At The Alliance for Health Equity, our mission is to advance a more equitable, resilient and healthy Greater Coatesville community. Much has changed since we first published our blog on COVID-19 myths and facts back in the spring of 2021, including increased healthcare inequities in our area and the resulting formation of The Greater Coatesville Hospital Closure Group. A recent COVID-19 Monitoring Report from the Chester County Health Department shows that, as of July 15th, the community level has risen from low to medium. Weekly data updates can be found here. As the pandemic continues to drag on, we are offering this vaccine update with new developments and information on where to get vaccinated and boosted.
Information for children ages 6-months and up.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) now recommends COVID-19 vaccines for everyone ages 6 months and older and boosters for everyone 5 years or older given at least 5 months after the second dose. It is important to note that the COVID-19 vaccine dosage is based on age, not on size or weight, and young children will get a smaller dose of COVID-19 vaccine than teens and adults. Children and teens can safely get a COVID-19 vaccine at the same time as other vaccines.
- For more information on the primary dose series based on age, click here.
- For frequently asked questions and the benefits of vaccinating your child, click here.
- To schedule an appointment for your child through ChesCo, click here.
Staying up to date on vaccines provides the best protection against severe outcomes.
New Omicron variants of concern have emerged in recent days that are far more contagious than previous strains, and they are also proving to be more adept at evading our defenses. Thankfully, vaccines are still helping to prevent the hospitalizations and deaths seen early in the pandemic. According to Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the CDC, “Staying up to date on vaccines provides the best protection against severe outcomes.” Recent data also suggests that vaccines can also reduce the risk for long COVID.
The COVID-19 vaccine protects you in more ways than one.
Getting a COVID-19 vaccine is considered a safer, more reliable way to build protection than getting sick with COVID-19, according to the CDC. WebMD reports that “unvaccinated people are about six times more likely to test positive than vaccinated people, nine times more likely to be hospitalized, and 14 times more likely to die from COVID-related complications.” And yes, you should still get vaccinated even if you’ve had COVID already. Recent studies show that unvaccinated individuals are more than twice as likely to be reinfected with COVID-19, and repeatedly catching COVID ups the risk of new and lasting health problems long-term, including heart attacks, blood clots, lung disease, and diabetes.
It is never too late to get vaccinated or boosted.
Estimates of vaccine hesitancy for COVID-19 show that sociodemographic and healthcare accessibility barriers are hindering widespread coverage throughout the US. However, COVID-19 vaccines are free for everyone in the US, regardless of immigration status or health insurance coverage, and whether they are offered by a clinic, pharmacy, or other location. For COVID-19 vaccine and booster information from ChesCO or to schedule an appointment, click here. Please note that walk-in appointments are unavailable at this time and masks are required to enter clinic buildings.
The Alliance for Health Equity (formerly Brandywine Health Foundation) is a philanthropic organization striving to advance a more equitable, resilient and healthy community for all residents of the Greater Coatesville area. We pursue our mission by providing grants and scholarships to local nonprofits and students that address health and economic disparities and social justice. We also build partnership programs and give voice to those often left out of community solution building to improve the overall health of their communities. 100% of contributions go directly to those in need.