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Why Should I Be Vaccinated

Why Should I be Vaccinated for COVID-19?

Millions of doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered to individuals in the United States. However, many Americans remain hesitant to receive the vaccine for various reasons. While it is understandable to have questions, many of the reasons for delaying or avoiding vaccination are based on faulty or partial information.

Ten Reasons for COVID-19 Vaccination

There are many important reasons to be vaccinated for COVID-19. Consider these ten important points:

  1. COVID-19 is a potentially fatal disease and vaccination is one of the best means you have of protecting yourself and your loved ones. Because COVID-19 spreads so easily, it has been a contributing factor in more than a half-million American deaths, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). What’s more, the disease’s effects sometimes linger for weeks or months after the initial infection, or turn into “Long COVID.” Being vaccinated is a safeguard against these health threats. Learn more about Long COVID here. 
  2. Widespread vaccination is one key to ending the COVID-19 pandemic in the U.S. Many Americans are tiring of the social isolation and masking that comes with some of the pandemic's important protective measures. Widespread vaccination is the best single tool we have for returning daily life and the economy back to normal.
  3. COVID-19 vaccines have been thoroughly tested. The currently available COVID-19 vaccines were developed in record time to meet a serious, nationwide medical emergency. That doesn’t mean, however, that they weren’t rigorously tested. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) oversaw clinical trials for each of the vaccines. For example, more than 43,000 persons at 150 sites were involved in the randomized clinical trial for the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine prior to its full approval by the FDA. Further, the mRNA vaccine technology has been in progress for many decades. 
  4. COVID-19 vaccines have been shown to be effective. Clinical trials for the approved vaccines showed them to be effective against COVID-19 infection. For example, the two-shot Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines demonstrated a 94-95 percent success rate against the initial form of the disease. These vaccines continue to show efficacy against mitigating the most serious effects of the Delta Variant. 
  5. COVID-19 vaccines have been shown to be safe. Although it is normal to be concerned about the potential side effects of a drug or medication, there is ample scientific evidence that the COVID-19 vaccines are safe for most individuals. Millions of Americans have been immunized and the percentage reporting adverse effects is small. Most of what is reported is relatively minor – pain at the injection site, headache, fever, chills, fatigue, or nausea – and only briefly evident. More serious side effects are very rare.
  6. COVID-19 vaccines work with your body’s immune system, not against it. Some people have expressed a concern that the currently available COVID-19 vaccines are an experimental form of medical treatment known as gene therapy. This is not the case. The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines utilize a messenger-RNA (mRNA) immune strategy while Johnson & Johnson uses a viral-vector form of treatment. All three help prime your body’s natural defenses against the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes COVID-19. None of them alter your genes.
  7. COVID-19 vaccines were developed by private firms and not the government. It is important to note that all the COVID-19 vaccines have been developed by private firms. The government’s role has been limited to coordinating the response to this public-health emergency, chiefly by financing vaccine development and distribution, and supporting its safety and effectiveness. 
  8. COVID-19 vaccines are available to every medically eligible American adult, regardless of ability to pay. Some people are more at risk for COVID-19 than others, but everyone is being affected by it. COVID-19 vaccines are available to every American at no personal cost, regardless of income or other criteria. The only exceptions are for medical reasons, for example, for those individuals who are known to be allergic to one or more of the ingredients in the vaccine or otherwise medically ineligible.
  9. Local healthcare organizations are at the forefront of vaccine delivery. Baptist Health has been at the forefront of supporting our communities throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. If you have any questions about COVID-19 vaccination, ask the healthcare heroes in your local community. They will be happy to listen and provide medical guidance.
  10. Protect yourself against the Delta Variant. As the pandemic evolves, so does COVID-19. The Delta Variant is a particularly concerning variant due to its contagious nature. Thus far, vaccination appears to protect the majority of persons against the variant's most serious effects. Vaccination, again, provides an important safeguard. 

We’re Committed to Helping End the COVID-19 Crisis

We, at Baptist Health, are proud to play a role in ending the COVID-19 pandemic through the administration of a safe and effective vaccination program. Get vaccinated with one of three vaccines currently approved for use in the U.S. by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). You can click here to schedule your vaccine if you reside in Kentucky and here, if you reside in Indiana.