CLEVELAND, Ohio – Readers have questions about COVID-19 and the coronavirus vaccine, and we’re getting answers from healthcare experts.
Q: If the coronavirus vaccine is 95% effective, how do I know if I am in the other 5%?
There is no way to tell early on who will be among the small handful who will not get an immune response to a coronavirus vaccine, said dr. David Margolius, physician for internal medicine at MetroHealth Systems, said.
If you get the vaccine but later test positive for COVID-19, it is proof that you have not had a reaction to the vaccine, says Dr. Robert Salata, chair of the department of medicine at university hospitals.
Many people experience mild side effects, such as sore at the injection site and low fever, after receiving the vaccine. But the lack of side effects is not an indication that the vaccine is not working for you, Margolius said.
People who are vaccinated but not protected by the vaccine are more likely to have a milder case of COVID-19 than if they were not vaccinated, Margolius said. Therefore, health experts are urging adults to get the COVID-19 vaccine when it is available.
Health experts say the COVID-19 vaccine may be less effective for people with compromised immune systems.
According to press reports, the Moderna vaccine is 94% effective, and the Pfizer vaccine is 95% effective. It is higher than the annual flu vaccine.
“95% is really very high in terms of vaccines,” Margolius said.
Here is additional information on what the vaccine companies mean by effectiveness, and the math behind the vaccination trials.
Do you have questions about the COVID-19 vaccine that you would like an expert to answer? Email it to Julie Washington, reporter for cleveland.com, at [email protected].
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