Currently, there are several vaccines in development for COVID-19, some of which have been authorized for emergency use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), before the FDA determines whether to approve a vaccine or authorize a vaccine for emergency use, clinical trials are conducted to determine how well it works. This is known as effectiveness.

After the FDA approves a vaccine or authorizes a vaccine for emergency use, it continues to be studied to determine how well it works under real-world conditions. CDC and other federal partners will be assessing COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness under real-world conditions.

The goal of these vaccines is to prevent patients from developing severe illness from COVID-19.

It is important to note that getting a COVID-19 vaccine does not assure complete protection from illness, and that it takes some time for your body to become immune. This means infection is still possible just before or just after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine because you need enough time to develop antibodies.

Getting a COVID-19 vaccine means that should you contract COVID-19, it may prevent you from developing the more severe symptoms of COVID-19.

Additionally, you can’t get COVID-19 from a vaccine. This is because none of the COVID-19 vaccines in development do not use the live virus.

Due to a limited supply, the COVID-19 vaccines will not be initially available for the general public. Once it is available for you, your medical provider would be able to provide you more information on how a COVID-19 may be of benefit to you depending on your personal health circumstances.

As the country waits on the approval of a COVID-19 vaccine, it is important to protect yourself from the virus. You can learn more about reducing your risk by following these guidelines.

Source: LA Public Health, CDC