COVID-19 Vaccine

What is COVID-19?

COVID-19 (short for coronavirus disease 2019) is caused by a virus called SARS-CoV-2. Broadly, people infected with a variant of COVID-19 may experience the following possible symptoms:

• Fever or chills
• Cough
• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
• Sore throat
• Congestion or runny nose
• New loss of taste or smell
• Fatigue
• Muscle or body aches
• Headache
• Nausea or vomiting
• Diarrhea

In severe cases, COVID-19 can hospitalize people who are infected with the virus and kill them. Anyone can develop severe cases of COVID-19, but some groups are more at risk than others.

Luckily, COVID-19 vaccines provide safe and effective protection against the virus and are now widely accessible. Check out the CDC's recommendations for the latest information on COVID-19 vaccine and booster shots.

How does the COVID-19 Vaccine protect Southwest Florida?

COVID-19 vaccines protect everyone in Southwest Florida since anyone can get infected. Even healthy people can develop severe symptoms when they're infected with coronavirus. Getting vaccinated protects you from developing severe symptoms and can help keep you from getting sick in the first place.

COVID-19 vaccines also play an especially vital role in protecting people at higher risk of severe complications from the virus. These groups include older people, people with chronic health conditions, people with weakened immune systems, and people with certain disabilities. Unvaccinated people also have higher risks of severe COVID-19 complications.