YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WKBN) — The push to get the COVID-19 vaccine has been reinvigorated since the Delta variant showed up, and statistics show that over 90% of hospitalizations are now among the unvaccinated.
Every social media post about the vaccine garners a slew of comments from those who took the shot and those who say they are going to pass.
We all know the vaccine protects you against COVID-19 and offers protection against the Delta variant. For those who are vaccinated and end up getting a breakthrough case of COVID-19, the symptoms are typically mild.
How much of a risk are you taking by not getting the vaccine? Reports show that most who get COVID-19 suffer mild symptoms and some may not even know they have it. Also, the recovery rate is pretty high at over 90%. But one of the big reasons behind the push to get vaccinated is not that you might get seriously ill, but that you may carry it to some who could. That’s been the message all along.
Now, with the Delta variant impacting younger people and putting school-age children at risk, the need to get vaccinated has less to do with how sick any one person will get, but protecting others – and keeping cases down will allow schools and businesses to stay open.
The risk of getting COVID-19 may also depend on whether or not you live in a hotspot – states like Arkansas, Florida, Louisiana, Missouri and Nevada are seeing new cases spike as the delta variant continues to spread in U.S. communities.
Dr. Gregory Poland, of the Mayo Clinic, is a leading expert on vaccines. In a recent interview with WTSP in Tampa, Poland said the Delta variant “will find you.”
Poland said many people have a false sense of security if they are not vaccinated and have not yet gotten COVID-19.
He is also worried about children too young to get the vaccine and teens whose parents are on the fence.
Many hesitant to get the COVID-19 vaccine are worried about side effects and some deadly interactions.
The Centers for Disease Control says there are two serious types of health problems after vaccination, both of which are rare. These are anaphylaxis and thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome (TTS) after vaccination with J&J/Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine.
According to the CDC, a small number of people have had a severe allergic reaction (called “anaphylaxis”) after vaccination. Anaphylaxis can occur after any vaccination. If this occurs, vaccination providers have medicines available to effectively and immediately treat the reaction.
After you get a COVID-19 vaccine, you will be asked to stay for 15 to 30 minutes so you can be observed in case you have a severe allergic reaction and need immediate treatment.
After receiving the J&J/Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine, there is a risk for a rare but serious adverse event—blood clots with low platelets (thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome, or TTS). There are other COVID-19 vaccines available for which this risk has not been seen.
Women younger than 50 years old should especially be aware of their increased risk for this rare adverse event. This adverse event is rare, occurring at a rate of about 7 per 1 million vaccinated women between 18 and 49 years old. For women 50 years and older and men of all ages, this adverse event is even more rare.
The one thing doctors and public health officials are all emphasizing, however, is that the people showing up seriously ill at hospitals with COVID, or ultimately dying from the virus, are almost all patients who didn’t get the vaccine before they tested positive.