After hours of click, tab, enter, sorry, no availability, you finally get the highly elusive and desperately coveted, please select an appointment time! You can't believe your luck (or your eyes). Your cursor is shocked as well so it hesitates before incomprehensibly inching back along its former pathway. Jeez! If ever there were a time for brain-hand coordination, it is now!
Luckily, a spark ignites your adrenaline pump and your cursor is propelled to click that bright red "schedule now" button. You rush to complete the required information at breakneck speed until this stops you in your tracks: Choose one: Pfizer, Moderna or J&J...
Wait, what?! If you are like most people, you probably know that Pfizer and Moderna require two shots while J&J only needs one and, that Pfizer shots are three weeks apart while Moderna's are four. If you are really savvy, you might even know that the J&J is a DNA viral vector vaccine instead of the mRNA variety of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines. But, how do you choose? What the heck is mRNA and what exactly are DNA vectors anyway? And, why are they in the vaccines?
Come to think of it, what are vaccines?
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A Vaccine is a substance used to stimulate the production of antibodies in order to provide immunity against a disease.
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Immunity is the ability to resist a disease by prevention or by counteraction
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Counteraction is the act of making something ineffective or neutralized.
The Pfizer, Moderna and J&J shots:
✅ do stimulate the production of antibodies
❎ do not prevent disease
Let that sink in! Pfizer, Moderna and J&J do not prevent disease.
They ✅ do:
- produce antibodies
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reduce the severe symptoms of COVID-19
- make it less likely that you will get hospitalized and/or die from COVID-19
They ❎ do not:
- prevent you from contracting COVID-19
- stop you from spreading COVID-19
- protect you with certainty against current or future mutations and strains
To eliminate vaccine confusion, perhaps Pfizer, Moderna and J&J should not be called vaccines because while they do produce antibodies, they do not prevent COVID-19. Maybe it would be better to call them immune system modulators?
Regardless of which shot you choose, here's the WHEN and WHY post-shot mask wearing is required...
When you need to wear a mask after you have received your shots:
- in closed spaces
- in crowded places
- when in close contact with others who haven't been vaccinated
Why you need to wear a mask after you have received your shots:
- to prevent spreading it to others who aren't vaccinated
- to reduce your own exposure to resistant mutations/strains
Still have questions? Let us know!
Dr. Yagoda is committed to educating and empowering you by providing you with outstanding care, compassion and surgical expertise along with expert health, wellness, safety and beauty advice, goods and services. There is good reason that Dr. Yagoda is the one other doctors have chosen over the last 25 years and continue to choose when they want the very best. Call us at 212.434.1210 or email us at [email protected] to schedule your telemedicine consultation.
