New COVID-19 variants are present in the United States, such as the hybrid XEC, which has appeared in 25 states and is expected to cause a wave of cases this fall. Given the low vaccination rates, experts are concerned that misinformation is gaining ground, putting the health of thousands of people at risk.
Although updated mRNA vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna, along with the reformulated Novavax vaccine, are now available, many still doubt their efficacy and protection, while others feel reassured that they were vaccinated last year, thinking that they are still protected today.
The behavior of the new variant is very similar to the others, however it can change in any time, which is why it is important to get vaccinated, said Dr. Peter Chin Hong, an infectious disease specialist at the University of California, San Francisco, during a briefing held by Ethnic Media Services.
This year, gastrointestinal symptoms, nausea, and diarrhea have been present much more than other times, so it is important to pay attention, since most people associate COVID-19 only with the respiratory system.
The vaccine does not represent a risk, on the contrary, it allows you to take care of yourself and prevent a respiratory crisis in case of contracting COVID-19. The most common symptoms in around 45 percent of people who have been vaccinated are: arm pain, fatigue, muscle pain and temporary fever; it is recommended to be more careful with older adults and babies, however it does not represent any risk, commented Chin Hong.
Dr. Benjamin Neuman, professor of Biology at Texas A&M University, said that vaccines need to be updated just as viruses are.
"It is important to update our antibodies because they are the ones that provide us with the necessary protection for a period of less than 6 months. This is because the virus changes, not because the vaccine is not effective," he stressed.
The recommendation, he said, is to get vaccinated at least twice a year, so that protection is greater and safer, regardless of the season or waves, as the antibodies will already be prepared in the immune system.
"It's not like you get vaccinated once in your life and you can relax the rest of the time," Neuman said.
He also commented that many people do not accept the vaccine because they have problems with technophobia, since there were many false theories when COVID-19 began and people were stuck with those ideas.
For his part, Dr. Daniel Turner-Lloveras, co-founder and CEO of Salud con Tech and the Latin Alliance for Health Innovation, explained that the low vaccination rate depends on many things, since sometimes there are no clinics nearby that administer it; another circumstance that limits is language and misinformation.
"Access is a continuing problem because there are many barriers, and cost has become another problem for those who do not have any medical services," he warned.
She also noted that many children are not vaccinated because of their anti-vaccine beliefs, especially in California, where parents refuse to give their children anything they consider experimental so as not to take risks with them.
He added that we are experiencing a time of misinformation, as many seek to learn or find out more about information on social media rather than from doctors and experts: "many people came out to talk and give their opinions about COVID-19 and they tend to have more influence than the specialists themselves."
Finally, experts agreed that misinformation is the biggest barrier to getting people and their loved ones vaccinated, as well as cost and language; however, it is necessary to prevent before the waves of COVID-19 arrive and to be prepared for any circumstance.
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