Here are five things you need to know about the coronavirus vaccine The Times Herald
As Covid-19 vaccines go into broad use, some rare side effects of vaccination will almost certainly emerge, like the reports of small numbers of people developing anaphylaxis. But so will medical events whose timing just comes down to random chance and the potential ripple effects of those reports already have experts concerned.
Every single day, people die unexpectedly. They have strokes and heart attacks and seizures. On an average day, 110 people in this country may develop Bells palsy, a temporary facial paralysis, and another 274 will develop Guillain-Barr syndrome, a form of paralysis that usually resolves over time. The trigger for these medical events often isnt known. But when they happen shortly after someone gets a vaccine especially a new one well, conclusions will be drawn.
It is logical for people to say: That person had something done to them and something bad happened in the hours or days after that, said Art Reingold, chair of the division of epidemiology and biostatistics at UC Berkeleys School of Public Health. And if it was you or your family member, you would be inconvincible that that wasnt true.
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Except, of course, it often isnt. Heart attacks occur most commonly in the morning, yet we dont blame breakfast for causing them. A heart attack on the morning after a Covid-19 vaccine, though? That might be another matter.
But the public doesnt have a great grasp of the concept that many problems that occur after vaccination probably arent tied to immunization itself. In part, thats because that context has been missing from public health messaging about Covid-19 vaccinations.
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I think the lay public is fully, fully unprepared for understanding this, said Kate OBrien, director of the WHOs immunization, vaccines, and biologics program.
Quickly distinguishing a true side effect signal from an abundance of noise will be critical to ease the alarm of a public already skittish about vaccines developed at warp speed, experts warned.
The risk of the public misinterpreting such anecdotal reports may be especially acute early on in the rollout, when elderly adults and people with health conditions have been prioritized to get the vaccine. Nursing home residents are in Phase 1a currently ongoing and seniors 75 and older are in Phase 1b. People aged 65 to 74 and those with medical conditions that increase the risk of severe Covid disease are in Phase 1c. These are people to whom medical events occur most commonly.
Things are going to happen to them, said OBrien, though she noted that more medical misfortune would befall people in these groups if they were not vaccinated.
Helen Keipp Talbot, who is on the expert panel that devised the vaccine distribution priority lists for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, actually voted against putting nursing home residents at the front of the line, in part because vaccinating people who are in frail health first could inadvertently undermine confidence in the vaccine, given how common heart attacks, strokes and even deaths are in this population.
All of the events are going to be temporally associated. But how do you explain that to the nurses aide whos been taking care of that patient and loves her like her own grandmother? Who then decides that shes not going to get vaccinated and tells everyone else not to get vaccinated? Talbot told STAT.
I fear a loss of confidence in the vaccine. That the vaccine will actually truly be safe, but there will be temporally associated events and people will be scared to use the vaccine, said Talbot, an associate professor of infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University.
In some cases, theres reason to believe reports of adverse events are likely due to the vaccine. Anaphylaxis a potentially life-threatening allergic reaction has been linked to multiple types of vaccines in the past.
Britain has reported several cases of anaphylaxis among people who have received the Pfizer vaccine. In the U.S., about 11 cases have been reported since the vaccine rollout began earlier this month, according to the CDC. Most followed receipt of the Pfizer vaccine, but a Boston doctor with a shellfish allergy developed a severe allergic reaction after receiving the Moderna vaccine. If and when other Covid vaccines are authorized for use, health authorities will be watching closely to see whether anaphylaxis is linked to all Covid vaccines, or merely those like the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines which are made using messenger RNA.
A three-year review of adverse reports logged into a U.S. national vaccine database found that anaphylaxis after vaccination is rare, occurring at a rate of about 1.31 per million doses of vaccine administered. Of those cases, 85% were in people with a history of allergies. None of the 33 cases out of 25 million vaccinations died. Some needed epinephrine, the drug in EpiPens, but others recovered after treatment with antihistamines.
Bells palsy, too, has been linked in at least one circumstance to a vaccine, an intranasally administered flu vaccine that was briefly brought to market in Switzerland.
