John Legend wants you – to get vaccinated, that is. After recently receiving his doses of the Pfizer vaccine , the singer is sharing the gospel about the importance of getting one of the COVID-19 vaccines currently being distributed to millions of Americans. The vaccination gave Legend “hope” after a year of fear. “It gave me a sense of greater optimism and relief as well,” Legend says on the phone from Los Angeles. “I’m just excited that the vaccine has proven to be effective and to be safe, and that we’re on our way to opening back up more and more people get vaccinated.” Legend, who got vaccinated at his local Walgreens pharmacy, says he didn’t have any effects after receiving the shots. “If you’re getting vaccinated – preventing yourself from getting the virus, preventing yourself from giving the virus to any of your relatives and loved ones, and getting the nation back closer to opening up slowly – it’s a small price to pay,” Legend says of the possibility of experiencing after effects . Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna’s vaccines , which make up 224 million of the 232 million doses so far administered in the U.S., require two doses given 21 days and 28 days apart, respectively. The Johnson & Johnson vaccine, which was briefly paused while health officials investigated a very rare side effect, requires just one shot. Experts recommend taking Tylenol after the shot should you experience side effects. (They caution against taking it before the doses.) Got a COVID-19 vaccine? Here’s how to treat the side effects, including pain, swelling and more The Pfizer-ed father of two, who shares daughter Luna, 5, and son Miles, 2, with Chrissy Teigen , says his kids understand the pandemic – and have had to undergo some uncomfortable COVID tests. “We tell them that people out there are getting sick, and it’s not safe to get the virus, and that we take precautions to protect them and to protect other people,” he says. Legend acknowledges the difficult year his family faced after suffering a pregnancy loss in October. “It’s made us stronger because I think we have to really rally around each other and take care of each other and and love on each other and support each other,” Legend says. “And we’ve also felt really fortunate that so many people have reached out to us and showed us love.” Teigen posted a heartbreaking hospital room photo on Instagram at the time announcing that her unborn child, a boy, had died. “Chrissy shared our loss with the world, and what that brought about was really a lot of people sharing that they had gone through the same thing. And it felt like we were surrounded by a community that really loved us, and empathized with us, and also felt seen as well,” Legend says. Chrissy Teigen on her ‘gut-wrenching’ year and the stigma surrounding infertility ‘I love and cherish you’: John Legend tweets his love to Chrissy Teigen, dedicates song Legend praises his family for “(giving) me so much joy,” especially after a year of hardships. “My family does make me feel happy. I love watching our kids grow up, I love my partnership with my wife, and on how we’ve grown together as a family,” he says. Also bringing him joy? “I truly love writing music,” the “Voice” coach says. “I’m sitting in my studio right now and I’ve been writing a lot over the past few weeks. … It’s been thrilling to create and to collaborate.” From John Legend to Katy Perry: 7 moments you shouldn’t miss from the inaugural concert