Should I Get the Vaccine?
Protect others! That's the advice of NFL Hall of Famer Jonathan Ogden. Getting the vaccine is an easy way to protect yourself and others in your community.
Millions of people in the United States are vaccinated against COVID-19. The benefits of vaccination continue to outweigh the potential risks.
If you remain unvaccinated, you may have questions or concerns you need cleared up to help convince you to get the best protection against the virus. As you work through your decision, we encourage you to consider these benefits:
Reasons to Take the Vaccine
If you are unvaccinated, you are unprotected.
The vaccines are our best defense against COVID-19.
For the best protection, you must stay up to date with the recommended number of doses and boosters. You are “up to date” with your COVID-19 vaccines if you have completed your initial vaccine series and received the most recent booster dose recommended for you by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The vaccines work.
All the vaccines authorized in the United States are extremely effective against death and hospitalization. The vaccines are also effective against most variants.
The vaccines are safe—the virus is dangerous.
Hundreds of millions of people have gotten vaccinated against COVID-19 under what the CDC says is the most intense safety monitoring in the country’s history.
The vaccines meet the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) standards for safety, effectiveness and manufacturing quality, and they continued to be monitored. They are safe for both children and adults.
The risk of getting (and possibly dying from) COVID-19 is far greater than the risks associated with the vaccine. Read more about how the vaccines were developed so quickly and safely.
Your vaccination can keep others safe.
The more people who choose to get vaccinated, the safer everyone can be. By staying up to date with COVID-19 vaccination, you are less likely to spread the disease to others.
The vaccine is free and easy to schedule.
COVID-19 vaccines are widely available. Finding locations and making appointments is simple, and there are multiple ways to do it.
You can find vaccine locations near you by searching vaccines.gov, texting your zip code to “438829” or calling 1-800-232-0233. You can also find vaccination sites on Maryland.gov or check your local pharmacy’s website for available vaccination appointments. The state's mass vaccination sites, such as the State Center in Baltimore, offer walk-in vaccinations.
The CDC has more information on finding vaccine providers and scheduling appointments.
Updated 9/28/2022
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