DEAR EDITOR:

I am concerned with the number of people afraid of getting the COVID-19 vaccine.

Anytime a person has a problem after the vaccine, many people assume wrongly that the vaccine is the cause of their medical issue. In order for the virus to get under control, a high percentage of the population must be vaccinated. Sensational reporting and rumors lead to people be fearful of getting the vaccine.

My wife and I realize the chances of having a serious problem from the virus is greater than any supposed problem from the vaccine. The public needs to be reassured that getting the vaccine does them a service as well the community as a whole.

Our son has his Ph.D. in molecular biology and biochemistry. He has done five years of cancer research at the University of Cincinnati. He assures us that extensive research has been done into the effectiveness and safety of the vaccines. The testing time has been shortened because of the urgency of getting the vaccines to the general public, but the rigorousness of the testing process has been complete. This new generation of vaccines has been in development for several years. The urgency of the current situation has brought this research to the forefront.

I studied the statistics and wrote the following to help counter the fear of getting the vaccine.

On average, 7,452 people die per day in the United States. That is a person dies every 12 seconds. Now the number of COVID-19 vaccines given is averaging about 2,233,000 per day.

That means with the death rate in the U.S., 52 of these people will die the day after getting the vaccine. That does not mean they died from the vaccine!

When you see sensational reporting that connects possible deaths from the vaccine, do not be duped into the idea that the vaccine was the cause of their deaths.

Social media, rumors on the street and the general media are often the cause of unjustified panic and misinformation. Be leery of suggested conclusions because of their ignorance and spreading that ignorance!

ROD LINGER

Cortland