A doctor's answers to citizens'questions about Covid-19 vaccination Vaccine and side effects Are some people discouraged from being vaccinated due to the risk of side effects? We do not discourage anyone from taking the vaccine due to side effects. We only discourage people from taking the vaccine if they earlier have had an allergic reaction to the COVID vaccine. That is, if a person got the first shot and had a serious allergic reaction to it. In that case, we will not give them the second vaccine shot. Are some individuals more susceptible to allergic reactions, and discouraged from being vaccinated? No one is automatically discouraged from taking the vaccine unless they have had an allergic reaction to the first shot. So, we don?t see any individuals as being more at risk for developing an allergy than others If someone has allergies for other things, do you advise them to take the vaccine? We advise everyone to take the vaccine, even if they have allergies. The ingredients in the corona vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna are not the same as some of the other vaccines or the same as other things you can be allergic to. These are relatively new vaccines, so we don?t know the patterns of allergies to them. Should we be more worried about the long-term side effects of the COVID-19 vaccine than with other vaccines? No, there is no basis to claim that we should be more cautious with the COVID-19 vaccine than other vaccines at this point. We do not believe it is necessary to be worried for which side effects will appear, any more than we would with any other vaccine. We have heard that the vaccine can reduce men?s seed quality and womens? ability to reproduce. Is that true? No, I don?t think there is any substance in that claim. I haven?t been able to find anything in the literature that would indicate that reproductive ability for men or women is changed. So, I think it is a myth that someone created and it has been carried on through storytelling. Vaccine, medicine and illness What should I be especially aware of before I get my vaccination with regard to sickness and medicine? There are no special warnings in relation to the medicine you are already taking. But with some of the medicine we have in hospitals, for example chemotherapy for treatment of cancer ? we need to be careful there. Or if you take other medicine that affects your immune system, like Prednisolon and that type of medicine ? then it is a good idea to ask your doctor about when you should be vaccinated. Talk to the doctor who is treating you. If you have high blood pressure, is there a greater risk of blood clots as a side effect of the vaccine? Even if you have high blood pressure or cholesterol, there shouldn?t be any extra risk of blood clots when receiving a vaccine. What we have observed with blood clots with the other vaccine types, AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson, is that there is a very small risk of blood clots. Should I postpone my vaccination if I am taking antibiotics? There is no reason to postpone vaccination if you are being treated with antibiotics and you are feeling well ? that is, if your fever is gone. But if you have a fever or in other ways are affected, such as muscle fatigue, sore muscles ? if you feel sick, so wait to be vaccinated until you are feeling better. Is there a risk of getting sick by the vaccine if I have diabetes and take insulin? No. Regarding diabetes and insulin, there is not a higher risk for side effects or serious illness due to the COVID vaccine. There isn?t a greater risk for getting symptoms due to the vaccine working, like fever or a sore arm near the injection point. Are there people with chronic illness who can?t take the vaccine? There are no groups of people with chronic illness that can?t take the vaccine, but there are some who avoid it due to low blood platelettes or other types of issues that will mean that the side effect of getting an injection ? not of the vaccine, but of the needle poking through the skin ? weigh heavier than the positive effect of the vaccine. So it is a matter of weighing the weight of the risks, and that is why you should talk to the doctor who is treating you ? your GP or the hospital doctor who is in charge of your treatment. Is it ok to get vaccinated when you have tested positive for COVID? You are not allowed to get your vaccination when you are positive for COVID. The guidance here is that if you are sick with COVID, you need to wait one month after your symptoms have subsided. If you have tested positive without symptoms, then you need to wait a month from your positive test. You don?t need to get a retest ? you just need to be vaccinated after the one month has passed Can I get a vaccination when I have the flu? If your flu is active, I would discourage you from being vaccinated. When your flu is active, you have a fever and related symptoms, so I would wait to be vaccinated. And in general, you should definitely check that you don?t have COVID, because then you have to wait a whole month after your symptoms are gone What should I do if I get the flue after I have gotten my first vaccine shot? The conditions are the same no matter what if you have a fever and muscle pain og shivers. Regardless of whether you are vaccinated once or two or zero times. What you need to think about is that you can be infected with COVID, and therefore need to be tested and go in isolation until you have your results. Is there anyone you discouraged from getting a vaccine? We advise against vaccination for anyone who the vaccine isn?t approved for. This means children and youth under 16 years old. At this point, we don?t vaccinate this group. There are no other groups of people we discourage from being vaccinated, except those who have had an allergic reaction to the vaccine, that is ? the same vaccine they are being offered again. So, if you have had a serious allergic reaction for the Pfizer or Moderna?s product, we won?t give the same again. Vaccine and protection How long does the vaccine protect me from the Corona virus? Right now, we know that from the second shot is given and for 8 months, the vaccine provides protection. We can?t say whether it protects longer or if we will need to give a third shot. Right now, we know it lasts 8 months, and as the summer progresses, we will learn if a third shot is necessary. If I have gotten the Pfizer vaccine, do I need to be vaccinated again? We don?t know at this point, but currently both Pfizer and Moderna last 8 months. That is what we are basing our strategy on. So, we may need to have a third shot, regardless of whether it is one brand or the other Am I completely protected when I am vaccinated? You are well-protected when you are vaccinated, but not completely protected. No vaccine will ever be able to give 100 % protection. Can I contract the Corona virus again, even though I have created an immunity because of the vaccine? There is a small risk of contracting the virus again. It can happen. Whether you have had COVID itself or if you have been vaccinated. Corona is a small virus that changes a little bit all the time, so there is a risk that a person can contract a new corona virus. Can I contract the virus and be a carrier even though I am vaccinated? If yes, why don?t I need to be tested? It is possible to contract the virus and be a carrier when you are vaccinated, and also if you have had COVID. But the risk is very, very low, and that is why the authorities have decided to say that it isn?t necessary to be tested regularly. But you are required to be tested if you develop symptoms or if you have been involved in an outbreak or have been a close contact and have a suspicion that you have contracted Corona. Then you need to get tested. Vaccine passport Vaccine passport and corona passport ? are there the same rules when you travel? There are different rules in different countries, so you can?t really say that a corona passport or a vaccine passport that is valid in Denmark will be the same when you travel. For example, right now in Norway, you still need to quarantine, regardless of whether you are vaccinated or have been tested recently. So, you need to check the rules in the country you are traveling to. Here in Denmark, the same rules will apply for the entire country regarding corona passport and vaccine passport. But we can?t say that the German and French governments must do the same things that we do. It depends on their numbers and what their national guidelines are.