Health officials address misperceptions, urge South Dakotans to get vaccinated
April 20, 2021
State health officials joined leaders from Avera and Sanford Health on Tuesday afternoon to dispel misperceptions about the COVID-19 vaccination and urge people across the state to do their part in ending the pandemic.
Fifty-three percent of South Dakotans age 16 and older have been at least partially vaccinated so far, Secretary of Health Kim Malsam-Rysdon said in a news conference.
But that number needs to get to at least 70 percent, if not higher, before the state can get back to normal, she added.
That means an additional 120,000 people need to be vaccinated.
“We’re not done with this yet,” Malsam-Rysdon said. “We’ve got to keep the foot on the gas, and we need people getting shots in arms so that we can end this.”
The state is also in a position where there’s no longer a scarcity of vaccine supply, so the only barrier to hitting that 70 percent goal now is vaccine hesitancy among residents.
Tuesday’s news conference brought doctors from Sanford and Avera to assure the public about the safety of the vaccine and dispel common misconceptions.
Here’s a look at what they had to say:
To pregnant and nursing mothers
Dr. Heather Spies, an OB/GYN at Sanford Health, said the vaccine is safe for women who are pregnant, nursing or trying to become pregnant.
“The COVID-19 vaccine does not affect fertility in women,” Spies said.
There have also been studies, she added, showing that women vaccinated while pregnant or nursing can pass antibodies to their babies in utero and via breastmilk.
To those who’ve already had COVID-19
People with natural immunity still need to get a vaccine, said Dr. David Basel, vice president of clinical quality for Avera.
That’s because it has been shown that natural immunity drops over time, and several people have been infected with the virus more than once.
“The variants are coming,” he added. “The level of protection from natural immunity is not enough.”
To those who are young
The average age of COVID-19 patients dropped from 45 in November to 40 in March, Basel said, and while younger people are less likely to die or be hospitalized by the virus, it still has an impact.
Younger people are still at risk for long-term effects from the virus, he said.
To those looking for a vaccine
Vaccines are available statewide, including walk-in options in some areas.
Those looking for where to find their nearest vaccine can go to covid.sd.gov.
