Understanding How COVID-19 Vaccines Work

Ask Dr. Jill

Since the emergency approval and of the Coronavirus Vaccines, there has been a barrage of information everywhere. In this episode, Dr. Waggoner discusses how these vaccines work and how they protect us from getting ill with COVID-19.

She discusses the ways COVID-19 vaccines help our bodies develop immunity to the virus that causes COVID-19 without us having to get the illness.

There is a discussion of how the different types of vaccines work in different ways to offer protection, but with all types of vaccines, the body is left with a supply of “memory” T-lymphocytes as well as B-lymphocytes that will remember how to fight that virus in the future.

Dr. Jill explains that It typically takes a few weeks for the body to produce T-lymphocytes and B-lymphocytes after vaccination. Therefore, it is possible that a person could be infected with the virus that causes COVID-19 just before or just after vaccination and then get sick because the vaccine did not have enough time to provide protection.

It is also important to know that sometimes after vaccination, the process of building immunity can cause symptoms, such as fever. These symptoms are normal and are a sign that the body is building immunity.

Dr. Jill Waggoner is a residency trained, board certified Family Practice Physician with nearly three decades of experience. She is located in the Dallas Fort Worth Metroplex holds a Medical Degree and a Master's Degree from the University of Oklahoma. She has certifications in both Preventive Medicine and Wellness Coordination from the prestigious Cooper Institute.

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Dr. Jill’s Website