Updates about the COVID-19 vaccines
At Bingham Healthcare, our goal is to be the region’s most trusted resource for improving quality of life. One way we strive to achieve that is by providing up-to-date healthcare information pertinent to the well-being of you and your family.
Whether to vaccinate against COVID-19 has become a polarizing issue. Consistent with the goal stated above, this article is to provide trusted data to help individuals in their decision on whether or not to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. Regarding COVID-19 vaccines, it seems most individuals fall within one of four groups:
- Advocates who got in line for the vaccine when it became available.
- Cautious observers and healthy individuals who are waiting to see what the data shows.
- Opponents who are against it for various reasons.
- Those who cannot receive the vaccine due to some pre-existing medical condition.
This article is for individuals in group 2 who are still on the fence about the vaccine. Here is some data compiled by the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, which is available publicly at coronavirus.idaho.gov.
In Idaho, since January 1, 2021:
- 98.9% of COVID-19 cases were in individuals who were not fully vaccinated.
- 98.6% of hospitalizations were individuals who were not fully vaccinated.
- 98.7% of deaths were individuals who were not fully vaccinated.
While it’s true that some infections have still occurred in vaccinated individuals, the data is clear that it is a very small percentage compared to those unvaccinated.
There are some individuals who are claiming that vaccines are an infringement of personal rights. Please know that Bingham Healthcare is not advocating that the public be forced to receive a vaccine. Quite the opposite, in fact. We believe that individuals who have factual information, can and will make well-informed decisions about their own health. For some, that may still mean not to vaccinate, and for others it will mean to vaccinate. Regardless, please help stop the spread of politicized misinformation, opinion, and pseudoscience by only sharing verified, reliable sources of information concerning COVID-19 vaccines.
Trusted resources about the safety, efficacy and risk factors of the various vaccines can be found at www.cdc.gov; www.mayo.org; www.hopkinsmedicine.org.
If you have yet to be vaccinated and would like to, please note that FREE vaccines are available throughout eastern Idaho. To find a clinic near you visit www.siphidaho.org/ or call any of the Bingham Healthcare Urgent Cares located throughout the region:
- Blackfoot: (208) 782-2410
- Shelley: (208) 357-3960
- Idaho Falls/Ammon: (208) 529-2828
- Pocatello: (208) 239-6511
Other trusted sources about the COVID-19 vaccines are:
- Southeastern Idaho Public Health
- Eastern Idaho Public Health
Our content is reviewed regularly and is updated when new and relevant evidence is made available. This information is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with questions regarding a medical condition.
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