Don’t Be Choosy about COVID-19 Vaccine

CLEVELAND – There are now three COVID-19 vaccines approved for emergency use by the FDA.

Some people may be wondering if they should wait for one, over another, to become available.

But now is not the time to be choosy. If a vaccine is available, doctors recommend taking it.

“If you can get the vaccine, the best thing to do is get that vaccine when it’s your turn. Be ready. And absolutely don’t wait for any specific vaccine. They all work very well,” said Frank Esper, MD, an infectious disease specialist with Cleveland Clinic Children’s.

Dr. Esper said vaccine supply is still scarce, so if you’re eligible and find availability – don’t wait.

There currently aren’t any guidelines recommending one vaccine over another for specific people, making them all fair game.

Regardless of brand or vaccine type, they’ve all been shown to be effective in preventing COVID-19 infection.

They all bring us one step closer to herd immunity and normalcy.

“They all help. We still don’t know exactly what level herd immunity is achieved. It’s somewhere between 50-80%. And all vaccines will help us reach that magic number,” said Dr. Esper. “So, there’s no reason why you should take one versus the other. When you can get vaccinated, get vaccinated.”

Dr. Esper said while the trio of COVID-19 vaccines have been deemed safe and effective, they’re still undergoing testing.

He said future research may help us tease out whether certain vaccines may be better suited for specific populations, but we’re just not there yet.