Why vaccination is important
It is important to have a COVID-19 vaccine. The vaccine helps to reduce the serious effects of COVID-19 in people who become infected with the virus. It will also reduce the need for preventive measures, such as border closures and travel restrictions, as well as the impacts on health and the economy.
Vaccines are the most effective way to protect against infectious diseases. They do this by strengthening your immune system by training it to recognise and fight against specific viruses.
When you get vaccinated, you are protecting yourself and helping to protect the whole community. Once enough people in the community are vaccinated, it slows down the spread of disease. Higher vaccination rates make outbreaks far less likely.
When a high proportion of the community is vaccinated against a disease, it creates herd immunity. This means that enough people are immunised to stop the spread of vaccine-preventable diseases to protect those who can’t be vaccinated.