Later today, I’ll be receiving my first dose of the COVID Vaccine. Since I see COVID patients every day in my office and in the hospital, I’ve been designated in category 1A by the CDC. My office also has been working with our local hospital (Salem Regional Medical Center) and with our local health departments, and I’m very thankful for that.
Last night, I recorded the video above sharing some thoughts and observations prior to receiving my first dose of COVID Vaccine. I’ve been seeing some trends on social media and in the conversations that I’ve been having with patients, over the past week when first seeing health care workers posting their vaccine selfies
First off, I’ve heard from a lot of patients about their hesitancy on getting the COVID Vaccine. And, please believe me when I say that I do get it, and I do understand the hesitancy. Like many other people in the health care community, we have been talking about this vaccine for months. However, I understand that most people in the general public may not have been following the development, testing, and distribution, as much as I have.
However, I also talk to many of my patients about an outright fear of the vaccine, and this paralyzes them, and this really prevents them from considering receiving this important vaccine. In my discussions with patients, I encourage them to talk to me about it, and I encourage people to talk to their Family Physician about their concerns. In addition, I encourage people to check out reputable websites to get more information. In this video, I mention a website from my professional organization the American Academy of Family Physicians.
Finally, I caution the general public not to misinterpret enthusiasm and excitement for the COVID Vaccine, to translate into bullying the general public into getting the vaccine. I definitely understand many people’s points of view of vaccine hesitancy. However, I also ask that population to understand the point of view of many health care workers, in what we have seen during the COVID-19 pandemic, namely the illness, the sickness, and death associated with COVID-19. And, for many health care workers, including myself, this vaccine represents a shot of hope to get us through and out of this pandemic. I hope you’re able to check out my video above. Happy Holidays!