Though mask mandates are being relaxed and gatherings are getting bigger, the push to vaccinate people against COVID-19 remains as important as ever. To keep yourself and your loved ones safe, to be able to continue doing the things you love to do and to support our local businesses, we need to vaccinate as many people as possible as quickly as possible.
If you’re not yet vaccinated and you’re ready to get the vaccines, learn how to do that at www.CentralOregonCOVIDVaccine.com.
If you’re not yet vaccinated and you feel hesitant about getting the vaccine, please consider:
The COVID-19 vaccines are SAFE:
- They do not contain live virus and cannot give you COVID-19.
- They do not affect or interact with your DNA in any way.
- They were tested in tens of thousands of people during clinical trials.
- Millions have already been vaccinated and are undergoing the most intensive real-time safety monitoring program in U.S. history.
The COVID-19 vaccines are EFFECTIVE:
- Clinical studies have shown the vaccines to be highly effective at reducing transmission of COVID-19 and at reducing serious illness and death as a result of the virus.
- In real-world conditions, nearly 4,000 health care personnel, first responders and essential workers were tested weekly for the virus that causes COVID-19. Those who were fully vaccinated were 90% less likely to get infected.
- COVID-19 is still spreading among the unvaccinated and causing serious illness, even among younger populations. Of the 500+ COVID-19 patients at St. Charles since March 1, about 98% of them have not been fully vaccinated.
Here are some more facts about the COVID-19 vaccine:
Side effects
Adverse immune responses from the vaccines almost always show up within the first two weeks and certainly within the first two months. Serious adverse events appear to be extremely rare and are being monitored on a real-time basis as vaccines are rolled out to the general population.
FDA approval
They are being administered under an Emergency Use Authorization because the FDA has not granted full approval yet, but that is NOT because of safety concerns. The vaccines are expected to receive full FDA approval once a year’s worth of data is available that shows how long they remain effective.
Fertility
There is no evidence that COVID-19 vaccines affect fertility. In fact, if you are pregnant or trying to become pregnant, the benefits far outweigh the risks as pregnancy puts a person at higher risk of severe COVID-19 illness. In addition, research suggests the vaccines provide some level of protection to newborns.
It's free
No matter who you are or where you live in the United States, you can get the COVID-19 vaccine at no cost to you.
Young and healthy
A highly contagious strain of COVID-19 is hitting young adults hard. The B.1.1.7 variant is now the most dominant strain of coronavirus in the United States. Unlike the original strain, this one is heavily impacting young people, some of whom go on to develop “long-haulers” syndrome.
Already had COVID-19
Even if you’ve had COVID-19 in the past, you should still get vaccinated because the immunity you get from the vaccine will likely be stronger and last longer than the immunity you have from being infected.
