COVID-19 Vaccines: Evidence-Based Answers to the 5 Most Commonly Asked Questions .

A closer look at current evidence shows that COVID-19 vaccines remain safe and well tolerated, even as long-term safety continues to be monitored. People who’ve already had COVID-19 aren’t fully protected from future infections, and vaccination still offers meaningful benefits for them. Fully vaccinated individuals also face lower risks of infection and severe outcomes compared to those unvaccinated or partially vaccinated. What remains uncertain is how long vaccine-induced protection lasts, which is why questions about booster timing are still open. And regardless of vaccine status, relaxing masks or other public-health measures too early—before enough immunity exists in the population—can drive sharp increases in cases, hospitalizations, and deaths.