Eight people in the Pfizer and Moderna trials, which enrolled nearly 74,000 participants in total, were diagnosed with the condition seven in the vaccine arms and one in the placebo arm of the Moderna trial. The jury is still out on whether Bells palsy, which afflicts about 40,000 people a year in the U.S., is an occasional side effect of taking a Covid-19 vaccine.
As vaccinations begin on a larger scale, reports of other potential side effects will likely pop up. A few cases of something are anecdotes, not data, and definitely not proof of a causal relationship. While they must and will be studied, investigations of this sort take time.
The CDC and the Food and Drug Administration have a number of surveillance systems set up to monitor for potential side effects, as do some other countries. But its going to be important to look for, and be ready to react to, vaccine safety rumors anywhere they start to swirl, said Steven Black, a professor emeritus at the University of Cincinnati Childrens Hospital whose career has focused on vaccine safety.
The reason I think you need to think globally is that vaccine scares are global, said Black, who is also co-director of the Global Vaccine Data Network, a 17-country collaboration that studies vaccine safety and effectiveness. We know very well that misinformation spreads much more quickly than information, so that a couple deaths in Brazil or a death in Indonesia or whatever, the public outcry could cause lack of confidence and undermine the whole vaccine program.
Reingold agreed.
Once theres a news report people have read, it doesnt matter what we prove categorically two years later in a study, that perception will remain, and its hard to combat, he said.
Thats why its so crucial to set expectations before and during a vaccination campaign. But public literacy about vaccination the benefits, the risks, and how to balance the two is poor, said OBrien, who points to how often people insist they contracted flu from a flu shot, even though that is biologically impossible.
One of the ways vaccine experts try to combat the rise of rumors and unfounded claims is by knowing background rates of medical events, so that when things arise, one can get a sense of whether the number of cases is abnormal, or what might be expected to occur, whether or not a vaccination program was underway.
If we know that Guillain Barr occurs in 1 in 100,000 people and a million people have been vaccinated, you would expect 10 cases, maybe, Black explained. But if you have 30, you begin to wonder: Maybe theres an issue here? So, knowing background rates as a frame of reference is something thats being promoted.
Differentiating between whats relevant from what isnt is going to be tough, especially with multiple new vaccines (hopefully) starting to be used within a short period of time. When suspect medical events occur, it will be important to know which vaccine the individual in question received though that may be a bigger challenge than you would expect. Record keeping for immunizations especially adult immunizations isnt close to where it ought to be, OBrien said.
Should it become clear that one, some, or all of the vaccines pose rare risks of some side effect, how will the public take the news?
At some point, if events are occurring one in 100 million [vaccinations], people may be willing to accept that risk if it allows the world to get rid of Covid and go back to normal life, Black said. Because you have to remember, hundreds of thousands of people are dying of the disease.
How that risk is communicated, though, will be critical, because many people cant easily understand how to assess the significance of a rare risk. Theyre wary about very rare events and then they text while theyre crossing the street where theyre much more likely to get killed. Yeah, people do that very poorly, Black said.
Giving people a comparison that makes sense to them can help, said Alison Buttenheim, an associate professor of nursing and health policy at the University of Pennsylvania, who works on vaccine acceptance.
The idea that 1 in 500,000 people who are inoculated with a Covid vaccine might have a serious side effect this is a hypothetical example might seem too risky to some people. Explaining to them that they run the same risk of being hit by lightning in a given year can put a different spin on that piece of information.
Likewise, pointing out that 1 in 500 New Jersey residents have already died from Covid-19 can remind people that the risk of not being vaccinated far exceeds the rare risks the vaccines may possibly pose, Buttenheim said.
At the end of the day, helping the public understand these issues requires communication and that isnt happening on a national level, said Bruce Gellin, president of global immunization at the Sabin Vaccine Institute, which promotes access to vaccinations.
The Department of Health and Human Services, not the CDC, has taken the lead on Covid vaccine communications efforts. But its output to date has been limited.
It would have been nice if they could come up with a communications strategy at the same warp speed as they came up with vaccines, said Gellin, a former director of HHSs National Vaccine Program Office.
