Make wishtv.com your home page

Local doctor shares what you need to know about the COVID-19 vaccine

National reports show that vaccine scheduling is on the decline, and the numbers indicate the age of COVID-19 patients admitted to hospitals is trending younger. Joining us today was Dr. Indy Lane, OB-Gyn for Community Health Network physician and medical director for Fishers. She explained why that’s happening and educated us about vaccines. Here’s more from her:

There has been a steady, and concerning, increase in COVID-positive patients admitted to our hospitals the past 4-6 weeks.

Some reasons:

  • Complacency
  • COVID fatigue
  • Lack of access/time off work
  • Lack of trust

The average age of patients admitted for COVID is trending younger compared to the end of last year.

The COVID vaccine is now available to anyone 16 and older.

Getting the vaccine is far safer than getting COVID.

The virus is new, but researchers have been studying the family of coronaviruses for a decade.

The vaccine technology itself had been developed and was ready to be used for this purpose.

Part of clinical trials is to continue to study the effects. The J&J pause is a natural part of that process, once it was determined a rare number of people got blood clots after getting the vaccine. • The CDC and the FDA recommend resuming the use of the J & J vaccine.

There is an increased risk in a rare event called thrombosis in women under the age of 50.

Studies indicated the benefits outweigh the risk.

If you have any questions about that particular vaccine, you should always consult your doctor. • The J&J vaccine is a different technology than the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines.

We are hoping that with the drive-through clinics; and with the ‘walk-in’ model, it will provide easier access to get vaccinated.

The best way to protect yourself against COVID-19:

  • Hand washing
  • Wear a mask
  • Social distance
  • Get vaccinated

If you have access to the internet, visit OurShot.IN.gov, and if not, call 211 to learn more and sign up for your vaccination.

For more information also visit, eCommunity.com.