Our Research Editor heard from two women in her family about their experience of getting a COVID-19 vaccine. Here is what they told her.
As vaccines are slowly rolling out across the globe, more and more people will get the opportunity to have their COVID-19 vaccine shots.
Many of us may be wondering what to expect.
To find out more about what happens before, during, and after the vaccination, I asked two women in my family to share their experiences of getting their COVID-19 vaccinations.
Stay informed with live updates on the current COVID-19 outbreak and visit our coronavirus hub for more advice on prevention and treatment.
My name is Shelly. I am originally from the United States but currently live in Jerusalem, Israel.
As for the flu vaccine, I received an email message from my health service telling me it was time for me to get the vaccine, and they gave me a number to call for an appointment. It took me several tries to get through by phone, and once I did, I was on hold for an hour.
Then, it was a matter of minutes to set up the appointments, one for 3 weeks after the first.
The appointments were for December 27, 2020, and January 17, 2021, at a facility a 5-minute walk from home. But the week before the appointment, I received a call from the health service saying that they were not able to administer the vaccines at that location, so could I please come to the Pais Arena on December 22 and January 13?
I quickly looked up the location on a map and agreed. The sooner the better!
On December 22, I walked the 3 miles to the arena, stopping on the way at the Gazelle Valley to see if I could spot any gazelles. I saw several. Then, it was another half-hour walk to the arena and 10 minutes to find the right entrance.
After that, it was smooth sailing. At the door, I took a number, checked in at the desk, and filled out a small form, giving my name and ID number and answering a couple of questions.
The form indicated that Id be receiving the Pfizer vaccine. Then, I sat down in one of the socially distanced chairs in the waiting area to watch the big screen and wait till my number came up. I had come early and waited about 2030 minutes, then headed to the cubicle indicated on the screen.
I was in the cubicle with the nurse for under 2 minutes, in which time the nurse accepted my form, swabbed my arm, told me that afterward I needed to wait 15 minutes before leaving the arena, asked if I had any other questions, and gave me the injection.
In typical Israeli fashion, within that time, we also determined that we both had lived in Cleveland. If I had stayed a few more minutes, we might have discovered that we were related
Getting the shot was no big deal at all. Afterward, I sat out in the waiting area, moving my arm as much as possible, waited 15 minutes, and headed home. Worried that I might feel tired or whatever, I even took the bus.
My arm was sore for a couple of days, and I might have been a little fatigued, but that was that. One down, one to go.
I had heard that the second shot was more likely to cause a reaction, so I prepared in advance, cooking up a big pot of chicken soup (aka Jewish penicillin) and canceling any appointments for the following 2 days.
Once again, I walked the 3 miles to the arena, took a number, and waited for my turn. The nurse this time confirmed my identity on his tablet, swabbed my arm, and gave me the injection. As I left the cubicle, he said, Bye-bye, corona!
I waited 15 minutes and walked home. Again, my arm was a little sore for a couple of days. I ended up putting most of the chicken soup in the freezer.
I have heard from one friend who had a somewhat allergic reaction to the first shot this is apparently common for her but no side effects from the second. Other friends just reported a little pain at the injection site.
My name is Janet. I live on the South Coast of England, near Brighton.
On Monday, January 18, 2021, the British government announced that people over the age of 70 and those who are clinically extremely vulnerable would start to get their invitations for the COVID-19 vaccine.
I received a call from my doctors surgery 2 days later, and they asked me if I would like an appointment to have my jab.
I was quite surprised. I thought at 78 I probably would not get a call until the middle of February.
They offered me an appointment in the afternoon the following day. I explained that I could only keep that appointment if I could take my two granddaughters because they are in my bubble, and I was going to be looking after them for the day.
They told me that I couldnt take them but offered me an alternative appointment at 6:40 in the evening, which I took up.
When I turned up at the vaccination center at the local village hall, the car park was full. It was so busy, even at that time of night. But it was all very, very organized. The floor was marked out all the way from the car park, right down a long corridor, and into a huge room.
