MYTH: Younger people don’t get seriously ill from COVID-19 and don’t need to be vaccinated.
FACT: Being young and otherwise healthy doesn’t guarantee any natural immunity against COVID-19, and the vaccine is available to those 16 or over. Young people who catch the virus can still develop debilitating long-term symptoms, including prolonged shortness of breath, fatigue, migraines, brain fog, and loss of smell or taste. And, it’s important to remember that some young people have actually died from COVID-19, including those who were completely healthy beforehand.
Even if you don’t develop any symptoms from COVID-19, you can still pass it along to people who are older or at higher risk, including friends and family members. To protect those who are most vulnerable, we must rely on the vast majority of the population to get vaccinated, even those who may otherwise be young and healthy. That is the safest and quickest way to end this pandemic and get back to normal.
Since the creation of these resources, some updates have occurred. For the most recent information on COVID-19 and the vaccines, please visit the CDC website or speak with your Primary Care Provider.
