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COVID-19 Vaccines

Updated 29 November 2021

English version last updated on 29 November 2021 - This page answers the most frequently asked questions about COVID-19 vaccine safety. If the information you are looking for is not here, check out our related links on the right-hand side of the page.

What vaccines are there against COVID-19?

There are several COVID-19 vaccines validated for use by WHO (given Emergency Use Listing). The first mass vaccination programme started in early December 2020 and the number of vaccination doses administered is updated on a daily basis on the COVID-19 dashboard.

The WHO Emergency Use Listing process determines whether a product can be recommended for use based on all the available data on safety and efficacy and on its suitability in low- and middle-income countries. Vaccines are assessed to ensure they meet acceptable standards of quality, safety and efficacy using clinical trial data, manufacturing and quality control processes. The assessment weighs the threat posed by the emergency as well as the benefit that would accrue from the use of the product against any potential risks.

In line with their national regulations and legislation, countries have the autonomy to issue emergency use authorizations for any health product.  Domestic emergency use authorizations are issued at the discretion of countries and not subject to WHO approval.

As of 26 November 2021, the following vaccines have obtained EUL:

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What are the benefits of getting vaccinated?

Getting vaccinated could save your life. COVID-19 vaccines provide strong protection against serious illness, hospitalization and death. There is also some evidence that being vaccinated will make it less likely that you will pass the virus on to others, which means your decision to get the vaccine also protects those around you.

Even after getting vaccinated, keep taking precautions to protect yourself, family, friends and anyone else you may come into contact with. COVID-19 vaccines are highly effective, but some people will still get ill from COVID-19 after vaccination. There is also still a chance that you could also pass the virus on to others who are not vaccinated. Stay at least 1 metre away from other people, wear a properly fitted mask over your nose and mouth when you can’t keep this distance, avoid poorly ventilated places and settings, clean your hands frequently, stay home if unwell and get tested, and stay informed about how much virus is circulating in the areas where you travel, live and work. 

Who should get vaccinated against COVID-19?

WHO recommends that while vaccine supply is limited, the people at highest risk of COVID-19 are vaccinated first. This includes people who are more likely to get severe disease if they are infected (older persons and people with existing health conditions) and people who are more likely to be exposed to the virus (such as health workers). People who are pregnant have a higher risk of serious illness and preterm birth if they are infected with COVID-19, so WHO recommends that they are also prioritized for vaccination, once the first priority groups have been vaccinated.

If you live in a country where vaccines are available to more people beyond these priority groups, get vaccinated as soon as it is your turn.

WHO-authorized COVID-19 vaccines are safe for most people of 18 years and older, including those with pre-existing conditions of any kind such as auto-immune disorders. These conditions include hypertension, diabetes, asthma, pulmonary, liver and kidney disease, as well as chronic infections that are stable and controlled.

Both Moderna and Pfizer vaccines are licensed for use in children from 12 years of age.  However, WHO recommends that countries should vaccinate children only when high vaccine coverage with two doses has been achieved in higher priority-use groups, as identified in the WHO Prioritization Roadmap. Adolescents of 12 to 17 years of age with comorbidities that put them at significantly higher risk of serious COVID-19 may be offered vaccination alongside other high risk groups. There are currently no efficacy or safety data for children below the age of 12 years. Until such data are available, individuals below 12 years of age should not be routinely vaccinated.

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Who should not be vaccinated against COVID-19?

There are very few conditions that would exclude someone from being vaccinated, but you should NOT be vaccinated if:

  • You have a history of severe allergic reactions/anaphylaxis to any of the ingredients of the COVID-19 vaccine, in order to avoid possible adverse effects.
  • You have a fever over 38.5ºC on the day of your vaccine appointment. Postpone until you have recovered.
  • You currently have confirmed or suspected COVID-19. Wait until you have completed the mandated isolation period and your acute symptoms have passed to get vaccinated.

COVID-19 vaccines are safe for people taking blood thinners, but you should let the person giving you the vaccine know about any medication you are taking BEFORE you are given the vaccine.

In addition to the general recommendations above, each vaccine may have specific considerations for specific populations and health conditions. Talk to your doctor for advice about your specific situation. 

Should I be vaccinated if I have had COVID-19?

Yes. Even if you have already had COVID-19, you should be vaccinated. The protection that someone gains from having COVID-19 will vary greatly from person to person. The immunity people get from being vaccinated after having a natural infection is consistently very strong. Getting vaccinated even if you have had COVID-19 means you are more likely to be protected for longer.

