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With the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines for coronavirus being developed so quickly, some people have reservations and are wondering how safe it is. In fact, studies show that up to 40% of Americans are hesitant to get it. We asked physician and "The Doctors" host Dr. Ian Smith to weigh in on these concerns.
A lot of people have questions about how quickly the vaccines were developed, because we don’t have data on the long-term effects, Dr. Ian tells us. We unfortunately have to take a little bit of a gamble on that because we don’t have the long-term data, he notes, but so far, the data shows there is little risk of significant adverse reactions. Some of the early findings have shown people have had allergic reactions, but the frequency is rare. And there is a risk of allergic reactions with any vaccine.
"People who have really severe allergies should talk to their doctors about taking the vaccine." Dr. Ian says. "They have seen some cases. But when you look at the fraction — [comparing] the number [of] those not having problems to the small [number] who've had severe allergies, it's not a reason or a discouragement to take the vaccine."
MORE: Who Can Get The Covid Vaccine? A Doc Explains The CDC Recommendations
Plus, the doc notes, the likelihood for long-term effects is very small. 10 to 15 percent of people will experience minor side effects from the vaccine, like redness at the sight of injection, muscle aches, headaches, fever. In fact, that means the vaccine is working because your immune system is fighting it. Dr. Ian stresses that people who experience those symptoms still must take the second dose of the vaccine. If you don’t, you are not going to have maximum protection from getting infected again.
When Rach asks Dr. Ian if he feels safe taking the vaccine, he says, "100 percent. My wife has already taken it. She's a frontline worker."
While the vaccine is not risk-free, Dr. Ian emphasizes that "not taking it not only could potentially kill you, but cause you to spread to others. You may not die from [Covid], but those you transmit it to could."
What about if you've already had Covid… should you still get the vaccine? Dr. Ian answers here.