COVID questions: Is vaccine approved? What to expect afterward?

Get both doses: The full level of immunity is achieved 7 to 10 days after the second dose, the first dose alone does not offer that level of protection.

If you have both doses, the vaccines currently available are approximately 95% effective. A 95% effective vaccine is extraordinary, but that still leaves a 5% chance you could contract the virus after vaccination.

We are still learning about a vaccinated individual’s ability to carry or pass the virus while not getting sick or showing symptoms themselves. That means a vaccinated person could pass the virus to someone who hasn’t been vaccinated and make them sick.

Don’t stop taking precautions: Everything is not back to normal. Continue to wear a mask, socially distance and avoid large gatherings, especially with current levels of community spread. We’ll need to do this until most people have been vaccinated.

Side effect from the COVID-19 vaccines such as fever, soreness at the injection site, headache and fatigue are common but rarely severe.