I’m an emergency doctor and that’s why you should get vaccinated

I am an emergency physician and actively treat COVID-19 and other front-line patients. We are on the rise with viral cases and many hospitals are close to capacity. Today I was vaccinated with the covid19 mRNA vaccine produced by Pfizer-BioNTech. I was vaccinated to protect myself, my family, my patients and the community. By doing this, I am helping to contribute to the immunity that will stop the pandemic. Anyone who does not have a contraindication to vaccination should be vaccinated. It’s your civic duty. We will need at least 50-70% of the population to be infected or immunized to stop the pandemic. One of the worst things you can do now is refuse to get the vaccine.

The United States currently has more than 17 million COVID-19 infections, more than any other country in the world. In addition, 315,000 deaths have been reported by the CDC – again, more than any other country in the world. Read on – and to ensure the health and well-being of others, don’t miss these things Signs that you already have coronavirus.

Getting the vaccine can help you save hundreds of thousands of lives

We cannot allow the continued spread of this deadly virus in the hope that it will eventually take its course. Allowing natural spread to ultimately cause immunity to the herd is a flawed concept that is not supported by the overwhelming majority of public health experts, epidemiologists or doctors. COVID-19 is thought to have an overall mortality rate of approximately 2% in some studies, which is 20 times the .1% seasonal influenza mortality rate. Other sources indicate that mortality may be lower at about 0.5 – 1% (still 5-10 times more deadly than seasonal flu). Many experts believe that the immunity of the herd would require 50-70% of the population to become infected.

The United States has about 330 million people. 50% of them are 165 million people. To obtain the herd’s immunity, at least 165 million people should be infected. Assuming the lowest mortality rate of only 0.5%, the immunity of the herd would lead to 825,000 deaths. If the mortality rate is actually 1%, it would translate into 1.65 million deaths and if the mortality rate is 2%, it would amount to 3.3 million deaths. Also, the elderly and patients with comorbid conditions would be disproportionately affected and die in large percentages (potential up to 14%).

These estimates are quite terrifying. However, there is a quick and effective option that will achieve the goals of herd immunity without unnecessary deaths: vaccination. By mass vaccination, we can end the terrible and destructive pandemic without massacring herd immunity through uncontrolled viral spread.

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The vaccine is safe

The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine currently has FDA authorization for emergency use and appears to be both effective and safe. It is a two-dose regimen, given 3 weeks apart. The companies submitted two months of safety data to the FDA and published a large prospective placebo-controlled study in New England Journal of Medicine. The study had around 43,000 participants. Patients received two doses of either placebo or mRNA vaccine.

Nearly 22,000 participants received the vaccine and it was 95% effective in preventing covid-19 one week after the second dose. The safety of the vaccine was very impressive. There have been no deaths or life-threatening events since the vaccine was administered. Most side effects occurred after the second dose. Some side effects included injection site pain, fever, fatigue, headache and chills. Usually, the symptoms were experienced within 3 days of vaccination and resolved quickly.

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Here’s who can get the vaccine

The vaccine is authorized for use in patients 16 years of age and older. The vaccine does not contain Thimerosal or any egg-based component. For pregnant or lactating women, the studies did not include this group in the test. However, the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology supports the vaccination of pregnant and lactating women. Pregnancy in particular appears to be a risk for severe covid19 and ACOG supports vaccination of pregnant women. Please consider this and consult your OB if you want to be vaccinated and pregnant or breastfeeding.

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Please join me to get vaccinated and help end the pandemic

I will receive the second dose of vaccine in three weeks. I hope that everyone who reads this makes the right choice and gets vaccinated. It is truly an important and important step towards ending the current pandemic and returning to normal. I hope that the unproven fears of vaccination do not frighten or influence the public by mass immunization and preventing the continued spread of the virus. With the authorization of this vaccine, we have really taken the first steps to end this terrible public health crisis worldwide. So get yours when it’s available to you, and to protect your life and the lives of others, don’t visit any of them. 35 places you most likely catch COVID.

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