Head of vaccine research for UAB says effects from COVID-19 vaccine are only short term

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WAFF) - At last check, under 40 percent of Alabamians are vaccinated against COVID-19.

Many people say the vaccine was developed too quickly for scientists to know the long-term effects. We brought that concern to a professor in the infectious disease division at UAB.

Doctor Paul Goepfert says this is the best vaccine that’s ever been developed for adults, adding nothing from the vaccine stays in your system.

Goepfert tells us there’s more than enough research at this point to know it is safe.

“It’s only there for a short time so the side effects of the vaccine are only going to be within a few weeks after the vaccination. I don’t think there’s any vaccine that has a side effect that occurs years down the line,” Goepfert said,

Dr. Goepfert says vaccine boosters are likely if rates do not improve, especially if a variant develops that is not protected from the vaccine.