When can I get a COVID vaccine in Florida? Do I have to? You have questions. We have answers
The roll-out of two vaccines to fight the novel coronavirus has led to cries of relief or skepticism. And, of course, lots of questions.
Who gets to be vaccinated? Can I go now? Do I have to ever take one? Can I throw away my masks and hug a stranger?
Here are answers to some of your questions.
Who gets the vaccine first?
Healthcare workers and residents at long-term care facilities in Florida. That’s because the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention feel priority should be given to these groups.
Who gets the vaccine next?
On Sunday, Dec. 20, a CDC advisory panel recommended that older adults, ages 75 and older, and “frontline essential workers” including teachers, police and firefighters, and public transit and grocery store workers, should be in that second wave.
On Dec. 22, Gov. Ron DeSantis declared elderly Floridians will be next in line to get vaccinated for COVID-19, before essential workers and younger people with underlying health conditions. He wants to prioritize people 70 and over and did not agree with the CDC’s inclusion of essential workers or others of any age with underlying conditions getting the doses at the same time. He wants seniors 70 and up vaccinated in Phase 1B. We are in Phase 1A currently.
Florida has more than 3 million residents over the age of 70. DeSantis said hospitals and community sites will vaccinate them over the next six weeks, which would go into early February.
Mount Sinai hospital is scheduling seniors to get COVID-19 vaccines in Miami Beach
It is unclear how this effects, or if it will include, snowbirds vacationing in the state over the winter months.
Then, adults with medical conditions that make them high risk for COVID-19 complications and those over 65 would move up.
Then, anyone 16 and older with medical conditions that make them high risk for COVID-19 complications. Then, the CDC recommends giving the vaccine to other essential workers including people who work in construction, media, the legal sector and water and waste management.
I’m younger than 65. I don’t work in a field called ‘essential’ or I’m unemployed. When can I get the vaccine?
For Florida’s general population, COVID-19 vaccines might become available in February, Gov. Ron DeSantis said.
Why so long?
It could be even longer. While 100 million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine have been purchased by the United States, the company has already said it can’t deliver additional doses of the vaccine until summer because other countries have bought most of the company’s supply, according to U.S. News. and World Report.
Will students and teachers be required to get the COVID-19 vaccine in South Florida?
At this time, no.
The vaccines are currently for those 16 and older (Pfizer) or 18 and up (Moderna). For high schoolers old enough to qualify, the choice to vaccinate at schools is up to their parents, according to Miami-Dade, Broward and Monroe County public school districts.
The three districts told the Miami Herald on Christmas week that they don’t plan to make the vaccine a requirement for students, even when vaccines become readily available for children, possibly by next school year.
Fernando Zulueta, chief executive officer of Academica, one of the state’s largest operators of public charter schools, said no decision has been made about requiring students and staff to take the vaccine.
As for teachers and staff, Miami-Dade and Florida Keys’ school districts not requiring vaccines. Broward hasn’t decided yet.
Are there are other vaccines on the way?
Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine was authorized for emergency use on Thursday, Dec. 17, by the Food and Drug Administration.
Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine, which would require a single dose, could also be reviewed by the FDA in January for emergency use authorization and AstraZeneca’s vaccine, Politico reports, could potentially file for emergency use later in February.
Note the distinction between “emergency use” and “approved.” These vaccines are going for emergency-use authorizations from the FDA that allows for them to be dispensed in a situation like a pandemic. This doesn’t mean they are approved by the FDA for routine use. Approval generally takes much longer — years, for instance.
Who can get Moderna in Florida, where and how?
Moderna’s vaccine is ready to be distributed, following the CDC guidelines of who goes first, second and so forth.
Hospitals expected to receive the Moderna vaccine include Baptist Health South Florida, University of Miami Health System, Broward Health Medical Center, Hialeah Hospital and Mount Sinai Medical Center in Miami Beach. These Florida hospitals expecting to receive the Moderna vaccine were not part of the “Pfizer Five” that received the first doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine earlier in December, according to the state.
On Wednesday afternoon, Dec. 23, for instance, Broward Health Imperial Point in Fort Lauderdale began inoculating its frontline healthcare caregivers with the newly-received Moderna vaccine.
How are Pfizer and Moderna vaccines similar or different?
Moderna’s and Pfizer’s vaccines both require two doses given about a month apart. But the age requirements are different. Pfizer’s vaccine is authorized to be given to people 16 and older, while Moderna’s is recommended for those 18 and older.
Can you choose which one you want?
Not yet — but maybe when the general population is getting their doses. Until then you’ll have to take what the facility is providing. And if you started out with Pfizer or Moderna, you can’t interchange them. So if you got your first dose of Pfizer today, you can’t get Moderna on your second dose after, the CDC says.
Where are the testing sites in Florida?
Not determined yet. Florida officials are looking into where they would create mass vaccination sites, similar to COVID-19 testing sites. One site being considered for the spring is the University of Central Florida.
No word yet on locations of potential vaccination sites in South Florida, where the number of cases and deaths top the state.
Will your doctor have the vaccine?