There were wardens, for want of a better expression, making sure we stayed in the squares that were marked on the floor every 6 feet.
It was all very friendly. When I got in, I didnt have to wait very long. I gave my details and was ticked off on a list. I didnt have to produce ID.
Then, somebody came and guided me to a seat. I didnt sit very long before I was then called to have my vaccination.
The vast majority of people I saw were roughly in the same age group as me, but there was a younger guy ahead of me when I arrived. He was asked to show his ID.
I noticed that there were five booths doing vaccinations, with two people in each booth.
When I got to my seat, the lady introduced herself and asked me if I felt well and all the usual questions, like had I ever been allergic to anything like penicillin, or did I have an EpiPen. Negative to both was my answer.
She explained that I was having the Pfizer vaccine and that I would have to sit for 15 minutes afterward.
While I was talking to the lady who was about to give me the injection, another lady with a computer was documenting all this information.
I think she also documented the number of the vial of vaccine that I had. At least thats what it looked like.
I had the vaccine in the top of my left arm. It was totally painless.
She said to wait a couple of minutes while they were typing it all up and asked me if I was feeling all right.
She then asked me to go into the next room and explained that they would phone me any time between the next 3 and 12 weeks for the second vaccination.
She asked if was I happy with that, which I was. I then sat in the other room, where the chairs were very spaced out, and there were two or three staff monitoring everyone who sat there.
We were timed in and timed out. They told me when it was my time to leave, and out I went. It was all very friendly, very, very organized, and very professional.
I went home with four pages of detailed information sheets about COVID-19 and the vaccine.
I havent had any pain or any other side effects since having the vaccine 3 days ago. I dont normally have side effects when I get a seasonal flu shot.
I feel very lucky to have had the vaccine.
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Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis watches as nurse Christine Philips (left) administers the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for COVID-19 to Vera Leip, 88, a resident of John Knox Village, Wednesday, Dec. 16, 2020, in Pompano Beach, Fla. Marta Lavandier/AP hide caption
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis watches as nurse Christine Philips (left) administers the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for COVID-19 to Vera Leip, 88, a resident of John Knox Village, Wednesday, Dec. 16, 2020, in Pompano Beach, Fla.
Scarcely a day goes by that Gov. Ron DeSantis isn't holding a news conference somewhere in Florida, talking about his policy of providing the COVID-19 vaccine to "seniors first." The state now leads the nation in vaccinating senior citizens. In a state with 4.5 million people 65 and over, that's good news. The bad news is that in Florida, as elsewhere, the demand far exceeds the supply of vaccine, creating a first-come-first-served process that has left some groups out.
This week, at an event in Jacksonville, DeSantis announced a milestone. "By the end of this month," DeSantis said, "a COVID-19 vaccine will have been offered to every resident and staff member at all of Florida's nearly 4000 long-term care facilities."
Florida was one of the first states to make the vaccine available to everyone 65 and over. DeSantis says it makes sense because of mortality data. Eighty percent of COVID-19 deaths are among people in that age group. In a state where seniors make up one of the most important voting blocs, it's also good politics.
Office says milestone claim premature
DeSantis, a Republican with close ties with former President Donald Trump, sometimes brings a partisan edge to his comments on the state's COVID-19 response. This week, for example, he traded barbs with President Biden's spokesperson about the state's vaccine supply. On Fox News last week he took a shot at House speaker Nancy Pelosi and then touted Florida's vaccination program. "Today is the day that we're going to do our 1 millionth senior in the state of Florida," DeSantis said. "I have a World War II veteran here that you guys are going to see get the shot." Fox and Friends hosts watched as 100-year-old Henry Sayler got his shot on live TV.
Later, DeSantis' office said it was a bit premature. It would be a few more days before Florida hit that milestone. Still, some 22% of Florida seniors have received at least one shot, more DeSantis says than any other state in the nation.
