We get it. Its human nature to want to know what you’re putting into your body. Is it safe? Is it healthy? Is it proven to work?
Vaccinations often prompt these very questions. As medical professionals, we want you to know it’s normal to speculate about the potential risk of getting vaccinated, and we encourage you to do your research so you can make informed decisions about your health.
Unfortunately, with COVID-19 cases again rising across the U.S. due to the delta variant, time is of the essence. If you’re still on the fence about the COVID-19 vaccine, here are a list of reasons we – as your trusted care providers and fellow humans – encourage you consider getting vaccinated.
No, the vaccine can’t guarantee you won’t get COVID-19. But it will keep you out of the hospital.
Is there a small chance you’ll contract COVID-19 even if you’ve been fully vaccinated? The answer is “yes”. You may hear this and ask yourself, “Well then, what’s the point?” The critical thing to remember is that similar to the flu, a vaccination won’t necessarily keep you from getting sick, but it will prevent you from becoming severely, or even fatally, ill.
The only sure way to stop the spread of COVID-19 is for the vast majority of individuals to become fully vaccinated. That way, no matter who contracts the virus or who passes it to another, we can avoid life-threatening consequences. To this point, choosing to receive the vaccine is much more than a personal decision – it’s a decision to protect your loved ones, neighbors, fellow employees and community.
The vaccines are relatively new. The science, research and testing behind them is not.
Everything we do is backed by proven, scientific data and clinical trials performed across diverse populations to ensure your safety. Just as you trust us to intervene in an emergency, deliver babies, fight cancer and heal broken bones, you can trust our commitment to delivering safe and effective vaccinations.
In addition to the decades of research that contributed to their development, COVID-19 vaccines continue to undergo intensive safety monitoring to ensure your protection. Millions of Americans have been fully vaccinated without issue. Rest assured, your well-being has, and always will be, our first priority.
Fully vaccinated = freedom.
Being kept from the people and things we love can be emotionally draining. The limited human connection we experienced for the past 16 months may have been necessary, but it wasn’t easy – for anyone.
Once fully vaccinated, we have the freedom to resume activities and interactions we enjoyed before the pandemic. In fact, some concert venues, sports arenas, restaurants, gyms, cruise lines, and more are practicing increased caution by requiring proof of vaccination to enter. Others have policies requiring unvaccinated individuals to wear a mask.
For your mental and emotional health, we strongly encourage you to punch your ticket back to the life you love by becoming vaccinated. This is our opportunity to return to normalcy.
Believe it or not, vaccine side effects are a good sign.
You cannot, and will not, get COVID-19 from getting vaccinated, but you may encounter a few mild side effects. Not only will these symptoms clear up within a day or two, but they’re actually indicative that the vaccine is doing its job. Side effects are a natural response to your body’s immune system learning, recognizing – and most importantly, fighting – the virus.
Common side effects include pain at the injection site, tiredness, headache, chills and fever. These symptoms should not cause alarm, can be alleviated with over-the-counter pain medications, and will go away within a few days. If you do not encounter a reaction, on the other hand, not to worry. Everyone reacts differently as their immune system responds to the vaccine.
The recommendation to be vaccinated is unanimous across credible health institutions worldwide.
In doing your research, you will find that ThedaCare is just one of many leading health systems, organizations and agencies in support of widespread vaccination. That’s because we know the authorization, approval, safety monitoring, distribution, allocation and administration of the vaccine has been thoughtfully executed with your best interests at heart.
There is a lot of misinformation circulating online, and it can be difficult to know what is real and what is not. As a general rule of thumb, you should focus on content written, approved, and regularly updated by subject matter experts, including physicians, researchers, epidemiologists and analysts. To help you discern which information is accurate, we invite you to learn how you can separate myth from fact, based on medical expertise from some of the nation’s top health institutions:
If you have additional questions or are still hesitant about receiving the COVID-19 vaccine, consult your primary care provider for trusted advice. Once you’re ready to be vaccinated, visit your MyThedaCare account to find the location and appointment time most convenient for you.
