By Dr. James Earhart, Ascension Medical Group Providence
November 17, 2021
We are local physicians and nurse practitioners who live and work here in our community. Many of you may know our names or know us personally, as we may have taken care of you or your loved ones over the years. You see us at church, the grocery store and at social and sporting events. Our children have gone to school together. We care deeply about our community.
We are all extremely different human beings who vary in our backgrounds, experiences and political opinions. We may root against each others’ sports teams. We may vote for different candidates and different political parties. One thing we all have in common, however, is frustration and despair about the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
From the moment COVID-19 emerged in the United States, we have all been asked to make sacrifices to protect ourselves, our families and our neighbors from this terrible virus. At Ascension – and health systems everywhere – our caregivers have worked long hours on the front lines to care for those afflicted with the worst symptoms of the virus.
And we know every member of our communities has struggled right alongside those of us on the front lines. We have weathered lockdowns, mask mandates and social distancing. Our children have struggled to adapt to distance learning and we have missed out on countless opportunities to be with family and friends.
As healthcare providers, we understand that long periods of difficulty, like the past 18 months, can result in a deep sense of uncertainty in many of us. So it is understandable that many members of our community have real, legitimate questions about the COVID-19 vaccines.
As physicians who have cared for families in our community for many years, we received the vaccine a few months ago when it became available, as did the members of our families. Since then we have been encouraging patients, colleagues, friends and everyone else to get the vaccine.
With more than 400 million COVID-19 vaccine doses given in this country over the past 10 months, we believe the COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective. But, even with all the information that has been shared about the vaccines, there are still a lot of pressing questions. And that’s OK. It is good to ask questions about your health. We are hopeful we can address some of these questions, ease your concerns and encourage you to join us in receiving a COVID-19 vaccine.
Here are some of the questions we hear most frequently from our patients:
Question: Will the vaccine make me sick with COVID-19?
Answer: No, the vaccine will NOT give you COVID-19. None of the authorized and recommended COVID-19 vaccines or COVID-19 vaccines currently in development in the United States contain the live virus that causes COVID-19. This means that a COVID-19 vaccine cannot make you sick with COVID-19.
Question: Does the COVID-19 vaccine cause infertility in women?
Answer: There is no evidence that COVID-19 vaccination causes any problems with pregnancy, including the development of the placenta. In addition, there is no evidence that female or male fertility problems are a side effect of any vaccine, including COVID-19 vaccines.
Question: Will the COVID-19 mRNA vaccines alter my DNA?
Answer: No, your DNA will not and cannot be altered by these vaccines. COVID-19 mRNA vaccines do not change or interact with your DNA in any way. According to vaccination experts, mRNA (or messenger RNA) never enters the nucleus of the cell, which is where our DNA (genetic material) is kept. The mRNA vaccines “teach” our cells how to make a protein that triggers an immune response inside our bodies. That immune response, which produces antibodies, is what protects us from getting infected if the real virus enters our bodies.
Question: Are the side effects of the COVID-19 vaccine dangerous?
Answer: Sometimes after vaccination, the process of building immunity can cause symptoms, such as fever, body ache, headache and fatigue. These symptoms are normal as the body is building immunity. Symptoms are typically mild to moderate in severity, occur within the first three days of vaccination, and resolve within 1-3 days of onset. Severe side effects are very uncommon. The benefits of vaccination and community immunity far outweigh the risk of side effects from vaccination.
Question: If I’ve already had COVID-19, do I need a vaccine?
Answer: Every eligible person should get vaccinated regardless of whether they have already had COVID-19. We do not yet know how long a person is protected from getting sick again after recovering from COVID-19, which is why it is important to get vaccinated to prevent further illness and/or hospitalization. It’s also not known how well natural immunity from a prior COVID-19 infection will protect you from one of the new variants of the virus.
Question: Did scientists rush vaccine development? Can we trust its effectiveness and safety?
Answer: All vaccines require extensive research, documentation and closely monitored clinical trials to determine effectiveness and safety before being submitted by pharmaceutical companies for approval. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is responsible for ensuring the safety, effectiveness and availability of vaccines in the United States. Since the emergency use authorization (EUA) of three COVID-19 vaccines in use in the U.S., 185 million U.S. residents have received at least one dose.
The development of a safe and effective vaccine has been a critical part of the world’s effort to stop the spread of COVID-19. And as the pandemic continues to affect people worldwide, the vaccine is our best chance to finally defeat this virus and return to the moments and social activities we miss.
We understand you may still have questions, so we implore you to talk to your doctor. Get the answers you need, and please get vaccinated.
The following Ascension Medical Group Providence practitioners also contributed to this article: Dr. Christopher Teague, Dr. Jason Bauerschlag, Dr. Jeremiah Seely, Dr. Jonathan Seale, Dr. Wesley Marshall, and family nurse practitioners Kimberly Thornhill, Rebeka Calhoun and Sarah Urban.
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