There is currently no evidence to determine the optimal time that you should wait to be vaccinated after having COVID-19. Persons with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 infection can consider delaying vaccination for 6 months based on the fact that natural infection leads to some protection against infection. Ask your health worker for advice.  

Which COVID-19 vaccine should I get?

All vaccines with WHO Emergency Use Listing are highly effective at preventing serious illness, hospitalization and death due to COVID-19. You should accept the vaccine you are offered first and get vaccinated as soon as it is your turn to reduce your risk.

Do not delay getting vaccinated, unless advised to by your health care provider, as this could put you at risk of COVID-19. Getting vaccinated could save your life.

In April 2020, WHO published the minimum criteria for how effective COVID-19 vaccines should be to make them useful for fighting COVID-19. All current vaccines authorized by WHO meet these criteria. To fully understand how effective different vaccines are, we need more real world data. This will come as more people are vaccinated.

The best COVID-19 vaccine is the one available to you soonest.

Read more on the different types of COVID-19 vaccines. You can also learn about the individual COVID-19 vaccines on our information pages for the different vaccines: AstraZeneca, Covaxin, Sinovac, Sinopharm, Johnson and Johnson (J&J) Janssen, Moderna, Pfizer. 

Will other vaccines help protect me from COVID-19?

Currently, there is no evidence that any other vaccines, apart from those specifically designed for the SARS-Cov-2 virus,  will protect against COVID-19.

However, scientists are studying whether some existing vaccines – such as the Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine, which is used to prevent tuberculosis – are also effective for COVID-19. WHO will evaluate evidence from these studies when available.

How quickly could COVID-19 vaccines stop the pandemic?

COVID-19 vaccines are an important tool to stop the pandemic, but they will not do so on their own. Public health and social measures such as surveillance, contact tracing, isolation and individual protective behaviours such as staying at least 1 metre away from other people, wearing a properly fitted mask over your nose and mouth, avoiding poorly ventilated places and settings, staying home if unwell, covering coughs and sneezes and cleaning your hands frequently remain essential to breaking the chain of transmission.

The impact of COVID-19 vaccines on the pandemic will depend on several factors. These include the effectiveness of the vaccines; how quickly they are approved, manufactured, and delivered; the possible development of other variants, and how many people get vaccinated.

What is the difference between the immunity you develop from getting COVID-19 and immunity from getting a COVID-19 vaccine?

We are still learning about how long immunity to COVID-19 lasts from natural infection, and from vaccination. We are now starting to see evidence that the immunity you get after having COVID-19 can be strong. However, the type of immunity that's developed after infection varies from person to person, making it less predictable than immunity after vaccination. Scientists are working hard to understand this better.

What we do know is that COVID-19 is a life-threatening disease that can have long-term consequences. We also know that the WHO-authorised COVID-19 vaccines have been safely given to billions of people. It is much safer to get vaccinated than it is to risk getting COVID-19. Get vaccinated as soon as it’s your turn and keep doing everything you can to protect yourself and others.

As we learn more about COVID-19 and immunity, WHO continues to update our guidance and recommendations.

Can we stop taking precautions after being vaccinated?

Vaccination protects you from getting seriously ill and dying from COVID-19. For the first fourteen days after getting a vaccination, you do not have significant levels of protection, then it increases gradually. For a single dose vaccine, immunity will generally occur two weeks after vaccination. For two-dose vaccines, both doses are needed to achieve the highest level of immunity possible. 

While a COVID-19 vaccine will protect you from serious illness and death, we are still learning about the extent to which it keeps you from being infected and passing the virus on to others (transmission). The data that is emerging from countries is showing that the vaccines that are currently in use are protecting against severe disease and hospitalization. However, no vaccine is 100% effective and breakthrough infections are regrettable, but to be expected.

The current evidence shows that vaccines provide some protection from infection and transmission, but that protection is less than that for serious illness and death. We are still learning also about the variants of concern and whether the vaccines are as protective against these strains as the non-variant virus.  For these reasons, and while many of those in the community may not yet be vaccinated, maintaining other prevention measures is important especially in communities where SARS CoV-2 circulation is significant. To help keep you and others safe, and while efforts continue to reduce viral transmission and ramp up vaccine coverage, you should continue to maintain at least a 1-metre distance from others, cover a cough or sneeze in your elbow, clean your hands frequently and wear a mask, particularly in enclosed, crowded or poorly ventilated spaces. Always follow guidance from local authorities based on the situation and risk where you live.

