Health care professionals in Nebraska have used words like "hope" and "excitement" to describe the prospect of COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer and BioNTech, Moderna and other companies.
Pfizer's vaccine is headed to several of the state's hospitals after it received the initial go-ahead from a government panel on Thursday. Gov. Pete Ricketts said he expects a first shipment of about 15,600 doses. Nearly 4,000 of those doses will go to Lincoln's two hospital systems, which could start vaccinating front-line employees as early as Monday.
The Moderna vaccine could get FDA approval later this month, and Ricketts has said he hopes to have as many as 100,000 doses of the two vaccines available in Nebraska by the end of the year.
No hospital systems in Nebraska are planning to require employees to get vaccinated, although it's assumed most will choose to. Along with front-line health care workers, residents and staff of long-term care facilities will be among the first to get vaccinated.
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It will likely be at least a few months before either vaccine is available to the state's residents, and it's unclear how many people will be willing to be vaccinated.
An Associated Press poll released Wednesday showed that 25% of the U.S. population says it absolutely will not get the vaccine, while another 25% expressed concern about taking it.
One of the biggest concerns is over the safety of the vaccines, which were developed in less than a year, when the normal process for producing vaccines takes years and sometimes decades.
Drs. Renuga Vivekanandan and David Quimby, infectious disease specialists with CHI Health, both participated in trials for the Moderna vaccine, and both said they believe they got the vaccine rather than a placebo because of the way their bodies reacted.
They said they trust the results of both the Moderna and Pfizer trials and believe both vaccines are safe and effective, and they encourage people to take the vaccine.
If people want to get back to some semblance of normal, "we need a lot of people to take the vaccines," Quimby said.
For those with concerns and questions about the vaccines, here are answers to some of the most common ones. They come from a variety of sources, including Bryan Health, CHI Health, the Food and Drug Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services.
How do the vaccines work?
Both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines use a technology called messenger RNA. Rather than inducing an immune response by exposing the body to the virus, the messenger RNA uses genetic material from COVID-19's signature spike protein to train the body to recognize it and fight against it.
Is two months of trials enough time?
Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Stephen Hahn said the overwhelming majority of side effects are seen within that two-month period of time. "We're confident with the data that we've covered the significant majority of serious side effects that might occur. But with any vaccine that we've approved in the past, and these as well, we need to continue monitoring because there is no system in the world that will 100% predict what's going to happen in the future."
Do I need more than one shot?
You will need two vaccinations separated by 21 to 28 days to get full immunity, and both vaccines have to be with the same drug. You couldn’t get the Pfizer vaccination first and follow up with the Moderna vaccine, for example. For each vaccine, efficacy rises from about 52% with one shot to about 95% after the second shot.
Do the vaccines have side effects?
People who participated in clinical trials of both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines reported a range of side effects, most of them mild. They included injection site pain, headaches, muscle aches and fevers. Two people in Britain who got the Pfizer vaccine this past week reported severe allergic reactions, and health officials have said people who have a history of allergic reactions to vaccines should talk to a doctor before getting the vaccine.
Can you get COVID-19 from the vaccine?
No. Because the vaccine does not use live or inactivated coronavirus, there is no way to contract the disease from the shot. You likely will, however, develop antibodies, which could show up positive on a COVID-19 antibody test.
Can you still get the disease even if you are vaccinated?
Data so far shows that a few people who got either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines still got COVID-19 infections, although almost all of them had mild or moderate infections. However, only people who got the vaccine who showed symptoms of active infection were tested, and it's unclear whether people who get the vaccine can have asymptomatic infections and be contagious to other people.
When I’m finally vaccinated, can I stop wearing a mask?
The Centers for Disease Control still recommends wearing a mask, largely because it's unknown whether you can still spread COVID-19 to others even if you have no symptoms of the disease.
If I already had COVID-19, do I need the vaccine?
Health officials recommend the vaccine even for people who have had COVID-19. That's because it's believed that natural immunity lasts only a few months.
Will I have to get vaccinated more than once?
It's unclear at this point how long immunity provided by the vaccines will last, but it's likely future vaccinations will be required. Estimates have ranged from a few months to possibly several years.
Who gets priority when vaccines are available?
The state’s vaccine distribution plan has organized groups based on people's risk for the virus and the importance of their jobs. For example, Phase 1A, the first group that will get the vaccine, includes front-line health care workers and residents and staff at long-term care facilities. Phase 1B includes essential workers such as first responders, teachers, food industry workers and transportation employees. Phase 1C includes the elderly and those with pre-existing conditions.
How do I get on a priority list if I qualify?
Medical care providers are being told higher-risk patients include those over 65, people with heart disease, COPD, kidney disease, hypertension and cancer. There’s currently no list to be placed on. Some doctors are recommending that patients follow developments in the news rather than contacting their offices.
When will the vaccine be available to the general public?
Most government and health care officials have said it will likely be April at the earliest when there is enough vaccine to start allowing the general public to be vaccinated.
Where will vaccinations occur?
Nebraska's first vaccine shipment of 15,600 doses will go to eight hospitals. Those eight support nine other hospitals. Gov. Pete Ricketts wouldn’t name the hospitals for security reasons, but he assured the public that the facilities cover the entire state. Other groups, including the general public, will likely likely get their vaccines from clinics and commercial pharmacies.
How much will it cost?
Vaccine doses purchased with U.S. taxpayer dollars will be given at no cost. Vaccination providers will be able to charge an administration fee for giving the shot, but that cost should be reimbursed either by a health insurance provider or the Health Resources and Services Administration’s Provider Relief Fund for people who are uninsured.
HOW NEBRASKA RESPONDED TO THE 1918 FLU:
PhotosFiles: How Lincoln and Nebraska responded to the 1918 flu pandemic
1918 flu pandemic
Lincoln Journal-Star, Dec. 19, 1993
Nebraska State Journal, Oct. 12, 1918
Nebraska State Journal, Oct. 14, 1918
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Lincoln Star, Oct. 25, 1918
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Lincoln Star, Oct. 25, 1918
Nebraska State Journal, Dec. 5, 1918
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Nebraska State Journal, Dec. 8, 1918
Lincoln Star, Dec. 17, 1918
Lincoln Evening Journal, Jan. 8, 1941
The Los Angeles Times contributed to this report.
Reach the writer at 402-473-2647 or molberding@journalstar.com.
On Twitter @LincolnBizBuzz.