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Opinion: Prominent San Diegans should promote COVID-19 vaccines. That includes you, Padres players.

San Diego Padres first baseman Eric Hosmer is among the players on the team who have yet to be vaccinated for COVID-19.
(AP)

The vaccines are very effective and very safe and are protecting millions of Americans

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The editorial board operates independently from the U-T newsroom but holds itself to similar ethical standards. We base our editorials and endorsements on reporting, interviews and rigorous debate, and strive for accuracy, fairness and civility in our section. Disagree? Let us know.

It’s been six and a half months since a nurse in New York became the first American outside of a clinical trial to get a COVID-19 vaccination, saying, “I have no fear” and “I trust the science.” Now pandemic deaths, new infections and hospitalizations have plunged as the U.S. responds better to a once-in-a-century crisis than most nations in the world — some of whom are struggling to vaccinate people quickly and equitably. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Wednesday that nearly 59 percent of Americans aged 12 and over had gotten at least one shot and 47 percent are fully vaccinated. This is a historic scientific and public health achievement. The three vaccines approved in the U.S. are all very effective and have few side-effects.

Yet some prominent people still peddle misinformation about the safety of the Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines. A report in The San Diego Union-Tribune on Sunday noted that several players on the Padres had declined vaccinations because of fears of their effects on fertility, keeping the team from reaching the 85 percent threshold of full vaccination that would allow for a relaxation of pandemic protocols. It’s unclear exactly what they are worried about, but the CDC’s website details how early “reassuring” data “did not identify any safety concerns for pregnant people who were vaccinated or for their babies” and experts say male fertility fears are unfounded. People with platforms — from the media to professional sports — should not promote myths damaging to public health. Follow the science and follow the masses to get your shot.

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