Vaccines help our immune system fight future infections. COVID-19 vaccines train our bodies to develop defenses to the disease without having to get sick.
COVID-19 vaccines are meant to prevent you from getting COVID-19 and from spreading it to others. Both vaccines authorized by the FDA are shown to be safe and effective in preventing COVID-19 infection in clinical trials. The ability of COVID-19 vaccines to protect us from spreading the virus to others is not yet known, but is being studied carefully.
Both vaccines that have been authorized by the FDA are two-dose vaccines, given either 21 days or 28 days apart. These vaccines are messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines, which teach your cells to produce a harmless piece of the coronavirus that then triggers an immune response to build antibodies. In this way, you build immunity to COVID-19 without getting the illness.
It typically takes a few weeks after the second dose to become fully protected. Sometimes vaccination can cause mild fever or cold-like symptoms, but these are not harmful.
To learn more about the FDA-authorized vaccines, visit the Safety and Effectiveness page.