The fact that the first COVID-19 vaccines were administered in the United States today (at Long Island Jewish Medical Center in Queens, and then elsewhere) is excellent news. However, we still have a long way to go before the vast majority of people are vaccinated and the virus is largely defeated, and we must continue to take all of the precautions that we all know so well now, including “masks on faces, six-foot spaces, uncrowded places.”
We’ve been receiving many questions at Grace Cottage, and I want to share the answers that we have, as of now, with all of you. As you know, things change rapidly these days, and we will be keeping you updated.
When can I get a COVID vaccine?
The answer to this question depends upon what state you are in, the availability of the vaccine in that state, and where you fit in the Center for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines. Vermont is following the CDC guidelines as well. Initially, there will be limited quantities of COVID-19 vaccine available in these early stages. The first shipment of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine has been delivered to Vermont this week and is being disseminated throughout the state to people in the CDC’s “First Priority 1A” category, which include health care workers, long-term-care patients, Emergency Medical Service personnel with direct patient contact, and home health care clinical staff and caregivers. Since there are 44,000 health care workers in the state of Vermont, administration of the vaccine to these front-line workers will be a phased-in process over the next several weeks. Then the state will move on to Phase 1B, which will include essential workers in education, food, agriculture, utilities, transportation, and prisons. Phase 1C will be adults over 65 years old and adults with high-risk medical conditions. Vaccination sites will include Vermont hospitals, and select pharmacies that are partnering with long-term care facilities and, as the vaccine becomes more widely available, the number of distribution sites will be expanded.
Frequent updates on vaccines are given on the Vermont Department of Health’s website page “About Covid-19 Vaccines in Vermont”, found here.
When the vaccine becomes more widely available, we will post this on our website with the phase group available for vaccination. Please keep track of your eligibility for the vaccine and call your healthcare provider to make an appointment at a time that is convenient for you. And don’t hesitate to call us if you have questions.
Where can I get the vaccine?
If you are an established patient at Grace Cottage Family Health primary care, you will be able to receive the vaccine here when you have met the eligibility requirements outlined by the CDC and the state of Vermont. If you are not an established patient at Grace Cottage Family Health (if you’ve only visited our Emergency Department or our Messenger Valley Pharmacy, you have not been assigned a primary care provider here), you can click here to get more information about how to become a patient. We are welcoming new patients.
If you decide to become a patient here, we will ask you to fill out this registration form, Medical & Social History Form, HIPAA Consent forms, and a HIPAA Release Form and mail them to Grace Cottage Family Health, PO Box 216, Townshend, VT 05353. If you have any questions, please call us at 802-365-4331.
What are the possible side effects of the vaccine?
According to the study on Pfizer’s vaccine in the New England Journal of Medicine, some vaccine recipients in clinical trials experienced side effects. The most common of these were mild to moderate pain and swelling at the injection site, mild to moderate fever, headache, fatigue, and muscle aches. Interestingly, in the clinical trial, those who received the placebo (in effect, no vaccine, but they didn’t know if they were receiving the placebo or the real vaccine) experienced fatigue, headaches, and chills at a rate only 9 percentage points less than those receiving the actual vaccine. The one objective measure, fever, was almost entirely absent in the placebo group. This suggests that a significant percentage of side effects are due to suggestibility related to knowledge about possible side effects. Serious side effects were not seen in the study. However, when many thousands of vaccines were given in England, there were 2 cases of severe allergy reactions in patients who had a history of anaphylaxis. Both of them did very well with standard allergy treatment. So, while side effects can certainly occur, they don’t occur in everyone and they are overwhelmingly only a nuisance. And if you do experience mild side effects, this tells you that the vaccine is doing its job and your body is responding by producing antibodies. The experts tell us that you can expect any side effects to resolve in 24-36 hours.
Will I be protected from COVID right away after having the vaccine?
Based on clinical trials, the first dose provides early protection after twelve days and the second dose after 7 days, with an astounding 95% efficacy rate. Even after two vaccines, you will still need to keep wearing a mask and maintain social distancing because there is so much that is not known about the ability of people who have had the vaccine to spread the virus.
Can I get COVID-19 from the vaccine? Is it safe?
You cannot get COVID-19 from the vaccine because it’s made from only one piece of protein from the virus, so it does not have the ability to grow; it’s not a live virus. All of our medical providers at Grace Cottage will be willingly getting the vaccine, with no fear about its safety.
What if I take the first dose and miss the second because I forget?
This is still an unanswered question. Clearly, one dose is better than none, but it’s not at all advisable to miss the second.
Can I get the first dose of one manufacturer’s vaccine and the second from another?
No. In order to be effective, both doses must be the same vaccine, whether it’s Pfizer or Moderna or another brand.
How long will I be protected?
The virus and the vaccine are both still so new that the definitive answer to this is not yet known, but it appears that it will be about one year.
Who should not get the vaccine?
Children under age 16, pregnant or breastfeeding women, and immunocompromised people should wait until further study has been undertaken.
How much does the vaccine cost?
All COVID-19 vaccinations are free of charge to the patient, and insurance will not be billed.
What are the current statistics on COVID-19 in Vermont?
As of Sunday, Vermont had a total of 22 patients hospitalized for COVID-19, including two in Intensive Care. The number of cases in Vermont is at an all-time high, at 5,857, with a total, to date, of 96 deaths (1.6% of all cases in the state) and there are 90 cases currently in Windham County. We must stay vigilant and not let down our guard just because the vaccine is on the horizon.
With the virus increasing in Vermont, should I put off my medical appointments?
Absolutely not. Health care organizations in Vermont, including Grace Cottage, are very safe. Over the past ten months, we’ve constantly added to our processes to keep patients and employees safe, and we’ve received a great deal of feedback about how comfortable patients feel with our constant sanitizing, our PPE, our screenings, and all of the other processes we’ve put into place. Now is the time to be sure you’re healthy by getting your annual physical, or checking in with a medical provider about a continuing or evolving health condition or concern you may have. We are open and ready to see you!
Meanwhile, where and when can I get tested for COVID-19?
The Vermont Department of Health has partnered with Cambridge Innovation Center to provide additional testing throughout the state; in our area, this “no questions asked” testing is available at Brattleboro Memorial Hospital and the Stratton Mountain Otis Health Care Clinic. At Grace Cottage, patients of Grace Cottage Family Health can be tested, by appointment, Monday-Friday, at our drive-up testing site. Within the next two weeks, we will have a new drive-up portico behind the Heins Building/Community Wellness Center, which will provide an added level of comfort and safety, and we will be able to test anyone who requests one, even if they are not a Grace Cottage patient.
All of us here at Grace Cottage wish you a happy, healthy, and socially-distanced holiday season. We will get through this – by not being together this year – so that we can be sure to be together with our loved ones in 2021.
Doug DiVello, President & CEO
Grace Cottage Family Health & Hospital
