Agewell 2021 Fall_Winter-FINAL

Dr. Michael S. Tehrani, M.D.
Internal Medicine & Geriatrics
Dr. Tehrani is an award-winning doctor and CEO of MedWell Medical,
whose practice is located in Long Beach, California. The following
questions and answers are excerpted from a conversation he had with
Long Beach 908 Magazine (https://www.lb908.com/the-magazine - Spring 2021)
Publisher John Grossi with permission.
“The Most Common Questions I am Getting About The Vaccine”
What are the most common concerns patients have
had over the vaccine?
That it was developed too fast. Most vaccines usually
take five years or more [to go from development,
through testing and approval, to distribution]. Some
people are scared it isn’t safe enough yet.
And do you think these are valid concerns?
We can’t compare these COVID vaccines to previously
created vaccines using prior methodology. Today we
use newer methodology to create a type of vaccine
using mRNA technology. We’ve never seen as many
resources and as much dedication going toward the
development of a vaccine. Our science is far more
advanced. Just because something took 5 years to
make a long time ago doesn’t mean it should take 5
yeast now.
So, given the time frame, do you think this
vaccine is safe?
The area I look at with this vaccine is when people
as me, “Should I get the vaccine or not?” At the end
of the day, you have to look at pros and cons. What
are the risks if I get it and what are the risks if I don’t
get it? Yes, we hear on the news that a few people
got ill after taking the vaccine. But we also hear of a
lot more people getting ill with COVID. You have to
ask yourself-what are the risks if I get the vaccine and
what are the risks if I don’t get it? If you look at the
data, a LOT more people are getting ill or dying by
not getting it [the vaccine] than by getting it. I think
everything boils down to risks and benefits. If the
benefits outweigh the risks, you should do it. By now
we’ve seen a rapid decline in new cases and death
rates with the rollout of the vaccine, which proves
how effective it is*. (Editor’s note: *Among vaccinated
individuals. We now know unvaccinated individuals
make up the vast majority of hospitalized COVID
patients.)
When is the right time for different age groups to get
the vaccine? (Editor’s Note: Remember this interview
was originally published in Spring 2021, however the
information is still valid and relevant.)
As soon as you can get it you should. It’s just as
important for young people to get the vaccine so that
they don’t spread it to their older family members or
other vulnerable people.
How do people get the vaccine?
You can now check with your pharmacy or the Long
Beach Health Department.
https://longbeach.gov/health/diseases-andcondition/information-on/coronavirus/vaxlb/
If you have additional questions, please email
covid19vaccine@longbeach.gov
or call 562-570-4636
22 | AgeWell Long Beach | Fall / Winter 2021