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8 Things to Know About COVID Vaccines in 2025
October 15, 2025
COVID-19 may not dominate the headlines like it once did, but it hasn’t disappeared – far from it. In fact, it’s still a leading cause of death and long-term complications.
The good news? Vaccines remain one of the most powerful tools we have to protect ourselves — and others.
“COVID numbers may have decreased, but the risks are still very real,” says Ulysses Wu, MD, chief epidemiologist at Hartford HealthCare. “Vaccines, along with masking when appropriate, continue to be the best protection we have – not just against COVID, but other respiratory illnesses like the flu and RSV, too.”
Here are eight things Dr. Wu wants you to know about COVID vaccines.
1. Vaccines are safe
Let’s get this out of the way.
“The COVID vaccines have proven to be safe — just like the flu and RSV vaccines we recommend every year,” Dr. Wu emphasizes. “The science and safety data are clear.”
So you can feel confident when you roll up your sleeve: Getting vaccinated is the safest choice.
2. You can’t catch COVID from the vaccine
Hearing claims that the vaccine could give you COVID? Not possible, says Dr. Wu.
“You cannot catch an illness from the vaccine,” Dr. Wu explains. “You may be under the weather for a day or two, or notice some soreness at the injection site, but that’s just your immune system gearing up.”
And remember, that day or two of discomfort is only a fraction of the symptoms you might feel from the real thing.
> Related: 9 Simple Ways to Stay Healthy This Fall
3. It isn’t just about protecting yourself
The benefits of vaccination don’t stop with you.
“Vaccines do protect you, but they also protect all the people around you,” Dr. Wu notes. “That includes older adults, young children and anyone who might have weaker immune systems.”
So even if you’re okay taking chances with your own health, vaccination can help protect everyone you come across.
4. Vaccines prevent more than just COVID
This one’s important.
“Respiratory viruses overlap,” says Dr. Wu. “By staying up to date on COVID, flu and RSV vaccines, you’re reducing your chances of getting sick, but also lowering the spread of these illnesses overall.”
That means fewer sick days and more peace of mind this winter.
> Related: Help Prevent a ‘Tripledemic’ This Fall — Get Vaccinated
5. Prevention is always the goal
Here’s the big takeaway.
“The key word in medicine is ‘preventable,’” says Dr. Wu. “We don’t want to see people hospitalized or dealing with long COVID when there are safe, effective ways to prevent it.”
In other words: it’s much easier to prevent an illness than to treat one.
6. Boosters still matter
You’ve probably heard the word a hundred times — but boosters are still important.
“Immunity from vaccines and infections fades over time,” says Dr. Wu. “Boosters help restore that protection, especially against severe disease and hospitalization.”
So even if you had several boosters at the height of the pandemic, it’s still a good idea to get one this year.
7. No, the vaccine doesn’t change your DNA
This myth has been around since the very beginning of the pandemic, but it’s simply not true. The COVID vaccines were designed to teach your body to recognize the virus — not rewrite your genetic code.
“The mRNA vaccines never enter the part of the cell where DNA lives,” says Dr. Wu. “They simply give your body instructions to recognize and fight the virus.”
Once those instructions are delivered, the mRNA breaks down and leaves your system. What’s left is the protection — not any change to your DNA.
8. Yes, you still need it even if you’ve had COVID
It’s a common question: if you’ve already been infected, why bother with the vaccine?
The answer is that natural infection doesn’t offer the same long-term, consistent protection as vaccination.
“Natural infection does offer some protection, but vaccines strengthen and extend that protection — especially against severe illness,” Dr. Wu adds.
Think of it this way: your immune system is better off with both a playbook and practice — and the vaccine provides both.
> Related: What’s Causing Your Sniffles – Cold, Sinus Infections or Allergies?
Here’s the bottom line
COVID vaccines are safe, effective, and still one of the best defenses we have — for ourselves and the people around us.
So while the pandemic may feel like it’s behind us, infection prevention is around for good.
“The lesson from the pandemic is clear,” says Dr. Wu. “If you have the chance to prevent illness – maybe even to save someone else’s life – just take it.”