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With more and more people becoming eligible to receive a jab of the COVID-19 vaccine, some may be thinking about why they should get vaccinated.  Well, there are plenty of benefits of getting a COVID-19 vaccine.

However, if you are unsure whether the vaccine is suitable for you or not, then read on!

You must consider the benefits highlighted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) the vaccine could provide you and your loved ones.

7 Benefits Of Getting A COVID-19 Vaccine

The importance of COVID-19 vaccines is immense and has wide-scale implications for our health. Here are the top pros of taking a COVID-19 vaccine:

1. Vaccines Reduce the Risk of Infection

Once you receive your first shot, your body produces antibodies to the coronavirus. Further, these antibodies help your immune system fight the virus if you get exposed, reducing your chances of getting the disease.

There are three vaccines authorized for use in India, and they are all more than 70% effective in preventing infection. 

Contrarily it is true that you can still become infected after being vaccinated. Still, once more of the population is vaccinated, those chances are further reduced thanks to something known as herd immunity.

Therefore, getting vaccinated not only reduces your risk of getting infected but also contributes to community protection, reducing the likelihood of virus transmission.

2. You Can Travel

Another benefit of getting the COVID-19 vaccine is that fully vaccinated people can travel without quarantine, both domestically and internationally. 

Nonetheless, outside the home setting, particularly given the rise of COVID variants of concern that may bypass the immune system, it is recommended to continue wearing masks to prevent transmission of COVID-19. 

3. The Vaccine Can Prove Beneficial for your Baby

A recent study found that expectant mothers who receive the COVID-19 jab create antibodies to the virus and pass those to their unborn babies through the placenta.

Also, mothers were shown to pass antibodies to their newborns through breastfeeding. This suggests those newborns have some immunity to the virus, which is significant because young children cannot get the vaccine yet.

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4. The Vaccine Protects Against Severe Illness

The three authorized vaccines have shown to be effective at preventing severe illness from COVID-19 during studies. As a result, even if you were infected and became vaccinated, it is very unlikely for you to become severely ill.

Further, the clinical trials for the Pfizer-BioNTech and Sputnik V vaccines have shown 96% effectiveness at preventing severe illness. However, the Johnson & Johnson vaccine showed 85% effectiveness against severe disease.

Moreover, studies have shown vaccinated people who get infected have mild to moderate cases of COVID-19 compared to those who aren't vaccinated. Consequently, your risk of hospitalization and death due to COVID-19 is nearly negligible once you are completely vaccinated.

5. The Vaccine (eventually) Will Help You Get Rid of Masks

The vaccine is the ultimate step in our effort to get back to a more normal way of life. The Government implemented public health measures such as wearing masks, social distancing, and handwashing to slow down the spread of the virus that proved to work. However, we should continue with these precautions until enough people are immunized, especially the most vulnerable in our community.

Interestingly, these rules will not be there forever. Newer shreds of evidence suggest that vaccinated people infected with the coronavirus have fewer virus particles in their nose and mouth and are also less likely to spread it to others. This finding is essential as getting vaccinated protects you and limits spreading the virus to your loved ones and friends. 

Furthermore, when enough people are protected through vaccination and prior infection, we can reach herd immunity. This means the spread of the virus becomes highly unlikely.

At that time, social distancing and wearing masks might not be needed any longer. However, we have to continue following public health guidance for the time being. 

6. You Will Be Able to Reconnect With Friends and Family

Once you have received the vaccine and waited for the recommended period for your body to build immunity, you can visit other people who have been vaccinated or those at lower risk of infection without wearing a mask.

This is the first step in re-establishing those in-person communications that are so important in our lives. Moreover, you have been around someone who tested positive for COVID-19; you do not need to quarantine if you are completely vaccinated and not experiencing symptoms. 

7. You Could See Immediate Health Benefits

Getting a COVID-19 vaccine can reduce the chances of catching COVID-19 by a great percentage. Besides, stopping the spread of COVID means slowing mutations of the virus as well. This is because every time the virus spreads to a new person, it has the chance to mutate. 

On the other hand, the vaccine gives us a better chance of getting COVID case levels to a manageable level to see more places reopen and lessening restrictions. 

According to the CDC, if a fully vaccinated person is exposed to the coronavirus or its mutation, he/she is 94% less likely to be hospitalized than an unvaccinated individual. 

Besides having a significantly lower risk of catching COVID, a vaccine could help reduce long-term symptoms if you already have had COVID-19. 

Related Read: Covid Vaccines In India: A Guide To Understand Efficacy, Doses, and Side-Effects

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Conclusion

COVID-19 can have severe, life-threatening complications, and there is no way to determine how COVID-19 will affect you. Further, if you get sick, you could spread the disease to your friends, family, and others around you. 

The benefits of the COVID-19 vaccine can easily outweigh the known and potential side effects of the vaccine. Getting the COVID-19 vaccine also offers herd immunity. 

After a year of uncertainty, the vaccines have arrived and have clear benefits that should make everyone strongly consider getting the shot. By choosing to get vaccinated, besides protecting yourself and your family, you also protect your community.