Our Best Shot: Addressing hesitations about the coronavirus vaccines

The faster we vaccinate, the faster the COVID-19 pandemic ends. But the speed with which the shots were developed has led to understandable questions. The Editorial Board's #OurBestShot series enlists Minnesota health and community leaders to deliver timely, trustworthy answers.

Here's a collection of articles, videos and other resources presented so far, with more planned:

Editorial: The big risk is in not getting vaccinated (March 28, 2021).

Video: Dr. Greg Poland of the Mayo Clinic discusses the potential side effects of the vaccines, and explains why the risks and impacts are low.

Editorial: Communities of color face unique vaccination fears (April 4, 2021).

Video: M Health Fairview, in a conversation with leaders of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities in the Twin Cities, addresses questions and concerns about the vaccines.

Frequently asked questions: A report from the Sahan Journal, a trusted St. Paul-based source of news and information for migrant and immigrant communities, provides and wealth of vaccine information while also dispelling rumors that the shots contain pork or other products not considered halal.

Editorial: Needle phobia? There's help available to deal with fear (April 11, 2021).

Video: A fear of needles "shouldn't be something people feel embarrassed about." A conversation with Dr. Andrew Slattengren, a veteran medical provider and president of the Minnesota Academy of Family Physicians,

Editorial: Young and healthy? That's no excuse for skipping vaccination (April 19, 2021).

Video: A conversation with Dr. George Morris of St. Cloud-based CentraCare on misperceptions about two stubborn misperceptions that lead to COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy.

Editorial: Cost is not a reason to avoid getting a COVID shot (April 25, 2021).

Editorial: Fact-checking claims about COVID vaccines and fertility (May 9, 2021).

Video: A conversation with Dr. Sarah Cross, medical director of M Health Fairview's The Birthplace, and an assistant professor of obstetrics, gynecology and women's health at the University of Minnesota Medical School, about fertility misinformation.

Editorial: A previous infection is no reason to skip COVID shots (May 15, 2021).

Editorial: COVID shots are not "gene therapy" (May 30, 2021).

Video: A discussion with Marc Jenkins, director of the University of Minnesota's Center for Immunology, about the messenger RNA technology powering the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines.

The Star Tribune Editorial Board operates independently of the newsroom and is not involved in setting newsroom policies or in reporting or editing articles in other sections of the newspaper or StarTribune.com.