Emergency Physicians Confront Vaccine Misinformation, Addresses Hesitancy in Hard-Hit Communities

News provided by

American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP)

Oct 08, 2021, 10:24 ET

RALEIGH, N.C., Oct. 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Unvaccinated patients are filling emergency departments as COVID-19 cases surge in many states. Doctors with the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) are cutting through false claims about COVID vaccines and treatments and answering questions to help everyone make safe choices for themselves and their families.

Ryan Stanton, MD, FACEP, emergency physician in Kentucky and member of the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) board of directors, said:

Ryan Stanton, MD, FACEP, emergency physician in Kentucky and member of the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) board of directors, confronts vaccine misinformation, and addresses hesitancy in hard-hit communities.

"People deserve reliable facts from medical experts they can trust, especially in a pandemic. The reality is that unvaccinated patients are filling emergency departments and many hospitalizations are avoidable. Based on all the available evidence, we know that getting vaccinated is the best protection we have against serious illness, hospitalization, and death."

Emergency physicians want everyone to know that the available vaccines are safe and effective. The vaccine development was not rushed, and each vaccine followed the strict process in place to meet all Food and Drug Administration (FDA) safety measures. The science matches the real-world evidence —after being proven safe in rigorous clinical trials, hundreds of millions of people have safely received a vaccine.

Dr. Stanton urges everyone to be wary of unsourced information or bold claims made on social media. Instead, he suggests that those with questions talk to their doctor and look for information backed by experts, such as ACEP, or other leading medical organizations.

Emergency physicians note that very few people experience vaccine side effects. For most people, any reactions that occur tend to be mild and only last a day or two. Some report soreness in the arm where they get the vaccine and others may experience a manageable fever, headache, or fatigue.

"There's no doubt that getting vaccinated is the best way to avoid the riskiest aspects of this virus. It's important to remember that the potential for a reaction to the vaccine is no comparison to the common and long-term effects of getting COVID-19," said Dr. Stanton.

Learn more about the virus and the vaccines at www.emergencyphysicians.org.

The American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) is the national medical society representing emergency medicine. Through continuing education, research, public education and advocacy, ACEP advances emergency care on behalf of its 40,000 emergency physician members, and the more than 150 million Americans they treat on an annual basis. For more information, visit www.acep.org and www.emergencyphysicians.org.

Contact:
Maggie McGillick
703-220-4768

SOURCE American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP)