Vaccines, in particular the COVID-19 vaccines from both Pfizer and Moderna, are in the news and on folks’ minds this week.
On Dec. 15th, Dr. Burns attended an informational e-meeting for local healthcare leaders that the Kootenai Care Network hosted. Key takeaways include:
-1000+ doses of the vaccine were scheduled for delivery yesterday, with first distribution earmarked for front line medical workers and nursing home residents.
-Both Kootenai Hospital and Panhandle Health are working to roll out these vaccines in a phased process.
-These first few weeks, it is anticipated that immunizations will be available only to front line medical staff and high-risk nursing home patients.
-It is expected that the vaccine will then be rolled out to the community, with expected availability sometime after the new year.
-Due to extremely cold temperature requirements (-20 to -80F), the vaccine will not be distributed through individual clinics like Coeur Vitality, but will be available at national pharmacy chains like CVS and Walgreens.
This vaccine is an “mRNA” vaccine- a new style of vaccine that is extremely “clean” in comparison to a traditional vaccine-no eggs, gluten, mercury, or other preservatives. It does not include an active virus (or portion of a virus)- rather, the mRNA is a blueprint of sorts that teaches your immune system to code and watch for a specific spike protein (one that is on the surface of the COVID-19 virus), so that if you are exposed to the actual virus, your immune system is primed and ready. This technology has been in research since the mid-90’s, and was being studied for use with a virus similar to COVID-19, which is one of the reasons our scientist were able to come up with a viable and effective vaccine so quickly.
It is important to note that at this time, the vaccine is only cleared for use in adults. Children and immunocompromised populations are currently not recommended; special populations such as pregnant women should consult their primary care team prior to taking the vaccine.
Both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are a “2 stage” process- with an initial dose to ramp up the immune system, and a second dose to facilitate long-lasting immunity. Recipients should expect to feel a bit challenged by each dose- this is your immune system activating, and how you know that the vaccine is working!
At Coeur Vitality we recognize that taking the vaccine is an individual choice, and we want all of our patients to be as informed as possible when making healthcare decisions. Below you will find a few links with further information for those of you inclined to learn more.
To your health,
-the Coeur Vitality Team
More about mRNA (3 minutes, with layman terms):
Kootenai Vaccine Education:
https://kh.webex.com/recordingservice/sites/kh/recording/18bd9abc9e5c4d1c81a2245f03909b14/playback
UW Town Hall (53 minutes, much more in depth):
https://mediasite.hs.washington.edu/Mediasite/Play/6d18a3b630b64cfc8ea069e1b1a2442e1d
FDA briefing (45+ pages, dry, but informative) :