Still have some questions about COVID-19 vaccines? It’s ok, New Jersey’s infectious disease experts have answers.
How were COVID-19 vaccines developed quickly?
COVID-19 vaccines were developed using decades of research on vaccine technology and other respiratory illnesses. In this video, Dr. Amesika Nyaku, Infectious Disease Doctor, Rutgers Health, explains how scientists from all over the world stopped whatever they were doing to focus on COVID-19 research in an “all hands on deck” approach, allowing for rapid development of these life-saving vaccines.
Every vaccine is a step toward stopping the spread of this disease and doing what we love most. What’s your reason for getting vaccinated?
Is the vaccine safe?
Yes. Millions of people have received COVID-19 vaccines under the most intense safety monitoring in U.S. history. And – as Dr. Jubril Oyeyemi from the Cherry Hill Free Clinic shares in this interview – tens of thousands of people from different backgrounds and ethnicities participated in the vaccine trials, which found vaccines to be highly effective at protecting against the virus.
Are there risks to not getting vaccinated?
COVID-19 can cause serious illness and death as well as lingering side effects. Almost 600,000 Americans have died from COVID-19 and scientists now estimate 10 percent of those who recover from COVID-19 have long-term effects. As Dr. James Pruden, Medical Director at St Joseph’s University Medical Center explains, without the vaccine, there is a danger that the virus will resurge and there will be pockets of illness and death that can recur for months and years. The vaccine is critical for ongoing protection.
What are you hearing about the vaccine? If you want to, share your thoughts with us here.
Article courtesy of the State of New Jersey.