Vaccination is the most important thing we can do to protect ourselves against ill health. Vaccines prevent up to 3 million deaths worldwide every year. Here’s why you should get vaccinated.

Benefits of vaccination

Vaccination not only protects the vaccinated persons, but also reduces the risk of diseases spreading among family members, school mates, colleagues, friends, neighbours and other people in the community who may be unable to get vaccinated for health reasons.

When enough people in a population are immune to an infectious disease, the disease is unlikely to spread from person to person. This is known as herd immunity.

Does the COVID-19 vaccine affect birth control?

The COVID-19 vaccine won’t make your birth control less effective. You can be confident that your birth control is still protecting you from pregnancy after getting the COVID-19 vaccine.

Does the COVID-19 vaccine affect menstruation and fertility?

If you’re trying to get pregnant or are pregnant, it’s still recommended that you get the COVID-19 vaccine, provided you have consulted with your healthcare provider first. There is also no evidence that any vaccines, including COVID-19 vaccines, cause fertility problems in men or women.

Menstruation can be affected in some; this is short-term and can be less than one-day change in menstrual cycle length for each dose. Keep in mind that many things can affect menstrual cycles, including infections, stress, sleep problems, and changes in diet or exercise.

Chronic illness and vaccination

It’s very important for patients with chronic illnesses to be up to date on recommended vaccinations, as they’re at increased risk for complications from certain vaccine-preventable diseases. Check in with your healthcare provider for guidance around vaccination.

Is it safe?

Rest assured, all vaccines are thoroughly tested to make sure they will not harm you or your loved ones. It takes time and research for a vaccine to make it through the trials and tests it needs to pass for approval.

Is the COVID-19 booster shot necessary?

The protection offered by vaccines is very powerful, but it starts to weaken overtime. Getting a booster shot extends the protection, even against the Delta and Omicron variants.

Vaccination is safe and effective, and it’s made many diseases that were deadly in the past non-existent or rare. To protect yourself and your loved ones, it’s important to consider getting vaccinated and encourage those around you too.

If you or a friend need advice or help, you can contact me here on Ask Choma, send a Facebook message or a Twitter DM, or a WhatsApp Message (071 172 3657).