COVID-19 Vaccine Facts
The pandemic is a big problem. But vaccination is a big choice. We want to help you separate fact from fiction. And if you choose to get vaccinated, we can help with that too. Give us a shot.
Trending topics
It seems like every day brings a new vaccination theory to social media. We’re keeping tabs on the trends, and we’ll give you real talk right from our doctors, right here.
- Why get vaccinated when I’m low risk?
There are many reasons why young, healthy people should get vaccinated. Here are five:
- It's a sign of love, care and respect for your family and your community.
- You'll be able to safely bring back the joys in your life that have been taken away because of COVID-19.
- You're going to prevent yourself from potentially spreading it to somebody who has an at-risk condition.
- You’ll be better equipped to prevent long COVID-19.
- Low risk is not no risk. COVID-19 does claim lives and cause severe illness in young, healthy people.
- Does the vaccine shed spike protein?
There are rumors that fully vaccinated people can shed the spike protein in COVID-19. Some believe that spike protein can move from one person to another, causing issues with infertility and irregular menstrual cycles. There is no science to back up this belief.
- Should I be worried about the Johnson & Johnson vaccine pause?
On April 23, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) lifted a pause on the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. It’s once again available for use. Under very rare circumstances, patients can develop a condition called vaccine-induced immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia, better known as VITT. This is a very rare but serious side effect of the vaccine. When patients develop this syndrome, they typically show symptoms 10 to 14 days after being vaccinated. Symptoms may present as headache, visual changes or stroke, with a venous sinus thrombosis, or they could present as deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism.
- Do I really need a second dose of the vaccine?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is reporting that up to 8% of individuals are not showing up for their second dose of their Pfizer or Moderna vaccination. The maximum immune response you want from the vaccine comes from getting two doses. If you're only getting one dose of the vaccine, it's a risk. You're not going to have the robust immunity that you get with two doses.
- When can 12- to 15-year-olds get vaccinated?
The Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine is officially FDA authorized and CDC recommended for 12- to 15-year-olds. In the study for Pfizer, the main goal was preventing symptomatic COVID-19, and 100% of the people who received the vaccine in the trial did not develop symptomatic COVID-19.
Facebook Live
A falsehood can travel halfway around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes. That’s because facts take a while to determine, and the truth takes time to explain. We believe you’re worth the time. So we regularly host Facebook Live sessions with our experts, to give you the deeper context of a conversation that addresses all your concerns. You can watch past episodes and hit us up on Facebook and Instagram to share questions for future episodes. We’ll pitch them to our docs.
Scheduling a vaccine
We heard from a lot of people at the start of vaccination that appointments were too hard to get, supplies were too limited, and it was too early to make a decision to get the shot. They were willing to wait. Maybe that’s you, too. We’re happy to tell you the wait is over. We have plenty of vaccines, appointments are easy to schedule, and walk-ins are available. You can get the vaccine just the way you wanted to, on your terms.
Walk in, schedule with MyChart or call us.
You choose what works for you.