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Vaccines, COVID-19

Weighing the Risks

Posted

NASHVILLE (January 18) — Tennessee is making great progress in rapidly vaccinating those at highest-risk of serious illness and death from COVID-19.
The state received its first shipments of the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines mid-December 2020. Within the last four weeks, more than 221,000 people in the state have received vaccinations, and the Tennessee Department of Health (TDH) is distributing COVID-19 vaccinations as rapidly as supplies are received from the federal government.
The TDH released regular updates to the vaccination schedule and county-level data is available from local health departments.
As of January 18, Carroll County had limited vaccines available and is currently serving: 1a1, 1a2, 1b, and 75 years and older groups. Henry and Weakley counties had no vaccines available. Should availability change for Henry and Weakley, the counties are currently serving: 1a1, 1a2, 1b and 75 years and older groups.
Phase 1a1 including long-term health facilities, first responders, staff of long-term facilities 1a2 includes funeral and mortuary staff, out-patient health care workers; 1 b is school and childcare staff; 1c is high-risk comorbidities 16 years and older; 2a/b is critical infrastructure - social services, commercial agriculture, corrections staff, and public transport staff; and phase 3 is congregate living, grocery workers, corrections residents.
What does that mean? How do I know which phase of the vaccine schedule I’m in? Do I want to get vaccinated? Getting vaccinated for any disease is a decision that is best made after arming yourself with factual, up-to-date information.
Research is still ongoing on COVID-19 as well as the effects vaccines will have on a small percentage of people with underlying conditions.
The information presented in this article was gathered from sources such as the Tennessee Department of Health (TDH), Centers for Disease Control (CDC), U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), World Health Organization (WHO) local health facilities and others.
There is a lot of information available from the sources mentioned; to learn more, visit their respective websites.
Please talk to your healthcare provider about specific concerns or health conditions.
What is the difference between Influenza (Flu) and COVID-19? Influenza (Flu) and COVID-19 are both contagious respiratory illnesses, but they are caused by different viruses. Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is caused by infection with a new coronavirus (called SARS-CoV-2), and flu is caused by infection with influenza viruses.
What are the symptoms of COVID-19? COVID-19 has a wide range of symptoms (mild to severe). Symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure to the virus. Symptoms may include: Fever or chills; cough; shortness of breath or difficulty breathing; fatigue; muscle or body aches; headache; new loss of taste or smell; sore throat; congestion or runny nose; nausea or vomiting; and/or diarrhea. CDC will continue to update this list as we learn more about COVID-19.

General COVID-19
Vaccine Questions
What can I do to prevent getting COVID-19 until I can get the vaccine? Practice social distancing, wear a mask when around others, wash your hands, avoid being around others who are sick. For more information about protecting yourself and others visit the CDC website.
Why should I consider getting a COVID-19 vaccine? Getting a COVID-19 vaccine is the best and safest way to become immune to COVID-19. Getting the vaccine will help your immune system build protection against the virus in case you are exposed in the future. Even though catching the virus may be another way to build protection, this is dangerous because you could get very sick or even die. You can also spread the virus to others when you are sick. The COVID-19 vaccines cannot give you COVID-19 and are a safe way to become protected from the virus.
If I tested positive for COVID-19 in the past, do I need to get the COVID-19 vaccine? According to the CDC, people who have already been diagnosed with COVID-19 in the last 90 days may choose to delay getting the vaccine because getting sick with COVID-19 again is unlikely during that time. However, there is no harm in getting the vaccine if you have already had COVID-19. You may also choose to wait to get the vaccine in order to allow those who are more high-risk to be vaccinated.
If the vaccine is a two-dose vaccine, how will I know when to get the second dose? When you receive the vaccine you will receive a card with the date of your first dose, the name/manufacturer of the vaccine received and the date on which you should receive your second dose. Your second dose of COVID-19 vaccine must be from the same product name/manufacturer as the first dose. We recommend when you receive your card, take a picture as a back-up, add the date to your calendar, and download the V-safe app. The V-safe app can remind you when it’s time to receive your second dose.
Go to https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/safety/vsafe.html, to learn more about the V-safe app.
How long do I have to wait between receiving the flu vaccine (or any other vaccine) and the Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine? According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Pfizer and Moderna vaccine series should be given alone with a minimum time of 14 days before or after any other vaccines. If the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine is given within 14 days of another vaccine by mistake, doses do not need to be repeated for either vaccine.
After I receive the COVID-19 vaccine, can I stop wearing a mask? No. It will still be important to continue to follow public health recommendations to protect yourself and others. This includes wearing a mask, staying at least 6 feet away from others, avoiding crowds and washing hands often.
Do I need to quarantine after exposure to a case after I’ve been fully vaccinated? Given the currently limited information on how much the COVID-19 vaccines may reduce transmission in the general population and how long protection lasts, people who have received the vaccine should continue to follow all current guidance to protect themselves and others. This includes wearing a mask, staying at least 6 feet away from others, avoiding crowds, washing hands often, following CDC travel guidance, following quarantine guidance after an exposure to someone with COVID-19, and following any applicable workplace or school guidance, including guidance related to personal protective equipment use or SARS-CoV-2 testing.
If I get symptoms shortly after I’ve been vaccinated, should I get tested? If you have symptoms shortly after receiving the vaccine, these symptoms do not mean you have developed COVID-19 from the vaccine. You may have some side effects, which are normal signs that your body is building protection. These side effects may feel like flu and may even affect your ability to do daily activities, but they should go away in a few days. For more information about symptoms after receiving the vaccine you can view the CDC’s What to Expect after Getting a COVID-19 Vaccine fact sheet.
I have heard the Pfizer vaccine is not recommended for children under the age of 16 and the Moderna vaccine is not recommended for children under the age of 18. Will children have the option to be vaccinated? The FDA has issued emergency use authorization for Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines, but there are other COVID-19 vaccines in development. A clear timeframe is not known at this time for when children will be recommended to get the vaccine. Pfizer added children under the age of 12 to their clinical trials in November, so we hope to learn more about this sometime next year as clinical trials progress.