Year of data backs up vaccine safety
Dear Dr. Roach: I’m a teacher scheduled to get the Pfizer vaccine on Friday. My mom keeps sending me stuff about why I shouldn’t get it — fear of what it will do to the immune system in the future. Everything I’ve read confirms it’s safe, but she is freaking me out a little. Could you send me some encouragement as to its safety?
M.C.
Answer: All the data we have so far — and it’s a year of safety data — tells us that this is both a safe and effective vaccine.
There have been times when vaccines have had safety problems; however, when those have occurred, the problems generally were seen within weeks of giving the vaccine. Millions of people have now had the vaccine. The likelihood of an unknown bad effect that will show up later becomes very remote at those numbers.
You must balance the small potential risk of the vaccine against the risk of getting COVID. Half a million Americans have died from COVID, and tens of millions are experiencing long-term side effects.
Nobody has died from the vaccine, and the risk of a serious side effect is about 1 person per 10,000. So, for yourself, your students and your neighbors, I hope you decide to get it. You are far more likely to have benefit than harm from the vaccine.
Dear Dr. Roach: Could you talk about medication review in older people? In the past year, I have taken three elderly friends to see a geriatric physician when they became weak and unsteady. They were “cured” by having medications removed, reduced or changed. Their primary doctor insisted they needed these drugs, but clearly, they didn’t.
L.C.
Answer: Prescribing medications is usually the most powerful treatment primary care physicians have, if advice on diet, exercise and other lifestyle issues have been ineffective.
You needn’t visit a geriatrician to review medications. All patients should have an up-to-date list of their medications, know what each is for and regularly go over the list with their prescriber. Patients need to partner with their prescriber before stopping a medicine.