Name: How vaccines are developed -- and why they're safe
Uploaded: 2022-11-23T15:08:06Z
Duration: 6 min 41 s
Description: Bringing transparency to how a vaccine becomes a vaccine, Dr. Jen Gunter breaks down research, development and testing that makes these life-saving therapeutics safe -- long before they reach your local pharmacy. For more on how your body works, tune in weekly to her podcast Body Stuff with Dr. Jen Gunter, from the TED Audio Collective.

Jen Gunter: How vaccines are developed -- and why they're safe

How vaccines are developed -- and why they're safe

Bringing transparency to how a vaccine becomes a vaccine, Dr. Jen Gunter breaks down research, development and testing that makes these life-saving therapeutics safe -- long before they reach your local pharmacy. For more on how your body works, tune in weekly to her podcast Body Stuff with Dr. Jen Gunter, from the TED Audio Collective. 

The rigorous development of COVID-19 vaccines draws on years of scientific groundwork and strict safety checks at every stage. Studies showed no impact on fertility in animals, and real-world data found menstrual cycle changes after vaccination were rare, temporary, and medically insignificant. For pregnant people, the risk of dying from COVID-19 is 22 times higher than for those without the virus. Vaccination not only protects them but also gives newborns vital antibodies against infection.