OMAHA, Nebraska (WOWT) – A volunteer task force of health care providers from across Nebraska is receiving support from Governor Jim Pillen to increase vaccination awareness.
This week, Nebraska Vaccine Task Force Chairman Andrew Raduechel joined Governor Pillen in signing a proclamation declaring August National Immunization Awareness Month.
It is a show of support for the coalition that has worked for more than 30 years to improve access to vaccines by addressing educational and financial barriers in Nebraska communities.
“Vaccines are really safe and effective. There is a lot of misinformation about vaccines,” said Raduechel, who is also director of pharmacy at Boys Town National Research Hospital.
Boys Town is one of several health care providers on the task force, including Children’s Nebraska, CHI Health, Methodist Health System and other community groups, agencies and medical scientists.
“We’re actually trying to reach the whole state. We’re gradually accepting more and more people from central and western Nebraska,” Raduechel said.
Raduechel said routine vaccination rates are slowly increasing after declining during the pandemic, but there is still some hesitancy.
“The risks have been greatly exaggerated. Many people are afraid of the vaccines because they fear there might be side effects, even though that is simply not true and is incredibly rare,” Raduechel said.
Raduechel added that it is normal and common to feel a little sick after getting a COVID or flu shot. “That means it’s causing a reaction in your body, and that’s a good thing. Having that protection is much better than actually getting that disease at some point,” Raduechel said.
He said COVID still poses a significant health risk. “We just saw some statistics that the mortality rate from COVID is three times higher than the flu, even with the new variant,” Raduechel explained.
The FDA on Thursday approved updated COVID-19 vaccines that protect against new strains. A combined COVID-flu shot won’t be available this year, but Raduechel said it’s likely on the horizon.
“We don’t have anything for the 2024-25 season yet. But we hope that this will certainly help to increase vaccination rates. One less decision, one less vaccination,” said Raduechel.
If you are unsure about a vaccination, we recommend that you speak to a medical professional you trust.
For those who are uninsured or under-insured, the Douglas County Health Department offers a pediatric vaccination clinic every Tuesday morning and also offers appointments for adults.
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