COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) is an illness caused by a virus. This virus is a coronavirus called SARS-CoV-2. Most people with COVID-19 have mild symptoms, but some people become very sick. You can protect yourself by getting a COVID-19 vaccine. The vaccines might help keep you from getting sick from COVID-19. And if you do get sick, the vaccines can reduce your risk for:
- Needing to go to urgent care or the emergency room
- Getting severe illness
- Being hospitalized
- Dying
- Getting long COVID
It’s important to stay up to date with the COVID-19 vaccines. Contact your health care provider if you don’t know when you need another vaccine or if you have other questions about the vaccines.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Source: MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine. Health topic summary reproduced with attribution.
