Page 16 - Mid Valley Times 2-4-21 E-edition

Thursday, February 4, 2021 | A16 | Mid Valley TiMes
By Ro Linscheid
Nursing Facilities on Retirement Communi- ties are no stranger to vaccinations.
Any new resident coming into a facility is screened to verify they received a flu vaccina- tion and pneumonia Vaccination. Flu shots are dispensed annually and pneumonia shots every 3 to 5 years. We know that they are ef-
Many staff and resi- dents at Sierra View Homes wrestled with this question recently. There were many ru- mors floating around saying the shot has more risks than ben- efits. I am not sure how these rumors got start- ed. The Center for Dis- ease Control (CDC) say they are just ru- mors. The people who started these rumors have no data to back up their claims. The CDC has a, “frequently asked questions” on their website that addresses the most common ru- mors.
Discussions are hap- pening all over campus on the topic of, “should I or shouldn’t I get the shot.” The residents were quick to decide to take the vaccine. Resi- dents wanted to be safe
again. The staff were a little less certain about taking the vaccine. I decided early on I was going to take the shot when it was offered. I have not had the virus but there have been a few times I was waiting toseeifIwasthenext person to have it.
The Center for Dis- ease Control (CDC) and the local Public Health Authorities are flooding the long-term care facilities with in- formation on how safe the shot is and how the benefits outweigh the risks. All COVID-19 vaccines were tested in clinical trials involv- ing tens of thousands of people. These people were of different races, ages, and gender. These trials did not produce serious safety concerns. The most common side
injection site and signs and minor symptoms like a low-grade fever and slight chills.
When you go to get the shot you will receive information explaining the risks and benefits of the shot. Everyone has to stay in a designated area for 15 minutes fol- lowing the shot. There is a person there watch- ing for anyone who has an immediate reaction to the shot. You will also get information on how to report any ad- verse events. Look for a paper that is titled Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS). The major- ity of the people will have little to no side ef- fects.
Sierra View Homes had the first vaccina- tion clinic on January 18. I have interviewed several staff to under-
did not get the shot. Here are some of their responses. One CNA stated, “I have had the virus. I do not want to get it again. I am tak- ing the shot.” Another CNA responded,” I am not sure about the shot, I will wait for the next batch.” Another staff member said, “I have had the virus but I want to boost my im- mune system. I will take the shot.”
Therefore, although vaccinating on a Retire- ment Campus is second nature, this one, CO- VID-19, presents some issues being so new. All we are hearing from fellow retirement com- munities is that there have been no major glitches. Wouldn’t it be nice when we can get to that magical number of “Herd Immunity.”
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fective in keeping sick- ness from spreading.
So now, we have new ammunition to fight a contagious disease. You may think this vaccine came about quickly but the pharmacy compa- nies have been study- ing viruses for a very long time. They were able to put the knowl- edge from those studies into the development of The COVID-19 vacci- nation. Although it ar- rived with warp speed, it had been tested and reviewed thoroughly and we know it works. Indeed, given the way the vaccine is designed it does not introduce an infected cell into the body it actually should be safer.
so they can see family effect was pain at the stand why they did or
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