Dealing with COVID Vaccine Hesitation | Iadel Health System

Vaccination rates continue to decline as new, highly contagious COVID-19 mutants increase viral cases again.

This widespread reduction in COVID vaccination is primarily due to vaccine hesitation. Millions of American adults are still unsure of the vaccine and are simply wondering what it means for themselves and their families.

On average, healthcare providers administer less than one million vaccines per day, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This is an 83% reduction from the peak of 3.38 million vaccinations reported in April.

“I’m worried that lower vaccination rates could lead to an even greater surge in COVID cases, leading to further time limits and blockages, such as the counties with the lowest vaccination rates and It’s already happening in the state, “said Rachel B. Di Santo, MD, Physician at the Statesville Family Practice, which is part of the Iredell Physician Network.

For example, as reported by the CDC, Vermont currently has the lowest number of COVID-19 cases in the country, reporting only 4.7 infections per 100,000 people per week. However, in Vermont, the rate of at least one vaccination is 82.8%.

In contrast, Missouri has reported 148.7 COVID-19 infections per 100,000 people in just one week due to the proliferation of new variants throughout the state. The single dose rate in Missouri is 45.4%.

The Iredell Health System immunizes more than 50,000 individuals in Iredell and the surrounding counties. However, due to declining demand, public vaccine clinics had to be stopped.

Vaccination with COVID-19 is a personal choice, but understanding the importance of viral immunity can help increase public confidence in the vaccine and thus delay the spread of this coronavirus variant.

So why do so many Americans hesitate to get vaccinated? Many of their questions are in concerns about the safety and efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccine.

Safety concerns
There is a general perception among those encountered by DiSanto that vaccines are not safe and are not long enough to determine their long-term effects.

Of the three urgently approved vaccines in the United States, the COVID-19 vaccine clinical trial is one of the largest clinical trials in vaccine history, with more than tens of thousands of participants.

“The CDC collects more safety data than any other vaccine in US history and closely monitors these vaccines, making the COVID vaccine the most rigorously studied vaccine in history. “She added.

There are very rare adverse events reported shortly after vaccination, but these are far less likely than catching COVID and causing serious complications from the virus itself.

According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, most of the side effects of vaccines are very short-term and neither serious nor dangerous. After vaccination, you may experience pain, headache, or fever at the injection site. However, these only indicate that the vaccine is functioning and stimulating the immune system.

In clinical trials of the vaccine, most of the side effects and problems occurred within the first 6 weeks of vaccination.

“With a year’s worth of data and testing of the COVID vaccine, it’s very unlikely that there will be any serious long-term effects,” said Di Santo.

There are some myths and rumors about the use of vaccines. As the CDC states, common counterfeit myths include vaccines that make you magnetic, vaccines that change your DNA, and vaccines that cause pregnancy problems.

“Vaccine hesitation is primarily due to the dissemination of false information on social media,” said Laura Randolph, OB / GYN of the Piedmont Healthcare Women’s Center.

According to Randolph, the claim that the COVID-19 vaccine prevents infertility in women probably stems from a letter written to the European Medicines Agency. The letter argued that the genetic code of placental proteins was slightly similar to the genetic code of the COVID-19 vaccine protein called peplomer. However, the similarity between these two proteins is less than 1%.

Because of this very small similarity, some believe that antibodies to the COVID-19 vaccine may react to placental proteins and reject the placenta. However, proteins that react in that way usually share more than 75% similarity. This is much more than just a 1% similarity.

“If antibodies to the COVID-19 peplomer cause placental damage or infertility, the epidemic will be seen in more than 180 million infected people worldwide and more than 1 billion vaccinated people. “Randolph said.

To combat this myth, the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and the Maternal and Fetal Medicine Society have issued a joint statement that the COVID vaccine does not affect childbirth.

In addition, since the COVID-19 vaccine, there are 123,000 individuals who have reported pregnancies on the checker after CDC vaccination.

“Vaccination is ultimately a personal choice, especially in the context of pregnancy, and the doctor’s goal is to provide patients with accurate information on which to make decisions,” Randolph said. increase.

In addition, be careful about where you get your vaccine information. Check out trusted websites like the CDC, and don’t always believe everything you see on social media.

Effectiveness concerns
It is important to know that the COVID-19 vaccine is actually effective.

Almost all recent COVID-19 deaths in the United States have been associated with unvaccinated people, according to Dr. Anthony Fauci, a top American infectious disease expert.

“The three urgently approved vaccines in the United States are very effective in preventing serious COVID infections and death, and some vaccines are also very effective in preventing asymptomatic COVID infections,” Di Santo said. Says.

DiSanto believes that many people have the perception that the COVID vaccine is “like a flu shot.”

“But they are not the same as influenza vaccinations. They have been shown to be effective against many of the COVID mutants that have emerged since the vaccine was developed,” DiSanto said. increase.

Another concern about efficacy is that many people who are already infected with COVID believe that they are immune because they still have antibodies and do not need a vaccine.

According to John Hopkins Medicine, people who are already infected with COVID-19 may benefit from being vaccinated. There is not enough information to articulate how long a COVID antibody is effective, but reinfection of COVID-19 is very possible. Early studies suggest that these antibodies may not last that long, but more evidence needs to be gathered to better understand this.

“There is still no way to know how long these antibodies will last and whether they will protect people from COVID mutants, especially if they were infected with COVID more than 4 months ago, get the COVID vaccine. Is the safest and best, “said Di Santo.

Importance of vaccines
It is widely understood that vaccination is an essential tool to stop the spread of COVID-19. People are more ready to return to “normal” than ever before.

“Vaccination is the best way to protect yourself, your family, friends, neighbors, and colleagues. It’s the best way to end a pandemic. And it’s normal for life, society, and the economy. It’s the best chance to get back to, “said Di Santo.

If you are interested in vaccination, please call the Iredell Health System COVID Vaccine Hotline. 704-878-7787.. Please leave a message with your name and phone number.

The hotline message is checked weekly and you will be contacted immediately with more information on vaccine availability. Vaccine clinics will be held upon request. If there is not enough demand to justify holding a clinic, the Iredell Health System will contact you regarding other vaccination options.

Do you still have questions? Don’t hesitate to talk to your doctor.

“Primary care providers are happy to be able to discuss questions about COVID vaccines, such as safety and efficacy,” said Di Santo.