INDIANAPOLIS — Last month, President Joe Biden announced a goal to have 70 percent of American adults vaccinated against COVID-19 with at least one shot by July 4. He also hopes to have 160 million people fully vaccinated by the same date.
In an effort to encourage viewers, their friends and their family to protect themselves against COVID-19, 13News is sharing information, stories and resources about the coronavirus vaccines.
VERIFY
There is a lot of information — and misinformation — circulating about the coronavirus vaccine. It can be tough to separate fact from fiction. Our VERIFY team tackles some of the most popular questions and concerns.
- How many people have gotten COVID-19 after being fully vaccinated?
- No, there is no evidence the COVID-19 vaccine causes loss of taste or smell
- No, the COVID-19 vaccine does not contain a magnetic microchip
- Yes, kids will get the same COVID-19 vaccine dose as adults
- No, the U.S. doesn’t need to vaccinate 100% of population to reach herd immunity
MORE: Can you get COVID-19 after getting the vaccine?
Vaccine safety
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has given emergency use authorization to three pharmaceutical companies for use of their vaccines — Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson. Pfizer and Moderna have also begun the process of seeking full approval from the agency. But many still have concerns about how safe the shots are. Here is what we do and don't know about some of those concerns.
- It's safe to donate blood after getting the COVID-19 vaccine
- CDC investigates heart condition after COVID-19 shot, a cardiologist weighs in on how concerned you should be
- Why not mix and match COVID vaccines?
- The CDC does not show hundreds of children with serious adverse effects from the COVID-19 vaccine
- This Seattle man already received his third shot of the COVID-19 vaccine
- What ingredients are in the COVID-19 vaccines?
MORE: How did the COVID-19 vaccines got made so quickly
Vaccine efficacy
Based on clinical trials, the Pfizer vaccine was 95 percent effective at preventing COVID-19 in people who had not been previously infected. The Moderna vaccine was 94.1 percent effective for the same parameters. The J&J vaccine was 66.3 percent effective, but of the participants who got sick after at least four weeks of receiving the vaccine, none were hospitalized or died. Here's more information about the efficacy of the vaccines.
- No, obesity did not reduce the efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines in clinical trials
- Scientists: For these individuals, immunity against COVID-19 could last years
- CDC: COVID cases in fully vaccinated remains rare
- The two ways to calculate how much your risk is reduced by getting the COVID vaccines
- No, COVID-19 vaccines aren’t as effective for immunocompromised people, research suggests
- 2 doses of Pfizer, Moderna COVID-19 vaccines provide greater protection than just 1
- Are some COVID-19 vaccines more effective than others?
Vaccine incentives
As the country strives for more people to get vaccinated, many companies are offering incentives to both customers and employees for getting their shots. Similarly, some governments are offering incentives to residents, and schools to students and teachers. Read about some of the benefits — outside of being protected against COVID-19 — of getting vaccinated.
- Got vaccinated? Kroger offering a $1 million prize
- Free beer, other new incentives for Biden's 'vaccine sprint'
- Instacart, Trader Joe's, others offer financial incentives for workers to get vaccinated
- Get Vaccinated & Get Rewarded: Meijer giving $10 coupons to vaccinated shoppers
- Indiana Convention Center workers offered incentives to get vaccinated
- IU offering incentives to students, staff for proof of vaccination
If you have not yet received a coronavirus vaccine, go to ourshot.in.gov or call 211 to find a vaccine site and schedule an appointment.
