Vaccines — including COVID-19 vaccines — work to protect the people who get the vaccine, as well as the people around them.
Vaccines help our bodies fight infections faster and more effectively. A vaccine is a substance that teaches your body to recognize and get rid of viruses or bacteria by triggering a response from your immune system. Vaccines help your body stand ready to protect you from getting sick if you run into the virus or bacteria in the future, even if you’ve already had COVID-19.