Opinion Your Opinion: Vaccinations are the key to ending this Dear Editor: The COVID-19 pandemic having been here for a year and a half shows overall fewer cases over the past few months. Jul. 9 2021 @ 11:05pm James Weiss, M.D. Dear Editor: The COVID-19 pandemic having been here for a year and a half shows overall fewer cases over the past few months. However, as one can see, it is now rampant in Southwest Missouri and with the outbreak in the Truman Building, it is not over. Vaccines are the key to ending this. They are safe. First, other than the very rare cases of venous thrombosis in the brain associated with the Johnson and Johnson one-dose vaccine, usually in women 18-50, and the recently described cases of heart inflammation (myocarditis/pericarditis) noted in teenagers, there have not been any serious side effects from the vaccinations now in widespread use for six months. The heart inflammation is mild and resolves. These more severe side effects are exceedingly rare. When compared to the risk of getting COVID-19 infection, the odds are much, much greater that you will get severely ill rather than suffer harm from one of these rare side effects. (cdc.gov)