Medical doctors like Anthony Fauci have kept the public informed about the pandemic, but a new group of scientists is stepping up to help Americans understand COVID vaccines. Two experts from Virginia will host a virtual vaccine town hall next week.
You may not have heard of the American Society for Virology – a professional group representing the nation’s virus experts – but the ASV has stepped into the spotlight to offer its services.
“Do you have questions about the COVID vaccine? Talk to me. Talk to me. Talk to me.”
This public service announcement promotes an on-going series of virtual town halls where the public is invited to ask any questions they may have about vaccine.
“It’s totally okay to have questions. It feels better when you have answers,” say experts in the video.
You can sign-up on the society’s website: http://www.asv.org/education and then attend a town hall and talk directly with experts like UVA’s professor Dan Engel – a microbiologist and immunologist.
“Hearing from people who are unbiased, who are not trying to sell anything helps.”
He may field questions about how quickly the vaccine was developed – explaining that scientists have been studying coronaviruses for decades and reassuring them about the safety of these shots.
“Absolutely no short cuts were taken in this process. In fact, the number of people who volunteered to receive the vaccine was much larger than average.”
He may also stress that, statistically, you are far better off getting vaccine than getting COVID.
“There have been upwards of 30 million confirmed cases of COVID in the United States and more than 500,000 deaths, not to mention illnesses and long-term effects. There have been more than 100 million vaccinations in the United States and zero deaths.”
About 50 experts have volunteered to host town halls which will continue for as long as Americans have questions.
