Updates About COVID-19

A few great things have happened in the COVID pandemic. First, many individuals have been able to receive their vaccine(s). You may still be waiting for yours, but it will not be long now until everyone who wants a vaccine will get one. If a vaccine is not available in your area, it will be soon. Remember when you register that you will qualify as immunocompromised if you have neurological disease or injury and may also be in the respiratory compromised groups.

Vaccines are being safely provided in mass vaccination settings. I wondered about these arrangements in the initial discussions about safety. Measures have been taken to ensure your safety while waiting in your vehicle. You can be well assured that there will be a quick response in the rarest of cases if help should be needed. The vaccine risk of reaction is extremely low, so you can be comfortable that this is an acceptable method to obtain yours. Your county or state health department generally manages these, so the vaccine and administration are at no cost.

If you prefer a smaller setting, you can receive your vaccine at some pharmacies and medical centers. Vaccines are still not available in most healthcare provider's offices. You need to make an appointment just like anywhere else the vaccine is given. This is especially helpful in controlling crowds and waiting in lines. Vaccines provided in pharmacies and healthcare clinics may have an administration fee that you will be responsible for or billed to your payor. The vaccine is free, but these locations are allowed to charge for giving it to you.

Many individuals have wondered about home health providing the vaccine if it is difficult for you to travel to an administration location. This is a wonderful idea. I have heard of a few home health services providing this, but I don't have any validation of it. It might be done through your local health department, but this is a rare occurrence. Hopefully, in the future, we will see wider distribution opportunities like this.

Vaccine sign-up is made mostly through the internet, which requires a computer or smartphone. Many areas in our country do not have internet service. In some underserved areas, the public health department is going door to door to administer the vaccine. This is done on a county-to-county basis or mandated by individual states. You may have access to the vaccine through this method, but you will need to contact your individual county health department to find out.

Currently, there is not really a choice of vaccines. You should try to get one at the first opportunity that is available to you, as this is critical during the pandemic. The Pfizer vaccine is a two-step vaccination, with each vaccine given 21 days apart. The Moderna vaccine is the same two-step process with two vaccines given 28 days apart. It is important to note that the CDC's latest statement is that both the Pfizer and the Moderna second vaccination can be up to six weeks apart and still be effective. After a six-week interval from the first injection, the series needs to be restarted for effectiveness. The Johnson and Johnson vaccine is a one-time vaccine administration. Pfizer and Moderna are rMNA vaccines that teach your body to make a protein spike on your cells to keep the covid virus from entering your body. The Johnson and Johnson vaccine is a traditional vaccine that teaches your body to make antibodies once the virus has entered your body.

There have been some side effects from the vaccines. Soreness, pain, redness and swelling at the injection site are most common. The vaccines are fluid injected into a muscle where there is no pocket for the vaccine fluid. This can be uncomfortable. Keep moving your arm or have someone move it for you to reduce discomfort. The movement stimulates blood flow in the body which disperses the fluid more quickly. The Moderna vaccine might produce a red rash in the injection area. This has now been called the Moderna rash. Check with your healthcare provider to see if you can use medication or ointment for the rash. Mostly, it just resolves on its own.

Other side effects include tiredness, headache, muscle pain, chills, fever and nausea. These symptoms range from mild to severe. If you are uncomfortable or do not resolve in a day or two, you might want to notify your healthcare professional.

These side effects can trigger increased spasms or an episode of autonomic dysreflexia (AD), especially in individuals with higher-level injuries. If you are experiencing uncontrollable spasms or AD symptoms that your usual treatment plan or the new onset cannot be controlled, notify your healthcare professional.

Side effects may have more intensity after the second shot of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccinations. This is a sign that your immune system is working to incorporate the vaccine into your body. Do not worry if you do not have side effects; the vaccine is still working. Why some individuals have more intense side effects, and others have none is not yet understood.

When you get your first vaccination, you will receive an official CDC wallet card that will indicate your vaccination's date along with the batch number and brand of the vaccine. It is very important that you keep this card safe and know where it is at all times. You will need to bring it to your second vaccination appointment if you have a two-step vaccination process. It will also be used if you have a booster vaccine in the future. It is not known how this information will be used later, but you might need the card for travel, sporting events, to enter large gatherings like concerts or movie theaters.

In the future, there is some discussion that you may even need the vaccine card to enter restaurants, but so far, that is not the case. This card is important to allow you access to events, so be sure you keep it handy and safe. We will have to see how the re-entry process works to know the full effect of using the vaccination card. Electronic versions may be used as well. Some electronic vaccination cards for air travel are available now but have a fee. Let's see how this all plays out before paying for more things that may or may not be necessary. All the new rules have yet to be written.