My mantra is theres a vaccine world and theres a vaccination world, and theyre not necessarily connected by an arrow. [Operation] Warp Speed was largely about the vaccine world and about logistics, Gellin said. Warp Speed, unfortunately, was not about a vaccination program. And now what were seeing is that were now facing the vaccination program and are under-prepared.
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Alaska embarked on its effort to distribute doses of the COVID-19 vaccine this month, but only a fraction of people in the state have received it so far.
Across multiple tiers and phases, much about who will receive the vaccine and when is still being determined, and the state remains in the initial stages of distribution as the number of available vaccine doses is limited.
As of Friday, Alaska had administered about 11,800 first doses of the vaccine from manufacturers Moderna and Pfizer. In total, the state has roughly 60,000 doses of the vaccine available for the month of December, but the number of vaccines available for January is not yet clear, officials said on a call Wednesday.
Heres what to expect going forward.
The initial stage of vaccination is known as Phase 1A, and in Alaska thats further broken down into three separate tiers.
The first two tiers included those who started receiving the vaccine this month. They included residents and staff at long-term care facilities, hospital-based frontline health care workers, emergency personnel, community health aides and people who are performing vaccinations.
The third tier of people in the states first phase will start receiving vaccines next month. Based on recommendations from a state allocation committee, the third tier includes people who work in health care settings who are at the highest risk of getting COVID-19 and are also considered essential to the health care system, doing regular work that cant be postponed or done remotely.
They must also meet the following criteria, listed by the state:
Have direct patient contact, or have direct contact with infectious materials from patients; and
Provide essential services in a health care setting that cannot be offered remotely or performed via telework; and
Provide a service in a health care setting that cannot be postponed without detrimental impact to the patients short-term or long-term health outcomes.
Those who fall into this category can start signing up to receive the vaccine on Wednesday, officials said last week. The vaccinations will be by appointment only and will occur on a first-come, first-served basis, Tari OConnor with the state health department said on a recent call. The vaccines will be available at clinics around the state and their locations will be posted online this week. The clinics include sites like community health centers, hospitals and pharmacies across the state.
The federal advisory committee recommended including people who are over age 74 and essential workers as part of Phase 1B, while Phase 1C would include people 65 to 74 as well as those ages 16 to 64 with high-risk medical conditions and other essential workers who werent included during Phase 1B.
Phases 1B and 1C include a significant number of people many more than the number of vaccine doses available, Tessa Walker Linderman, who heads up the states vaccine task force, said last week. Thats where the states committee will be helpful in determining who specifically should be next in line. While the federal committee issues broader guidelines, Alaskas committee breaks them down into smaller groups.
Those interested in providing input on how the vaccines should be distributed in Alaska can do so Monday during a public meeting scheduled for 4 to 5 p.m. You can submit written comments beforehand or sign up to provide a 1-minute comment during the meeting.
By Laurel Demkovich, Jim Allen, Maggie Quinlan, Adam Shanks and Amy Edelen The Spokesman-Review The Spokesman-Review
With two COVID-19 vaccinations federally approved and more on the way, the nation prepares for its largest inoculation effort in history.
In Washington, 30,000 high-risk health care workers were vaccinated in the first week that the Pfizer-BioNTech doses were available. In Idaho, 13,650 initial doses were allocated to local public health districts in the first week. As more shipments are received, those numbers will rise quickly.
While state governments have the ultimate say on prioritizing groups for the vaccine, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention COVID-19 vaccine work group voted last week on recommendations for whos next. That group includes people 75 or older and frontline essential workers, such as first responders, teachers and grocery store workers.
Idaho guidelines in place are similar to CDC recommendations. Washington officials have said the states order for vaccinations likely will be similar to what the CDC recommends.
For many, its a bright spot in what seemed like an unending tunnel.
For others, questions remain about the vaccines effectiveness, the states plans and when theyll be able to receive one.
While much is still unknown, heres what we know so far about vaccination plans in the Inland Northwest.
Distribution a very fluid situation Along with its initial allocation, Washington received 44,850 Pfizer doses in the week ending Dec. 25, with an additional 57,525 doses expected to arrive by the end of the year.
The state also will receive 127,900 doses of the Moderna vaccine in the coming week.