Do the COVID-19 vaccines protect against virus variants?

The COVID-19 vaccines with WHO Emergency Use Listing (EUL) provide different levels of protection to infection, mild disease, severe disease, hospitalization and death. Research is ongoing by thousands of scientists around the world to better understand how new virus mutations and variants affect the effectiveness of the different COVID-19 vaccines.

In general, the COVID-19 vaccines are very effective at preventing serious illness, hospitalization and death from all current virus variants. They are less effective at protecting you against infection and mild disease than they were for earlier virus variants; but if you do get ill after being vaccinated, your symptoms are more likely to be mild.

Remember that while the COVID-19 vaccines authorised by WHO are incredibly effective at reducing your risk of developing serious illness and death, no vaccine is 100% effective. A small percentage of people will still get ill from COVID-19 even though they have been vaccinated. Currently there is limited information about the risk of vaccinated people passing the virus to others if they are infected. This makes it very important to continue to practice public health and social measures, even after you have been fully vaccinated.

What types of COVID-19 vaccines are there? How do they work?

Scientists around the world are continuing to develop many potential vaccines for COVID-19. These vaccines are all designed to teach the body’s immune system to safely recognize and block the virus that causes COVID-19.

Several different types of potential vaccines for COVID-19 have been developed, including:

  • Inactivated or weakened virus vaccines, which use a form of the virus that has been inactivated or weakened so it doesn’t cause disease but still generates an immune response.
  • Protein-based vaccines, which use harmless fragments of proteins or protein shells that mimic the COVID-19 virus to safely generate an immune response.
  • Viral vector vaccines, which use a safe virus that cannot cause disease but serves as a platform to produce coronavirus proteins to generate an immune response.
  • RNA and DNA vaccines, a cutting-edge approach that uses genetically engineered RNA or DNA to generate a protein that itself safely prompts an immune response.

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Can I have the second or third dose with a different vaccine than the first dose?

If you can, get your second or third dose with the same vaccine you received for your first dose.

There isn’t enough data yet on all COVID-19 vaccines to know whether they can be mix-and-matched. More research is being done to understand this better to inform future recommendations.

In situations where a second dose of AstraZeneca is not available, WHO's Strategic Advisory Group of Experts (SAGE) has stated that a second dose of Pfizer or Moderna can be used. There is some evidence that people who receive one dose of AstraZeneca followed by a dose of Pfizer or Moderna have a higher likelihood of mild side effects.

People over 60 who have received two doses of Sinovac and Sinopharm can also be given a third dose to help boost their immunity, once a high level of coverage has been achieved of the priority groups. SAGE has stated that Pfizer or AstraZeneca can also be used for the third dose, if the original vaccine is not available.

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What are the side effects of COVID-19 vaccines?

Like with any vaccine, some people will experience mild to moderate side effects after being vaccinated against COVID-19. This is a normal sign that the body is developing protection. Side effects to COVID-19 vaccines include a fever, tiredness, headache, muscle ache, chills, diarrhoea and pain or redness at the injection site. Not everyone will experience side effects. Most side effects go away within a few days on their own. You can manage any side effects with rest, plenty of non-alcoholic liquids and taking medication to manage pain and fever, if needed.

If you are worried that the side effects that you are experiencing are unusual, if the pain in the arm where you got the injection gets worse after 24 hours or your side effects don’t go away in a few days, contact your healthcare provider for advice.

More serious or long-lasting side effects to COVID-19 vaccines are possible but extremely rare. If you experience difficulty breathing, chest pain, confusion, loss of speech or mobility after your vaccine, contact your healthcare provider immediately. Vaccines are continually monitored for as long as they are in use to detect and respond to rare adverse events.

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Does having side effects mean that the vaccine is working? What does having no side effects mean?

The vaccine stimulates your immune system to protect you from the virus. This process can sometimes cause side effects like fever, chills or headache, but not everyone will experiences any side effect. The presence or magnitude of the reaction you may have vaccination does not predict or reflect your immune response to the vaccine.

You do not have to have side effects in order to be protected.

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What should I do if I think my side effects are unusual?

If you are worried about your side effects, contact your healthcare provider and let them know about your recent vaccination. 

Is there a link between COVID-19 vaccines and allergic reactions?

In very rare cases, some people may experience an allergic reaction after being vaccinated against COVID-19. A severe allergic reaction – such as anaphylaxis – is a very rare side effect of any vaccine.

