Why we encourage COVID-19 vaccines

Less severe, less sick, less likely to spread

In August and early September, Genesis HealthCare System saw a staggering surge in COVID-19 hospitalizations, 75% of which were unvaccinated community members. There has been a 3,000% increase in COVID-19 hospitalizations in recent weeks, with nearly one-fourth of those patients ranging in age from 18-45. The statistics prove younger people are not immune from getting COVID-19 and can become very sick from it.

According to the CDC, vaccines reduce a person’s risk of contracting COVID-19, including the Delta variant. Vaccines are highly effective against severe illness. Experts continue to monitor and evaluate how often unvaccinated people are contracting COVID-19, how severe their condition is, and how likely a vaccinated person is to spread COVID-19 to others. Data show that vaccination often make symptoms less severe in people who are vaccinated but still get COVID-19.

mRNA COVID-19 vaccines have shown to provide protection against severe illness and hospitalization among people of all ages eligible to receive them. This includes people 65 years and older who are at higher risk of severe outcomes from COVID-19.

Vaccines work by stimulating your immune system to produce antibodies, exactly like it would if you were exposed to the disease. After getting vaccinated, you develop immunity to that disease, without having to get the disease first.

mRNA vaccines, such as Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna, work differently than other types of vaccine, but they still trigger an immune response inside your body. While this type of vaccine is new, research and development on it has been under way for decades.

In contrast to mRNA vaccines, many other vaccines use a piece of, or weakened version of, the germ that the vaccine protects against. This is how the measles and flu vaccines work. When a

weakened or small part of the virus is introduced to your body, you make antibodies to help protect against future infection.

All COVID-19 vaccines are free from metals and will not make you magnetic, including the site of the vaccination, usually in your arm. None of the vaccines authorized for use in the U.S. contain a live virus.

For more information about vaccines and how Genesis is responding to COVID-19 click HERE.