Concerned About Vaccine Safety? You Should Read These Articles

At long last, we have a working COVID-19 vaccine that has been approved for use in the UK. While availability will be limited at first, communicating the importance and safety of vaccination is vital if we are to get as many people protected as possible, and hopefully start to put an end to this pandemic.

Unfortunately, we know that there is also a great deal of misinformation concerning the COIVD-19 vaccines and vaccination in general. Most people are not ‘anti-vaxxers’, but with the amount of misinformation propagated on social media and elsewhere, many people may become uncertain of the benefits and risks of vaccination. A lot of those people, when uncertain of the risks, will choose inaction because this is mistakenly perceived as the safer option.

With that in mind, here are some trustworthy sources of information about the COVID-19 vaccines and vaccination in general that we recommend you check out, whether you need reassurance about safety, or are simply looking for more information.

• The Conversation – COVID-19 vaccines were developed in record time – but are these game-changers safe? and Less than a year to develop a COVID vaccine – here’s why you shouldn’t be alarmed: Two doctors explain how vaccines can be developed so quickly while still remaining safe.
• CDC – Facts about COVID-19 Vaccines: The CDC debunks misconceptions and myths concerning COVID-19 vaccines.
• Oxford Vaccine Group – The Vaccine Knowledge Project: A source of independent information about vaccines and infectious diseases.
• NHS – Why vaccination is safe and important: NHS page for general information about vaccination, including a list of common myths that have been disproven.
• itv – How does the Pfizer vaccine work?: Article explaining how an mRNA vaccine works.
• BBC – Covid-19: Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine judged safe for use in UK: BBC article on Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine rollout.
• Risky Talk – Communicating about vaccines: Winton Professor of the Public Understanding of Risk, David Spiegelhalter, explores why vaccine scepticism has risen and what we can do about it.