"When you are given the opportunity to get the vaccine, get that vaccine," she says. The advice doesn't change, says Ravina Kullar, an infectious disease expert and spokesperson for the Infectious Diseases Society of America: Get whatever you're offered first. But what if a vaccine with less efficacy is approved? Pfizer's and Moderna's - are so close in efficacy, and so scarce, that the vast majority of us would be thrilled to get either. Right now, the two authorized vaccines in the U.S. The concern would be that it might not be as effective in preventing infection with the coronavirus. It's important to note that being injected with an expired vaccine wouldn't be cause for safety concerns. "Two minutes to me sounds good!"Īnd if it took three minutes for someone to roll up their sleeve? Sadly, the vaccinator wouldn't have a choice. "All it takes is five seconds to get it in the arm," El Sahly says. However, if you're anywhere within that window, there is no cause for concern. After that, El Sahly says, "the vaccine will no longer be stable, and its biologic effect will vary after that." "Vaccine-administering facilities have to abide by those windows of time because the vaccine is tested for stability at this room temperature and it doesn't stay good forever."įor the COVID-19 vaccines Pfizer and Moderna, you have six hours from the time the vial is punctured. Hana El Sahly, associate professor of molecular virology, microbiology and medicine at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. When my mom got her shot, the nurse told her she had to get it in her arm in two minutes – or else the vaccine would expire! Now my mom is worried that she could have gotten an expired dose.Įvery vaccine has a shelf life, explains Dr. But it never hurts to stay vigilant - at all stages of the process. The by-and-large wisdom here, the doctors concur, is that you're probably fine if you've gotten the shot. For example, Karan says, if you see lots of liquid from the tip of the needle squirting out before it even enters your skin, then, of course, it might be a good idea to alert the nurse or doctor. Especially, he adds, as our bodies' tendency to react to a vaccine "varies a lot between individuals and the individual's circumstances, like where the needle went into the arm or where in the arm the shot was deposited."īut there are some obvious red flags in vaccine administration that should be pretty easy to notice. "The fact that did not see a reaction is not a reason to believe that their body did not develop an appropriate response that will be protective," says Jonathan Runstadler, a professor at Tufts University's Department of Infectious Disease and Global Health. So the idea that our physical responses can tell us if a vaccine worked is a misconception. Just "consider yourself lucky," says Harvard Medical School physician Abraar Karan. In other words, it's possible to receive a (perfectly administered) vaccine and suffer no symptoms whatsoever.
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