Don’t hesitate, dive into data for COVID-19 vaccine

The news about COVID-19 vaccines being approved, distributed and administered so quickly is causing concern for some people — what is often referred to as vaccine hesitancy.

"We have always struggled with vaccine hesitancy and a sense of uncertainty," says Dr. Robert Jacobson, a Mayo Clinic pediatric infectious diseases expert and director of Mayo Clinic's Primary Care Immunization program. "But what we have available through this emergency use authorization is worth taking now. I would not delay doing what I could to protect my patients and myself."

In this Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, Dr. Jacobson dives into the data, detailing how the randomized controlled trials worked. He also answers questions about COVID-19 vaccines for children and pregnant women, explains why the vaccine doesn't change your genetic makeup and much more.

To practice safe social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic, this interview was conducted using video conferencing. The sound and video quality are representative of the technology used. For the safety of its patients, staff and visitors, Mayo Clinic has strict masking policies in place. Anyone shown without a mask was recorded prior to COVID-19 or recorded in an area not designated for patient care, where social distancing and other safety protocols were followed.

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Information in this post was accurate at the time of its posting. Due to the fluid nature of the COVID-19 pandemic, scientific understanding, along with guidelines and recommendations, may have changed since the original publication date.

For more information and all your COVID-19 coverage, go to the Mayo Clinic News Network and mayoclinic.org.

Dr. Poland has served as a consultant for Merck & Co. Inc., Medicago Inc., GlaxoSmithKline plc, Sanofi Pasteur, Emergent BioSolutions Inc., Dynavax Technologies Corp., Genentech Inc., Eli Lilly and Co., Kentucky BioProcessing Inc. and Genevant Sciences Corp., and Janssen Pharmaceuticals Inc. He is a paid scientific adviser for Johnson & Johnson. Honoraria: Elsevier.