short of it: vaccines work ….

short of it: vaccines work (for more information, visit https://www. cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/70/wr/mm7032e3.htm).

I’m not vaccinated. What should I do?

Talk to your primary doctor and see if the vaccine is right for you. There are very few people who should not get vaccinated because of serious health conditions, so the odds are your doctor will encourage you to get it.

Keep following safety guidelines: wear a mask in public, keep your distance from others, and wash your hands.

I am vaccinated. Do I need to keep following protocols?

Don’t let your guard down! Even though breakthrough infections are very rare, it’s not worth taking a risk. And you can still carry the virus, if you don’t show any symptoms.

This virus likes to hitch a ride where it can, and while it may not be able to infect you, it can use you to get to others. Wear your face mask in public, maintain social distance and keep washing your hands.

Am I going to need a booster shot?

The CDC now recommends that people whose immune systems are compromised moderately to severely should receive an additional dose of mRNA COVID-19 vaccine after the initial 2 doses. Widespread vaccination is a critical tool to help stop the pandemic. Check with your doctor for more information.

Is this ever going to end?

It has been an exhausting 19 months. We all want things to go back to normal. But the virus doesn’t care about what we want. As we all get vaccinated or develop natural immunity, we’ll develop what is called herd immunity.

Getting through this pandemic means we all have to do our part and keep our loved ones, communities and selves safe.