The vaccine is one of the most powerful tools we have to save lives, stop the spread of the virus, and end the pandemic. Research shows that the vaccine is very effective in protecting people from getting COVID-19. The vaccine can also protect you from getting seriously ill even if you do get COVID-19.
All three vaccines currently available in the U.S. –Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson – have similarly high rates of success in preventing severe illness and death from COVID-19.
Real World Impact
Evidence shows that the vaccine is extremely effective in saving lives and reducing serious illness from COVID-19. Fully vaccinated people can resume many everyday activities that are not safe for unvaccinated people. Broader COVID-19 restrictions can be lifted once enough of the population has been vaccinated to stop the spread of the virus and end the pandemic.
Efficacy and Effectiveness
Vaccine “efficacy” refers to how well a vaccine prevents illness in the controlled setting of clinical trials. Outside the laboratory, researchers continue to monitor and study vaccine “effectiveness,” which measures how well the vaccine works in less predictable real world environments. The efficacy and effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccines are impressive, with strong evidence that they protect against infection and prevent serious illness and death from the virus.
New COVID Variants
So far there is strong evidence that existing vaccines provide some protection against emerging variants of the COVID-19 virus. Vaccinating as many people as possible as quickly as possible will help limit the spread and emergence of new variants. Vaccine developers are also working on various ways to extend the resilience of the existing vaccines against new variants.