Understand the Impact of Your Decision to Be Vaccinated

Learn From Our Q&A With Dr. Hari Balaji

COVID-19 has been a part of our lives for nearly a year. Fortunately, a vaccination has been researched, developed, and quickly moved to market to combat this virus that continues to claim lives every day. The reality is that so many seniors living in nursing care facilities have died due to COVID-19 complications. This reality is why those of us who work in a senior living environment have been given the opportunity to be among the first to be vaccinated.

For many of us, the decision to receive or not to receive the COVID-19 vaccine holds much weight. It is perhaps the first experience in our lifetime where our personal choices have a direct impact on the health of our families, neighbors, teammates, and residents. We urge all McGregor employees, as well as all health professionals working in the senior care industry, to get the vaccination.

With that said, we understand that there are fears surrounding the unknowns of the vaccine. Before we address what we do not know, let us pause to remember what we do know:

• We know that COVID-19 can have long-term effects on our heart, lungs, and brain.
• We know that COVID-19 can kill older adults, as well as younger adults in some situations.
• We know that COVID-19 is a serious threat to seniors living in nursing homes.
• We know the vaccine is the first step to preventing the spread of the virus.

One of the main concerns we are hearing from our team members is regarding the speed at which the vaccine was developed. Dr. Hari Balaji, the Medical Director at McGregor, notes two main points that are important to understand related to the vaccine speed:

• Much of the research already existed. When researchers were preparing to combat the SARS virus several years ago, they had a wealth of research that went largely unused. COVID-19 researchers were able to tap into that existing research, which saved time.
• With better technology comes faster results. The current technology available allowed researchers to identify the genome sequencing necessary to develop the vaccine in record time. Again, this technology saved significant time compared to past vaccine development.

We invite you to watch the full video Q&A with Dr. Balaji and Ann Conn, the President and CEO of McGregor. Dr. Balaji addresses other questions you might have such as:

• What are the most common side effects of the vaccine?
• Do we know if there are negative long-term effects?
• Will the vaccine protect against other COVID-19 mutations?

If you are currently deciding whether or not to receive the COVID-19 vaccination, we ask that you take the time to carefully consider your decision and listen to the medical professionals within our McGregor community. If we can provide any more information or support, please do not hesitate to contact us.