If you have a history of allergic reactions, talk to your healthcare provider before you get vaccinated. They will be able to give you advice. In some cases, precautions will need to be taken for people who have known allergies to previous doses of the vaccine or known components of the vaccine.

Healthcare workers administering COVID-19 vaccines should be trained to recognise and treat serious allergic reactions. This is why people being vaccinated against COVID-19 will be asked to stay at the vaccination site for a period of time following their injection, to ensure that anyone experiencing an allergic reaction can receive prompt treatment.

Reports of adverse events following COVID-19 vaccination (including allergic reactions) are closely monitored by national authorities and international bodies, including WHO for the early detection of serious side effects. 

What happens if a serious adverse event is reported after vaccination?

As with any vaccine, it is essential to closely monitor the safety and effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines that are used in immunization programmes. If a serious health problem is reported following vaccination, a thorough investigation should take place by the public health programme in the country.

It is rare to find that health problems occurring following receipt of a vaccine are actually caused by the vaccine itself. Health problems following vaccination are most often found to be coincidental and entirely unrelated to vaccination. Sometimes they are related to how the vaccine has been stored, transported, or administered. Errors related to the delivery of the vaccine can be prevented by better training health workers and strengthening supply chains.

The results of the investigation will then inform next steps. The safety of COVID-19 vaccines is the top priority of the World Health Organization.

Find out more about how the safety of vaccines is monitored.

Can I still get COVID-19 after I have been vaccinated?

Yes. The maximum level of protection from COVID-19 vaccines is not reached until several weeks after full vaccination. If you have a two-dose vaccine, this means that you don’t get full immunity until 2 – 4 weeks after the second dose. You can still become infected and ill during this time.

While COVID-19 vaccines are highly effective against serious illness, hospitalisation and death, no vaccine is 100% effective. As a result, a number of vaccinated people will get infected and may fall ill with COVID-19 in spite of being fully vaccinated. This is known as a ‘breakthrough infection’ or ‘breakthrough case’. With more infectious virus variants such as Delta, we are seeing more breakthrough infections and cases.

Breakthrough infections can happen with every vaccine, and do not mean that the vaccine does not work. According to data from the US CDC, unvaccinated people are at 11 times the risk of death from COVID-19 than vaccinated people. People who get COVID-19 after being vaccinated are much more likely to only experience mild symptoms; efficacy against serious illness and death remains high. Get vaccinated, as soon as it’s your turn.

Even once you are fully vaccinated, continue to practice the same prevention measures to protect yourself. Stay at least 1 metre away from other people, wear a well fitted mask over your nose and mouth when you can’t keep this distance, avoid poorly ventilated places and settings, clean your hands frequently, stay home if unwell and get tested and stay informed about how much virus is circulating in the areas where you travel, live and work.

Should we eat or drink differently the day or two after getting vaccinated?

The effectiveness of the vaccine is not dependent on any food or drink before or after taking the vaccine.

Does being vaccinated stop me from infecting other people with COVID-19?

There is some evidence that being fully vaccinated can prevent infection with the COVID-19 virus. This means that being vaccinated is likely to help protect people around you by making it less likely that you will pick up the virus and pass it on.

Research is ongoing to understand the extent to which being vaccinated stops you from becoming infected and passing the virus on to others. More data is needed to know the extent of this protection. There is still a chance you could pass the virus on.  

Even once you are fully vaccinated, continue to practice the same prevention measures to protect other people. Stay at least 1 metre away from other people, wear a properly fitted mask over your nose and mouth when you can’t keep this distance, avoid poorly ventilated places and settings, clean your hands frequently, stay home if unwell and get tested, and stay informed about how much virus is circulating in the areas where you travel, live and work. 

Can I stop taking precautions after being vaccinated?

No. Even after getting vaccinated, keep taking precautions to protect yourself, family and friends if there is still COVID-19 in your area.

The maximum level of protection is not reached until several weeks after full vaccination. If you have a two-dose vaccine, this means that you don’t get full immunity until 2–4 weeks after the second dose.

COVID-19 vaccines are highly effective, but a small percentage of people will still get ill from COVID-19 after vaccination (this is known as a breakthrough infection). There is also still a chance that you could pass the virus on to others who are not vaccinated. Some people have not been vaccinated against COVID-19, cannot be vaccinated, or do not develop full immunity in response to COVID-19 vaccines because of having a weakened immune system. Continue to practice all protective behaviours to protect yourself and others.