Florida’s plan includes having routine healthcare providers and select hospitals offering patients the vaccine if they have to visit emergency departments, urgent-care centers and outpatient offices.
What about pharmacies like CVS and Walgreens, or groceries like Publix?
Walgreens and CVS, which are helping to distribute the novel coronavirus vaccine to long-term care facilities, say they will also have the COVID-19 vaccines at their pharmacies once supplies become more available in 2021. Other independent and chain pharmacies will also have vaccines available sometime next year, including Publix, Winn-Dixie, Fresco y Mas, Costco and Walmart.
Will the vaccine cost money?
U.S. taxpayers’ dollars are paying for it, so far. So you shouldn’t have to open your wallet, with the possible exception of an administration fee.
“Vaccine doses purchased with U.S. taxpayer dollars will be given to the American people at no cost,” the CDC said. But the CDC also said that “vaccine providers can get this fee reimbursed by the patient’s public or private insurance company or, for uninsured patients, by the Health Resources and Services Administration’s Provider Relief Fund.”
Is it mandatory to get the vaccine?
Gov. DeSantis says he wants the choice to be optional in Florida.
How many doses of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines do I need?
The Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine requires you to get two shots, three weeks apart. As such, it works almost like the shingles vaccine, which requires two doses. But there is a much longer gap between shingles shots, about six months.
Moderna also requires two doses, a month apart.
Are there side effects to the vaccines?
You may experience some side effects, like headaches, muscle pain and fever with Pfiizer and Moderna. But it won’t give you the coronavirus.
“Keep in mind that these side effects indicate that your immune system is responding to the vaccine” and are common with vaccinations, according to the Mayo Clinic.
The speed with which the vaccines are arriving have some feeling skeptical. “This emergency situation warranted an emergency response. That does not mean the companies bypassed safety protocols or performed inadequate testing,” the Mayo Clinic said.
Severe allergic reactions, while rare, usually occur within a few minutes to one hour after getting a dose of the vaccine, according to the FDA. Severe allergic reactions can include difficulty breathing, swelling of your face and throat and a rash anywhere on your body.
Anyone who gets a severe allergic reaction should call 911 or go to the hospital and should not get the second dose, the FDA says.
How do I report side effects after getting the vaccine?
Tell your doctor. But also, the CDC and U.S. encourage the public to report possible side effects to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System. This national system collects data to learn more about adverse events and what they are and how they manifest.
Healthcare providers are required to report certain adverse events following vaccination to this VAERS website.
The CDC is also adding a smartphone-based tool called v-safe to check-in on people’s health after they receive a COVID-19 vaccine. When you get yours, you should receive a v-safe information sheet telling you how to enroll in the program. If you enroll, you will receive regular text messages directing you to surveys where you can report any problems or adverse reactions you have after taking a COVID-19 vaccine.
Is the COVID vaccine more than 90% effective?
That sounds pretty good. But the answer is no. We don’t know how effective the injection is at stopping or killing the novel coronavirus. The vaccine has a 90% efficacy rate means that it worked 90% of the time in clinical trials. It will be awhile before scientists know the effective rate in the general population versus the efficacy rate they determined through 2020’s clinical trials.
Moderna’s newly authorized for emergency use vaccine had an efficacy rate of 94%, for instance, and was at that bar across age, gender, racial and ethnic groups among the clinical trial’s participants with underlying health conditions that increase their risks for severe COVID-19 cases.
Do you still have to wear a mask, practice social distancing after vaccinated?
Yes, you still need to wear a mask, follow social distancing guidelines of six feet between you and others and wash your hands frequently even if you were vaccinated. Not everyone will be vaccinated. And more study needs to be done. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends using “all the tools available” to fight the virus and that includes the vaccine and the other measures.
“Experts need to understand more about the protection that COVID-19 vaccines provide before deciding to change recommendations on steps everyone should take to slow the spread of the virus that causes COVID-19,” the CDC said.
I already had COVID-19 and recovered. Do I still need to be vaccinated?
Yes, you should still get the vaccine even if you’ve fought off the coronavirus, health experts suggest. Too soon to tell how long after infection someone is protected from getting the novel coronavirus and more studies are needed, according to the CDC.
I’m scared of needles. What can I do?
Fear of needles keeps many away from getting shots, so you’re not alone. There are tips on how to overcome fear of shots. You can start by telling your doctor, if they don’t already know, that you are scared of shots. Talking it through can help and they may be able to allay your fears.
According to Psycom, these mindful practices could also help:
▪ Practice deep breathing. This could help you to calm down.
▪ Try mindfulness and meditation.
▪ Remind yourself that it’s only a temporary discomfort. Tell yourself the old saying, “This too shall pass.”
▪ Distract yourself by thinking about something else you like, perhaps a favorite vacation spot.
▪ Don’t watch the injection. Turn your head.
Can you hug a stranger again?
Well, we certainly can’t advocate walking up to a stranger and invading their personal space with a hug when this COVID pandemic becomes a thing of the past and in history books like the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic. But there will be a time when you can hug those who want to be embraced. And, like you, we can’t wait for the day.