21-05-2025
Norfolk Health Department hosts community conversation abouts vaccines
NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — The Norfolk Health Department director spoke with the public about vaccines during an event Tuesday night.
'Public Health Science Explained: Vaccines' was a community conversation hosted by the department's director, Dr. Susan Girois.
Girois answered questions and talked about topics such as vaccine development, the science behind the COVID vaccine and the concern of vaccines causing autism.
'It really is a conversation where we're going to share some ideas, share thoughts, share what our understanding is of vaccines,' Girois said.
Girois said the idea for this came after a recent measles outbreak in Texas.
'I realized that, actually, there are a lot of questions out there, about not only measles, but a lot of vaccines, and some generalizations about vaccines overall,' Girois said.
The ultimate goal was to help people understand the science behind vaccines.
'A lot of folks are hearing things outside,' she said. 'They're talking to people with experiences, but sometimes just understanding what is the science behind how vaccines are developed, what's the safety profile, how they're reviewed and actually how they work, can help people understand and process what they're hearing a little bit better.'
The event came just hours after .
Girois said she hopes this conversation gave attendees a better understanding of all vaccines, COVID included.
'How it was made, what's an mRNA vaccine? Is it dangerous or not? And also understand why the FDA might make some specific target populations, which could be a change from before,' Girois 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
