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Even If You’re Young And Healthy – Here’s Why You Should Still Get The Vaccine

Avoiding Long COVID, getting back to normal sooner, and making extra sure your granny stays safe from the virus are all major reasons to get jabbed, no matter your age.

NHS
by NHS

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You might have read that the older someone is, the greater the risk that COVID-19 poses to them, and this may be making you question your own need to get jabbed if you're younger. But it's still important to get vaccinated, even if you're young and healthy!

Still unsure? These are all the reasons to get protected against the virus:

1. Though it's much less likely, there are younger people who have been seriously ill from the virus.

We see a person's hand on a hospital bed
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2. There are also thousands who are still suffering from Long COVID.

A woman lies down with her hand on her head
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The term is used to describe symptoms that continue or develop after COVID-19. You can develop Long COVID even if your initial symptoms were mild. 

There are 55 different long-term effects of COVID-19, but common symptoms of Long COVID include headaches, breathlessness, fatigue, cough, and cognitive impairment or "brain fog."

3. Because anyone can get COVID-19, it's much safer for your immune system to learn how to fight off the virus via vaccine than by catching it with no protection.

A woman receives a vaccination in a medical setting. She is wearing a mask.
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The vaccine has been approved by independent experts as safe and effective, so you'll be giving yourself an added layer of protection and peace of mind.

4. Anyone can also spread the virus, so getting vaccinated helps you to protect the people you love who are more vulnerable.

A young woman leans on her grandfather's shoulder
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You might ask why that matters if all older age groups also have protection from the vaccine. But the vaccine doesn't totally prevent the possibility of someone catching COVID-19; it just makes it much less likely (and less serious if they do).

5. The vaccine works by teaching your immune system how to create antibodies that will attack the virus if you do come into contact with it.

A computer-generated image of a virus is being attacked by an antibody
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Like any vaccine, protection builds up over time. And the older you are, the longer it takes. So younger people getting vaccinated and becoming ultrahardy against the virus super fast is another big pro!

6. Vaccines just work best when we all get one. The more people who are vaccinated, the fewer infections, hospitalisations, and deaths from COVID-19, and the sooner we can all get back to normal.

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7. Vaccines are very safe. Each one used in the UK has been independently approved for use by the independent Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA)...

Two vials of the COVID-19 vaccine and a needle sit on a table. Above them sits the words "tested and approved"
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8. ...and have been tested on tens of thousands of people worldwide. They've also gone through unbelievably strict quality, safety, and effectiveness tests.

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While they are very safe, you may have heard about the vaccines causing blood clots. But this only applies to the AstraZeneca vaccine, and even this is *extremely* rare.

But because the NHS is so careful, they quickly responded to the situation by no longer offering the AstraZeneca vaccine to under-40s.

9. As with all medicines (even paracetamol), there are potential side effects. But these are almost always mild, short-term, and are far outweighed by the benefits of getting the vaccine.

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A bit of a headache, sore arm, or flu-y feeling for the day is a small price to pay for protecting yourself and your loved ones!

10. There's also zero evidence that the vaccine affects fertility or anyone's chances of getting pregnant. Anything saying otherwise is nonsense.

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11. In fact, the only reason not to have the vaccine? If you're allergic to it. So if you have serious allergies, you can contact your GP for some advice.

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12. Plus it's super low effort to have it done. All adults over 18 can now book a jab either via the NHS Booking Service online or by calling 119.

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When you get the vaccine, you'll be joining the millions of people in the UK who have now had it safely, as well as the millions more around the world who have taken action to help protect themselves and others.

For more information about the vaccine and how you can book, you can visit the NHS site here.