Opinion: Unvaccinated people needed vaccine information should get it from health-care providers, who should be proactive about it

By Dale Toney and Sarah Moyer

There’s no doubt it’s been an incredibly difficult year for health care providers around the world. Stories of nurses, doctors and other medical professionals battling Covid-19, and the firsthand accounts of its tragic impacts, are all too familiar.

Even those in health care who don’t work on the frontlines in emergency rooms and intensive-care units have worked hard to stay up to date on ever-changing recommendations and news all while serving as a trusted provider of information to patients, family and friends.

A recent poll for the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky found that the most trusted sources for Covid-19 vaccine information are physicians, pharmacists and health-department directors.

Earlier this year the Kentucky Medical Association partnered with other health care organizations to launch the "Take it From Me" campaign. The goal of this campaign is to encourage Kentuckians to trust in trained and informed medical professionals that the Covid-19 vaccine is safe and effective.

Now that mask mandates and capacity restrictions are lifted, those who are not yet vaccinated are at an even greater risk.

Even with almost half the Louisville population fully vaccinated, we are still seeing severe symptoms from and hospitalizations for Covid-19 in unvaccinated individuals.

Getting vaccinated reduces the likelihood of developing severe Covid-19 symptoms by 95 percent, and it reduces the likelihood of hospitalization from Covid-19 by 100%.

In an age where information is rapid and infinite, and with so much misinformation surrounding vaccines out there, there is no doubt why so many people feel overwhelmed or untrusting.

Those who are not yet vaccinated because they still have questions or concerns should seek out information from trusted health-care providers.

All this is to say, now that mask mandates and capacity restrictions are lifted, those who are not yet vaccinated are at an even greater risk.

Even with almost half the Louisville population fully vaccinated, we are still seeing severe symptoms from and hospitalizations for COVID-19 in unvaccinated individuals.

Getting vaccinated reduces the likelihood of developing severe COVID-19 symptoms by 95%, and it reduces the likelihood of hospitalization from COVID-19 by 100%.

In an age where information is rapid and infinite, and with so much misinformation surrounding vaccines out there, there is no doubt why so many people feel overwhelmed or untrusting.

Those who are not yet vaccinated because they still have questions or concerns should seek out information from trusted health care providers.

The Kentucky Medical Association and the Louisville Metro Department of Public Health and Wellness encourage the public to utilize the expertise of their health-care providers and the health department to get answers, gain clarity and increase confidence.

We also encourage health-care providers to proactively talk to their patients about the vaccine and, of course, to get vaccinated if you are not part of the 96% of physicians already vaccinated.

The bottom line is this: The Covid-19 vaccines were developed using safe, sound science.

Those who receive the vaccine are much less likely to contract Covid-19, much less likely to spread it to others, and much less likely to be hospitalized with symptoms if they do contract the virus (which is rare).

If you have questions about the various Covid-19 vaccines, please reach out to your doctor or the health department to get answers. We are here to give you the clarity you need. Today is the day to get your Covid-19 vaccine.

Dr. Dale Toney is president of the Kentucky Medical Association; Dr. Sarah Moyer is director of the Louisville Metro Department of Public Health and Wellness. This was first published in the Louisville Courier Journal.