Six Months In
It’s Okay to Have Questions About a Covid-19 Vaccine. Here’s What to Ask.
The approval process, interpreting clinical trial results, and how to be confident in your choice to get the vaccine
This story is part of “Six Months In,” a special weeklong Elemental series reflecting on where we’ve been, what we’ve learned, and what the future holds for the Covid-19 pandemic.
Depending on whom you ask, anywhere from half to 70% of Americans plan to get the Covid-19 vaccine when it’s available. But that means a lot of folks likely have questions before they’ll decide to line up for it. It’s entirely reasonable for people to be skeptical about a new vaccine. In fact, concern about a potential Covid-19 vaccine is healthy, particularly given the speed of its development, and is shared by many scientists and public health experts. “We tell people all the time to get involved in your health and ask questions, and then we act surprised when people ask questions about vaccines,” says Holly Witteman, PhD, an associate professor of medicine at Laval University in Quebec City, Canada, who studies vaccine hesitancy. So, what should you be asking? Ahead, recommendations from the experts.
