Safety Considerations with COVID-19 Vaccination

In response to the nurse at the clinic I work at asking what to tell patients who are calling with concerns about getting vaccinated against COVID -19, I put this together.

Safety Considerations with COVID-19 Vaccination

Although the vaccine for COVID-19 has been produced in record time, it uses a technology that has been around for 30 years. It has been given to 150,000 people already in the course of trials and administration and there have not been any serious safety concerns.

Like any other vaccine some people may have an allergic reaction if they have had to vaccines before. But allergies such as to food and pollen are not a reason to not get vaccinated.

As with any vaccine you may get a sore arm, and minor systemic symptoms like headache, fatigue, muscle aches – but this indicates it’s working!

It is very unlikely that some serious health concern will turn up at this stage. Getting COVID – 19 is a far greater health risk than getting the vaccine. My advice is to get it – as soon as possible. This is the same recommendations of all credible health experts.

What About Preexisting Conditions and Medications?

Concerning medical conditions or medications that might increase the danger of vaccination, there seems to be no particular category that requires special precaution – with the exception of tendency to severe allergic reaction to vaccinations in the past.

Usually, patients with depressed, or abnormal, immune system reactions, such as advanced cancer, HIV, autoimmune diseases, or people on immunosuppressive medicines, have to be careful getting vaccinated. But as COVID vaccine is not a live or even partial virus this does not seem to be the case.

If you do have any condition the best advice is to consult your doctor or the health department. 

For further information, go to Johns Hopkins website at https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/coronavirus/is-the-covid19-vaccine-safe

Or Medical News Today for information comparing this vaccine to others: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/how-do-covid-19-vaccines-compare-with-other-existing-vaccines#How-do-the-side-effects-compare?

Or, at the risk of being immodest, see the article I wrote in the Free Lance-Star: https://fredericksburg.com/lifestyles/health-med-fit/neustatter-for-most-benefits-of-vaccine-far-outweigh-the-risks/article_f564931b-12a3-5b1d-8436-0fb424250790.html

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