It is important that young people understand two things: One, people are more likely to be exposed to COVID right now, and if exposed, infected, than ever before. That is partly because the most common strain of COVID in the U.S. is the highly transmissible delta variant. And it is partly because many areas have relaxed important mitigation strategies like masking and distancing. As a result, those who remain unvaccinated are now more vulnerable than ever to infection. But the good news is, the best way to protect themselves and others is vaccination, and it is safe, effective, and completely free of charge.
What should young people know about COVID-19 vaccine side effects?
Dr. Moody: All the vaccines have some side effects, such as fever, soreness around the vaccination site, body aches, and headaches, which typically last for a few days at most. COVID vaccines seem to have a bit more side effects than the typical flu vaccine, but they also seem to be generating a very robust immune response. That seems to go hand in hand: If people are having side effects, it means the vaccine is revving up their immune system, although it still works even you can have no side effects on an individual level. These short-lived side effects are better than getting COVID itself.
For people who are concerned about blood clots [with the Johnson & Johnson vaccine] or heart inflammation, these risks do seem to be very rare. There are also no plausible arguments I’ve seen to suggest people will have a problem with future fertility, and there’s no reason to think that other side effects won’t emerge for years. If we thought this could happen, we wouldn’t recommend vaccination. I understand where the objection is coming from, but it’s a straw man argument. I find it’s an avoidance tactic.
What would you say to a young, healthy person who doesn’t think they need to get vaccinated?
Dr. Moody: People really need to think about how their actions impact others. Even if a person feels they’re not at risk for severe COVID-19 complications, they’re almost certainly coming into contact with people who are. By getting vaccinated, you’re helping your fellow citizens.
Some people argue they might still catch COVID even with a vaccine. [While these vaccines can help prevent you from getting a disease, they’re especially good at preventing you from getting severely sick.] We expect some breakthrough cases when we have a lot of transmission. What we want to see is a lower rate of complications due to COVID-19, which is exactly what we’re seeing with these vaccines.
Dr. Liao: It’s true that young people don’t get as sick on average, but they can. Nearly 10,000 people under the age of 40 have died in the U.S. of COVID-19 to date, and about one in three who are infected with COVID has gotten long COVID, or symptoms lasting at least 12 weeks. I know people who have long COVID, and it’s serious. For months you can’t breathe well, and you can lose your sense of taste and smell. It can affect your cognitive abilities and make you very fatigued. But even a mild infection could cause you to miss work or school because you have to quarantine at home.
Variants will also keep evolving as long as we don’t have the virus under control, and there’s plenty of evidence it’s because of people who are not vaccinated. Young people are viral factories. Even if they don’t get sick, they could be [allowing the virus to replicate and potentially create] new virus strains. Delta spreads much more quickly than previous strains, so imagine if there was a variant that affected even more people. Restrictions are coming again. If you care about being able to go to restaurants and bars, it’s very important to get the virus under control. The sooner we get the virus under control, the sooner we can return to normal. If you care about freedom, this is the best way to achieve it.
Where can young people find a vaccination site near them?
Dr. Boyd: Vaccines are readily available throughout the country. Everyone can visit vaccines.gov if they want to find a vaccine site near them.
What advice would you give to a young person who wants to get a vaccine but their parents don’t agree?
Dr. Liao: Being a parent myself, I think that having parental input is very important. I can see why parents would want to weigh in. Kids should talk to their parents and try to reason with them. There’s a lot of vaccine misinformation, so kids can help educate their parents. The conversation you have depends on the parents’ concerns. Is it about the science, the risk, or religious objections? Figure out what parents are worried about and go from there. I also think it’s helpful to explain to parents the benefits of the vaccine.