Huron Perth Public Health Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Miriam Klassen, offers a bit of perspective when it comes to the vaccine hesitancy that may exist in some area residents.
“I think it’s important to keep some of these numbers in context.
When you are looking at the risk of having a blood clot with the AstraZeneca as an example and given how uncommon it is.
Estimates vary but 1 in 250,000 or 4 in 1 million.
If you look at people on the birth control pill there is 900 cases per million in the world.
In Canada in general there are 1290 cases blood clots per 1 million (not as adverse effects).
If you have a Covid-19 infection there are 147,000 cases in 1 million people.”
She continues that we need to focus on the data objectively and not emotionally. Younger people are being hospitalized and it’s more common. Vaccines have a long history of safety and we see them working in the healthcare sector.
“We are hearing about uncommon and rare side effects and adverse impacts. It’s hard to communicate that and give it the correct weight”
She recommends that all residents get vaccinated when they are eligible.
