Questioning The Vaccine

County Residents Seek More Details About The Safety of COVID-19 Remedies

By Kia Lisby

Questions regarding the COVID-19 vaccines continue to swirl in conversations across the county.

County leaders are taking initiative to inform residents on the COVID-19 vaccinations.

Although vaccines are now available, a lot of people are skeptical about taking it. With many questions and concerns on the benefits and risks of taking the vaccine, virtual information sessions are being held daily, to inform and ease the mind of people.

County have been informing community members on  the importance of the vaccine – many of them publicly taking the vaccine in recent weeks.

The phases in which the vaccine is being distributed is also in high discussion.  

Recently, The Arc Prince George’s and the Bowie Town Hall (led by Bowie Mayor Tim Adams) hosted virtual COVID-19 vaccine information sessions where they informed and answered some of the common questions and concerns about the vaccine.

The Arc Prince George’s and the Bowie Town Hall virtual information sessions informed on some of the same topics regarding why taking the vaccine is important and the risks and benefits of taking it or not.

The Arc Prince George’s Executive Director Rob Malone and Bowie Town Hall speaker Dr. Barry Meisenberg both noted that at least 80% of the population needs to be vaccinated to eliminate the virus.

In working with people with disabilities, Malone explained why Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) should get the vaccine. DSPs provide close contact and intimate care to patients in a small congregate setting in group homes. Getting the vaccine may prevent them from getting extremely ill and it may give protection from others around them.

“This is why we’ve been deemed essential workers and need to make sure that we are protecting ourselves and protecting the people we support,” said Malone.

While encouraging essential workers to take the vaccine is important, knowing what medicines they are taking and how they work are equally relevant.

The vaccines being distributed are mRNA vaccines, which “teach” the body how to respond if exposed to the COVID-19 virus.

Dr. Meisenberg also explained the two random studies with willing patients. During the trial period, 30,000 people in the U.S. were administered Moderna and 43,000 people were administered Pfizer in three countries all with multiple ethnicities.

People were randomly assigned either two shots of a saltwater placebo or two shots of the active vaccine 21 days apart if given Pfizer and 28 days apart if given Moderna.

“This is what we call “double blind” which means the person administering the shot and the study team did not know which one you were getting and the patient didn’t know which one they were getting.”

During The Arc session, Walgreens Healthcare Supervisor Lauren Linkenauger, PharmaD explained that the vaccine went through trials, ranging from phases 1 to 4 with each phase growing in the size of population of participants.

The doctors and experts are looking to make sure that that medication is safe and effective. From there the vaccine goes through the FDA Emergency Use Authorization protocol and other immunization processes to make sure that vaccination is ready for the masses.

But listeners and participants were also concerned about the speed with which scientists created the vaccines.

“We have new ways that we create vaccines today than we did a long time ago,” Linkenauger said. “Over time with new technology and processes, we have [come up with] new ways to be able to develop a vaccine for us, that takes care of us,” he said.

“Our tax dollars went to building manufacturing facilities, even before they knew the end of the trial results” said Meisenberg as he explained the accelerated process for obtaining the vaccination.

Many want to know the side-effects and potential long-term damages.

Commonly reported mild and moderate symptoms similar to symptoms from other approved vaccines include injection site soreness, fatigue, headaches, and body aches. He further mentioned that reactions are stronger and more common in younger people with the second vaccination with very few people having to be admitted in the hospital.

“What we are seeing from a side effect perspective is typically more pronounced after the second dose because that’s when your body’s really having that immunity response,” said Linkenauger.

“Most people did not need to take medication, most people did not miss work, most people did not miss school,” Meisenberg said.

Linkenauger mentioned that side effects are similar to other vaccinations resulting in possibly a fever, headache, and/or some muscle aches, before going on to say the side effects are “a good thing because that means your body is reacting and building that antibody and that response to that vaccine.”

Long-term damages are uncertain as of now.

The vaccines are considered to be 94%-95% effective in preventing COVID-19. But for how long?

 “We are not 100% sure what that looks like at this point,” Linkenauger said. “What is certain is that one dose of the vaccination will not work. “Both doses are needed in order to create the immunity that we would want from that vaccine.”

For those considering getting a flu shot or other vaccinations close to date of receiving the COVID vaccination,  health officials advise against getting both or more shots within a 14-day period.

For those who’ve received the first dose of the vaccine but missed the time frame to receive the second dose, it’s not necessary to repeat the first dose again.

“You would not repeat the first dose, but we would want to immunize you as quickly as possible with dose number two,” Linkenauger said.

Recipients must use the same company for both shots, either two Pfizer vaccinations or two Moderna vaccinations, not one of each.