Official Newspaper of Eddy County since 1883
Official Newspaper of Eddy County since 1883
Local public health staff have almost completely shifted focus from COVID-19 testing to administering vaccines in recent weeks. On Tuesday, Eddy County Public Health Nurse Danette Schmid said testing numbers remain extremely low, with fewer than 10 COVID-19 tests conducted in Eddy County each week. Positive cases have also remained in the single digits, and there was a day when there were no active cases in the county last weekend. The positive case count had increased to one as of Tuesday, however.
Schmid said she now conducts the Tuesday morning testing events alone, while her assistant Lisa Thompson fills the schedule with individuals seeking a vaccine. They are starting to vaccine individuals in Phase 1C, which includes grocery workers, public safety, manufacturing, public transportation, essential workers, etc. All individuals ages 16 to 64 with at least one health condition who wish to be vaccinated should call 947-5311 to be added to the list.
Schmid said that 70% of Eddy County residents 75 and older have been vaccinated, and all individuals 65 years and older who have requested a vaccine have received at least one dose. Daycare workers and school staff at NR-S also have had the opportunity to receive their first dose. Eddy County Public Health has administered 607 doses of vaccine. The state’s vaccine dashboard shows that a total of 954 total doses had been administered in Eddy County as of Wednesday, which includes doses provided by Central Pharmacy and other local healthcare professionals. Nine percent of North Dakotans, more than 66,000, have received two doses.
A third vaccine manufactured by Johnson & Johnson was expected to receive emergency authorization from the FDA as early as Saturday. This vaccine only requires one dose and can be stored in a standard refrigerator for up to three months, making distribution considerably easier. Initial distribution is anticipated to be slow, however, with only 4 million doses available for shipment upon approval. The company has a contract to deliver 100 million doses by June.
With this shift towards vaccination efforts, many readers may be wondering if the vaccines are safe and effective. Below are a few common questions with answers as provided by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, http://www.cdc.gov.
Can a COVID-19 vaccine make me sick with COVID-19?
No. None of the authorized and recommended COVID-19 vaccines or COVID-19 vaccines currently in development in the United States contain the live virus that causes COVID-19. This means that a COVID-19 vaccine cannot make you sick with COVID-19.
There are several different types of vaccines in development. All of them teach our immune systems how to recognize and fight the virus that causes COVID-19. Sometimes this process can cause symptoms, such as fever. These symptoms are normal and are a sign that the body is building protection against the virus that causes COVID-19. It typically takes a few weeks for the body to build immunity (protection against the virus that causes COVID-19) after vaccination. That means it’s possible a person could be infected with the virus that causes COVID-19 just before or just after vaccination and still get sick. This is because the vaccine has not had enough time to provide protection.
After getting a COVID-19 vaccine, will I test positive for COVID-19 on a viral test?
No. Neither the recently authorized and recommended vaccines nor the other COVID-19 vaccines currently in clinical trials in the United States can cause you to test positive on viral tests, which are used to see if you have a current infection.
If your body develops an immune response – the goal of vaccination – there is a possibility you may test positive on some antibody tests. Antibody tests indicate you had a previous infection and that you may have some level of protection against the virus. Experts are currently looking at how COVID-19 vaccination may affect antibody testing results.
Will a COVID-19 vaccine alter my DNA?
No. COVID-19 mRNA vaccines do not change or interact with your DNA in any way. Messenger RNA vaccines – also called mRNA vaccines – are the first COVID-19 vaccines authorized for use in the United States. The mRNA vaccines teach our cells how to make a protein that triggers an immune response. The mRNA from a COVID-19 vaccine never enters the nucleus of the cell, which is where our DNA is kept. This means the mRNA cannot affect or interact with our DNA in any way. Instead, COVID-19 mRNA vaccines work with the body’s natural defenses to safely develop immunity to disease.
At the end of the process, our bodies have learned how to protect against future infection. That immune response and making antibodies is what protects us from getting infected if the real virus enters our bodies.
Will a COVID-19 vaccination protect me from getting sick with COVID-19?
Yes. COVID-19 vaccination works by teaching your immune system how to recognize and fight the virus that causes COVID-19, and this protects you from getting sick with COVID-19.
Being protected from getting sick is important because even though many people with COVID-19 have only a mild illness, others may get a severe illness, have long-term health effects, or even die. There is no way to know how COVID-19 will affect you, even if you don’t have an increased risk of developing severe complications. Learn more about how COVID-19 vaccines work.
Contact your pharmacist, public health nurse or health professional with any other questions you may have about the COVID-19 vaccine.
