GILBERT, AZ — When COVID misinformation was found on the doorstep for some in Gilbert this week – some residents called ABC15 concerned about those who may be hesitant about getting vaccinated.
Victory of Gilbert stepped outside of her home this week to find a newspaper at the front step of her home.
After reading some of the paper she said, ”This is so misleading and so wrong what a horrible time to find this.”
One of her family members was concerned about getting the vaccine because of what it would do for fertility.
Just this week, the Center for Disease Control updated their guidance for those planning to get pregnant saying the vaccine is “Recommended for people who are trying to get pregnant now or might become pregnant in the future, as well as their partners.”
The paper Victory found on her front step claims to “help people ditch meds” as it casts doubt on the COVID-19 vaccine before urging readers to consider supplements in lieu of the shot. Some of the text includes profanity.
The misinformation was dropped at some homes as many in Arizona are still considering getting the vaccine, weighing a booster shot, or vaccinating their children.
”It kind of gave me chills, it angered me, but it also made me feel sad,” said Victory.
”I would challenge everyone to trust and verify the sources of where you get the information,” said Dr. Ross Goldberg with the Arizona Medical Association.
When asked what’s in the COVID vaccine, Dr. Goldberg said, ”It’s fat, salt and sugar, that’s pretty much what you’re broken down to.”
The CDC says an mRNA vaccine contains material from the Virus that causes COVID to show cells how to make a harmless protein that’s unique to the virus.
After the cells make copies of the protein, they destroy the genetic material from the vaccine. That creates a supply of “memory” to show our bodies how to fight the virus in the future.
A CDC survey from this year shows anywhere from 12%-21% of Arizonans are hesitant about getting the shot.
Dr. Goldberg says there is risk associated with the vaccine like there is with any medication.
He said side effects in the Johnson and Johnson, which isn’t an mNRA vaccine, show small samples of blood clots for some younger women.
The mNRA vaccines like Moderna and Pfizer have shown small samples of myocarditis, a heart inflammation condition for some young males.
Like countless other medical professionals, Dr. Goldberg says the benefits far outweigh any risks.
”Billions of people have gotten it and we’re starting to see very very small patterns of adverse effects which you would see in any medication but I’d still argue that the adverse effects of COVID which we don’t completely know because of these long haulers are still much more significant than anything you get from a vaccine,” said Dr. Goldberg.