Covid-19 vaccines are arriving in Vermont and shots have been administered to the first recipients.
The state Department of Health is still ironing out the details about who exactly can be vaccinated first and when those doses will be available.
The supply of vaccines is growing — the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the Moderna vaccine on Friday in addition to the Pfizer vaccine — but smaller states such as Vermont will receive a limited number of doses.
State officials said they expected about 5,850 vaccine doses each week through the end of the year, although a hiccup in initial deliveries delayed the arrival of some of those doses.
Younger, healthier Vermonters likely won’t get their turn in line until this spring.
As we wait, here are some answers to some of the frequently asked questions about the vaccines:
I’m an essential worker. When can I get a vaccine?
The short answer: It depends on exactly what that essential work is.
Now for the longer one.
Due to the limited supply, the Vermont Department of Health wants to set the priority order for who gets the shot, starting with long- term care residents and frontline health care workers.
The health care workers include staff at long-term care facilities who have direct contact with patients, EMT staff, dentists, and most home health care providers.
The Vermont Department of Health is waiting for recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention before planning next steps.
Dr. Mark Levine, Vermont’s health commissioner, said the next group “will almost certainly involve some combination of people” over the age of 65 and people with chronic or immune- compromising conditions.
That next group is also expected to include teachers and child care workers, and people living in group situations, such as homeless shelters, prisons and group homes.
“We hope to have a practical and rational prioritization scheme that first and foremost focuses on reducing sickness and death,” he said, “but takes into consideration our other goals of keeping our kids in in-person instruction in schools and protecting our workforce and businesses.”
According to Levine, the state is expected to receive about 35,000 vaccine doses by the end of this month, which won’t be enough to cover all the health care workers and residents of long-term facilities, which totals between 50,000 and 60,000 people. The process of vaccinating that group will likely take until the end of January.
And it is expected to be spring before the general population can register for a shot.
How do I know when it’s my turn?
The first group — health care workers and long-term care residents and staff — are getting direct notification about when and where they can get vaccinated.
As more of the vaccine becomes available, the Department of Health says it will work with health care practices, employers, pharmacies and media outlets to get the word out as additional groups become eligible.
To avoid long lines and allow for social distancing, people will have to register for appointments to get the vaccine. Most Vermonters should expect to get the shot from their primary care doctors. People who don’t have insurance or a primary care doctor can get the shot at vaccine clinics run by the Department of Health.
How much will it cost me?
Good news. It’s free.
The federal government is picking up the tab, with CARES Act money covering the cost.
If I’ve had Covid, is it possible that I still need a vaccine?
Yes. According to the CDC, there is not yet enough information available to determine if or how long after a Covid-19 infection a person is protected from getting it again.
“Early evidence suggests natural immunity from Covid-19 may not last very long, but more studies are needed to better understand this,” according to the CDC.
How effective are the vaccines?
The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are about 95% effective, but because they are new it is still not yet known how long the protection will last.
What are the side effects of getting a vaccine?
It’s common to have flu-like symptoms the day after receiving the immunization, including symptoms such as fever, chills, tiredness, and swelling on the arm, around the site of the injection. Side effects typically come after the booster shot, which is administered three weeks after the first injection.
The most common side effects on the arm where a person receives a shot includes pain and swelling. Side effects through the rest of a person’s body are fever, chills, tiredness and headache.
“You may have some side effects, which are normal signs that your body is building protection,” according to the CDC. “These side effects may affect your ability to do daily activities, but they should go away in a few days.”
Once I get the vaccine, can I stop wearing this mask?
Nope. Sorry.
That’s because the vaccines are not 100% effective, and it’s still not known if a person who gets a vaccine can still spread it to others.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute for Allergies and Infectious Disease, told CNN he recommends people still wear masks and practice social distancing even after getting the vaccine.
“Obviously, with a 90-plus-percent effective vaccine, you could feel much more confident,” he said. “But I would recommend to people to not abandon all public health measures just because you have been vaccinated, because even though, for the general population, it might be 90 to 95 percent effective, you don’t necessarily know, for you, how effective it is.”
Will there be a mandate to get the vaccine?
President-elect Joe Biden has repeatedly said that, when he takes office, his administration will not make any Covid-19 vaccinations mandatory.
“I don’t think it should be mandatory,” he told reporters earlier this month, according to a report in Business Insider.
“But I would do everything in my power — just like I don’t think masks have to be made mandatory nationwide — I’ll do everything in my power as president of the United States to encourage people to do the right thing and when they do it demonstrate that it matters.”
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