The implementation of the new COVID policies is but one of many by the U.S Food and Drug Administration (FDA) with their latest head of department, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. This new policy only allows people over the age of 65 or those who are in critical condition to get the vaccine, which comes as a shock to the nation.
Dr. Chang, head of Pediatric Cardiology at Harbor-UCLA, states, “I think that the new COVID-19 vaccine policies do not meet the standards for Herd Immunity and may cause a surge in COVID cases as the vaccine becomes less and less available.” Without a prescription from a board-certified medical professional, people under the age of 65 are unable to get a vaccine. This decreases the Herd Immunity, the immunity of the general public needed to stop the spread of disease, and increases infection rates across the board.
This new policy results from the FDA feeling that the new COVID policy may be unsafe for children 6 months and older, as well as adults alike, and has caused many to question even if they should take the COVID vaccine, regardless of eligibility and age. To this, Dr. Pan, a family medicine physician at a University Clinic, states, “I think that one misconception is that vaccines are given out without being tested, which is just untrue.” When asked her opinion regarding the side effects of the vaccine, Dr. Pan responded, “This vaccine, whether it be from Pfizer BioNTech or Moderna, has been out for over five years and has not shown signs of being unsafe for the general public.”
Vaccines are important to prevent an outbreak, especially when the disease is COVID-19. However, some are concerned that their insurance will not pay for the vaccines and that it may be harmful to their children. Some have also expressed concern regarding their lack of information on the vaccine. To this, Dr. Chang states, “Your insurance will cover the vaccine if your doctor prescribes it to you. We have also collected a lot of data on how the vaccine affects babies and children, and being a pediatric physician, I recommend everyone take it. The vaccines are safe for children and even for babies and have been tested extensively.” Anyone who wishes to do more research and understand what they are injecting into themselves should check government or verified health organizations. Websites such as the World Health Organization (WHO), the National Institute of Health (NIH), and the Mayo Clinic, a website designed to simplify medicine and put the complex nature of vaccines into layman’s terms, are perfect for anyone who wishes to understand more about vaccines.
The fear of vaccines was perpetuated and started circulating mainly in the early 1900s due to the Cutter incident, in which a vaccine company for the high-risk Salk Polio Vaccine accidentally distributed and administered an active and live Polio vaccine. This not only infected over 40 thousand children, the vaccine was primarily made for, but also paralyzed over two thousand of whom, unfortunately, ten died. However, such isolated incidents cannot be the basis for all vaccine skepticism, as vaccine research, development, and testing have improved dramatically since then, and, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, have saved over four million lives worldwide every single year.
Over the years, vaccination rates have risen dramatically, and the WHO estimates over 154 million lives have been saved as a result of progressively safer and more effective vaccines.
Dr. Chang states, “We as physicians understand that vaccines might seem scary, but we truly do have your best interests in mind. We would never suggest anything that would not benefit you and would never recommend anything to you that we do not deem safe or necessary or that we would not take in your situation.” While there have been numerous changes within the FDA and in Healthcare in general, one thing remains clear: vaccines are essential– not only for keeping yourself safe, but also those around you as well.