SAULT STE. MARIE, MI— The Public Health Medical Director of the Chippewa County Health Department is urging residents to get a COVID vaccine as winter—and the holidays—approach.
Catherine Wilkerson says some have read or heard misinformation about the vaccine, but evidence shows the risks of COVID are far greater than any vaccine risks, and the benefits far outweigh any possible dangers. She says while the vaccine doesn’t prevent all infections, evidence shows it greatly protects against severe illness, hospitalization, and death.
Wilkerson notes vaccination alone cannot stop the spread of the virus or its variants. Well-fitting, high-filtration masks should be worn when residents are around people they don’t live with. They should avoid crowded indoor spaces, stay home when sick, and get tested.
Wilkerson says pills to treat COVID will soon be approved. Monoclonal antibodies are also available, but none of those treatments is a substitute for vaccination and other measures to stop the spread.
