(CBS Boston) – Two COVID-19 vaccines are now available for certain segments of the American public. One was launched by Pfizer and the other by Moderna. Both require two doses, separated by three to four weeks, and both are, after all, about 95% effective.
The federal government initially told states that only health workers and nursing home residents should be eligible to be vaccinated. But as of this past Tuesday, anyone aged at least 65 or at least 16 years old with a pre-existing illness has been added to the list. Ultimately, individual states make their own decisions and some states are beginning to include teachers and first responders as well.
The initial launch was slower than anyone expected. The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says 25 million doses were sent to hospitals and pharmacies last Monday. However, not even nine million of these doses have been administered.
State-level programming problems are also partly to blame for the pace of vaccinations. Another possible obstacle in the future is public confidence in new vaccines. According to a national survey conducted by the University of South Florida, 33 percent of respondents said they “are not very confident” or “not at all confident” that recently approved vaccines are safe. In addition, 23 percent said they “probably won’t” or “definitely won’t be vaccinated”.
The accelerated launch brings with it many questions. CBS Local asked questions from the reader and the viewer to our experts: Dr. Mallika Marshall and Dr. Max Gomez. Mallika Marshall, MD, is an Emmy-winning journalist and physician who serves as a regular Health Reporter at WBZ-TV in Boston. Dr. Max Gomez is a medical reporter at WCBS-TV in New York.
While Marshall and Gomez are offering their best advice, consult your doctor before making any decisions about your personal health.
If someone has had reactions to influenza vaccines in the past, is it safe to get a COVID vaccine?
Marshall: Yes. If you have had severe reactions to other vaccines, you can still receive the coronavirus vaccine, but you will be monitored for a longer period after receiving it. Generally, 30 minutes instead of the standard 15 minutes.
Can you still receive COVID after the first dose of the vaccine?
Gomez: The short answer is yes, but not as often or as easily as before the first dose. Pfizer’s clinical trials suggested about 50% protection after the first dose. A new Israeli study found a drop in new cases after the first dose. This is something, but it is not perfect, and it takes a few weeks after the first injection develops a lot of immunity.
So yes, you can still get COVID until you take both doses, so you should continue to wear a mask.
There is good news in all of this. The CDC says that flu activity remains lower than normal at this time of year. This is probably due to the fact that people wear masks, social distance and wash their hands frequently. So go on – we don’t want a twindemia.
Every time they show someone taking the coronavirus vaccine, I am surprised at how the needle looks. Is it longer than most needles for other injections?
Marshall: The vaccine needs to be deposited in the deltoid muscle of the upper arm, so a 1 – 1 ½ ”needle is used, depending on the size of the patient. This is the same needle length recommended for the flu shot.
What’s in the vaccine?
Gomez: A spectator is very allergic to penicillin. Although there have been a small number of allergic reactions to the Pfizer vaccine, there is nothing similar to penicillin in both vaccines. Pfizer and Moderna vaccines use new and similar technology to induce immunity, so people want to know what’s in them. .
Surprisingly little. There are small fragments of what is called a messenger or mRNA. This is the genetic project that the virus uses to make the spike protein that helps the corona to infect cells and stimulate its immunity. But there is no coronavirus in the vaccine.
The other component is tiny oily nanoparticles that surround and protect the mRNA, which would otherwise decompose very quickly in the body. That’s it. No preservatives or anything else until they are mixed with sterile saline before being injected.
The government is now releasing all the injections – no longer holding back for the second round. If you get your first dose – but for some reason, you can’t get your second dose – what happens then? Do you have to wait a while before getting another round 1?
Marshall: Studies with the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines looked at giving the second dose 3-4 weeks after the first, so we don’t really know how the efficacy can change if you expect much more than that. The WHO says that you should not wait more than six weeks between doses, but the CDC says that if there is a delay, there is no need to repeat the first dose. And there are other vaccines in progress that may be approved in the coming months and that require only one injection.
What if you had COVID and you didn’t know and now you have antibodies? Should I still get the vaccine and is it safe?
Gomez: If you had a mild or asymptomatic case of COVID, you probably developed antibodies to the coronavirus. This should protect you for a while, experts say. However, do not count on more than 90 days. So you don’t need a shot right away, but you still need one.
The CDC says that it is safe to get a vaccine if you have antibodies, so an antibody test, or a COVID virus test for that matter, is not necessary before a vaccine.
However, if you have symptoms of COVID, the CDC tells you to wait until all symptoms are gone before taking the injection.
Can you mix and match vaccines? A photo from Moderna and the second from Pfizer, or vice versa?
Gomez: Unfortunately, the answer is that we really don’t know, because these combinations have never been tested – at least not yet.
In theory, mixing and matching the two vaccines can work because they contain the same genetic sequence as the coronavirus to boost immunity. The only difference between the pictures of Moderna and Pfizer is the tiny lipid nanoparticle that surrounds the fragile mRNA gene.
But now, with the vaccine missing, it is unlikely that anyone will be able to get one of each vaccine. Just get what you can, because the place that provides the first dose should prioritize you for the second booster dose.
When my family is all vaccinated, can we stay with each other without masks, and is it safe to be with our little grandchildren?
Marshall: We still don’t know if a full vaccination will prevent you from becoming infected and passing the virus on to someone else. We will have a better idea in the coming months. In the meantime, even if you are vaccinated, you should keep your physical distance and wear masks when you are around other people who have not been vaccinated.