But that's not to say it's been a smooth rollout. Many are frustrated there's no single registry for those eligible to receive the vaccine. Dr. Mary Jo Trepka, an epidemiologist at Florida International University says, "It's been very difficult for elderly people to deal with these multiple websites and having them fill up immediately. There's just been a lot of confusion."
On member station WLRN's South Florida Roundup show, a caller who identified herself as Connie from Margate said she was able to get the vaccine only because she got a tip that a local site had a few extra shots available. "And while I'm grateful for it, I just don't think this is the way things should happen. There's a lot of unfairness in. ... how people can get appointments."
Vaccination system favors the wealthy
The haphazard vaccination system, which varies county by county, is tilted toward those who can monitor social media and book appointments online before the slots run out. It's a system that so far has favored the wealthy. An analysis by the Miami Herald found the zip code in the county with the highest vaccination rate was Fisher Island, a wealthy enclave where half of the residents have gotten shots. The lowest was Opa-locka, where more than 40% of residents live in poverty.
Florida's Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried says, "We have seen numbers that should be morally shocking." Fried, the only Democrat holding a statewide office, says vaccine distribution has left out many African-Americans. In Miami-Dade County, where African Americans make up nearly 17% of the population, state records show they've received just 6% of vaccinations. "That is completely unacceptable," Fried says.
"What we've got going on right now is not working because we don't have a state-wide plan." State and county health officials say they're working to close the gap by organizing vaccination drives with Black churches.
Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava says Florida started using an online registration system for appointments because it got the vaccine out quickly. But she adds, "We need to slow it down and make sure we have an equitable solution."
Miami-Dade and some other counties have set up vaccine appointment phone lines for those without Internet connections. Mayor Levine Cava and county commissioners also now can reserve vaccinations for individuals and groups who may have trouble getting appointments otherwise.
I think that 'competing for one of the 10,000 spots is probably not quite the right way to look at it, UCHealth Vice President of Communications Dan Weaver said in response to questions from CPR News. Especially since people cannot register to receive the vaccine just at Coors Field or any of our other clinic locations.
Instead, Weaver said the mass vaccine clinic was just one part of a broader strategy to get vaccine to as many people as possible. The provider is making appointments as fast as it can for people 70 and older, notifying them when and where to go to get vaccinated.
While 10,000 will be chosen from the list for this weekends event and notified to attend, others are chosen at random for appointments each day at UCHealths clinics around the state, where the provider says they can give 5,000 shots per day.
But while the state gave UCHealth an additional allotment of vaccine for the upcoming event, that simply means that 10,000 doses were diverted from some other use so the people registered with UCHealth got them. It doesnt mean the state experienced a vaccine windfall.
This week, the state will be getting about 80,000 first doses, with another 40,000 or so ticketed for second shots for frontline health workers and seniors. If that continues, it would mean Gov. Jared Poliss guess that the state will get through 70 percent of the senior population by the end of February is probably on track.
It wont go faster because there is not likely going to be enough vaccine to make it go faster. Not for some time anyway.
Colorado is ready to immediately use three to four times as many vaccines as we are currently getting each week right away, Polis said in a statement. The sooner Colorado gets more vaccines, the quicker we can get them into arms, and the faster we can help our small businesses and economy build back stronger. Were ready and welcome renewed federal assistance to get the job done.
Governors across the country are making similar pleas.
Besides UCHealth, other Colorado health systems have similar waiting lists, with many Colorado seniors likely signed up at several of them hoping to improve their odds. Anyone can sign up, regardless of whether you are a patient of system-affiliated doctors. There is no cost for the vaccine, which was paid for by the federal government.
The state also just created a hotline for vaccine information at 1-877-CO-VAX-CO or 1-877-268-2926
CPR News reporter Andrea Dukakis contributed to this report.
Editor's Note:A limited number of CPR News journalists have started to receive vaccinations according to the state's prioritization of essential frontline workers.
