What about long-term effects of the COVID-19 vaccine?

Health care workers answer questions about the COVID-19 vaccines.

Jessica Malaty Rivera, MS explains that there isn’t any risk of long-term effects from the COVID-19 vaccines.

The amount of time that the MRNA is actually in your body is probably 48 hours. And then after that, the only thing that remains is the memory of that vaccine. The kind of memory of what the spike protein looks like, so that if the body ever encounters the spike protein in an infection, it knows how to fight it. So, because of that, we feel very confident that there isn’t any risk of long-term effects because the vaccine is not actually a part of your body for a very long time.

This information is shared for educational purposes only and should not be used as a substitute for professional medical advice. The views expressed are those of the featured medical professional and reflect information available to that professional at time of filming. Always consult a health care provider for any personal health decisions. Click here for vaccine FAQs from the CDC.

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Immunity wanes over time. Keep up your protection against COVID by getting boosted when eligible.

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