Is the COVID-19 vaccine safe?
Sources and more information:
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/safety.html
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/pence-gets-coronavirus-vaccine
Sources and more information:
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/safety.html
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/pence-gets-coronavirus-vaccine
Yes. The Pfizer vaccine efficacy was 52% after the first dose and 95% after second dose. The Moderna vaccine shows similar results.
Sources and more information:
https://www.bmj.com/content/371/bmj.m4826
Scientists have been preparing for this situation for many years. About 30 years ago, a handful of scientists began exploring whether vaccines could be made more simply, and after the Ebola outbreak in 2014-2016, the Jenner Institute at the University of Oxford designed a strategy for defeating what was then an unknown virus using a “plug and play” technology. This allowed scientists to be ready to start vaccine development as soon as they got ahold of the coronavirus. That, coupled with significant funding and a high prioritization by all nations, allowed the vaccine to be developed and authorized much more quickly than one might expect. It should also be noted that at least two other pharmaceutical companies tried to make a vaccine but could not get authorized. The ones that get authorized have been through a strict, rigorous process to ensure safety and effectiveness.
Sources and more information:
https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/why-are-mrna-vaccines-so-exciting-2020121021599
A German medical start-up called BioNTech discovered the COVID-19 vaccine and partnered with Pfizer, an American company, to develop it. Ugur Sahin is chief executive of BioNTech, and Sahin’s wife, Ozlem Tureci, is the co-founder and chief medical officer of the company. Sahin and Tureci are both children of Turkish immigrants to Germany and met while working on an oncology ward in the southwestern city of Homburg.
Read more about them here:
Read about who developed the Moderna vaccine here:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/nov/16/covid-vaccine-who-is-behind-the-moderna-breakthrough
The federal government will oversee a centralized system to order, distribute and track COVID-19 vaccines. All vaccines will be ordered through CDC. Vaccine providers will receive vaccines from CDC’s centralized distributor or directly from a vaccine manufacturer.
Source and more information here:
AFSCME members do jobs that have required them to be at front of the line working through this pandemic, so they should be at the front of the line to receive the vaccine, and many will. Front-line workers getting vaccinated is key to stopping the spread of the virus among the general population. Nursing home and hospital employees will be among the very first to get vaccinated, along with nursing home residents. Then, correctional employees, teachers, and school employees will be among the next to get vaccinated. It is expected that the military will have its own stock of vaccines, which they will distribute to military members.
Sources and more information:
It is expected that the general public can begin to receive vaccinations in the spring or summer. The priorities are healthcare workers, nursing home residents and other at-risk populations.
Source and more information:
https://www.cnn.com/2020/11/30/health/covid-vaccine-questions-when/index.html
The federal government has promised that any coronavirus vaccine will be provided free of charge to the American public. That would be very unlikely to change under a Biden administration.
Source and more information:
https://www.cnn.com/2020/11/30/health/covid-vaccine-questions-when/index.html
You should cover your mouth and nose with a mask when around others, avoid close contact with people who are sick, stay 6 feet away from others, avoid crowds, and wash your hands often. It should be noted that people must continue these practices even when they are vaccinated, especially while most of the general public has not yet been vaccinated, so we can completely stop the spread of the virus. We must also continue the fight for safe workplaces and paid leave policies that allow sick employees to stay home.
Sources and more information:
Please see sections K.5-K.7 of the following guidance from the EEOC:
While the well-documented concerns about vaccines among minority communities, particular the Black community, are understandable and valid, they can be confident that the COVID-19 vaccine was tested on white, Black and Latinx people alike, and Black doctors and researchers are involved in the production of the vaccine. One notable figure is Dr. Kizzmekia Corbett, a Black woman and one of the lead scientists who helped develop the vaccine. Health officials are aware of the concerns of these communities and have assured the public that the COVID-19 vaccine is safe for all races.
Sources and more information:
https://www.cnn.com/2020/12/15/us/black-americans-and-vaccine-hesitancy/index.html
Sources and more information:
https://www.bbc.com/news/health-55041371
https://www.who.int/news-room/feature-stories/detail/how-do-vaccines-work