Why should I take the COVID vaccine?

“The rollout of COVID-19 vaccines is generating hope.”
António Guterres, United Nations Secretary-General

Why should I take the COVID vaccine?

In some countries where COVID-19 vaccines are widely available, the rate of vaccination has begun to slow. This is because some people aren’t taking the vaccine when it’s offered to them.

Why does this matter?

The more people who take the vaccine around the world, the more chance we have of stopping the spread of COVID-19 and ending the pandemic.

Today we are sharing our top three reasons why we should all take the vaccine when it’s offered:

1. You’ll protect the people you love

Getting vaccinated doesn’t only protect us – it protects the people around us. COVID-19 is highly contagious – meaning it passes easily between people. Someone who is fully vaccinated is less likely to carry the virus and pass it on, which means we are less likely to infect those around us.

2. You’ll help end the pandemic

The more of us that get vaccinated, the less COVID-19 can spread. This reduces the number of new infections and means the virus has less chance to mutate and create new variants.

3. Approved COVID vaccines are safe

Before a new vaccine is approved, it goes through four stages of testing from pre-clinical tests through to human trials. At each stage, scientists measure its effectiveness and safety. If a vaccine causes harmful side effects, the trial is cancelled. The COVID vaccines that pass these tests are then assessed by international regulators such as the World Health Organization (WHO), and national health bodies before they are approved for public use. All of the approved COVID vaccines have been shown to be safe and effective.

Before receiving his second vaccination, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said “the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines is generating hope,” and encouraged the whole world to collaborate in this vital route to ending the pandemic.