Health care workers and residents of long-term care centers are receiving vaccinations developed to provide protection from COVID-19. While many are eager to get the new vaccines, others say they won’t get it. Experts say even with the warp speed development of the coronavirus vaccines, we can be very confident in the effectiveness and safety of the drugs.
They say in order to truly eradicate the virus, we still need to wear masks and keep our social distance; get both doses of the vaccine; make sure as many people as possible get vaccinated, especially in communities with health disparities.
Because of historic medical experiments and trauma to Black and Brown people, there is more hesitancy in these communities to get the vaccine. Yet, the coronavirus has caused more illness and death among Black and Brown people than white people. So it’s urgent the vaccine becomes available to the general public. Experts stress we must not believe conspiracy theories. We all want to put the pandemic behind us, and the vaccine is the key to that.
The COVID-19 vaccine is SAFE for everyone, except for rare instances of severe allergic reactions. There are safeguards in place to protect people who have reactions. Some people might have flu-like symptoms the day following their vaccine, but the symptoms go away.
Still, there is lots of information circulating about the COVID-19 vaccines. Some of it is true, and some of it is confusing or inaccurate. UCare Chief Medical Officer Dr. Julia Joseph-Di Caprio sorts out fact from fiction.
It’s important to know the vaccine DOES NOT:
- Alter your DNA
- Cause infertility or miscarriages
- Track your through microchips or nano transducers in your brains
- Cause more death than the virus itself; no one has died from the vaccine.
- Contain fetal tissue or preservatives