Monday, August 23rd 2021, 9:42 pm
Some Green Country doctors said the FDA's decision to approve the Pfizer vaccine could help sway thousands of Oklahomans toward getting vaccinated.
They said this could be the final push towards getting the shot for those still on the fence.
For months, Dr. David Scheck has been hearing the reasons people avoid the COVID-19 vaccine - but there's one that sticks out.
“A pretty significant number of people are using the lack of FDA approval as a reason not to get it. So, in my hope of hopes I really hope this is going to be the thing that really starts our vaccination rates picking up in our state," he said.
Dr. Scheck specializes in infectious diseases at Hillcrest hospital. He said now, there's one less hurdle for doctors and patients to leap over when considering and waiting on vaccination.
“Do we have the opportunity to wait? We have an active pandemic now and we really need to get people protected and safe," Dr. Scheck said.
Dr. Ellen Niemitalo with the Tulsa Health Department encourages people who are still on the fence to look up the studies the FDA used to judge vaccine safety.
“Look at the science," Dr. Nietmitalo said. "Look at what the studies are showing. I feel that all of these studies are showing it is a safe and effective vaccine.”
Related Story: U.S. Regulators Give Full Approval To Pfizer’s COVID-19 Vaccine
With the Pfizer vaccine officially approved by the FDA, Scheck said the goalposts for some have shifted towards questioning how long vaccines like Pfizer's have been studied, but he doesn't buy that argument either.
“These types of vaccines have been tested well over 10-20 years," he said. "There’s been a lot of study into these vaccines. And so, when I’m asked about, 'Have these been studied enough?' My definite answer is yes they have.”
Both doctors said it's easier than ever to get the vaccine, with hundreds of sites across the state and plenty of supply for everyone.
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