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Canada has been ramping up its COVID-19 vaccination campaign in recent weeks, with . But hesitancy about vaccine safety persists among some individuals.

In the first segment of a three-part series, Samantha Yammine – a neuroscientist, science communicator and 91�Թ� alumna otherwise known as  – talks to Christina Guzzo, an assistant professor in the department of biological sciences at 91�Թ� Scarborough, about the risks and benefits of getting the COVID-19 shot.

Guzzo explains that vaccinated people have far lower rates of reinfection compared to those who contracted COVID-19. The risk of experiencing long-term effects from COVID-19 also far outweigh the chance of experiencing extremely rare complications from the vaccine, she says.

“We don’t have enough science and data and evidence to understand who might have a long-term effect from COVID-19,” Guzzo says, “so vaccination provides an additional benefit where it protects you from ... taking a chance and [saying], ‘Might I be the person who has a neurological impact from a COVID-19 infection?’”

Guzzo adds that the risks surrounding the COVID-19 vaccine are both low and acceptable, compared to the daily risks we face in the normal course of our lives.