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COVID-19 vaccines: Get the facts
Coronavirus vaccine research
Coronavirus vaccine challenges
Pathways to develop and produce a COVID-19 vaccine
The vaccine development timeline
How to protect yourself and prevent COVID-19 infection
Content
What are the benefits of getting a COVID-19 vaccine?
Should I get the COVID-19 vaccine even if I've already had COVID-19?
What COVID-19 vaccines have been authorized or approved and how do they work?
Can a COVID-19 vaccine give you COVID-19?
What are the possible general side effects of a COVID-19 vaccine?
What are the long-term side effects of the COVID-19 vaccines?
Can COVID-19 vaccines affect the heart?
What is the connection between the Janssen/Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine and Guillain-Barre syndrome?
What are the symptoms of a blood clotting reaction to the Janssen/Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine?
Do the COVID-19 vaccines protect against the COVID-19 variants?
Are COVID-19 vaccines free?
Can I get a COVID-19 vaccine if I have an existing health condition?
Is it OK to take an over-the-counter pain medication before or after getting a COVID-19 vaccine?
Is there anyone who should not get a COVID-19 vaccine?
What are the signs of an allergic reaction to a COVID-19 vaccine?
Can I get a COVID-19 vaccine if I have a history of allergic reactions?
Can pregnant or breastfeeding women get the COVID-19 vaccine?
Can a COVID-19 vaccine affect fertility or menstruation?
What COVID-19 vaccine has been approved for kids?
If children don’t frequently experience severe illness with COVID-19, why do they need a COVID-19 vaccine?
How did the FDA determine the safety and effectiveness of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for use in kids ages 12 through 15?
Can I stop taking safety precautions after getting a COVID-19 vaccine?
Can I still get COVID-19 after I’m vaccinated?
Are COVID-19 vaccine additional doses or boosters recommended?
Can I still get COVID-19 after I’m vaccinated?
COVID-19 vaccination will protect most people from getting sick with COVID-19.
A small percentage of fully vaccinated people will still get COVID-19 if they are exposed to the virus that causes COVID-19. These are called vaccine breakthrough infections.
People with vaccine breakthrough infections may spread COVID-19 to others. However, it appears that vaccinated people spread COVID-19 for a shorter period than do unvaccinated people.
Vaccination also might make illness less severe. If you are fully vaccinated, the overall risk of hospitalization and death due to COVID-19 is much lower than among unvaccinated people with similar risk factors.