Credit: Irfan Khan/ os Angeles Times/Polaris
Yolanda Javier, left, gives a Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine to a Los Angels resident at St. John's Well Child & Family Center in Jan. 2021.
Yolanda Javier, left, gives a Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine to a Los Angels resident at St. John's Well Child & Family Center in Jan. 2021.
A state effort to develop a more streamlined approach to vaccinating California residents against Covid-19 may get teachers their shots sooner.
Gov. Gavin Newsom announced the changes, which include a transition to an age-based eligibility system, in a press conference Monday. Starting next month, teachers and others in Phase 1B of the states vaccination priority list could begin to be vaccinated, even in counties where healthcare workers, who are in Phase 1A, are still being vaccinated.
Specifically, we believe that the cohort65 and older needs to be prioritized alongside healthcare workers, first responders, food and agriculture workers and school staffand teachers, said Newsom, in a press conference on Monday.
The plan which will be rolled out uniformly across all 58 counties will be implemented in mid-February pending vaccination availability, according to additional information released by the state Tuesday.
Phase IB includesemergency services employees, food and agriculture workersandpeople65 and older, as well as teachers. But when they will actually get vaccinated will depend on how many vaccine doses come into the state and are made available in each county.
Phase 1A: Healthcare workers and long-term care residents
Phase 1B: Individuals 65 and older, school staff and child care workers, emergency service employees and those working in the food and agriculture sector.
The state will transition to an age-based eligibility system after these groups are vaccinated.
We want to work through that cohort and continue to do what we can to vaccinate the vaccinators, our first responders, our farm workers, our critical workers on the front lines and our food delivery system and our teachers in order to get schools reopened as well as our support staff thats so foundational, critical not to ever be forgotten as it relates to making schools work, Newsom said Monday.
The announcement comes as school districts across California grapple with anunpredictable vaccine supplyand a lack of statewide coordination in order to figure out how and when to vaccinate their teachers in order to reopen schools. The result has been wide disparities in how far along school districts in different parts of the state are in vaccinating school staff.
A letter sent to members of the Community Vaccine Advisory Committee from Dr. Nadine Burke Harris, California surgeon general, and Dr. Erica Pan, state epidemiologist, on Monday says that while 2 million doses of vaccine have been administered the state has several challenges to overcome, including spotty data collection, a lack of statewide coordination among its 61 local health jurisdictions in regard to eligibility requirements and decentralized accountability.
In short, there is no clear and easy way to tell people when it was their turn and where to go when it was, says the letter.
The statewide plan is meant to address those issues, according to the letter.
This is the second time this month that Newsom has moved teachers higher on the states vaccination eligibility list in an effort to get schools reopened. In December the governor announced Safe Schools for All,an ambitious plan to reopen some schools as early as February.
In the meantime, school superintendents across the state continue to push to get their staffs vaccinated.
Last week all 13 Sacramento County school district superintendents and Sacramento County Office of Education Superintendent Dave Gordon signed a letter asking Newsom to prioritize vaccinating teachers and school staff over Covid-19 testing.
The administration of vaccines is more critical than expanding the capacity or testing of staff and students as they will minimize the risk of infection for teachers and students returning to schools, they wrote. The lack of a coordinated vaccination plan for educators at the state and local level will prolong and inevitably jeopardize plans for the reopening of schools.
The letter asks for the governors support to make vaccine doses available for teachers and school staff so that schools can reopen. Sacramento County school officials are developing a coordinated plan to vaccinate all school staff in the county within a very short time frame once vaccine doses are made available.
Los Angeles Unified Superintendent Austin Beutner has been pushing hard to be allowed to open vaccination clinics for staff, students and the community at schools in the states largest school district.
Theres a unique and important benefit to vaccinating all who work in schools doing so will help reopen schools sooner, Beutner said Monday. This will not only protect the health and safety of staff but will provide enormous benefit to children and their families with a faster reopening of schools and of the economy more broadly by enabling the working families we serve to go back to work.
