The COVID-19 pandemic has caused tremendous disruption in each of our lives. North Hills Family Medicine cares deeply about your health and well-being. That’s why we encourage our patients to get a COVID-19 vaccine as soon as possible. Getting vaccinated can bring you one step closer to enjoying the activities you miss. It is one of the most important things you can do to help protect yourself and your loved ones from this disease. Everyone 12 years of age and older is now eligible to get a COVID-19 vaccination. Here are some of my answers to questions I’ve heard most often from patients: Why should I get vaccinated? COVID-19 can cause serious illness or even death. There’s no way to know how COVID-19 will affect you. And if you get sick, you could spread the disease to family, friends, and others around you. COVID-19 vaccination is an important tool to help us stop the pandemic and get back to normal. Are COVID-19 vaccines effective at preventing the disease? All COVID-19 vaccines available in the United States are effective at preventing the disease. Getting a COVID-19 vaccine will also help keep you from getting seriously ill even if you do get COVID-19. Are the COVID-19 vaccines safe? COVID-19 vaccines are safe. Over 100 million people in the United States are fully vaccinated. COVID-19 vaccines have undergone the most intensive safety monitoring in U.S. history, and scientists are continuing to monitor their safety. Will the shot make me sick? Will I have side effects? You may have side effects after vaccination, but these are normal signs that your body is building protection. The most common side effects are pain, redness, and swelling in the arm where you got the shot, tiredness, headache, muscle pain, chills, fever, and nausea. If you have these side effects, they should go away within a few days. Serious safety problems are rare. But if you are concerned about them, please contact the clinic. There are many places where you can get vaccinated, and it’s 100% free. You can Visit the Catalyst Health Network Vaccine Hub Visit TX DSHS COVID-19 Vaccine Finder Visit vaccines.gov or www.vacunas.gov to find vaccines near you. Text your zip code to 438829 (GETVAX) or 822862 (VACUNA), or call 1-800-232-0233 to find vaccine locations. Call your local pharmacy or visit your local health department website.  

MYTH: I will have to pay for the COVID-19 vaccine or I need to have insurance. FACT: No. All vaccines are free to the public under the CARES Act (Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security). Any charges that are incurred for administration of the vaccine will be paid by your insurance company or the federal government’s Provider Relief Fund. Adapted from: UT Southwester Medical Center. MYTH: If I’ve already had COVID-19, I don’t need a vaccine. FACT: People who have gotten sick with COVID-19 should still receive a COVID-19 vaccine. Currently, we do not know how long natural immunity, or immunity from having COVID-19, will last and it is possible to be re-infected. Additionally, some studies have suggested that the immunity from the vaccine is better protection than the natural protection. Clinical trials will continue to monitor patients over the next 2 years, and we should have additional data in the next 6 months.  Adapted from: American Academy of Family Physicians and John Hopkins Medicine. MYTH: The vaccine research was rushed, so it cannot be safe or effective. FACT: There is a well-established testing and clinical trial process that must be followed for the FDA to consider approving a vaccine. No steps were rushed or skipped in the creation of the COVID-19 vaccines. Clinical trials for the COVID-19 vaccines were done with the same rigor applied to all vaccine trials, and the results were reviewed and approved by multiple independent advisory panels. Increased collaboration, use of new technology and more funding meant that vaccine developers could work quickly during this pandemic. For these COVID-19 vaccines, the research was performed concurrently, rather than consecutively, and the wait times for review of the research were substantially reduced through Operation Warp Speed, a federal program that invested in development and manufacturing of the vaccines.  Adapted from: John Hopkins Medicine and UT Southwester Medical Center. MYTH: Political factors influenced the vaccine authorization process. FACT: An independent board of experts reviewed the trial and testing data. Career scientists – not politicians – at the FDA review the clinical trial data after receiving the recommendation from the independent monitoring board. And all of the clinical trial information will also be published in peer-reviewed journals, so the process is transparent and verifiable.  Adapted from: UT Southwester Medical Center. MYTH: The COVID-19 vaccines contain a microchip. FACT: No, the COVID-19 vaccines do not contain any microchip or any electric components. This false rumor started after comments about digital vaccine records. State electronic immunization records help patients and physicians track vaccines they have received. There are no electronic components in the vaccines. The mRNA, lipids (fat bubble), salts and other stabilizing agents are routinely used in other medicines.  Adapted from: American Academy of Family Physicians. MYTH: Getting the vaccine gives you COVID-19. FACT: The vaccine for COVID-19 cannot give you COVID-19. The vaccine for COVID-19 cannot and will not give you COVID-19. The two authorized mRNA vaccines instruct your cells to reproduce a protein that is part of the…