By the end of December, Washington likely will receive more than 330,000 doses of a vaccine, Washington Assistant Secretary of Health Michele Roberts told reporters Wednesday.
The state will release allocation numbers on a week-by-week basis, Roberts said.
Vaccine distribution is a very fluid situation, Spokane Regional Health District Interim Health Officer Dr. Francisco Velazquez told reporters Wednesday. Were seeing changes with distribution quantities often.
The Spokane Regional Health District confirmed 3,900 Pfizer doses were distributed to health care providers in the county in its first week of use. It expected to get the same amount each of the following two weeks.
The district announced it would receive 15,800 doses of the Moderna vaccine by the week of Dec. 28. MultiCare and Providence hospitals have begun vaccinations.
Along with those major hospitals systems, 21 other providers are registered and will receive the vaccine in Spokane County. The shipments go directly to registered providers, who then decide who will receive it based on the states priority list.
Those in the states first priority group are front-line health care workers who interact with COVID patients daily, including cleaning staff and front desk workers. First responders and residents and staff of long-term care facilities are also near the top of the list.
Vaccinations of those in longterm care facilities will begin Dec. 28, Roberts said.
The next group eligible for vaccinations still is being determined, with Gov. Jay Inslee making the final decision.
Its still going to be several weeks before were going to be ready to move to the next group, Roberts said, adding by the end of January she hopes to start vaccinating the next set of priorities.
In Idaho, 13,650 doses of the Pfizer vaccine have been distributed, with 1,950 going toward the Panhandle Health District in North Idaho. Most of those doses went to Kootenai Health, which received 1,370 and has started vaccinations. The others were spread out among other hospitals and clinics in the five-county district.
The state received 28,000 initial doses of Moderna last week, with the Panhandle Health District receiving 4,200 doses, spokesperson Katherine Hoyer said. Those doses will go to the same providers that received the initial Pfizer doses.
Healthcare personnel and long-term care facility residents are the first in line for those initial doses, with first responders, teachers and essential workers next, according to Idahos vaccine advisory committee.
First responders may get vaccinated in JanuaryThe Spokane Regional Health District will allocate enough doses to vaccinate 100% of the roughly 2,500 first responders and public safety personnel in Spokane County, according to Spokane County Fire Chief Brian Schaeffer. That includes employees, firefighters, law enforcement, corrections officers and dispatchers.
When the inventory arrives tentatively scheduled for the first week of January Schaeffer said there will be a vaccination clinic for first responders. They will return a few weeks later to receive a second dose.
The vaccination plan was formed by the Spokane County EMS Vaccination Task Force, which is led by Mike Lopez, integrated medical services director for the Spokane Fire Department. Its a facet of the existing pandemic response plan that public safety and health officials had in place well before the coronavirus took hold in the United States this year.
Fire Department employees will not be required to get the vaccine, which Schaeffer does not believe is within his power to mandate. It will be an individual decision, Schaeffer said.
He estimated that about half of the workforce could forego the vaccine. While many have not ruled it out entirely, Schaeffer said that feedback from first responders was they were a little hesitant, and not sure if they wanted to be on the first rollout of this vaccination program.
We need to prove to people that it is beneficial and safe, and thats just going to take time and effort, Schaeffer said.
Schaeffer plans on receiving the vaccine, but he has to wait 90 days from the time he was treated for COVID-19. The chief was diagnosed with COVID-19 in November . Though he was not hospitalized, he experienced symptoms and, at their apex, he coughed up blood.
Its all perspective. When you look on the spectrum of very minor symptoms to death, it was probably more toward the minor side, Schaeffer said.
The vaccine is key to ending the pandemic, Schaeffer stressed.
At its worst, the fire department has been without 20% of its workforce due to employees either testing positive for the virus or isolating due to potential exposure. Thats resulted in more overtime and stress on personnel.
To date, 29 Spokane police officers have tested positive for COVID-19, according to spokeswoman Julie Humphreys. Humphreys said in an email that the city is developing a policy that will follow state and federal directives on vaccines for employees, when asked whether officers will be required to get the vaccine.
Information is still evolving rapidly about the availability, timing and directives for first-responder employees, Humphreys said.
