Vaccine myths debunked by local doctors

PLATTSBURGH | The North Country Chamber of Commerce partnered up with Adirondack Regional Chamber of Commerce to host a COVID-19 Vaccine Safety panel discussion on May 11. Dr. William Borgos, the chief medical officer for Hudson Headwaters Health Network, Dr. Beth Bartos, a family medical specialist at Adirondack Health, Dr. Wouter Rietsema, the vice president of population health and information services as well as being the chief medical officer of the Adirondacks Accountable Care Organization, and Dr. Geoffrey Serfilippi, a pulmonology specialist and co-director of intensive care medicine at Glens Falls Hospital made up the panelists for this event. The discussion was aimed to address some concerns and myths revolving around the COVID-19 vaccination. One of the main topics addressed was why people are being so hesitant about getting the vaccination. "It's fear. It's fear of something. Fear of the government interference, fear of impact on women of childbearing age, lot's of fears many of which are not scientifically based but they're real nonetheless," Rietsema explained and went on to say, "The other is sort of just a laissez-faire attitude, and I think as you get into the younger populations you see that in people. They don't perceive that they're at much risk of covid overall, they don't preserve that even if they get covid they're at risk of any particular negative impact…." Bartos then addressed one of the more common conspiracy theories involving the vaccine, that it changes DNA. "There's the typical sort of conspiracy theory reasons, one patient was adamant that they're changing the DNA and it's experimental, the whole idea that it was given emergency passage is a big problem for a subset of people, they view that as being experimental and we're being experimented on," Bartos Serfilippi went on to address the fact that people may be concerned about the vaccine because they believed it was rushed. "I think that most people aren't aware of the fact that genetic based vaccination research really started in the 90s and this is initially DNA type research but now has progressed to RNA type vaccination research and I think this is really a story of where preparation meets opportunity and that's why it seems like these vaccines were rushed when in fact they were already in progress. When this SARS CoV virus epidemic occurred the medical research community was ready and prepared to move quickly once they knew the sequence of this virus. As far as cutting corners, the suspicion around this experimental nature of the vaccine, as science, people in science, and doctors they're well aware that this has been ongoing for quite a while. That's why they're not reluctant in any way shape or form to advise their patients, their family members to receive this vaccine. We know it's safe, we know it's effective," Serfilippi stated. Borgos added to the discussion by mentioning how much scrutiny went into the vaccines. "Clearly there's a myth out there that these vaccines are experimental, clearly not true. These are amongst the best studied vaccines ever put out there. They're under more scientific and media scrutiny again than any vaccines used," Borgos said. Questions about vaccine supply were also asked during the panel. "There is plenty of vaccine. We went from a situation of a supply problem, when everybody was clamoring, to now we have a demand problem. The remaining people are not demanding it as much and the supply is, there's plenty of it," said Rietsema. "If people are waiting for the FDA to approve this and not just for emergency use, it's coming, it's going to happen," Serfilippi added. While there are side effects from getting the vaccination, the most common one being a sore arm, the pros outweigh the cons according to Bartos. "The sore arm and the muscle pain will go away, but the effect of COVID if you survive may not, so it's still way better to get the vaccine," Bartos went on to add, "Everybody wants to have prom, and go back to sports, and see their family members. The more that we can get people vaccinated, the population vaccinated, the sooner that can happen."

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Vaccine myths debunked by local doctors

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