Vaccines soon!

A few people continue to have doubts about the COVID-19 vaccines --even though the evidence is that they are safe and effective.

It’s important to talk with friends and family who are worried about the vaccine about the need for everyone to get vaccinated so we can end the pandemic.

Arguing does not work. Instead, listen to their concerns, give them the facts, and then let them decide.

Most are eager to line up and do their part at slowing (and hopefully ending) the pandemic, yet others have been more reluctant.

Experts know from experience with other vaccination programs that reaching the first 50% of a country is the easiest part.

The second 50% gets tougher as there are difficult-to-reach populations. The most important public message is: "Get vaccinated as soon as you can."

Getting vaccinated is a tremendous service to yourself, your children, your co-workers, and your country.

It can seem difficult to try and convince each individual person that the COVID-19 vaccines are safe and also effective against illness and death.

There are three groups: people who accept vaccines, people who are anti-vaccine, and people who are undecided.

It’s important to get factual information to everyone, but many people have read misinformation on the internet.

We have found that hundreds of fear-based sensationalistic reports and videos have been coming from Russia and China. They wish to weaken our trust in our governments.

Now is the time to start looking at where you can get vaccinated and to help others get vaccinated.

We’re trying to prevent:

- COVID-19 and the new covid variants.

- COVID-19 transmission

- Severe COVID-19 cases that would require hospitalization or cause either long-term effects or death.

Richard Baker