COLUMBUS, Ohio — The responsibility is now yours. That's the message from the state's chief medical officer to get vaccinated.
Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff says more than five million Ohioans have been vaccinated so far and there's more work to be done to reach herd immunity.
“Look, the virus isn’t gone,” he said. “We need to remain vigilant and the best protection we have are these vaccines.”
As health orders are lifted, he said the responsibility to protect yourself and those you care about is now up to you.
However, children 11 and younger are still not able to get vaccinated against COVID-19, so until then, health experts say your child may still have to wear a mask in crowded or public places.
"We are one variant away from COVID being more serious in children,” said Dr. Patty Manning-Courtney from Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. “There's no way to predict that it can't be more harmful to children.”
Dr. Manning-Courtney said there were young patients with COVID-19 in the hospital, even as of Wednesday.
“It has been serious in some kids and there’s no guarantee it won’t be your child,” she said.
In a virtual news briefing Wednesday morning, Dr. Vanderhoff was joined by Dr. Manning-Courtney and Dr. Jeffrey Swartz, a family physician with Geriatrics Specialty at Mercy Health – Waterville Family Medicine.
Dr. Swartz said there is a need to talk with patients about the risk-benefit ratio of getting a COVID-19 vaccine.
“I think it’s unfortunate here that some people had a friend who had a bad reaction,” he said.
And then their personal story of their bad reaction, “spreads like wildfire.”
All three medical experts stressed the vaccine is safe and effective.
Dr. Vanderhoff added there are three common myths about the COVID-19 vaccines and he asked the public to help dispel those.
He said the first myth is that the vaccine is not free – and he said that is false. Sure, a provider may ask for your insurance information but the vaccines are free for anyone who needs one. He said another common myth is that vaccines will alter your DNA and again, that is false.
“I can assure you from a medical science point of view, there is absolutely no mechanism by which an MNRA vaccine could affect your DNA,” he said. “The answer to that is no.”
And the last point he said needs to be reinforced is that the COVID-19 vaccines were not developed in a rushed manner.
“No they were not rushed,” he said. “The trials were some of the largest trials ever in history.”
Dr. Vanderhoff went on to say, “having worked with vaccines my entire career….these vaccines are really just remarkable” when it comes to their safety and efficacy.
This media briefing comes ahead of the second 'Vax-a-Million' drawing scheduled for 7:29 p.m. Wednesday. Dr. Vanderhoff said today the incentive appears to be working.