Safe, effective COVID-19 vaccines will offer protection against the virus, helping to prevent death and serious illness.

Like other vaccines, such as the flu shot, COVID-19 vaccines will be given with a needle.

This triggers an immune response in the body – which is the body’s natural way of defending itself.

The vaccine will strengthen your immune system by training it to recognise and fight against the virus that causes COVID-19. Vaccines may contain either killed or weakened versions of the virus that causes the disease – or a small part of the virus, such as a protein.

There is no risk that you will get the disease from a vaccine.

When your immune system recognises this virus, or parts of it, in the vaccine as being foreign, it responds by creating memory cells and antibodies that will protect you against future infection or disease.

As a result, you will be less likely to have severe COVID-19 symptoms after a vaccination.

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