by Vanessa Greene, CEO, Grand Rapids African American Health Institute
The Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) was first reported to the World Health Organization (WHO) in December 2019 due to an outbreak of respiratory illness cases in China. The first case in the United States was reported on January 20, 2020 and a few months later COVID- 19 was declared a global pandemic. It has consumed our daily lives and thoughts and has been the topic of conversation in every household and at every work and social gathering for two years. I know we are all experiencing COVID fatigue. We are tired of talking about it, watching everything we do and taking precautions every place we go. We are desperate to resume our normal lives free of masks and COVID protocols. However, there is hope. If we all do our part to mitigate this virus that has claimed the lives of over 750,000 Americans, we can beat this pandemic- we really can. There is a lot of controversy about the vaccine, but scientific and medical evidence shows that people who are fully vaccinated are less likely to become infected and develop symptoms and are at substantially reduced risk from severe illness and death from COVID-19 compared with unvaccinated people.
According to a recent report, published by the Mayo Clinic staff, below is the effectiveness of the Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson and Johnson vaccines:
Pfizer
● 91% effective at preventing the COVID-19 virus with symptoms in people age 16 and older
● Greater than 89% effective in preventing people with health conditions, such as diabetes or obesity, from developing the COVID-19 virus with symptoms
● 100% effective at preventing the COVID-19 virus in children ages 12 through 15 ● Appears to protect against severe COVID-19 due to COVID-19 variants
Moderna
● 94% effective at preventing the COVID-19 virus with symptoms
● Greater than 90% effective in preventing people with health conditions, such as diabetes or obesity, from developing the COVID-19 virus with symptoms
● Appears to protect against severe COVID-19 due to COVID-19 variants
Johnson & Johnson
● 66% effective at preventing the COVID-19 virus with symptoms
● 85% effective at preventing the COVID-19 virus with severe illness
● Appears to protect against severe COVID-19 due to COVID-19 variants
As I think about the 750,000 deaths, it is more than numerical data, these numbers represent real people: husbands, wives, mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, children, grandparents, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, friends and colleagues. Additionally, many people are suffering long term illnesses as a result of COVID, which impacts their entire family. I urge you to use your fatigue towards the fight to end this pandemic. The best scientific and medical defenses on mitigating this pandemic are getting the vaccine, wearing masks, social distancing, washing hands and using hand sanitizer. Yes, we are tired, scared and frustrated, but we must fight a little while longer to end this pandemic.
Join us in this fight today to help save lives!!
