Your COVID-19 Vaccine Questions Answered

Lord knows people have LOTS of questions about the COVID-19 vaccine. So it's time to get them answered! 

On the podcast today is Stanford MD/PhD candidate Maria Filsinger Interrante, an expert in vaccine research and development! Femtastic host Katie Breen (who herself has a Master of Public Health from Harvard) asks Maria all of the most frequently asked questions and concerns about the vaccine. Is it safe? Was it "rushed?" Does it cause infertility? Can it change your DNA? Will it still work on the new variants of COVID-19? 

Listen in to get all of these questions and more answered, and hopefully walk away feeling a little bit of...dare we say...hope?

Have additional questions about the vaccine? DM @Femtastic_Podcast on Instagram or Facebook, or shoot Katie an email at [e-mail] or via the contact form on FemtasticPodcast.com to have them answered! And remember: there's no such thing as a stupid question! 

Resources from Maria (in her own words):

(1) My very talented classmates Vongai Mlambo and Ryan Brewster worked with me to make this vaccine infographic, which folks are welcome to share if they find it useful.

(2) I've gotten a lot of my COVID vaccine know-how from a wonderful, nerdy podcast called This Week In Virology (TWiV). I'd highly recommend that for folks who want a deeper dive into the science behind the pandemic and the vaccines. 

(3) I would love for more people to know about Maurice Hilleman, who helped to invent and deploy a shocking number of vaccines during his life, including many of the vaccines that we all get as children. He is credited with saving, though his work on vaccines, about 6-8 million lives per year, and I think his example illustrates how powerfully science can be used to save lives. There's a wonderful book about his life and career called Vaccinated, by Paul Offit, that I'd encourage budding scientists or those interested in a very inspiring story to read. [Editor's Note: Katie would also HIGHLY recommend the RadioLab podcast episode called The Great Vaccinator about Maurice Hilleman!]