Carey doctor shares vaccine thoughts after second shot

A Carey doctor who shared his experience of getting the COVID-19 vaccine publicly said he encourages everyone to be vaccinated, not only for their own individual protection, but because widespread vaccination is our "most important tool to getting through this pandemic." Dr. Troy Puckett, who practices at the Carey Medical Center, agreed to let himself be shown on video through Blanchard Valley Health System's social media when he got his second dose of Moderna vaccine. Puckett said he had "very mild" side effects from the second dose, including a mild headache, nausea and some soreness at the injection site. He said getting as many people vaccinated as possible is "our primary tool" to bring the pandemic to an end. Puckett said he has been more willing to gather with family since getting vaccinated. But he said he continues to wear a mask, and it remains important in part because it isn't completely certain if a vaccinated person could spread the virus to others. But also, "nobody else knows" if you've been vaccinated or not, so continuing to wear your mask may be reassuring to other people, he said. Puckett said he has only heard a couple of comments in response to the video, but he has been getting a lot of questions about the vaccine in general — mostly from his patients, but also from community members. He said people ask if he thinks it's safe, and he encourages them to get vaccinated. In primary care, patients put "a lot of trust in us," which is "humbling," Puckett said, but it also comes with a responsibility to encourage them to do what he thinks is the right thing. Arthurs: 419-427-8494