ABOVE PHOTO: Inserts – Dr. Paul Offit (Photo/chop.edu) and Dr. Denise A. Johnson (Photo/prnewswire.com)
Pennsylvania Department of Health Acting Physician General Dr. Denise Johnson and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia director of the Vaccine Education Center and professor of pediatrics Dr. Paul Offit developed a video resource for Pennsylvanians answering questions about vaccine safety.
Anyone can access and share this video resource, which already has more than 26,000 views on Facebook and PAcast (https://pacast.com/players/cmsplayerHD.asp).
“The COVID-19 vaccines are proven to be safe and effective, however, it’s normal to have questions about them,” Johnson said. “With so much information and misinformation out there, access to reliable and trusted sources can help you make the best decision for you and your family. Vaccines are the best tools we have to protect against COVID-19, especially with the delta variant and other strains of the virus. It’s essential that we continue to inform and educate Pennsylvanians about the COVID-19 vaccines, because good information leads to good decisions.”
In this video, Johnson and Offit review the vaccine approval process through the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, including the Emergency Use Authorization. Pennsylvanians requested information on how reporting vaccine data through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System works to enhance vaccine safety.
Additionally, discussion includes information on the increasing scientific data on the safety of vaccines for children and pregnant people. They cover another highly requested topic regarding the effectiveness of the vaccine against variants, with a highlighted focus on effectiveness against the delta variant.
“We have our golden ticket out of this pandemic and that’s the vaccine,” Offit said. “There is no good reason not to get a vaccine. Get it. Protect yourself and those you come in contact with. We can end this and go back to life as we lived it before this pandemic, but not until that happens.”
The Department of Health is working to ensure the vaccine is provided in a way that is ethical, equitable and efficient to all Pennsylvanians:
All Pennsylvanians age 12 and older are eligible to schedule a COVID-19 vaccine. Use Vaccine Finder at: www.pa.gov/guides/get-vaccinated/#Step1FindaVaccineProvider to find a COVID-19 vaccine provider near you.
A Commonwealth COVID-19 vaccination guide explains the current process for getting one. Pennsylvanians with questions about the vaccination process can call the Department of Health hotline at 1-877-724-3258.
Vaccine dashboard data can also be found on the website at: www.health.pa.gov/topics/disease/coronavirus/Vaccine/Pages/Vaccine.aspx in order to find out more information on the doses administered and demographic information.
In addition, The Unite Against COVID Weekly Update (www.pa.gov/covid/newsletter) is a round-up of news you can use and answers to your most pressing vaccine questions – delivered directly to your inbox every week.
Frequently asked questions can be found here: www.health.pa.gov/topics/disease/coronavirus/Vaccine/Pages/FAQs.aspx.
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