The COVID vaccines work—but only if people get them. With cases rising across the United States, tackling vaccine hesitancy is our biggest challenge.
“The number of new coronavirus cases is increasing in every state,”reports The New York Times, with around 26,000 new cases per day, compared to 11,000 per day less than one month ago.
Infections remain low in parts of the U.S. with high vaccination rates—“but the picture is different in pockets of the country where residents are vaccinated at lower rates,” with cases higher in parts of Arkansas and Missouri now than they were in the winter.
In Arkansas, for example: “Among the 25 counties with the sharpest increases in cases, all but one had vaccinated under 40 percent of residents, and 16 had vaccinated under 30 percent, a New York Times analysis found.”
“This is becoming a pandemic of the unvaccinated,”said CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky during a briefing on Friday.
One big reason why: misinformation,says a new report from the U.S. Surgeon General. “Misinformation has caused confusion and led people to decline COVID-19 vaccines, reject public health measures such as masking and physical distancing, and use unproven treatments.”
But some people have valid questions they feel remain unanswered.BIO partnered with Dr. Lisa Fitzpatrick of Grapevine Health to find out what real people think—and questions range from how long immunity will last, to what’s in the vaccines.
“The truth is, the vaccinations help prevent hospitalizations and death,”said Dr. Lisa. “So when it’s your turn, you have to decide your risk for you, your family, and your community.”
BIO is working hard to answer these questions and address hesitancy, by training spokespeople to promote vaccine acceptance among hesitant communities as well as answering questions at www.COVIDVaccineFacts.org.
More Health Care News:
NBC News: COVID vaccines for kids under 12 expected midwinter, FDA official says
“After emergency use authorization, the agency hopes to move quickly to full approval.”