St. Luke's University Health Network's video: Wellness 101 Show - Everything You Need to Know About Vaccines But Were Afraid to Ask - SLUHN

Hey guys…Mr. Wellness here and today, we’re talking vaccines. What is a vaccine? How does a vaccine work? And are vaccines safe? All good questions, especially now as the first round COVID-19 vaccines have begun to roll out across the country. A traditional vaccine is a weakened form of a virus or germ that is injected into your body to help protect you from certain diseases. Now don’t get nervous…because here’s how it works: Once injected, the vaccine then stimulates your immune system to fight that weakened germ, essentially teaching your body to look for that specific virus and beat it up. After getting vaccinated, you develop immunity to that disease, without having to get sick first. This is what makes vaccines such powerful medicine. Unlike most medicines, which treat or cure diseases, vaccines prevent them. The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines for COVID-19 work a little differently. They are “messenger Ribonucleic Acid” vaccines or otherwise known as mRNA. These vaccines do NOT use a weakened form of the virus but instead, they give our cells instructions to produce the protein that jump starts an immune response to fight against COVID. I know what you’re asking yourself: Is it safe? Vaccines go through rigorous evaluations and testing by some of our most trusted doctors, scientists and government agencies like the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to ensure they are safe and effective. Vaccines have been responsible for the elimination of some of the most crippling and deadly infectious diseases in history – one of the most famous, and most cruel, being polio. Now, I know some of you have reservations about this vaccine due to the speed in which it was created. Allow me to try to set your mind at ease. Typically, the average vaccine takes about 10-15 years to develop. Until now, the Mumps vaccine was the fastest to ever been developed but even that took 4 years…so how could this possibly be safe? Well..in short…due to the global nature of this virus, researchers have had access to a lot MORE resources and a lot LESS bureaucratic red tape than ever before! The bottom line is: the COVID-19 vaccine is the first vaccine that the ENTIRE science community throughout the world has come together to develop. Scientists had years of previous research on related viruses to help guide them. The mRNA vaccine platform isn’t new technology, it’s been in development for over two decades! And the amount of public and private funding was enormous and allowed firms to run multiple trials in parallel. What’s more, demand and urgency from the public to rid the world of this virus is at an all-time high. Add all that up and you got yourself a lightning-fast response in record time! COVID vaccines have started to roll out across the country. Who receives the vaccine and in what order is not up to any individual hospital or health care provider. Vaccine allotments are determined by each state’s Department of Health, and distribution is governed by the CDC’s recommended phased approach. It might be a while until you get your vaccination but rest assured…it’s on the way! In the meantime, be SMART: Socially Distance, Mask Up, Avoid Crowds, Remind Others and Travel Wisely. Folks… I know you’re tired, and you’re ready for this to be over. Trust me…sunny skies are on the horizon. Be SMART, stay informed and get the vaccine when it’s your turn. A few more months and we can all watch COVID-19 fade away in our rear view mirrors. Don’t forget to smash that like button and subscribe to our YouTube Channel for more Wellness 101! Happy New Year everyone!