Today, I got my first dose of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine at VCU Health! 💉 To be honest, I was a bit skeptical about the vaccine initially which is why I waited a couple weeks to get it so I could do more research. I found that the pros FARRR outweighed any risks, including less anxiety at work in the ER, less concern for inadvertently infecting family and friends, and the fact that getting the vaccine will help end this pandemic and return life to normal.
If you are still questionable whether to get it, here’s a few facts I hope can provide clarity:
1️⃣ You CANNOT get COVID-19 from the vaccine since it contains mRNA, NOT the live virus. This is unlike the measles, mumps, rubella, varicella, and intranasal influenza vaccines which all contain live attenuated viruses. mRNA vaccines are NOT novel, this is just the FIRST that has been approved by the FDA. Scientists and researchers have been working with human coronaviruses since the 1960s which is why a vaccine was able to be produced for emergent use so quickly. 🧑🔬
2️⃣ Both vaccines (Pfizer and Moderna) are free, safe, and effective. 💯 The flu shot is only 40-60% effective compared to the COVID vaccine’s impressive 95% efficacy in over 40,000 participants after 2 doses (per CDC website). So, if you get the flu shot every year and believe in that, there’s really no reason not to believe in the effectiveness of this. 🤷♀️
3️⃣ Yes, you can still get COVID-19 even after receiving the vaccine, but your chances of getting severe symptoms and becoming seriously ill requiring hospitalization are reduced immeasurably. 📉 It is much easier to treat an allergic reaction caused by the vaccine (which is already HIGHLY unlikely) than treat someone who is sick with COVID-19. Currently, all I’m feeling is a mildly sore shoulder while writing this, but I get the same thing with the flu shot every year and that’s a small price to pay for immunity to the virus!
I recognize how fortunate I am to have gotten the vaccine in the first wave which will allow me to continue to assist the physicians I work with in a safe manner. I am not an expert and this is in no way an attempt to invalidate your concerns about the vaccine and I recommend you always consider your own personal risk vs benefit analysis as you should with any medical decision. It will likely be several months until the vaccine is available to the public, so I encourage you to do research and discuss your concerns with medical professionals before then. Take some time to weigh the pros and cons, just don’t forget to always include the benefit to society in your decision. 🌎🌏🌍
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Originally Published 12/31/2020
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