Anyone may be hesitant to get the COVID-19 vaccine, even a medical professional.
Brandy Slade, a registered nurse at Overlake Medical Center in Bellevue, was initially afraid to get the vaccine. She was concerned that it was made too quickly, and she had a history of bad reactions to the flu vaccine with body aches that lasted for months.
That’s where Gordon Oakes, director of clinical support services at Overlake, offered to help.
“I referred Brandy to Overlake’s pharmacy medication safety officer who provided her with details on the vaccine’s development history and technology,” says Oakes. “Brandy realized the risk of catching the virus was far greater than her fears, and she got the vaccine.
Brandy’s experience reflects an increasingly notable split between medical advice and public concerns. On one hand, medical professionals like Oakes and his colleague Ettore Palazzo, chief medical and quality officer at EvergreenHealth, maintain their position: The vaccine is safe, effective, trusted and lifesaving.
However, some are still turning down opportunities to be vaccinated because of myths circulating about the vaccine. These myths range from concerns about infertility to fear of medical debt. All are false, but even though over 4 million people in Washington state have received the vaccine, some myths are still sticking around.
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The safest way to get back to these activities is to be fully vaccinated.
Then you can safely:
Before the pandemic, we gathered with family, friends, and community members for life’s big events and small daily rhythms: Movie nights, dining out, hugging grandparents. Getting vaccinated means you can resume those activities without risking your health or the health of those you love. So get vaccinated and get back to the things you’ve been missing!
See a movie in
a theater
Have a small
group of friends
or family over
for dinner
Attend a small party with family and friends
Eat indoors
(or outside)
at a restaurant
or bar
Go to the barber or visit a hair salon
Attend a large outdoor event, like a Mariners or Seahawks game,
a Fourth of July parade, or a concert
Sources:
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/participate-in-activities.html
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/fully-vaccinated.html
I won’t be able to get pregnant if I get the COVID-19 vaccine.
MYTH:
FACT:
As of now, there have been no reports of the vaccine affecting a woman’s fertility or ability to maintain a pregnancy. There have been reports of pregnant women receiving the vaccine and then delivering healthy babies.
MYTH:
I won’t be able to get pregnant if I get the COVID-19 vaccine.
MYTH:
The vaccine could permanently alter my DNA.
The coronavirus vaccine is made of messenger RNA that cannot be introduced into the DNA molecule leading to an alteration in the DNA sequence of human beings.
FACT:
MYTH:
The vaccine could permanently alter my DNA.
Dr. Edward Leonard
Dr. Edward Leonard
MYTH:
The vaccine isn’t safe for children.
Dr. Edward Leonard
Clinical trials are ongoing regarding pediatric patients and the coronavirus vaccine. Thus far, there have been no major health-related complications in pediatric patients who have received the vaccine.
FACT:
The vaccine isn’t safe for children.
MYTH:
MYTH:
I’ve already had COVID. I don’t need the vaccine.
Johns Hopkins Medicine
Because COVID-19 has severe health risks, and re-infection of the coronavirus is possible, people may be directed to get the vaccine anyway.
FACT:
I’ve already had COVID. I don’t need the vaccine.
MYTH:
MYTH:
The COVID-19 vaccine has dangerous side effects.
Johns Hopkins Medicine
Some individuals experience pain at the injection site, body aches, headaches or fever, but these side effects don’t last longer than a day or two. These side effects mean the vaccine is stimulating your immune system and that means it’s working.
FACT:
The COVID-19 vaccine has dangerous side effects.
MYTH:
START OVER
CONFIRMED
CASES OF
COVID-19:
DEATHS
FROM
COVID-19:
DOSES OF
VACCINE ADMINISTERED:
HESITANT ABOUT GETTING THE COVID-19 VACCINE? NO NEED TO BE.
In Washington State, according to the Washington Department of Health, as of June 2, 2021:
402,000
5,789
7,061,165
Governor Jay Inslee says if 70% or more of Washingtonians over the age of 16 recive the first dose of the vaccine, the state will fully reopen by the end of June.
(governor.wa.gov)
COVID-19 vaccine myths are still spreading – local experts dispel them
This vaccine can’t be trusted because it was rushed through production.
