Real Facts

Stoughton Health

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900 Ridge Street
Stoughton, WI 53589

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(608) 873-2232

Real Facts

Stoughton Health wants to make sure everyone in our community has the real facts about the COVID-19 vaccine. Because knowledge is power—and working together we can get back to normal everyday living

COVID-19 VACCINE FACT CHECK

Following are common questions we’ve heard at Stoughton Health, along with our honest answers.

The CDC and Public Health are also great resources for the most up to date COVID-19 information.

About COVID-19 Vaccines

What You Need to Know about COVID-19 Vaccines for Children and Teens

CDC recommends everyone ages 6 months and older get vaccinated to help protect against COVID-19. Click here to lean more.

What You Need to Know about Omicron

Omicron is the most contagious variant we’ve seen to date, but that doesn’t mean there’s no way to protect yourself from it. The best way to avoid getting omicron is to do the things that have kept you safe from previous variants—get vaccinated, get up to date with all of the boosters that are recommended for you, wear a mask, avoid crowds, practice social distancing and wash your hands often. Take precautions even if you’re vaccinated and boosted, since omicron is spreading so easily right now. One of the best ways to lower your risk of serious illness from any strain of COVID-19 is to improve your overall health by managing your weight and exercising more.

As cases of COVID-19 once again surge in the U.S., you probably have a lot of questions. What is this new variant? Can I get it if I already had COVID-19? How can I protect myself? And why do I need to be so careful?

There are still lots of unknowns about omicron. That’s causing people to make assumptions about this variant that may or may not be true. Don’t be misled by what “people are saying.”

When to Wear a Mask

Masking guideance is based on COVID-19 hospital admission levels. For the most up to date information on COVID-19 community levels please click here.

I already had COVID-19. Doesn’t that mean I can’t get it again?

Having COVID-19 before doesn’t seem to stop people from getting infected again with omicron. It may reduce the chance of severe illness, but there’s no guarantee. Whether you already had COVID-19 or have been vaccinated, immunity decreases over time—somewhere between 3 and 6 months after the last vaccine, booster or infection, depending on your age and the health of your immune system.

People who got vaccinated are still getting COVID, so what does that say about the vaccine?
Some people might say the vaccine doesn’t work because there are “breakthrough” cases (i.e., when someone who is fully vaccinated gets infected). But that statement doesn’t hold water.

Yes, some people will get sick even if they are vaccinated. But that doesn’t in any way mean the vaccine isn’t effective. Here’s how Stoughton Health looks at the vaccine in relation to breakthrough cases …

First, the vaccines were designed to keep people out of the hospital and to keep them from dying. The vaccines are still very effective in doing that because the majority of patients hospitalized are not vaccinated. Here’s another way to look at it …

Getting vaccinated is like putting sunscreen on before you go fishing or work outside. Sunscreen provides a significant amount of protection against sunburn, but depending on the person, and how long that individual is exposed to the sun, may also determine whether or not they get burned and if so, how severely they’re affected.

Shouldn’t everyone be entitled to their own opinion about the vaccine?
Absolutely. That’s why Stoughton Health is doing all we can to make sure everyone in Stoughton and surrounding communities has the real facts about the COVID-19 vaccine. That way, they can form an opinion based on information they know is true.