The Coronavirus Vaccine is Now Available: Here’s What to Know

The year 2020 was unprecedented and challenging for everyone. From changing the way we socialize to limiting the number of people we see in-person and spending more time at home – it was a long year for most. Luckily, with the new coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccines available, there is finally a light at the end of the tunnel.

Getting vaccinated is an important tool, in addition to wearing masks and social distancing, to getting us back to normal living. The COVID-19 vaccines are safe, effective and a big step forward to helping protect yourself and those around you.

Is the COVID-19 Vaccine Effective?

Studies show that the COVID-19 vaccines are effective at keeping you from contracting the virus. Getting a COVID-19 vaccine can also help keep you from getting extremely ill if you do contract COVID-19.

COVID-19 vaccinations work by teaching our immune systems how to recognize and fight the virus. Once you are vaccinated, it typically takes two weeks for your body to build protection against the virus. You are considered fully protected two weeks after your second dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, or two weeks after the single dose Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen COVID-19 vaccine.

3 Benefits of Getting the COVID-19 Vaccine

Getting the COVID-19 vaccine has many health benefits for you. Here are just some of the benefits you can experience by getting vaccinated:

1. Prevention from Contracting COVID-19 – All vaccines that are currently available have been shown to be highly effective at preventing COVID-19.
2. Increased Protection – If you do contract COVID-19 without the vaccine, there’s no way to know how it will affect you. This virus can have serious, life-threatening complications for you and your loved ones. Getting the vaccine can build your antibody response. Even if you happen to get sick, the vaccine will minimize the symptoms and keep you from being hospitalized.
3.  An End to the Pandemic – While wearing masks and social distancing are great tools to help reduce the spread of the virus, the vaccine will help bring an end to the pandemic. This means seeing family members and friends you haven’t seen in over a year, participating in public activities you love and getting back to a life of normalcy. Getting vaccinated and continuing to follow the CDC guidelines will offer you the best protection from the COVID-19 virus.

COVID-19 Vaccine Safety

Like with any new vaccine, you may wonder how safe it actually is to use. All three COVID-19 vaccines available underwent intense safety monitoring procedures to ensure they would be safe and effective for public use.

The CDC developed a new tool, v-safe, to help quickly identify any safety issues with COVID-19 vaccines. V-safe is an after-vaccination health checker for people who receive COVID-19 vaccines. The federal government is continuing to monitor and work on ensuring the safety of the COVID-19 vaccines for everyone.

Episcopal SeniorLife Communities Helps Keep Residents Safe

At Episcopal Seniorlife Communities, we are proud to offer residents and staff members the COVID-19 vaccine. This is one step we can actively take to help protect ourselves and our communities. In addition to offering the vaccine, we are also continuing to take the proper precautions to keep our residents and staff members safe from COVID-19.

You can learn more about the vaccine and eligibility requirements in Monroe County here. Contact us today to learn more about our safe, senior living options or our virtual social and wellness programs.