MYTH:
FACT:
“The vaccine was created using technology and methods that have been in development for years. Instead of following the steps sequentially that would take many years, they were simply overlapped to reduce total time. No steps were skipped,” says Oakes.
The flu vaccine made me very sick, and so will the COVID-19 vaccine.
MYTH:
FACT:
“In the case of influenza, the immune response is similar to the actual infection. Fatigue, chills, fevers and muscle aches come from the immune response,” says Dr. Edward Leonard, infectious disease physician at Overlake Medical Center. “With COVID-19, the only component introduced into a patient is the messenger RNA. The body may experience some temporary symptoms like chills, but these are normal and typically don’t last long.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, messenger RNA teaches cells how to generate an immune response inside the human body without actually introducing the virus.
Leonard says he has seen many people feel better about the benefits and safety of the vaccine after understanding that it won’t make them sick beyond temporary symptoms.
Other myths making the rounds:
Appointment are hard to find and the wait is long.
MYTH:
FACT:
“With so many people already vaccinated, it’s easier and faster than ever to get the vaccine. Many locations accept same-day appointments and walk-ins,” says Palazzo.
I have to get my second dose at the same location where I got my first.
MYTH:
FACT:
“The vast majority of people can get their second dose at a different location than the first,” says Palazzo. “If you traveled far for your first dose, find somewhere closer to home for your second – it’s much more convenient.”
FACT:
“There is no COVID-19 infection risk with the current vaccines available,” says Leonard. “There is no live COVID-19 virus in the vaccine – the messenger RNA is the only component of the virus introduced into the human body.”
The vaccine will infect me with the coronavirus.
MYTH:
FACT:
“While clinical trials are ongoing, thus far, there have been no major health-related complications in pediatric patients who have received the vaccine,” says Leonard.
In addition to these medical myths, some individuals are waiting to get the vaccine because they believe it’s very expensive, or they'll be turned away if they don’t have health insurance coverage.
The vaccine isn’t safe for children.
MYTH:
FACT:
“Vaccines have been paid for by the federal government and are provided at no cost. You don’t need to pay anything, and you don’t need insurance,” Oakes says.
I need health insurance to get the vaccine, otherwise it will be expensive.
MYTH:
MORE MYTHS ABOUT THE COVID-19 VACCINE:
Microsoft, King County, Overlake Medical Center and EvergreenHealth have formed a partnership called the King County Vaccination Partnership – Redmond. These groups worked together to open an inclusive, equitable vaccination site on the Microsoft Campus in Redmond.
“Rather than focus on our employees, dependents and vendors, we decided to open up our conference center to the community,” says Colleen Daly, group manager of Occupational Health, Safety and Research at Microsoft. “Microsoft buildings meet the Americans with Disabilities Act standards. Even so, we hired a consultant to check out the Microsoft Conference Center, which hosts the vaccine clinic, and we trained our staff based on the consultant’s recommendations.”
Daly, who is one of Microsoft’s first points of contact when a communicable disease arises, says on-site printed materials and signage are available in multiple languages, and medical interpretation is also available by phone or online in more than 200 languages.
The vaccination site is deeply connected to the surrounding community. To get the word out about the site and ensure equity, the partnership has coordinated with several community-based organizations, such as Redmond-based Centro Cultural Mexicano, and conducted more than 13,000 outreach calls.
Not sure where to get the vaccine?
“Staff at the Redmond site are dedicated to making sure we align with the principles of equity, access and inclusion that are fundamental to any effective community vaccination effort,” says Palazzo.
The Microsoft site in Redmond will stay open through the summer and into fall, Daly says.
Myths about the COVID-19 vaccine are everywhere. They are confusing and complicated, but the facts are clear: the COVID-19 vaccine is safe, effective and lifesaving for both you and others.
If you have concerns, please discuss them with your health care providers, Leonard says. And, online resources like the CDC and Johns Hopkins Medical provide myth-busting information that will help you know the difference between fact and fiction.
It’s all part of the same goal: getting the same vaccine that hundreds of millions around the US have already received, and ultimately, helping everyone return to normal life.
Oakes says it clearly: “Don’t be hesitant – get vaccinated for yourself, get vaccinated for your loved ones, get vaccinated to help get our lives back to normal, and get vaccinated so you can breathe freely.”