Get the Facts About the COVID-19 Vaccine
Covid-19 cases are increasing in Lincoln County. In the second half of July there were 41 new cases in our county.
Only 27% of the residents of Lincoln County have received the Covid-19 vaccine. Many of you may be resistant to getting the COVID-19 vaccine because of disinformation and misinformation. Here are some questions and answers that can help allay your fears. For the benefit of yourself, your family, and your community, please get vaccinated.
These medical associations and many, many more all urge their members and their patients to get vaccinated against COVID-19: American Medical Association, American Nurses Association, American Academy of Pediatrics, Association of American Medical Colleges, National Association for Home Care and Hospice , American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, American College of Surgeons, American Society of Anesthesiologists, American Association of Allergy, Asthma, & Immunology, Association for Clinical Oncology.
Major Medical Healthcare Systems like the Mayo Clinic and Johns Hopkins that have been trusted places of care for decades have and continue to support COVID-19 vaccinations for all appropriate individuals.
A recent broad survey of physicians in the United States revealed that 94% are fully vaccinated.
To schedule your free vaccination, contact the Afton Clinic (307-885-5852) Thayne Clinic (307-883-5852) or Public Health (307-885-9598).
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you should be vaccinated regardless of whether you already had COVID-19. That’s because experts do not yet know how long you are protected from getting sick again after recovering from COVID-19. They also don’t know how well natural immunity protects you from the new variants. It’s been found that vaccines produce a better immune response.
Yes. Studies show that COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective. Like adults, children may have some side effects after COVID-19 vaccination. Children 12 years and older are now eligible to get vaccinated against COVID-19 with the Pfizer vaccine. Individuals 18 and older can get the Moderna or Johnson & Johnson vaccine. All 3 are available in Star Valley.
The new Delta variant seems to be affecting children worse now than earlier in the pandemic. COVID-19 vaccination can help protect your child from getting COVID-19. Although fewer children have been sick with COVID-19 compared to adults, children can be infected with the virus that causes COVID-19, can get sick from COVID-19, and can spread the virus that causes COVID-19 to others.
Yes. All currently authorized and recommended COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective, and CDC does not recommend one vaccine over another. However, there are different age limitations depending on the brand used.
Yes, if you are pregnant, you can get vaccinated for COVID-19, but we feel this is best discussed with your provider in person.
We don’t know how long protection lasts for those who are vaccinated. Before we started vaccinating the population at large, early studies with volunteers showed that those vaccinated were less likely to get severe disease and/or die from COVID-19. The information coming in from around the country continues to show the same results. Vaccination substantially decreases the risk of severe disease and death from COVID-19.
People with underlying medical conditions can receive a COVID-19 vaccine as long as they have not had an immediate or severe allergic reaction to a COVID-19 vaccine or to any of the ingredients in the vaccine.
No. People with COVID-19 should wait to be vaccinated until they have recovered from their illness and have met the criteria for discontinuing isolation. There are also vaccination timing guidelines if you received monoclonal antibody treatment like Regeneron.
Covid-19 Vaccine Concerns and Answers
Adverse side effects of new vaccines are normally caught within the first 2 months of trials. That’s why the CDC required pharmaceutical companies to provide two months of safety data.
Women who participated in the COVID-19 clinical trials were able to conceive after vaccination. There’s no evidence to show that the COVID-19 vaccines lead to reduced fertility.
Doctors in states battling surges caused by the Delta variant say more young and previously healthy people are ending up in hospitals and some are even being placed on respirators. Young healthy people who recover from the virus can also end up with long-term complications.
While it’s true, public health experts stress that it doesn’t mean they're less safe. Final approval is expected by the fall.
This isn’t possible. mRNA vaccines work in the cell’s cytoplasm and never enter the cell nucleus, where the DNA, your genetic material, lives.
There is not a microchip in the vaccines. This false rumor started after comments about digital vaccine records. State electronic immunization records help patients and physicians track vaccines they have received. There are no electronic components in the vaccines.
This is false. The authorized COVID-19 vaccines enrolled tens of thousands of participants, They were followed for two months after receiving the second dose and continue to be followed, which is common with vaccine trials. Also many vaccinated individuals have been voluntarily participating in a smart phone survey. These regular check-ins are providing timely feedback on potential side effects and adverse events. Those who were first vaccinated in January continue to be contacted for a check in (again on a volunteer-type basis). This process has probably already led to this vaccine being more closely followed than any other vaccine in history.
The technology used to develop the new mRNA COVID-19 vaccines isn’t new. It’s been studied and used for cancer research, and the original research on messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines is decades old. The other vaccine platform uses a weakened adenovirus, which has been studied extensively for other vaccines. Clinical trials for the COVID-19 vaccines were done with the same rigor applied to all vaccine trials, and the results were reviewed and approved by multiple independent advisory panels. Increased collaboration, use of new technology and more funding meant that vaccine developers could work quickly during this pandemic.
