DURHAM, N.C. (WNCN) – Nearly half of adults in North Carolina have at least the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, but the pace is slowing and some people still aren’t comfortable getting the shot.

Family doctors said they’re still getting a lot of questions about the COVID-19 shots.

Of all the questions Dr. C. Nicole Swiner gets about the vaccine, the most common is simple: “Should I get it?”

Swiner, with Durham Family Medicine, said it’s important to listen to patients’ concerns and provide data.

“The biggest thing is for them to have a safe space and someone that they trust to have a conversation with,” she said. “I’ve had plenty of people who said, ‘I wasn’t going to get it until I spoke with my doctor. I spoke to you because I know you’ll tell me the truth.’”

She said some people ask the same questions she did when the vaccines first came out about the differences in the vaccines and how they were developed.

“I certainly will tell them what I’ve learned over the last several months with my research,” she said.

She got her information straight from the source: Dr. Kizzmekia Corbett, who grew up in the Triangle and helped lead the development of the Moderna vaccine.

“I was able to have a conversation with her [Corbett] and ask those burning questions, and ultimately I felt comfortable enough to get it for myself,” Swiner said.

She shares her experience with patients.

“I will tell them from a personal perspective what I’ve experienced, how I felt when I took the vaccine,” she said.

Many times, she said that eased patients’ concerns. She said some patients also prefer getting vaccinated at her office where they know the staff.

“They feel comfortable knowing the person that’s giving it to them in their arms so that if they have any questions or concerns afterward they can go right back to that person and ask their questions,” she said.

Wherever they go, Swiner urged people to get their shots as soon as possible.

“Ask all those questions you need to,” she said. “Talk to those trusted individuals. But, at the end of the day, please get vaccinated.”