ALBANY – Albany County Health Commissioner made a direct appeal on Friday to individuals who are still undecided about vaccination, arguing that vaccines are the fastest route to normal and critical, as coronavirus cases have started to stabilize and even increase in other parts of the state, country and globe.
Dr. Elizabeth Whalen addressed the increase in cases seen elsewhere – which scientists believe are being fueled by highly contagious variants and relaxed precautions – while recognizing the general reduction that the county has seen in cases since mid-January.
“It is comforting that our number of cases is decreasing, but it is still not low enough for us to go over,” she said. “They are not low enough for people to say, ‘Well, the numbers are dropping, I may not need to be vaccinated.’ “
The Capital Region, like much of the rest of the country, saw a sharp drop in cases, hospitalizations and deaths, as the three reached high levels in January. But in the past month, those declines have subsided, and cases have been on a plateau for weeks.
The eight-county region has averaged about 200 confirmed cases of the virus a day since mid-February, shows a Times Union analysis of county data. The region’s seven-day positivity rate has also been stagnant at 2% or close to 2% since mid-February. Although hospitalizations have generally declined since mid-January, they have also started to stagnate this month. Capital Region hospitals have been carrying out a daily census of about 100 coronavirus patients since March 9.
“We are seeing a third wave in other countries,” said Whalen on Friday. “The term ‘third wave’ is not something we want to think about, but it is definitely a possibility and, as we see these highly transmissible strains emerging and spread across different parts of the country and in other countries, this is a major concern for us. “
In the Northeast, officials are concerned that a variant discovered in New York City may be slowing the rate of falling positivity rates, as cases have reached high levels in some places. Meanwhile, the White House chief medical advisor, Dr. Anthony Fauci, warned this week that the United States should learn from Europe, where a new wave of cases is being observed in some countries, and avoid lifting public health restrictions. too early.
Whalen said there are two main ways to prevent a third wave of infections.
The first is all the public health care that people have been advised to take from the beginning: wear a mask when in public, keep your distance, wash your hands frequently and avoid large meetings. The second is to be vaccinated.
“There are a lot of people who are trying to get vaccines,” she said. “There are people who are committed to never taking vaccines. But there are many of you who are in the middle and these are the people I would like to talk to about the importance of having confidence in this vaccine. “
Coronavirus vaccines that have been approved for emergency use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration have proven to be safe and effective during clinical trials, she noted. Unlike online misinformation, vaccines do not alter a person’s DNA and do not provide COVID-19, she said.
Whalen said that she herself was vaccinated with the Modern vaccine.
“I really want to encourage people that when it comes time to get vaccinated, please sign up and get vaccinated, it is the best way to move on … I would not vaccinate or encourage family members to be vaccinated unless I believed it was safe, unless I had reviewed the scientific evidence, ”she said. “And I will say without reservation that I recommend vaccination.”
She noted that side effects may occur after vaccination, but added that this is a normal response that indicates that the body’s immune system is accelerating to learn how to fight COVID-19.
She also advised people to be careful about where they are getting information about vaccines and recommended that they look for reliable information on the county’s Department of Health website, on the state Department of Health website, or on the Control and Prevention Centers website. of Diseases.
“Facebook is not a reliable source of information about vaccines. … When we talk about evidence, when I talk about providing the public with evidence-based information, it’s important to know that evidence doesn’t equate to anecdotes … it means that the evidence brings the experience of a large group of people statistically significant and says that is risk, “she said.” The anecdote, by contrast, is a story about someone who told him about his personal experience. There is a big difference. “
Local counties are making progress in their vaccination efforts. On Friday, just over 29 percent of people living in the Capital Region of eight counties received at least one dose of the vaccine and nearly 15 percent were fully vaccinated, state data show. Experts say at least 70% of the population must be immune to achieve collective immunity.
Whalen and other local officials are also reminding people that full protection with vaccines does not occur until two weeks after the last dose.
“We see people taking the first dose of the vaccine and thinking that they can go out and not wear masks and act normally and socialize, and then we see them taking COVID,” said Whalen. “This is not uncommon, unfortunately. So, know that your body takes time to build these antibodies. “
Although vaccines are highly effective in preventing moderate to severe illnesses caused by the virus, it is possible that vaccinated people still carry the virus and spread it to others, which is why authorities recommend that vaccinated people wear masks and distance themselves while they are away. close to other people. that cannot be vaccinated.
Warren County said on Thursday that it documented two cases of coronavirus this week among people who were fully vaccinated in January. Both have mild illness and are the first cases the county has seen among vaccinated residents. Another six cases have been reported in the county in the past few weeks among people who took only one dose.
“Vaccines have not been advertised as 100 percent effective, but they dramatically reduce the chance of getting sick and getting seriously ill among those who contract COVID,” the county said in a statement. “Warren County Health Services recommends that those who have been vaccinated continue to follow COVID-related precautions until the spread in the community decreases.”