He expressed frustration at the slow rollout of vaccines, which he called critical to reopening schools.
Its not enough to just say the words schools need to reopen. State and local government leaders need to match words with deeds they must act to reduce the spread of the virus in the communities our schools serve, create a clear standard for a safe school that all can understand and quickly vaccinate school staff. Once thats done, well be at the school front door with big smiles (under our masks) to welcome students and their teachers back to classrooms where they belong.
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New York State and the CDC offer different numbers when it comes to the COVID-19 vaccine distribution.
BUFFALO, N.Y. 2 On Your Side wanted to find out just how many people have already gotten their first and second doses of the COVID-19 vaccine here in Western New York.
But getting those numbers is not straightforward.
The state is in charge of distributing the vaccine once the federal government gets the doses to New York. So, the New York State Department of Health is where we need to go for answers.
If you go online and check out the state's vaccine tracker, you can see how many doses have been administered in each region.
The numbers are not broken down by county.
People whose appointments are cancelled will be offered spots at future Erie County Health Department sites. BUFFALO, N.Y. - A lack of supply is forcing Erie County to cancel more COVID-19 vaccine clinics scheduled for later this week.
First and second dose data is available for the state, but it's combined for regions, so you can't tell how many Western New Yorkers have gotten both doses so far. The information is also not broken down by demographics like age, zip code, occupation, or what phase the person who got vaccinated is in. That's all information the state should have from people who get the shot.
These numbers also do not include vaccines distributed by the federal government as part of its long term care facility program.
The CDC's vaccine tracker shows the number of people who have gotten their first dose and second dose in each state. The numbers don't match up with what the state is reporting and are not broken down by county or region.
Wanting more information, 2 On Your Side contacted the New York State Department of Health several times over the past week.
We asked the state why the numbers do not match up and we were told, "The CDC number on its website is a global allocation number to New York that is not necessarily what has been delivered to New York so far. It also includes the long-term care facility programs, which were federally run through the pharmacies."
You're sending us questions about the vaccine, and we're getting you answers. BUFFALO, N.Y. - 2 On Your Side is answering more of the questions you've sent us about the coronavirus vaccine. One 2 On Your Side viewer wants to know, "Is any consideration being given to immediate family members of front line nurses and doctors to be included in 1B?
2 On Your Side specifically asked the NYSDOH last week how many doses Erie County is getting each week, and while the state answered other questions we had, it did not answer this one.
Two of our New York State Senators agree the vaccine rollout is not going smoothly.
"The fact that we had a Phase 1A that was only partially complete, and then they created the Phase 1B, also led to a flood of requests on our local providers, so I'm afraid that New York State has in many ways pushed this through too rapidly without having a proper system or structure in place," said NYS Senator Edward Rath.
"The Department of Health needs to continue to be responsive to the people of New York who are saying this system isn't working. You got to keep endeavoring to make it better, and that's what we expect out of the Department of Health. We expect them to make a better system," said NYS Senator Sean Ryan.
2 On Your Side will keep pushing the state for answers about the vaccine, and if we find out exact numbers, we will update you.
MEMPHIS, Tenn. Its been about a month since the first COVID-19 vaccines went into American arms. Vaccination sites across the country are struggling to keep up with demand. But one demographic group still not represented well are African Americans. Fortunately, steps are being taken to change that.
Social media users are suggesting that the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine caused the death of baseball legend and civil rights advocate Hank Aaron.
"Hank Aaron - RIP - wanted to be an example and an inspiration to Black People by taking the COVID-19 vaccine. Unfortunately, he may have become a clear example to Black People of why this vaccine CANNOT be trusted," reads a Facebook post.
Aaron passed away at the age of 86 on Jan. 22, 2021, two weeks after he had received the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine.
