Well worth the wait
Fishbein: Fears of COVID vaccine are unfounded
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I woke up the morning of Jan. 29 with a sore left arm -- sort of like someone punched me the previous day.
This week, my right arm felt it a bit for the same reason.
Because I qualify under the state's group 1A (I am diabetic), I was able to receive both doses of the COVID-19 vaccination in January and February (I received the Moderna vaccination, which is administered in two shots approximately 28 days apart).
I'm the first in our newsroom -- maybe the first in the building -- to get the vaccine, although numerous others in Mifflin and Juniata counties have as well (more than a few have told me and the world via Facebook).
In a couple weeks, I should be resistant to the disease -- in testing, the Moderna vaccine has proved to be 94% effective, similar to the Pfizer-BioNTech's 95%. Both of these require two doses. Johnson & Johnson is seeking approval for a single-dose vaccination with a 66% efficacy rate.
Here's something I didn't know until the process began -- none of the vaccines have full FDA approval. All of them are being administered under an Emergency Use Act, which allows the administration of drugs of this nature before full FDA review because existing circumstances (the pandemic) warrant it.
Here's what I know: If it means I'm not going to get the coronavirus -- even that my chances of it are drastically reduced -- it's absolutely worth it. So far, there's no evidence the vaccine stops you from carrying or spreading the virus, but if more people are vaccinated, that's far less of a concern.
The process is fairly simple, although changing based on the availability of doses. In my case, I called my family doctor and was given an appointment for the first dose, which was administered at Evangelical Community Hospital in Lewisburg. When the first shot was given, an appointment was made for the second.
I had to arrive no earlier than 15 minutes before my appointment. I had to fill out a couple forms, then get in line. I checked in with one nurse then moved to a second line, and was given the shot when it was my turn. After the shot, I had to sit in a waiting area for 15 minutes to ensure there was no adverse reaction.
It was exactly the same both times.
The side effects I experienced after each dose -- a sore arm for a few days, then some itchiness -- is par for the course. In other words, if you get the vaccine, you likely will be no worse for the wear. Fears of getting COVID are misplaced; the vaccine does not have any live virus.
Also, as The Sentinel's IT person, I can assure you that there are no microchips implanted by Bill Gates in the vaccine (is that even possible?). It's a ludicrous belief being pushed by the same people who think Jenny McCarthy and Alicia Silverstone are medical experts instead of actors. Besides, as a friend pointed out recently, most of us are voluntarily moving through life with a far more powerful tracking device (your cell phone).
If you have a true religious objection -- I'm thinking the Amish -- I'm sympathetic. If you've had one of the more than a dozen life-saving vaccinations throughout your life and suddenly want to claim an exemption, I hope you'll reconsider.
The only thing making it harder is the scarcity of the vaccination, and perhaps the state changing rules as to who may administer it and when. Still worth it.
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Lifestyles editor Jeff Fishbein can be reached at jfishbein@lewistownsentinel.com.