The Virus and Vaccine: What You Need to Know
/Hello folks,
So the news sounds somewhat promising. We do see two vaccines that are ready to roll for adults.
The CoVID vaccines are likely as safe as any other vaccine, including the flu vaccine. They have gone through a quality testing process independent of Pfizer and Moderna. Further, there is a global effort to find a solution to a problem that threatens us economically and not just health wise. This doesn’t make them failsafe but it may give some some degree of confidence.
There are some, particularly in the brown and black communities that are terming the vaccine, experimental. And in some ways that is correct. It has not been tested over a long period of time in humans. There was certainly a rush to market. We do not yet know long term effects. But we do know the effects of CoVID which are hitting our black and brown communities the hardest.
Here’s what you need to know. The first round is dedicated to front line health workers.
The second will likely be dedicated to the elderly. The third for other at risk health workers including home workers. And the fourth line for people who had to work during the pandemic like bus drivers and grocery store clerks.
The plan is to start introducing the vaccine to children following a bridging study in January. This means a study that looks at how to translate the dose and predict how well it will work.
There is some degree of immunity after the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccines, but it's not perfect and we don't know how long it will last. We do know that immunity increases after the second dose and lasts longer.
However, it’s important to note that even if you are vaccinated, you can still get the virus and you can still be a carrier and infect others.
So vaccination, at this time, does not mean we can stop social distancing, wearing masks, not touching our faces and washing our hands.
The rules are simple:
Distance from others
Wear a mask
Don’t touch your face
Wash your hands
Talk to Drs. Roy and March about your immune support protocol.
The prediction for a general roll out for the vaccine is in the Spring and the prediction for immunity to be passed to most is by early fall of 2021.
Yes, there are new strains of CoVID-19 that can be more aggressive. But the vaccine is thought to address these strains.
So there are a lot of unknowns still, and people may feel uncertain. It’s an individual decision, but our individual decisions do impact the whole.
How can you protect yourself?
We are managing our CoVID positive patients at home. Please let us know if you have any respiratory or other symptoms new to you.
Please make an appointment with us, even if it is for 15 min to review your immune protocol. There is a lot you can do support your immune system which at this time is your only defense when and if you do get the virus.
If you are planning on getting the vaccine, make a 15 minute appointment to talk about your health and how you can minimize side effects.
To your health, and our future,
Drs. Roy and March