But posts like this one mislead by implying that the vaccine caused Aarons death. So far, theres no evidence of a direct link, and vaccine experts told us to view these claims with caution.
A spokesperson at the Fulton County Medical Examiners office, which examined Aarons body after his death, told PolitiFact that his cause of death was natural and not linked to the COVID-19 vaccine.
The COVID-19 vaccines have been studied for months and have been proven to be safe and effective in tens of thousands of people. In addition, many of the users suggesting that the Moderna vaccine caused Aarons death are doing so without any evidence.
"Unfortunately, there are 86-year-olds who die every day. Thus, a single death in a person of that age group following a more than two-week interval from vaccination does not prove causation," said Dr. Walter Orenstein, associate director of the Emory Vaccine Center.
We dont know specifically how Aaron died. USA Today has reported that Aaron died of a stroke in his sleep.
If Aaron did die of a stroke, that would make it even less likely that the vaccine contributed in some way to his death. Paul Offit, director of the Vaccine Education Center at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, said that it would be "biologically implausible" for the COVID-19 vaccine to cause a stroke.
"The coronavirus can cause strokes, but the (Moderna COVID-19) vaccine only contains one protein of the virus, and theres no evidence that that one protein is inducing inflammation of the blood vessels (which could cause strokes)," he said.
The most common way of assessing whether vaccines have negative side effects is by gathering safety data from two groups of people, a vaccinated group and a control group. If a particular symptom is significantly higher in the vaccinated group, then its likely that the vaccine causes that symptom. However, if a particular symptom occurs at a similar rate in both the vaccinated and control groups, then the most likely cause is coincidence.
Tens of thousands of people participated in clinical trials last year to make sure the vaccines were safe before rolling them out to the general public. To receive FDA emergency-use authorization, vaccine manufacturers Pfizer and Moderna had to follow up with at least half of participants for at least two months after they received their vaccinations.
U.S. health experts have been aware of the possibility that deaths following vaccination would be perceived as being linked to the vaccine. In December, Dr. Helen Keipp Talbot, a member of the U.S. Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, said that the likelihood of nursing home patients dying from other causes shortly after vaccination could erode public confidence in the safety of the vaccines.
"When you are vaccinating millions and millions of people, some will develop bad illnesses and death simply by chance," said Orenstein. "These would be illnesses and deaths that would have occurred anyway at that time even if the person was not vaccinated."
Our ruling
Social media users imply that Hank Aarons death was caused by a COVID-19 vaccine.
The Fulton County Medical Examiners office confirmed that Aarons death was not linked to the vaccine.
Just because someone dies after receiving a vaccine does not prove that the vaccine caused his death. The COVID-19 vaccines have been proven to be safe and effective in tens of thousands of people.
We rate these posts False.
Ventura County officials on Tuesday are warning residents of scammers who dupe people into paying them with the promise of COVID-19 vaccines.
An elderly couple arrived at a vaccination site in the county on Tuesday, saying they pre-paid for their vaccine, officials announced on Facebook.
They had provided financial information to a scammer prior to arriving to the site, officials added.
The county didnt provide information on who was behind the scam, or how they got in touch with the couple, but warned residents not to provide financial information to anyone by phone or email.
Please be advised that vaccines are completely free, the county said. There is no cost to receive a vaccine.
Unlike surrounding areas, Ventura County is still not vaccinating those 65 and older. The vaccine is currently available to residents aged 75 years and older, health care workers and those in long-term care facilities.
Those eligible can clickhereto book an appointment, but slots were all booked as of Tuesday.
Residents could sign uphereto be notified when more are available in the county. Additional appointments are usually added at 7:30 a.m. every Monday.
To avoid falling victim to scams, residents are advised to sign up for free scam alerts from the Federal Trade Commission here, and always ask for identification or ask questions to verify the identity of callers.
Last month, the FBI warned there were several emerging fraud schemes related to COVID-19 vaccines, which remain scarce but in high demand.
