“Are you vaxxed?” These days it’s as common a question as “How are you?” and the answers can be just as varied. If your answer is still “not yet”, San Fernando Community Health Center wants to give you the information and the opportunity you need to change that answer to “yes”.
An Easy Decision
You’ve certainly heard it by now: getting vaccinated is the best way to protect yourself against Covid-19. But why is this important for your life? Even if you’re one of the lucky few who contract Covid but don’t need to be hospitalized, the symptoms are severe enough that you’ll miss days or weeks of work (or if your child catches the disease, school). No supervisor would allow the excessive coughing and runny nose in the workplace, and the fatigue, body aches, and nausea won’t let you get anything done anyway. You need your job and your job needs you, so why take the risk?
Perhaps you’ve heard about the breakthrough Covid cases among vaccinated people, and it’s made you question whether getting vaccinated is worth your time. It undoubtedly is: people with breakthrough cases recover more quickly and have fewer symptoms – some may not experience any symptoms at all. The Center for Disease Control reports that among vaccinated people, less than 0.005% have needed to be hospitalized for Covid. Even if you contract it, the vaccine still protects you.
Worrying about the pandemic is stressful, and you might be tempted to go out for a drink to blow off steam. But starting this month, Los Angeles County residents won’t be able to – without proof of vaccination. Indoor bars, wineries, breweries, nightclubs, and lounges are now closed to patrons without at least one vaccine dose (or a negative Covid test result within 72 hours), and the City Council is considering extending the restriction to other indoor businesses like restaurants, gyms, and movie theaters. We all know where our priorities really lie, so keep your social life going by getting the vaccine.
SFCHC Makes it Easier
Okay, I’m in, you’re saying. How do I get the vaccine? Let’s start with the best news of all: it’s free. You don’t need insurance, and there is no out-of-pocket cost for anyone to get the vaccine.
The Covid-19 vaccine is available at hundreds of pharmacies, clinics, and other locations throughout the county, but SFCHC is doing the work for you: as part of VaccinateLA, we’re proud to host the California Department of Public Health for a pop-up vaccination clinic at our Mott Street location in San Fernando. Anyone age twelve* and over can come by during our special Saturday hours 9 AM to 1 PM on October 16th to get their first dose, then come back on November 13th for their second. You’ll also get registered on MyTurn.gov, a website available to help you schedule future booster vaccinations as needed.
Rest Easy
And that’s it! Getting vaccinated doesn’t just protect you, it protects your family and your community. The more people that get vaccinated, the lower the risk that Covid-19 will be spread to others. It also prevents the appearance of more variants, like the Delta strain that caused this summer’s rise in Covid cases.
We’re all ready for this pandemic to be over. By getting the vaccine, you’re helping to bring it to an end.
*Adults 18+ years old. Age 12 to 17 years old - with an accompanying parent - to receive Pfizer-BioNTech, the only vaccine currently authorized for this age group.
