more information, please visit the World Health Organization website.

There is currently a limited supply of COVID-19 vaccine, but supply will increase in the weeks and months to come.

The supply of COVID-19 vaccine is expected to be limited at first. As a result of limited supply, CDC and WHO has provided recommendations about who should be vaccinated first.

The recommendations were made with these goals in mind:

  • Decrease death and serious disease as much as possible.
  • Preserve functioning of society.
  • Reduce the extra burden COVID-19 is having on people already facing disparities.

As vaccine availability increases, vaccination recommendations will expand to include more groups.

After COVID-19 vaccination, you may have some side effects. This is a normal sign that your body is building protection.

The side effects from COVID-19 vaccination may feel like flu and might even affect your ability to do daily activities, but they should go away in a few days. Potential side effects include injection site pain and swelling, fever, chills, tiredness and headache.

COVID-19 vaccines are one of many important tools to help us stop this pandemic.

It’s important for everyone to continue using all the tools available to help stop this pandemic as we learn more about how COVID-19 vaccines work in real-world conditions. Cover your mouth and nose with a mask when around others, stay at least 6 feet away from others, avoid crowds, and wash your hands often.