Here are some potential indicators of fraud, according to the FBI:
Those who believe they may have been the victim of a scam and have lost money can contact their local police department. For all other scam-related calls, residents can report them to the Federal Trade Commission at 1-877-FTC-HELP or online at ftc.gov/complaint.
Prince William County, Virginia, has stopped accepting first dose vaccine appointments until Feb. 15, but a new scheduling system could facilitate the process moving forward.
The COVID-19 vaccination rollout in Prince William County, Virginia, has left residents frustrated, with eligibility requirements changing and a lack of supply prompting county officials to stop scheduling first-dose appointments until at least Feb. 15.
But Dr. Alison Ansher, the health director for the Prince William Health District, said a change in its scheduling system should improve the vaccination process.
The health district which also covers Manassas City and Manassas Park uses scheduling software that the federal government introduced, complicating the sign-up process. No matter where a vaccine clinic was located in Virginia, anyone across the country could see it and sign up.
But, starting early next month, the district will begin using PrepMod, a software that some hospitals in Northern Virginia have also used.
Ansher is hopeful it will facilitate enrollment at a time when vaccine supply is limited.
[The new software] has a better vaccine tracking system as part of this electronic system, Ansher told WTOP. Unfortunately, we thought it would be better to halt the appointments in the old system until the new system was up and running. Theyll probably overlap for a very small amount of time.
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Looking for more information? D.C., Maryland and Virginia are each releasing more data every day. Visit their official sites here:Virginia|Maryland|D.C.
According to Virginia Department of Health data, about 19,778 people in Prince William County have received at least one dose, and 2,431 people are considered fully vaccinated. From the outset, Ansher said, demand has far exceeded supply.
Virginia is in Phase 1b of its vaccination plan, which makes the following eligible to be vaccinated: front-line essential workers; those age 65 or older; people in correctional facilities, homeless shelters or migrant labor camps; and those between the ages 16 and 64 who have a high-risk medical condition.
Given its current allocation, Virginias Health Department said the state is unlikely to be able to vaccinate everyone in the current phase until March or April.
Virginia is now distributing vaccine to local health systems based on population, a shift from the initial distribution plan. On Jan. 15, the department said its request for additional doses was rejected.
On Tuesday, the Northern Virginia Regional Commission sent a letter to Gov. Ralph Northam urging a more equitable distribution of vaccines.
Last week, Ansher said the state learned it would receive 105,000 doses from the federal government. The Northern Virginia region received 30,000 doses for each locality to provide to hospital systems, health districts and any partners, such as pharmacies, also involved in distribution.
Prince William County, which accounts for 6% of the state population, therefore received about 6,000 doses. That prompted officials to stop booking new appointments.
Further complicating matters, the state said the pace of incoming doses isnt expected to improve until March.
Some events had to be canceled, appointments had to be canceled, because it ends up being probably a lot less than what had been anticipated as people planned and had people sign up for appointments, Ansher said. This past week is when that first occurred.
The vaccine supply challenge is likely a production issue, Ansher said, but there has also been a lack of clarity surrounding what states would receive.
Second doses were expected to be saved and sent to states with a new supply of first doses, but Ansher said the previous administration didnt set second doses aside.
However, with the Prince William Health District beginning second dose distribution this week, Ansher said that issue seems to be corrected.
The federal government now has sent second doses to match the number of doses that youve given on a particular day about a week before theyre due, Ansher said.
In Prince William, vaccines are available at several clinics, including local pharmacies, grocery stores and one at George Mason Universitys Prince William Campus. Before it received word of the limited supply, the county was also working to partner with Walmart and Harris Teeter to get vaccines into the community, Ansher said.
She added that vaccination sites need to have enough space, because many people have arrived at appointments with family members. In addition, some recipients need to be observed for 30 minutes rather than the recommended 15 because of their medical history.
On Saturday, the county also implemented a new cold-weather policy so that those in line can wait in their cars.
