Questions about the COVID-19 vaccine? The St. Christopher Fund has answers!

To listen, check out our podcast: https://truckersfund.org/scf-podcasts/

1. What is the SCF doing to help truck driver get access to the vaccine?

Starting in January, the SCF has reached out to trucking industry associations and organizations to help get support of easing access of the COVID-19 vaccines for truck drivers. We asked OOIDA, NATSO, ATA, NASTC, and the TCA to each write a letter that could accompany SCF’s letter to the CDC, pharmacies, and state governors. The point of the letters was to push for truckers to be considered essential workers and get priority for the vaccine, to educate those outside of the industry on the difficulties truckers face in getting vaccinated, especially with the 2-dose series, and to allow truckers to get vaccinated at truck stops outside of their home state. The SCF is continuing to work with pharmacies to get on-site vaccine clinics set-up at truck stops. We are also reaching out to state governors to push this agenda. This is very much a work in progress, as different states and jurisdictions have different sets of rules on who can get vaccinated and where.

2. Why is it important to get vaccinated?
   • Most importantly is that the vaccine will keep you from dying from COVID-19. In addition, it will keep you from becoming hospitalized from the virus. More than ½ million Americans have already died from the virus. We will not be able to get the virus under control and get back to “normal” until we have enough people vaccinated.
   • Some people will experience very mild cases of illness, such as congestion and runny nose, while others will experience extreme fatigue for extended periods, others still end up with pneumonia and respiratory distress, and then others die or very nearly die, such as one of the SCF’s founders Dr. John who was in the ICU for 3 weeks and required months of rehabilitation.
3. Are the vaccines safe?

While the vaccines were made quickly, they did not comprise safety. The FDA closely followed the number of people (tens of thousands) and the safety was closely tracked across the trials. Safety events are also still being tracked and no issues have been seen. While this vaccine is new, the mRNA science behind the vaccines is decades old.

4. Are the vaccines effective?

Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson vaccines all have nearly 100% effectiveness in preventing hospitalizations and deaths. Pfizer and Moderna vaccines (after both doses) have ~95% effectiveness in preventing moderate or symptomatic cases, while the Johnson & Johnson vaccine appears to be 66% effective at preventing moderate to severe cases of COVID-19. But, the Johnson & Johnson vaccine was tested in different settings, and later, than Pfizer and Moderna. The J&J vaccine was tested in the U.S., several Latin American countries, and South Africa, where some worrisome variants of the virus were first seen. When looking at just the data from the U.S., the J&J vaccine rates for preventing moderate or symptomatic cases is closer to that of Pfizer and Moderna’s.

5. Do the vaccines protect against the variants?

All of the approved vaccines have some effectiveness against the new strains, but how much is still being studied. The technology used allows for boosters or updates to the vaccine to protect us against the new variants.

6. If I get the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, do I have to get both doses?

Yes, it takes 2 doses to get the full efficacy. Pfizer is 21 days after, Moderna is 28 days after and it takes about 2 weeks after the 2^nd dose to be fully protected. If you don’t get them on the exact day, that is okay, but you should get it whenever you can, and as close to the date you were supposed to. If you don’t get the 2^nd dose at all, you won’t have the full efficacy.

7. If I’ve had COVID-19 already, do I need to get vaccinated?

Yes. However, if it’s been less than 90-days since you have recovered from COVID, you can wait until it’s been 90 days or more. If you have COVID-19, or symptoms of the virus you should wait until 90 days after you recover.

8. Can I get a vaccine if I have underlying health conditions or if I’m immunocompromised?

You should have a discussion with your healthcare provider, but the vaccine prevents you from getting symptomatic or severe Covid-19. If you have an underlying health condition or are immunocompromised, that protection is likely to be better for you than foregoing the vaccine and potentially getting sick from the virus.

9. Can I get the vaccine if I’m pregnant, trying to conceive, or breastfeeding?

The vaccines were not studied in any of these conditions. However, the overwhelming safety of the vaccines has led the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists to advise that most patients would likely benefit from getting the vaccine during these times. Benefits during these times likely are much more beneficial than not getting the vaccine. But, again, you should talk to your doctor.

10. Can my kids get the vaccine?

The Moderna vaccine has been tested and approved for those 18+. The Pfizer vaccine is approved for those 16+. Studies are ongoing on safety and dosage for those 12 and older, but will likely be late this year or early next year before those would be available.

11. Can I spread it to others after the vaccine?

It’s unclear yet. Researchers are still studying if being vaccinated will keep it from spreading to others, especially the variants. This is why hand washing, masks, and social distancing will continue to help control the spread of the virus. We will know better if it protects us from the spread, but for now, continue to do the same as you’ve been doing.

12. What are the short- and long-term side effects of the Covid-19 vaccines?
    • Short-term effects include site tenderness around the injection site, low-grade fever, some joint pains, chills, and headache. These only last about a day and do not happen with to majority of people. The side effects, or response to the vaccine, differ greatly across people, much like the virus differs.
      1. Allergic reaction concerns: They are incredibly rare. For those that do have a severe allergic reaction, it seems it’s because they have an allergy to a specific ingredient called polyethylene glycol. However, you will be asked about history of allergic reactions to vaccines before getting the shot, and you will be observed for 15 minutes afterward. If you indicated any previous allergic reactions, you will be observed longer. All people giving the vaccines are trained on how to manage any potential reactions.
      2. Adverse reactions are reported by providers of the vaccine to the CDC via the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System, which helps the CDC understand what’s happening across the country. In addition, you can report any adverse events to the CDC through a new app called Vsafe.
    • Long-term effects: because they are new, we don’t know the long-term effects, but there is no real reason to believe there will be any. Other vaccines have the same short-term effects and no longer term effects so researchers expect that to be similar with these vaccines.
13. When can I get vaccinated?

You will need to check your state’s eligibility site to see what your phase is and when that phase has started being able to be vaccinated.

14. Where can I get vaccinated?

You can find where vaccines are available through www.vaccinefinder.org.  You enter your zip code and it will show you where vaccines are available. Hospitals, primary care provider, pharmacies, Walmart, Sam’s, Kroger brand companies are all carrying the vaccines now.

15. How much will it cost?

The Covid-19 vaccines are free of charge. If you have insurance, you may be asked to provide your insurance information but it will be covered by the insurance companies. If you are uninsured, it will also be covered. No payment will be necessary at the time of vaccination, or afterward.

16. How often will I need to receive the Covid-19 vaccine?

It is unclear at this time, but likely will be an annual vaccine that might require a booster on an annual basis. The virus is changing so the vaccine might need to be updated.

17. I’ve heard that the number of deaths from COVID-19 are very inflated. Is that true?
    While there are plenty of myths floating about that deaths from COVID-19 are lower than reported, the fact is that the number is actually HIGHER! This has been determined by looking at excess mortality which totals the number of deaths above and beyond those that would have been expected based on previous years. In other words, this is not a measure that relies on how deaths were coded, instead it counts deaths from any cause. This is a count that most developed countries accurately count every year. When looking at how many more deaths from all causes that we’ve seen since the beginning of the pandemic (compared to the average previous years), the excess deaths are much higher than the office number of COVID-19 death.

• • In the US: excess deaths is 15% higher average.
  • In the UK, it’s almost 20% higher than average.
  • In Mexico it’s 52% higher than average.
  • In Brazil it’s 23% higher than average.
  • In South Africa, it’s 28% higher than average.
  • In countries that didn’t experience the big surges in case number like the above, their excess deaths are no greater than expected.

 

***Important note: information on the virus, the variants, and additional vaccines change often, so please reach out with questions on updates, or check your local scientific sources.***