Its still unclear where teachers fall in the distribution orderTeachers are moving toward the front of the line for COVID-19 vaccinations, but its unclear what difference that will make before the school year ends.
Depending on a final determination by the Washington State Department of Health, teachers could get their COVID-19 shots in the next few weeks or well into spring. Thats also true in Idaho, where teachers are currently listed in the second tier of groups in line for vaccinations.
In education circles, the reaction to the national news was mixed.
At the top, Randi Weingarten, president of the 1.7 million-member American Federation of Teachers, said teachers should be at the front of the line, just behind health care workers.
Her message: If you want to open schools, vaccinate teachers first.
Those in schools that are reopening in person or have reopened in person should be a very close second priority, Weingarten said.
The way in which we see it, she said, is that the vaccination prioritization should be aligned with those who are in school.
Larry Delaney, president of the Washington Education Association, said hes hopeful.
We certainly think thats good news, also recognizing so much is fluid. We dont want to get our hopes up too high, recognizing things could change, Delaney said.
Of the 153,000 employees in Washington public schools, about 40% are over 50.
Spokane Public Schools Superintendent Adam Swinyard said the district is encouraged by the ongoing discussions focused on strategies to support the safe reopening of schools, and look forward to state and local decisions regarding the vaccine distribution plan.
There will be speed bumps, though.
If you bring a bunch of children all back to school and none of them are vaccinated, theres going to be some high-risk child who is going to end up in the hospital, Helen Chu, an infectious disease expert and associate professor at the University of Washington School of Medicine, told the Seattle Times last week.
CDC recommends prioritizing essential workersThe United Food and Commercial Workers International Union, which represents 62,000 members in Washington, praised the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions recommendation to prioritize COVID-19 vaccines for essential workers in grocery stores, food processing and meatpacking plants.
In a statement Wednesday, the UFCW urged Inslee to expedite vaccine distribution.
The CDC move to prioritize essential workers for the COVID vaccine is a critical first step, but Governor Jay Inslee must act to expedite distribution and guarantee free access to the vaccine for these thousands of Washington workers on the frontlines, UFCW President Marc Perrone said in a statement.
UFCW Local 1439 President Eric Renner said while some members expressed concern about getting COVID-19 vaccinations, it was a very small percentage. UFCW Local 1439 represents more than 6,500 workers in Eastern Washington, North Idaho and northeastern Oregon.
Renner said he has not yet heard when workers could receive COVID-19 vaccinations, but its a priority to ensure they have access when it becomes available.
Theyve been putting their lives at risk for nine months and the conditions theyve been working in have not been easy, Renner said. The sooner we can get vaccines, the better.
Safeway spokeswoman Tairsa Worman said in an email Safeway is not mandating, but strongly encouraging employees to obtain COVID-19 vaccinations.
Those already vaccinated say its the right thing to doDr. Chandler Hill has sent many COVID patients to an intensive care unit knowing they will likely die.
Hill, an emergency room doctor at Sacred Heart, estimates hes treated between 50 and 100 COVID-positive patients. One sticks out a man in his 40s like Hill, with few other conditions, whom he could tell was unlikely to survive.
I think the main thing that gives people a misimpression of the virus is that it does cause a mild illness in some people, Hill said. I feel like it would be a roll of the dice if I get COVID. The younger you are and healthier you are, that dice roll gets better, but its definitely not inconsequential.
Hes also seen the long-term effects of COVID. Some patients develop clots and get strokes. Hes gotten into the routine of wearing PPE and double-checking everything, but he said he still fears for his wife and two young children.
Its something that weighs down on you every day as you go through your day, Hill said.
Hill was one of the first people in Spokane to get a COVID vaccine, and he said he had no side effects, outside of a little soreness on his arm like hed get with many vaccines.
All of his coworkers are getting the vaccine, he said. The research is as good as it can be and the side effects are minimal, he said.
Its really the right thing to do, not just for yourself but for your family and community, so we can get back to normal, Hill said.
He said the mood in the medical community is excitement. It feels like the beginning of the end, he said. The pandemic, though wearing, has been almost sort of inspiring, he said, as he sees his team rise to the challenge.
