Dear Darke County Friends and Neighbors,
As your local healthcare providers, we would like to answer some questions you may have about the COVID-19 vaccine. By addressing concerns and misinformation surrounding the COVID-19 vaccine, we hope that you will find the following medically-validated facts and information helpful and educational.
Is the COVID-19 vaccine safe?
Yes. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), all COVID-19 vaccines currently available in the United States are safe and effective at preventing COVID-19. We wouldn’t recommend the vaccine if we didn’t believe it was safe and effective. In fact, nearly 93 percent of the locally practicing physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants have been vaccinated against COVID-19.
Can getting a COVID-19 vaccine make me sick with COVID-19?
No. None of the authorized COVID-19 vaccines currently available in the U.S. contains live virus. This means that the vaccine cannot make you sick with COVID-19.
What symptoms can I expect if I get the COVID-19 vaccine?
COVID-19 vaccines teach our immune systems how to recognize and fight the virus. Sometimes this process can cause symptoms, such as fever, body aches and chills. These symptoms are normal and are signs that the body is building protection against the COVID-19 virus. They’re also short-lived, lasting around one day for individuals who do experience symptoms.
I haven’t gotten the vaccine yet, why should I now?
In a pandemic, and we are still in a pandemic, the goal for all of us is to stay healthy. The fact is more than 578,000 Americans have died due to COVID-19. Tens of thousands of COVID-19 survivors continue to battle complications from the virus, including damage to their lungs, heart, and brain, which can lead to long-term health problems. Getting the vaccine now may protect you from these complications, and it may also protect people around you, particularly people at increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19.
Is it safe for me to get a COVID-19 vaccine if I would like to have a baby one day?
Yes. It is safe to get a COVID-19 vaccine if you’re trying to become pregnant now or in the future. There is currently no evidence that the COVID-19 vaccine causes infertility. If you are currently pregnant, we recommend talking to your pregnancy care provider if you are interested in the vaccine.
There are dozens of more questions that we cannot answer here, but you can get more information by visiting the CDC’s website at www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019- ncov/vaccines/keythingstoknow.html or by talking with your primary care provider.
If you are still worried that the COVID-19 vaccine is not right for you, we would welcome the opportunity to address your concerns. Your privacy is guaranteed, and all calls will be completely confidential and free.
-Darke County General Health District – Call 937-548- 4196 ext. 5
-Family Health – Call 937-548-9680
-Wayne HealthCare – Call 937-569-6413
Finally, we hope you will choose to be vaccinated as soon as possible because we believe the COVID-19 vaccine is safe and effective. Most importantly, it will protect the health of our friends and neighbors in this community that we all love and call home.
Thank You,
Darke County Healthcare Providers
