|
|
More information
- For information on vaccinations, please consult Vaccination - Coronavirus - Official information - Luxembourg (public.lu)
- Our COVID-19 Vaccination series gathers and presents the insights, comments and viewpoints from experts of the University of Luxembourg.
Frequently asked questions
Last update: 14 March 2022
How do vaccines work? |
The purpose of a vaccine is to help develop immunity to an infectious agent by stimulating the immune system to produce antibodies, thus protecting against future infections. |
Why should I get vaccinated even if I am not part of the vulnerable or elderly population? |
Given the current epidemiological situation, it is important to primarily ensure a protection for those who are most at risk. This includes people over 65 years of age or those who are vulnerable, particularly because of an underlying disease that increases the risk of complications or death. People at high risk to develop a severe course can be found in all age groups due the individual health condition. However, also people not belonging to these categories can transmit the virus once they are infected, even if they might not show any or only light symptoms. The vaccination is expected to reduce the transmission of the virus and thus is an act of solidarity: When you get vaccinated, you can also help to protect everybody around you. |
I had a COVID-19 infection in the past and recovered. Do I still need to get vaccinated? |
Yes. At the current state, there is no data available for how long someone is protected from getting COVID-19 again after infection. Early evidence suggests that natural immunity from COVID-19 may last for around 5 months, but more studies are needed to better understand this. Therefore, it is highly recommended to get vaccinated even if you have had COVID-19 in the past. Also, there have been no reports of safety problems associated with vaccinating individuals with a history of COVID-19 infection, or with detectable COVID-19 antibodies. |
All COVID-19 vaccines are being developed following the same legal requirements as other types of drugs. Like for all medications, effects of COVID-19 vaccines are first tested in laboratories (cells and animal models), then, in a later phase, they are tested in human volunteers. There are several stages of human testing which are referred to as phases of clinical trials. At each stage, they have to pass many tests to enter into the next phase until they finally can get approved by the European Medicine Agency: Pre-clinical testing: Clinical testing - Phase 1: Clinical testing - Phase 2: Clinical testing - Phase 3: Clinical testing - Phase 4: |
Here are 5 reasons why you should get vaccinated
- To return to a lifestyle as before the pandemic as soon as possible
- To prevent the vast majority of people from catching the disease
- To help keep as many people healthy as possible
- To help reduce the social and psychosocial burden of disease on people
- To help reduce the burden on the health system and free their resources
You can find more information on how vaccines and other medicines are evaluated and authorised in the EU as well as news on newly developed vaccines on the website of the EMA.