This hopefully is one of the more significant events well go through. Ive been proud to be part of a team thats doing a good job and rising up to the moment, so hopefully we can keep doing that, Hill said. If everybody does their part and is willing to take the vaccine, then we can hopefully put this thing behind us.
COVID-19 vaccines will start being administered at Pittsburgh area nursing homes on Monday WPXI Pittsburgh
BREAKING NEWS A man was arrested after allegedly trying to force 3 college-aged women off a Chico roadway Full Story BREAKING NEWS President Trump signs pandemic relief bill and averts government shutdown Full Story BREAKING NEWS North State Covid-19 updates: Lassen County reports 137 new community cases Full Story
The COVID-19 vaccines arrival in Michigan brings hope to many that the pandemic is nearing the end, but health and education experts agree theres a long way to go before school will return to normal.
The current vaccine is not approved for children younger than 16, and even after teachers are vaccinated, health officials said its best to continue wearing masks and practice social distancing. The normalcy of in-person school wont return overnight, the experts said.
Gayla Clark, a third grade teacher at Prairie Ridge Elementary School in Kalamazoo, said she will get the vaccine as soon as possible to protect herself, her family and her students.
I dont want to give (COVID-19) to anybody, Clark said. How awful would that be to know that youve given it to someone elderly, young or whoever, Clark said.
The teachers union vice president said shes thankful that Kalamazoo Public Schools has remained in virtual mode and will do so at least until March. Clark doesnt believe the arrival of the vaccine will have any impact on the 2020-21 school year.
But, although progress toward normalcy is slow-moving, theres at least a light at the end of the tunnel, she said.
Its at least a little glimmer of hope, Clark said.
Health officials have a lot of unknowns about how a vaccine may affect the school year, Susan Ringler Cerniglia, Washtenaw County Health Department spokeswoman, said.
We wont know a lot until we have a vaccine they can actually take, Cerniglia said. And when theres wide availability.
Teachers will be vaccinated earlier as part of phase 1B, which is the second of four distribution phases outlined by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. Vaccination of school staff is essential to improve the capacity to have in person instruction, MDHHS officials said.
Teachers are grouped with other essential workers behind healthcare workers in line for the vaccine. There are an estimated 87 million Americans working in essential sectors, like food and agriculture, manufacturing and law enforcement, according to a New York Times article.
This includes the countrys three million teachers but may not account for school nurses, janitors, cafeteria workers and other school workers who are also crucial to reopening school, the article states.
In Michigan, distribution of the vaccine is slower than expected. This week, the state received less than half the doses of vaccine than it expected.
MDHHS received 84,825 doses of Pfizers COVID-19 vaccine last week, and anticipated another 84,000 the week of Dec. 22, as well as 173,600 doses of the Moderna vaccine just approved by the Federal Drug Administration.
Instead, state officials have been told to expect 60,450 doses each of the Pfizer and Moderna immunizations, according to Lynn Sutfin, MDHHS spokeswoman.
Distribution of the vaccine will take multiple months. And students are unlikely to see vaccinations before the beginning of next year as pediatric trials have only just begun, per the New York Times article.
The vaccine provides a light at the end of the tunnel for many parents who are trying to work, do remote school and take care of their families, said Jessica Grose, The Timess Parenting columnist. But theres still considerable anxiety about how the months ahead might play out.
The vaccine will give her staff an additional layer of protection against the virus, Naomi Norman, Washtenaw County Intermediate School District interim superintendent, said.
Most importantly, the vaccine is giving us hope that there is an end to the pandemic, Norman said. We remain concerned about the student health risks and will be continuing to follow our pandemic response plans with guidance from our local health department.
The ISD has not discussed widespread changes to its in-person school models and knows schools will need to continue mitigation efforts, like mask wearing and physical distancing, into the new year, Norman said.
Health officials have been asked if schools will distribute the vaccine, and theyve said its unlikely because parents or guardians must be present for a minor to be vaccinated, Cerniglia said.
Schools also already have in place a process for parents to opt their children out of vaccines, and Cerniglia believes that may be the case for the coronavirus vaccine as well.
Melissa Emery, an Ann Arbor single mother of two, questions the safety of the vaccine and said she will not be taking it or giving it to her children.
