Got vaccinated? Here’s what you should know.

Apr 28, 2021

Nearly 2 crore people have received the COVID-19 vaccine in India so far. And if you are one among them, remember that even though the vaccines are found to be effective we are still unsure if these vaccines provide partial or complete immunity against COVID-19. So you will need to take certain safety precautions to keep yourself and your loved ones protected from the virus. And here are some things that you need to know about the vaccine and some precautions you should follow after taking the vaccine.

Covaxin and Covishield

India had approved the emergency authorization of two vaccines against novel coronavirus- Covaxin by Bharath Biotech and Covishield by Serum Institute of India.

According to Bharath Biotech, Covaxin is India’s first indigenous COVID-19 vaccine, developed using Whole-Virion Inactivated Vero Cell. The inactivated viruses are incapable of infecting people but are capable of instructing the immune system about building a defensive reaction against the infection.

Whereas Covishield uses a version of chimpanzee common cold virus (ChAdOx1), that is modified to enable it to carry the COVID-19 spike protein into the cells ofhumans.This helps in generating an immune response against the virus. And in terms of dosage, both the vaccines follow a two-dose regimen. However, both these vaccines appear to be safe as they show no adverse effect on anyone. But according to experts, some mild side effects or illness are the signs of immune response and this should not be a reason to worry about.

What to do after getting vaccinated?

A receiver of the COVID-19 vaccine is usually monitored at the vaccine center for some time, to make sure that there is no allergic reaction to the vaccine. However, it takes a few weeks after vaccination for the body to build up immunity against the virus. So here are the dos and don’ts that you must follow after taking the vaccination:

Avoid social gatherings

The vaccination takes around ten to fourteen days to build immunity in your body and so when you meet unvaccinated people soon after getting vaccinated, there are chances that you might get infected.

Wear a mask

Though your risk of getting infected reduces after vaccination, your sense of responsibility should not reduce. You should continue to follow safety protocols like; wearing a mask, maintaining social distancing, and more.

Take the antibody test

COVID Antibody tests like the COVID Spike Protein test helps to check the level of antibodies in your body, post-vaccination. Especially people who belong to higher-risk categories, such as elderlies, diabetics, and others who are more prone to poor immunity are advised to take this test to check if the vaccine is working well for them or not.

Travel only during emergencies

Domestic and international traveling can put you at risk for COVID virus exposure and so it is advised to travel only during emergency situations while taking extreme safety precautions.