Important questions and answers on COVID Vaccinations

I talk with Deborah Stone-Walls, Executive on Aging, Maui County Office On Aging
808-270-7350

She answers common questions heard about Covid Vaccinations.

• 'll wait until they work the bugs out and make it better."
  • Researchers have actually been working on vaccines for this type of illness for several decades. Over time, they have become much better at identifying genomes--or genetic instructions. We see this in other aspects of our society such as forensics investigations. These days, we don't blink an eye when we learn that someone's DNA has linked them to a crime. We don't question it. We trust the science.
  • Just like using DNA to identify the perpetrator of a crime, scientists can identify the DNA of a virus an develop ways to teach our bodies how to fight that virus. So, although we did not know of the specifice COVID-19 DNA prior to last year, scientists DID know how to isolate the genome and develop a way to help our bodies fight it.
  • The truth is that these vaccines are incredibly effective and actually cannot get much better.
• "My good food will protect me."
  • It IS very important to eat well. Good nutrition can help ensure that our immune systems are in the best shape possible. However, our bodies have never had to fight off this illness before. Good nutrition doesn't provide the immune response needed to keep COVID from making us very ill or possibly dying. Only the vaccines can do that.
• "I've heard people get sick and die from the vaccine."
  • Over 500,000 people in America have died from COVID and millions have been hospitalized. While there are very limited instances of reactions to the vaccinations, the vast majority are short-lived and people fully recover. The likelihood of getting sick and dying from the illness is much greater. Of course, people should speak to their doctors--especially those who have experienced adverse allergic reactions in the past.