Augusta Health issued a public statement Tuesday advocating public acceptance of the COVID-19 vaccines as the “clearest and most direct path to ending the pandemic.”
“In keeping with our mission, we firmly believe COVID-19 vaccines are the key to promoting our community’s health in a dangerous time,” the statement emphasizes.
The statement comes as there has been increasing chatter on social media questioning the efficacy of the vaccines.
“While we understand there may be concerns regarding the success and reliability of a COVID-19 vaccine, every vaccine approved by the FDA requires adherence to the most rigorous standards and indisputable data attesting to effectiveness and safety. Because of this, we have the utmost confidence in the science and soundness of the COVID-19 vaccines we have received,” the statement from Augusta Health relates.
“The surplus of both true and false information being disseminated by various outlets can make the choice to receive the vaccine difficult. We understand and empathize with those concerns. Yet these past weeks have proven that COVID-19 vaccines can be administered safely and rapidly.”
The COVID-19 vaccines do cause expected symptoms of an immune response very much like a flu shot, such as a sore arm, fatigue, body aches, and occasional fever.
“Instances of severe adverse reactions are exceedingly rare, and we will continue to report and participate in the vaccine side-effect monitoring that is occurring through the CDC,” the statement from Augusta Health continues.
For more information on vaccine safety, visit Augusta Health’s COVID-19 FAQ page.