They dont know the long-term effects of it, Emery said. I will never, never get that vaccine.
Emery believes it will be years before health experts know the real effects of the vaccine.
I dont think its the panacea that maybe a lot of people think its going to be, Emery said. Its not the holy grail.
John Helmholdt, Grand Rapids Public Schools spokesman, said parents can opt their child out of the vaccine, when it becomes available. And, if parents decide not to get vaccinated themselves, their children will not be limited to online school, he said.
We certainly are not going to penalize a student if and when the vaccine may be available if their parents choose not to, Helmholdt said.
The districts focus today is on rapid testing sites for educators and other GRPS staff, Helmholdt said. The district will return to hybrid in-person classes on Jan. 19, after spending the first half of the school year in virtual mode.
Grand Rapids school leaders hope the vaccine could be available for staff as early as mid to late January, Helmholdt said. But mitigation strategies such as social distancing will still be required when students return to school on in January.
Marcus Cheatham, Mid-Michigan District Health Department health officer, said the department does not give legal advice to schools and businesses, including whether or not they should mandate that personnel get the vaccine.
We are not advocates for anyone requiring it, Cheatham said. But if you dont want to get sick, get this vaccine.
To help you navigate this complicated fall, were pleased to offer you a simpler way to get all of your education news: Our new Michigan Schools: Education in the COVID Era newsletter delivered right to your inbox. To receive this newsletter, simply click here to sign up.
Also on MLive:
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Residents from around the Black Hills gave their take as to if they feel comfortable getting either COVID-19 vaccine once they become publicly available. Would you get either vaccine? If so, which one?
RAPID CITY, S.D. Since the COVID-19 pandemic struck in February, many have been waiting for a vaccine to be made available.
Modernas COVID-19 vaccine arrived in Rapid City Monday, one week after Pfizers.
According to Monument Health officials, it could take until next summer for the vaccines to be available for the general public.
So, how would Black Hills residents react to taking the vaccine?
I dont really know what the symptoms are and they kinda made like a vaccine for a global pandemic pretty quickly, said Caleb Valandra of Rapid City. So I just dont really trust it right now.
I just dont know enough about them, said Shane Tipps of Rapid City. Until I know more about it and I see some results than I might be more apt to take it.
I just feel like there was not enough time put into it, I think they just threw something together to help people feel better, said Rhiannon Wright of Martin. Thats just my opinion.
Despite skepticism, local health officials say by taking the vaccine and voicing their experiences, they can lead by example for the community.
That will be another encouragement to other people that you can do this and that will help you to get back to work and back to normal activities, said Dr. Terry Graber, a Staff Physician at the Hill City Clinic and Custer Care Center.
Top health officials also reiterating that the shots are safe and will save lives.
I look forward to receiving this vaccine myself in the coming days as part of our efforts to demonstrate to Americans that these vaccines are safe and incredibly effective at preventing COVID-19, said Alex Azar, the Secretary of Health and Human Services of the U.S.
Health officials also say that its still imperative for people to social distance, wear a mask and practice CDC guidelines even after taking the vaccine.
BATON ROUGE On Monday, administering theCOVID-19vaccine will begin in nursing homes and long-term care facilities.
At Amber Terrace Assisted Living many residents are anxious for the process to begin.
They keep asking me when are we going to get the vaccine, said Sharon Dykes the Activities Director. We have heard that were getting them, but I think the nursing homes are first and then well get ours.
Family members can visit their loved ones at Amber Terrace, but they have to do so behind a clear wall. Dykes says the residents want to get vaccinated so theycan becloser to family.
Theyre ready to see their families, said Dykes. [The staff] gets to go home, and they dont.
Pharmacists at CVS andWalgreenswill be administering the vaccines. Dr. JocelynShrumwith CVS says a pharmacist and two technicians will be traveling to each facility.
Depending on how many residents they have for us to vaccinate well be there for four hours or six hours, but thats basically a one to two ratio on whats going to the LTCs, said Dr.Shrum.
Each resident and staff have to receive two doses of the vaccine, so it will take three to four weeks after the first visit for everyoneto befully vaccinated.
