ASKED AND ANSWERED: “Why should I get vaccinated if people are still getting COVID with the vaccine?” Jennifer from Cody, Wyoming reached out to Wake Up Montana with this question. “Why should I get the COVID vaccine if everybody is still getting COVID with the vaccine,” Jennifer, Wake Up Montana’s Bradley Warren took your question to Dr. Seth Cohen, a University of Washington Medicine Infectious Diseases Specialist. He Directs Infection Prevention and Control at the University of Washington Medical Center in Seattle. Dr. Cohen said via email, “People who are unvaccinated are much more likely to become seriously ill or die from COVID-19 compared with vaccinated people in the same age group.” Going on to add there is no community currently with vaccination rates high enough to completely protect unvaccinated people. Dr. Cohen explained unvaccinated people are much more likely to become seriously ill or die from COVID-19 compared with vaccinated people in the same age group. Adding we also are unable to always know the vaccination status of everyone around us. In addition to protecting yourself, vaccination protects vulnerable people around you. Dr. Paul Pottinger a Professor of Medicine in the Division of Allergy & Infectious Diseases Director, and the Director of Infectious Diseases Training Program at the University of Washington Medical Center in Seattle went on to add Most people who are fully immunized are not getting infected. It does happen in a minority of cases, Dr. Pottinger explained, but Dr. Pottinger said the good news is that these people are much, much less likely to be severely sick or get hospitalized. So, the reason to get immunized is to protect yourself, protect your life, and protect those you love Dr. Pottinger said.