Even once you are fully vaccinated, stay at least 1 metre away from other people, wear a properly fitted mask over your nose and mouth when you can’t keep this distance, avoid poorly ventilated places and settings, clean your hands frequently, stay home if unwell and get tested, stay informed about how much virus is circulating in the areas where you travel, live and work, and get vaccinated as soon as it is your turn. 

How long does protection from COVID-19 vaccines last?

We still don’t know exactly how long protection from COVID-19 vaccines lasts, but current data indicates that most people have strong protection against serious illness and death for at least 6 months.

Immunity may reduce faster in people who are older or who have underlying medical conditions, or who have a high level of exposure to the virus. To protect yourself, get vaccinated AND continue practicing the other protective behaviours against COVID-19.

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Who needs an additional dose of COVID-19 vaccines?

People with compromised immune systems don’t always develop maximum immunity against COVID-19 after one or two doses, so may need an additional dose to protect them. WHO recommends that people who are moderately or severely immunocompromised should be offered an additional dose of COVID-19 vaccine.

For Sinovac and Sinopharm, WHO recommends that countries should consider offering a third dose of the vaccine to the vaccination schedule for those aged 60 and over as an extension of the primary series, once a high level of coverage of first and second doses has been achieved in the priority groups.

An additional dose is different from a booster dose. It is considered part of an extended primary series for people who do not develop sufficient protection after one or two doses. It is intended to help these individuals to develop better protection against COVID-19. 

Do I need a booster dose of COVID-19 vaccine?

A booster dose is an additional dose of vaccine administered to a vaccinated population that has completed a primary vaccination series (currently one, two or three doses of COVID-19 vaccine depending on the vaccine and the population group) when, with time, the immunity and clinical protection has fallen below a rate deemed sufficient in that population.

The current primary goal of immunization in the COVID-19 pandemic remains to protect people against hospitalization, severe disease and death. Hence, booster doses may only be needed if there is evidence of insufficient protection against these disease outcomes over time. More data are needed to understand how the protection we get from vaccines changes over time. It is likely that this will be different for different vaccines, populations, virus variants circulating in an area and how likely a person is to be exposed to the virus.

At present, there is not enough supply of COVID-19 vaccines to vaccinate all high priority groups against COVID-19. Reaching those most at risk with the primary vaccination series should be prioritised over giving people who have already been vaccinated booster vaccines. WHO is not recommending booster doses at this time. When more data are available, WHO will update its policies based on the evidence. 

Can the COVID-19 vaccine cause a positive test result for the disease, such as for a PCR or antigen test?

No, the COVID-19 vaccine will not cause a positive test result for a COVID-19 PCR or antigen laboratory test. This is because the tests check for active disease and not whether an individual is immune. However, because the COVID-19 vaccine prompts an immune response, it may be possible to test positive in an antibody (serology) test that measures COVID-19 immunity in an individual.

Once I have been vaccinated, can I safely travel internationally?

You should follow national advice and the advice of the countries you are travelling to and from.  Some countries are allowing fully vaccinated people to avoid quarantine and testing on arrival. This is because these individuals are at a lower risk of COVID-19 and are less likely to get infected and pass the virus to others. But even once you are fully vaccinated, continue to practice the same prevention measures – no vaccine is 100% effective, and doing it all helps protect yourself and others. Stay at least 1 metre away from other people, wear a properly fitted mask over your nose and mouth when you can’t keep this distance, avoid poorly ventilated places and settings, clean your hands frequently, stay home if unwell and get tested, and stay informed about how much virus is circulating in the areas where you travel, live and work.

WHO does not support using proof of vaccination as a requirement for international travel. This would not be fair, given that there are not enough vaccines for everyone, and that some countries have more access to vaccines than others. 

Is it safe for me to take antibiotics after the vaccine?

There is no known influence or interaction between antibiotics and COVID-19 vaccines. If you are prescribed antibiotics by a health professional before or after your vaccination, you should go ahead and take the full course. However, if you have a temperature over 38.5 ºC at the time of your vaccination appointment, you should reschedule for when you feel better.

Is it safe to drink alcohol after getting a COVID-19 vaccine?

There is no evidence that the safety or effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines is affected by anything you eat or drink before or after getting vaccinated, including alcohol. However, drinking alcohol can add to the normal mild to moderate side effects that you might experience after vaccination, such as a headache and tiredness. Because of this, it is advisable to avoid drinking until any side effects following vaccination have passed. Learn more about the side effects of COVID-19 vaccines.

