We must improve the COVID19 vaccination rate in our community

We must improve the COVID19 vaccination rate in our community   by Shawn Lerch, CEO of Sauk Prairie Healthcare  It’s time. Everyone eligible should receive the COVID19 vaccine.  We see first-hand the toll the COVID19 virus is taking on area hospitals. Sauk Prairie Healthcare’s inpatient units as well as our Emergency Room are extremely busy with both COVID19 and non-COVID19 cases. The situation is further complicated by limited availability for transfers to skilled nursing and rehab centers – and this is creating a difficult bottleneck. This recent surge and high rate of hospitalizations throughout our region demonstrate that everyone must do their part to help our fellow community members get safely through this pandemic. It’s not only about keeping people safe from COVID19, but also about ensuring critical beds are available for those who are otherwise sick or injured. To repeat, the number one thing each of us can do to help the situation: get the COVID19 vaccine.  Anyone age 12 or older is eligible, it’s free, it’s safe, it’s effective, and it’s easy to get. And I encourage anyone with concerns, or anyone believing they just don’t need to get the COVID19 vaccination, to speak to a healthcare professional. Another place you can find more information is www.saukprairiehealthcare.org. For those still on the fence, here is information that many find useful:   Vaccines are safe and are not experimental Far from being experimental, these mRNA vaccines are the result of decades of research. They were tested on tens of thousands of volunteers from a wide variety of backgrounds before becoming available to the public. We can have confidence in their safety. Vaccines are vital to slowing the spread The vaccines available in the U.S. are vitally important in slowing the spread of an extremely contagious disease. And with the Delta variant, slowing the spread has become more important than ever. There is no evidence of fertility problems from the vaccine There is currently no evidence that any vaccines, including COVID19 vaccines, cause fertility problems in women or men. Those who are pregnant are urged to get the vaccine Last month the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advised the COVID19 vaccination for pregnant and lactating Americans, as well as those considering pregnancy. Pregnant and recently pregnant people are more likely to get severely ill with COVID19 compared with non-pregnant people. Pfizer has full approval for its vaccine  The U.S. FDA (Food & Drug Administration) has granted full approval of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID19 vaccine. Remember, children 12 years and older can get this vaccination. As the situation continues to be fluid, we are making changes to help our community at Sauk Prairie Healthcare. We have expanded our Urgent Care hours and are open from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. every day of the week. Our goal is to ensure patients can quickly access and receive essential healthcare services. I’m so proud of our extraordinary team and how focused they are every day to provide personalized, high-quality care even during the incredible demands caused by this recent surge. We are 19 months into the global pandemic, and they have each sacrificed and carried a heavy load since day one. I am truly inspired and thankful every day to witness the level of care and compassion shown to our patients and each other.   And finally, thank you to our communities, whose continual support and encouragement are the fuel that has kept our engine running for so many months. We’re humbled and proud to serve and protect you.  I leave you with this: I am still optimistic with a reason for hope – this pandemic will end but the length, the level of damage to our physical and mental health, and the toll on the vibrancy of our communities depends on each of us and our actions right now.  It is more important than ever to do all in our power to slow the spread of the disease.  I ask that we continue to work toward the common goal of defeating COVID19 and ending this pandemic. Ensuring a larger percent of our population is vaccinated is a vital step to achieve this common goal.