She's always introduced during Phil Murphy's dog and pony show press conferences as "the woman who needs no introduction." She is Judith Persichilli and she probably needs introduction to most people in New Jersey because most people have no idea who she is.

I do. She is an incredibly hard working, accomplished and successful former health care executive and RN. She's also a very caring, nice person and a loyal Democrat. But I digress.

She may not need any introduction to the insider press corps or insider political types around Trenton, but most of you have no clue who she is. With the announcement that the FDA was suspending use of the Johnson & Johnson COVID vaccine, she sought to calm the public down and said that COVID is a greater threat than the vaccine. She is correct.

That doesn't mean there's no risk. Clearly there is. There's the 39-year-old Utah mom who died several days after receiving her second shot of one of the other vaccines. Several others like high-profile retired athletes Hank Aaron or Marvin Hagler also passed serval days after the shot. There is no proof that either man died from the vaccine but it obviously brought up questions. Questions you're apparently not allowed to ask, like "are these vaccines safe for everyone?"

Judy Persichilli is correct. You have a much greater risk from dying from COVID-19 than you do statistically from these vaccines.

Many people think the risk of catching and dying from COVID is not worth doing a lot of things we've done in the past year. Lockdowns, mandating masks, avoiding family and friends and yes, even these vaccines.

Are you allowed to think those things and decide not to get the vaccine? As of now, yes, but the pressure is on, socially, professionally and in some families.

Many of us feel that in the last year enough therapeutics have been proven well enough to be effective in fighting the virus and getting rid of it fairly quickly. And that getting a brand new type of vaccine, although researched for over a decade, for a virus that's not that deadly for most healthy, non-elderly folks, just isn't worth the risk no matter how small it is as of right now.

The post above reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Dennis Malloy. Any opinions expressed are Dennis's own.

COVID vaccines: 17 myths, misconceptions and scientific facts

Do any of the vaccines impact fertility? Do they contain a live virus, or change a person's DNA? Here are some of the most rampant social media rumors and the real, verified answers on COVID-19 vaccines currently being distributed in the U.S.

More From New Jersey 101.5 FM