BEAVERTON, Ore. — Barry Jackson of Beaverton is on a one man mission to inspire others to get vaccinated against COVID-19.
“I want someone to see my story and say, 'hey, if he can do it and, and look how scary it was for him, I can do it too,'” said Jackson.
Jackson had a rare, severe adverse reaction to two vaccines nine years ago. His body went numb after receiving the chicken pox and TDAP vaccine in each arm.
“I had no reflexes in my arms and my legs. So, they sent me right to the hospital and fast tracked me into the emergency room,” said Jackson.
Jackson, a husband and father of two daughters, spent days in the hospital as a team of doctors tried to figure out what happened.
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Doctors said he had a reaction similar to Guillain-Barre syndrome or GBS, a rare condition where the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks part of its nervous system. Experts don’t know what exactly causes GBS or why in very rare cases, vaccines can cause this reaction. According to the Cleveland Clinic, one case per one million flu shots have been linked to GBS.
Barry eventually recovered but is still numb on one side of his body and could never return to his job at a sawmill.
But even after everything he went through, Jackson has never been against vaccines.
“Absolutely not. It was such a rare case that, I mean, how could you be? My wife's a nurse and I'm all for science. I've had many vaccinations over my lifetime,” said Jackson.
When the COVID-19 vaccines became available, Jackson was upset family members, friends and acquaintances were using his story as a reason not to get it.
After talking to his doctors and weighing his options, Jackson got the COVID vaccine at the OHSU drive through clinic at the PDX airport.
Jackson received the Pfizer shot in June and said he’s had no issues.
“If I got COVID, it would be very bad because I'm immunocompromised. So, I had to weigh that out and decide for myself. I’m extremely happy I got it,” said Jackson.
Barry wrote a detailed Facebook post about the entire experience in an effort to inspire others to get vaccinated.
Vaccine hesitancy experts, like Nadine Gartner of Boost Oregon, said personal stories like Jackson's can help convince others to get the shot.
“We know that oftentimes the messenger about vaccines is just as important if not more so than the message itself,” said Gartner.
The mission of Boost Oregon is to educate people about the safety and effectiveness of vaccines.
Gartner said people trust their own doctor, local medical providers or family and friends when it comes to getting information about the safety of the COVID vaccines.
“Even if there are certain roadblocks right now that may be keeping someone from accepting the vaccine today, we think that time and attention, education and love will really change things down the road,” said Gartner.