FAST FACTS
- The FDA granted emergency use authorization for the Pfizer vaccine on Friday, December 11, 2020. The Moderna vaccine will likely be granted soon.
- Both vaccines are “mRNA” vaccines, which code for the inactive, non-infectious spike protein of the virus, tricking your immune system into fighting off these proteins and creating lasting immunity.
- The vaccine appears to be 95% effective in preventing *symptomatic disease*
- We do not know yet if those that receive the vaccine can still catch COVID and spread it without symptoms (asymptomatic spread), so wearing a mask and distancing are still recommended until enough people get the vaccine to achieve herd immunity.
- Herd immunity to COVID will require 75-80% of the population to get vaccinated, according to Dr. Fauci.
- According to PEW, only 51% of American adults report they will get the vaccine, down from 72% in May.
- Black and Latino populations are less likely to trust or get the vaccine, even as their communities are being hit the hardest. (There is a long history of mistrust of the medical communities by minority groups, and for good reason.)
- Much of the mistrust of the vaccine is based on a few factors: the speed of development, fear of political/partisan pressure, and pre-existing vaccine hesitancy, all of which is muddled together and amplified across facebook and other social media to create confusion and mistrust.
My answer, trying not to get too into the weeds: mRNA vaccines have been in development since 1989. Initially we weren’t very good at making them, but science kept advancing. Moderna (notice it ends in “RNA”) was founded in 2010 to apply this science, and others like Pfizer did as well. Pfizer and Moderna were able to make a COVID vaccine almost immediately because all they had to do was put the mRNA sequence of the virus spike protein into their vaccine already in development, and voila!
We developed mRNA vaccines against MERS, SARS, and H1N1. None of which made it to the public, not because of safety, but because those germs fizzled out without needing a vaccine (unlike COVID). I say all this because the SARS and MERS vaccines have 3 years of long-term safety data without major adverse events, and the H1N1 vaccine was developed in 6 months (a similar timeline to our current situation).
I’m not going to wade into politics, vaccine mistrust, or the history of systemic abuse of minorities by the medical establishment. Don’t get me wrong; all of that is very important in understanding the current situation, but the most important message I have is: trust the process. Trust the expert physicians advising the FDA and CDC, trust the science, and talk with your family and friends about their perceptions of the vaccine. Share this document or other quality information to those that want to learn more about the vaccine. We must vaccinate to end this, the only other way is everyone catches the virus and hundreds of thousands more die. Please get the shot. I would be happy to talk with any of you personally and answer any questions I can.
Common Questions
- What are the side effects?
- Minor side effects include injection site pain, body aches, chills, low fevers. This is your body’s immune response to the vaccine, not a sign of infection. There are 2 reports of severe allergic reaction in the UK rollout, but this was in 2 patients that had a history anaphylactic allergies, and so they were monitored closely and treated immediately for their reactions. There were no other reports of anaphylaxis in the 40+ thousand person study.
- If I had COVID, should I get the vaccine?
- The CDC has not offered official guidance on this question, but I will be recommending it to patients who have had the infection, based on expert opinion from physicians who are much smarter than me. We do not think the immunity from infection is long lasting, likely less than a year (at best) and so I recommend vaccination regardless of prior infection.
- Should I get antibody testing before getting the vaccine?
- NO. Similar to above, a positive antibody test does not necessarily mean one is immune, and the immunity is not permanent. So the result of an antibody test should not dictate whether or not to get the vaccine.
- What about children under 16, pregnant women, and the immunocompromised?
- We don’t know yet, as they were not included in the study. At this time it is not advisable for these patients to get the vaccine. A study for this question is likely to start in January.
- Once I get the vaccine, can I stop wearing this mask?!?
- MAYBE. Experts recommend continuing to wear a mask even after the vaccine. This is mainly because we do not yet know if vaccinated people can still get infected and shed the virus without symptoms (asymptomatic spread). A new study has started to investigate this question.
- When will I get a vaccine?
- Great question. I wish I had the answer. During “Phase 1,” the CDC has proposed a 3-tiered approach. Healthcare providers and long-term care (nursing home) residents are in the first phase. The second phase covers essential workers. The third phase is adults with high-risk medical conditions and those above 65. Beyond that, the hope is to extend to the population at large (at least that’s the thinking right now).
As you can see, experts estimate that it won’t be until summer 2021 until there is enough availability to vaccinate the general population. Hopefully we will get Phase 1 vaccinated in the spring. We will continue updating you as we learn more information.
Please reach out if you have any questions!
Dr. Hazen Short
So if having covid doesn’t cause lasting immunity, how will the vaccine? I am a Healthcare worker with a auto immune disorder and I have had anaphylaxis from allergy shots? What would you suggest for me?
Hi Sara! The vaccine should cause a more robust (and predictable) response, so the hope is that we’ll have more long-lasting immunity than the infection itself. (Similar to needing tetanus boosters for life, sometimes immunity wanes with time. Only time will tell with SARS-CoV-2.)
I would recommend reaching out to your primary care physician to have a one-on-one discussion as to what the next best steps are for how to approach your situation — you’re right, it’s tricky!
What are the guidelines for women who are breastfeeding?
Unfortunately guidelines around pregnancy and lactation are sorely missing at this point. This is largely due to the fact that pregnant/lactating women were not included in the initial studies around the vaccine.
Stay tuned to updates from the CDC, ACOG, and the WHO. As always, bring this up directly with your doctor if you want to dig through the available info and talk about the nuance.
Allison Edwards, MD
Will my doctor call me when it is available or do I have to call him repeatedly?
Will Walgreen drug have it?
Hi Lawrence! We do our best here at KCDPC to keep everyone in the loop regarding what’s going on, so feel free to check back here intermittently. We certainly won’t keep it a secret when we know how to access the vaccine :). As for Walgreen’s — we’ve heard rumors that they’ll be involved w/ a vaccine response, but no hard facts yet.
How can we “trust the FDA” when they allow so many harmful substances into our food?
It’s always good to ask tough questions and think critically! The FDA does as best as it can given the information it has, and it’s important that we put trust in them as experts in food & drug safety (certainly, they have more expertise in regulating industry than you and I!). If you have specific questions, you’re always welcome to bring them up with your doctor directly and we can work as a team to get to the bottom of your concerns.
I got a positive test for COVID on Nov 30. I am now asymptomatic. Should I wait a certain amount of time before getting the vaccine? 21 days? 1 month? Now? Thank you in advance.
Hi Ann! So sorry for the delay in responding. There isn’t clear guidance on how long someone should wait between getting COVID and getting the vaccine. Many healthcare settings are asking that anyone with a COVID infection in the last 90 days forgo getting the vaccine (since it is quite rare for someone to get COVID less than 90 days after getting their initial infection). Some of this guidance has to do more with the limited supply than significant evidence suggesting that a break between infection and vaccination is necessary. – Allison Edwards, MD
Will we test positive after receiving the vaccine? I have a coworker that tested positive, the day after getting her 2nd shot and my mother tested positive after getting her 2nd shot.
The vaccine will not cause a positive test; if someone has a positive test, it is because there is protein or RNA from a COVID infection in the nose/throat. Depending on the situation, I would talk to your doctor about what the next best steps are from that point forward and quarantine in the time being!