While COVID-19 vaccines are highly effective at preventing serious illness and death, there is still a chance you could be infected after being vaccinated. Continue to protect yourself and others by continuing to practice physical distancing, wear a well-fitted mask over your nose and mouth, clean your hands frequently, stay home if you feel unwell, cover coughs and sneezes and keep indoor spaces well ventilated. Drinking alcohol may make you less vigilant in practicing these behaviours and so can put you and others at risk.

Please keep in mind that drinking alcohol can increase your risk of other health problems.

Can children and adolescents get vaccinated against COVID-19?

Both Moderna and Pfizer vaccines are licensed for use in children from 12 years of age.  However, WHO recommends that countries should vaccinate children only when high vaccine coverage with two doses has been achieved in higher priority-use groups, as identified in the WHO Prioritization Roadmap. Adolescents 12 to 17 years of age with comorbidities that put them at significantly higher risk of serious COVID-19 may be offered vaccination alongside other high risk groups.

There are currently no efficacy or safety data for children below the age of 12 years. Until such data are available, individuals below 12 years of age should not be routinely vaccinated. Vaccine trials for children and adolescents and other COVID-19 vaccines are ongoing and WHO will update its recommendations when the evidence or epidemiological situation justifies a change in policy.

Vaccines are usually tested in adults first and only later assessed in children when safety has been proven in adults. COVID-19 has also been a more serious and dangerous disease among older people. Now that the vaccines have been determined to be safe for adults, they are being studied in children.

While the supply of vaccines is limited, the ongoing priority is to vaccinate those most at risk of serious illness who still have not been vaccinated in many parts of the world: older people, those with chronic health conditions and health workers.

Most children are at low risk of serious disease and vaccinating them would be primarily about reducing transmission, which can also be achieved through public health measures including staying at least 1 metre away from other people, wearing a properly fitted mask over the nose and mouth when you can’t keep this distance (where appropriate for children), avoiding poorly ventilated places and settings, cleaning hands frequently, staying home if unwell and get tested, and staying informed about how much virus is circulating in the areas where you travel, live and go to school.  

Can I get vaccinated against COVID-19 if I am pregnant?

Yes, you can get vaccinated if you are pregnant. During pregnancy, you are at higher risk of serious illness caused by COVID-19. You are also at higher risk of delivering your baby prematurely if you contract COVID-19. While there is less data available on vaccination of pregnant people, evidence on the safety of COVID-19 vaccines during pregnancy has been growing, and no safety concerns have been identified. Especially in countries with high transmission, or if you have an occupation where you are at more risk of being exposed to COVID-19, the benefits of getting the vaccine outweigh potential risks. There is no risk of getting COVID-19 from the vaccine. Talk to your healthcare provider to make an informed decision about vaccination.

Should I get vaccinated if I want to have a baby in the future?

Yes, you should get vaccinated if you are planning to get pregnant. There is no current evidence that suggests the COVID-19 vaccines interfere with fertility. There is currently no biological evidence that antibodies from COVID-19 vaccination or vaccine ingredients could cause any problems with reproductive organs. Getting vaccinated is the best thing you can do to protect yourself and the future health of your baby. 

Should I get vaccinated against COVID-19 if I am breastfeeding?

If you are breastfeeding, you should get vaccinated against COVID-19 as soon as it is your turn. None of the current COVID-19 vaccines have live virus in them. This means there is no risk of you transmitting COVID-19 to your baby through your breastmilk from the vaccine.  In fact, the antibodies you get after vaccination may go through your breast milk and help to protect your baby. 

Is it safe to get vaccinated if I am menstruating?

You should get vaccinated if you are menstruating. If you have your period on the day of your vaccination appointment, you can go ahead and get vaccinated. Menstruation isn’t a medical reason to not get the COVID-19 vaccine. If you have concerns or questions about your periods, do not hesitate to speak with your health care provider.

Could getting vaccinated against COVID-19 disrupt my menstrual cycle?

There have been some reports of people experiencing disruption to their menstrual cycle after being vaccinated against COVID-19. There is not yet enough data available to know whether there is a connection between the vaccines and this disruption. Several large studies researching the impact of vaccines on menstrual cycles are ongoing. WHO will continue to monitor any new evidence regarding menstrual cycles. Information regarding these studies can be found here and here. 

If you have concerns or questions about your periods, do not hesitate to speak with a health care provider.

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