COVID VACCINE APPROVED
The FDA has granted Emergency Use Authorization for a COVID vaccine here in the US. The UK approved one last week and has already begun vaccinating its citizens.
This is monumental - not only for the field of medicine and vaccine development, but for life as we know it, marking hopefully the beginning of the end of this prolonged pandemic.
What to expect.
Who will get the vaccine first? High risk healthcare professionals and nursing home inhabitants will be likely prioritized first. As production ramps up and more vaccines get approved, it will be more widely available early 2021.
Is it safe? Will there be side effects? Yes, the vaccine is safe. In over 70,000 participants in US vaccine trials, there were no serious adverse events. Up to 10-15% of people will experience transient side effects - fevers, fatigue, headaches, and body aches (which are actually good signs that your immune system is revving up). Again, longer term side effects have not been found and are not expected as the vaccine degrades from your system over 1-2 weeks (but will be monitored for).
Why should I get it? Getting the COVID vaccine will not only protect you from getting sick - up to 95% effective after the second dose - but will also prevent you from spreading it to others. Given mortality of COVID is about 2%, with a much higher risk of long term morbidity, experts are recommending everyone get the COVID vaccine as soon as it is available to them.
I for one cannot wait for this vaccine to be distributed. The sooner the public can get access, the sooner we will all be protected and this pandemic can end. Here’s to a safe holiday season and bright 2021.