Moving forward, the health district said anyone who has received a first dose between Dec. 28 and Jan. 21 but is struggling to secure an appointment for the second will be accommodated. It also has launched a waitlist for eligible residents.
As the region continues to roll out COVID-19 vaccine doses, Ansher said the community still needs to use mitigation strategies. Shes concerned that once people are vaccinated, theyll stop.
The mRNA vaccines, Pfizer and Moderna, at this point from what we know, does not prevent transmission, it just makes the disease less severe, Ansher said.
As research goes on, that may change. That means we need to continue to social distance, wash our hands, wear our face coverings. It doesnt change all that.
Alamo, Texas (KVEO)Getting the COVID-19 vaccine to the people eligible to receive it has proven to be far from easy in the Rio Grande Valley.
The vaccines rollout has been flawed by poor messaging from state officials, logistic issues, and technical errors.
Pharr-San Juan-Alamo ISD announced Monday night they were partnering with Donna ISD during Tuesdays COVID-19 vaccination clinic at PSJA Memorial Early College High School.
In a news release, it was said Donna ISD school district nurses, police, communications, and maintenance personnel would be working with PSJA ISD assisting with the operation.
Donna ISD SuperintendentDr. Hafedh Azaiez said during an interview, the district learned about the COVID-19 vaccination event held in PSJA Memorial the week before the event.
We had several meetings last week; we knew that the County was receiving about a 1,000 doses or so, said Azaiez. We decided it would be best for us to have this joint event, to learn from each other and support each other out.
KVEO learned about Tuesdays vaccination clinic on Monday at noon in a press release from Hidalgo County. The county said wristbands would be distributed starting at 5 p.m., just five hours after the release went out, to all who qualified.
Residents began lining up at 2 p.m. Monday, hoping to get a wristband.
It has been unclear who is receiving the COVID-19 vaccine. After state officials had expressed concern vaccines were going unused and urged providers to give them to anyone who was eligible, many who met the qualifications tell KVEO they are finding it difficult to receive a vaccine.
Azaiez said the information that gets released comes from county officials.
As a district we were not part of the information. The press release from us came in at 6 p.m., but the release to get the vaccine it came from the county, said Azaiez. We are not the main organizer.
How the COVID-19 distribution works, is that a state panel sets their own eligibility guidelines based on recommendations from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
From there, state officials would allocate an appropriate number of vaccine doses to providers, such as pharmacies, doctors offices, hospitals, and medical clinics.
Hidalgo County Commissioner Pct. 1 David Fuentes said county officials receive the information from the state a couple of days prior on when and how many doses they will be receiving for distribution.
Once we know how much the state is going to allocate for us, then we finalize plans with our partners to let them know what is going down the pipeline, said Fuentes. We need to organize our staff, we need to coordinate pre-registration, so a lot of the times is kind of a very last minute kind of thing.
So, how far in advanced are county officials notified by the state as to when they will receive the vaccines?
So it might be as late as we get the notification on Friday, for distribution on Tuesday. said Fuentes.
Once the county has received the information on how many vaccines they will be receiving, officials finalize the coordination of effort, according to Fuentes.
Certainly we would like to have more preparation right now because the limited number of vaccines that we get, said Fuentes. We just have to wait for the state to finalize everything with us and once we are able to pass that information, we will.
Fuentes added the county does not want to create a situation where they have more people expecting the vaccine and not enough doses.
The state holds us responsible for getting these vaccines out, if we dont show that the proper usage was made or that we didnt roll it out appropriately, then we dont get the next round, said Fuentes.
A spokesperson from the county told KVEO, they are announcing the vaccines day by day, to avoid overcrowding and disorganization.
Last week, Chief Administrative Officer for Hidalgo CountyEddie Olivarez said 17,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines would be arriving to Hidalgo County.
The next vaccination event in Hidalgo County will take place in the city Edinburg on Wednesday, January 27.
