Separate Vaccine Fact from Fiction
MEDICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH UPDATE
As the coronavirus vaccine rolls out, I’m fielding a lot of questions about its safety.
I get it. People want to understand the science and their unique risks. Some people are nervous and seek extra reassurance from their doctors. Some people latch onto pieces of misinformation like a child to its blanket. Some people use anecdotes from the internet to justify their reservations. Others are categorically opposed to getting the vaccine.
It’s important to understand and listen to these folks. They are our friends, family, and neighbors! Moreover, most people who are hesitant about getting the vaccine are NOT anti-vaxxers. Usually they’re just worried.
Of course there are other, sometimes deep-rooted cultural and historical reasons why people decline vaccination. Just look at the infamous Tuskegee trials to understand why many Black Americans distrust the medical profession and, specifically, vaccines. Or consider certain religious communities who maintain that prayer is most effective when not combined with medicine.
Yet it’s worth noting that anxiety alone—practically a universal health condition at the moment—can accentuate peoples’ concerns about the vaccine. Anxiety can distort our thinking. For example, the death of a Florida man who received the vaccine—while tragic and deserving of a full investigation—should not negate the robust safety data from tens of thousands of vaccine trial recipients who have done beautifully and have achieved 95% immunity to COVID-19. We have zero proof that the vaccine caused this man’s death, yet an anxious mind can easily confuse an anecdote with proof.
It’s also easy to dismiss scientific data when it doesn’t fit with our “worry narrative.” Some of us are so used to our internal anxiety monologue that it can feel more comfortable to give in to it. Anxiety thrives when it’s given a home.
Sometimes questions about vaccine safety aren’t even about the vaccine itself; it’s the anxious brain seeking comfort for comfort’s sake.
Here’s the problem: while worries are understandable, but we need to trust science and get vaccinated.
Because shaming doesn’t change hearts and minds (and because people are entitled to their beliefs), listening should be the first step toward helping someone make an informed decision about their health.
Since I can’t meet with all of you in person, I was happy to talk with NBC’s Doreen Gentzler about common vaccine myths and misinformation. I hope you’ll give it a watch.
And for more fun facts about the vaccine, the new coronavirus variants, and a lot more, here is Monday's live COVID-19 Q & A with me and Dr. Ackerly.
I will see you next week. Until then, be well.