Omicron is basically the same, but has a few key differences from Delta, and the previous variants. Here are the 3 key ways it’s different:

• It looks like omicron spreads from person to person more easily. Even when you don’t have symptoms.

• For Delta, it takes about 5 days after exposure before you get symptoms. For Omicron, it’s about 3 days.

• The good news: it looks like Omicron is less severe than Delta. BUT that’s true mostly for boosted people. AND even if it’s less severe, if more (mostly unvaccinated) people end up in the hospital, that could still overwhelm the healthcare system.

Good news here! They’ve been looking into this in a few studies, and it looks like it might temporarily affect the one cycle when you get the vaccine, and then you’ll be back to normal.

We can understand why it might be concerning! We really like this example that explains how they made this vaccine. Our big takeaway was that it’s not that different from past vaccines, and they’ve been looking at mRNA vaccines for a looong time.

That’s understandable - some people have mild side effects. Side effects might include: fever, headache, fatigue, and pain in your arm where you got the vaccine, but these go away after a few days!

You might have a few more intense side effects after the second shot. These side effects are normal signs that the body is building protection.

That’s a fair concern since we are just experiencing COVID-19 now and we can’t predict the future. However, we do know what the side effects are now, and severe side effects have been very, very rare in young people.

We do know that there are long-term side effects of a COVID-19 infection, even if you have no symptoms when you were sick. The risks of long COVID are greater than the risk of side effects from the vaccine.

We’ve also been studying this type of vaccine for a long time, about 20 years.

The bottom line: it is SAFE to get the vaccine while pregnant or breastfeeding, or thinking about having children. In fact, the vaccine protects moms from getting COVID-19, and mothers may also pass on some protection against the virus to their newborns.

We totally get why people are concerned, since they initially didn’t include pregnant women in the trials. But there have been new trials that did include pregnant women, and a bunch of studies specifically checked the risk of miscarriage in women who received the vaccine versus those who didn’t get the vaccine. Put simply, they found that the vaccine had no effect on rates of miscarriage.

We get why you might be worried about that, but turns out - it definitely won’t! We found this funny video that explains how the vaccine works in a super simple way.

Bottom line: it won’t change your DNA, just helps you create protection in case you get Covid.

• Here are the symptoms: some people develop a variety of mid- and long-term effects including fatigue, breathlessness, and lack of mental focus and clarity.

• People who are vaccinated are less likely to get COVID-19, and therefore, less likely to get long-covid.

• The research behind all this is ongoing, and we’ll continue to learn more! Here’s where we're looking for information, we like their Q&A.

• Bottom line: It’s free, and you don’t need insurance!

• They might ask you for your insurance, but if you don’t have it, you can still get a free vaccine. If you do have insurance, the vaccine won’t cost you anything.

• Right now the most important thing is to keep everyone safe so that could be one reason that you don't need insurance to get the vaccine. If you are in college or in school, you can probably get the vaccine on campus! It should be totally free.

The vaccine helps keep everyone safe. Even if you are healthy, it protects others around you from getting infected too. It’s free, safe, and very effective!

• Many employers are supportive of employees getting vaccinated. See if you can talk to your manager or boss about getting vaccinated and any time off that you might need. Some places have cash incentives for getting vaccinated to cover your time off if you have to take it unpaid.

• Many pharmacies also offer vaccinations late in the evening, you can try using vaccines.gov to find a location near you!

• If you get COVID-19 you might have to take at least 5-10 days off work - more than the time off from getting the vaccine.

• Anyone can get a free vaccine regardless of their immigration status. You can get a vaccine even if you are not legally in the US. Your info will not be tracked. They are not supposed to ask for your status at vaccine clinics, and even if they do, just keep saying you want your vaccine. Learn more about your rights here in English, here in Spanish, and here in Haitian Creole.

• The Department of Homeland Security promised that everyone will have equal access to COVID-19 vaccine sites. DHS said, “U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) will not conduct enforcement operations at or near vaccine distribution sites or clinics.”

• Good thing we don’t do everything our friends do ;)

• We’d encourage you to consider why your friends are choosing not to get vaccinated, and do your own research - which is probably what you’re doing on this website!

• COVID affects people differently! And you never know how your body will react - even if you’re perfectly healthy. Some people have mild effects from COVID while others spend weeks in ICUs. Vaccines prevent you from getting seriously ill if you do get COVID-19.

• On the other hand, side effects of the vaccine are mostly mild. To be honest getting the vaccine is up to you but we do have a good preventative measure.

• Also, getting the vaccine is actually a way for you to keep others safe. Vaccinated people are less likely to be asymptomatic carriers.

It can be hard to bring it up out of the blue, so we’ve created a few things you can share. You might try sharing the videos or social media sparks with them, or even the information on this website about the vaccine!

• Yeah, it can be hard to go against your family. But if you are older than 18, your parents can't control your medical records so you should have the freedom to be able to get it without their legal consent.

• If you’re under 18, this website and some of the information you find here might be a good thing to share with your parents.

• Either way, it’s hard to go against your parents' wishes, and we can empathize that you’re in a tough spot.

Honestly, that’s fair. Governments have done some pretty shady/scary things in the past. BUTTT, these vaccines have been developed by medical experts in service to the public. Scientists all over the world were working together to develop the vaccine. Governments are there to distribute and provide resources - as a support. Vaccines are there if you choose to use them. The option and choice is ultimately yours.

Well initially, they didn’t have incentives, and people were scrambling to get the vaccine. Remember the loooong lines, and sold out appointments? Now that there are extra vaccines, people are offering incentives to make it easier to get vaccinated! For example, if you need to take time off work, the incentive might make it easier to do that.

That’s a super valid concern. Unfortunately, our government doesn’t have a great track record, but in this case, human rights groups, advocacy groups, and governments are on the same page that this vaccine is good for everyone!

We get that, but we have to do things for the greater good and to protect ourselves all the time! At school you have to do what you’re told to do in class, at work you have to do tasks. And there are often consequences for ourselves or others if we don’t. In fact, you probably had to get a few vaccines to be able to go to school or travel!

Definitely God is protecting us but we hope They would want us also to take precautions to protect ourselves too - like stopping at the stop light or wearing a seatbelt or eating healthy foods to live longer lives. And when we protect ourselves, we protect others too, like the wonderful grandmas who we may pass on the street or in our homes.