Get Your COVID-19 Vaccine When It’s Available By U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto
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eniors in Nevada have endured such a challenging year, but there’s hope on the horizon. Last December, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the Pfizer-BioNTec (Pfizer) and Moderna vaccines, bringing us all one step closer to curbing this pandemic.
Both vaccines are highly effective in preventing symptomatic COVID infection. The Pfizer vaccine showed efficacy of 95 percent and the Moderna vaccine followed close behind at 94.1 percent. Both are equally effective across different ethnic and racial groups. And both vaccines require two shots: a priming dose, followed by a booster shot. Catherine Cortez Masto
The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines also use very similar technology. The vaccines deliver mRNA into our bodies, which give our bodies instructions to make just one of the 29 proteins from the coronavirus. Importantly, the vaccines do not expose us to the entire virus. The instructions for that one protein, known as the spike protein, enter into our cells, and the body builds the spike protein in response to the mRNA’s instructions. Our cells then realize they’ve never seen this spike protein before, sparking an immune response to destroy it. But before our bodies destroy the spike protein, they memorize it for the future, instructing our b-cells to make antibodies and our t-cells to keep a lookout for it. This way, if the coronavirus enters our bodies after we’re fully vaccinated, our t-cells will detect the spike protein on the coronavirus quickly, and the antibodies we’ve already created will destroy the virus before we get infected. Most Americans are eager to be vaccinated against the coronavirus, especially seniors, but some are still hesitant to receive their vaccine. They may have reservations about everything from the novel approach the vaccine uses to a fear of the syringes used in the vaccine. Black and Latino Nevadans may have unique concerns based on their communities history with medical racism. Still others may be concerned about common vaccine side effects, like fatigue, injection site pain, headache, muscle pain, and joint pain—all of which are actually signs that the body’s immune system is kicking into gear. I want you to know that I hear and understand your concerns, and I’m committed to reassuring Nevada’s seniors that these vaccines are safe and effective. The evidence? Millions of vaccine doses have been administered to Americans, with minimal problems. As of January,
over 1.8 million vaccines were distributed to Americans, yet only 21 people encountered a significant allergic reaction, all of whom recovered. Black and Latino health care workers have also been encouraging their communities to get the COVID-19 vaccine once it becomes available. In a “love letter to Black America,” Black doctors including Dr. Kizzmekia Corbett, who are in key decision-making roles for the Moderna vaccine, are asking their community to trust this science and help in continuing to protect the health and well-being of their community. These coronavirus vaccines are an opportunity to resume our daily lives, but it will be most effective if we all work together. During these challenging times, we’re reminded of what’s most important in our lives: our loved ones. To protect one another, we all need to get our vaccines as soon as they become available. I know many seniors across Northern Nevada are incredibly eager to receive their vaccines, and Governor Steve Sisolak and Nevada’s health professionals are working hard to distribute vaccines across the Silver State. Nevada’s new vaccine playbook means that seniors ages 70 and up are the first in line to receive vaccines in the general population, followed by seniors ages 65 to 69. For information about COVID-19 vaccines, you can visit www. washoecounty.us/health/index.php and click the link attached to “COVID-19 vaccine information can be found here.” There you can find updates on when the vaccine will be available for your age group or occupation if you are an essential worker. You can also read the Nevada Department of Health and Human Services’ COVID-19 Vaccination Program Playbook here or by typing “Nevada COVID-19 Vaccination Playbook” into your preferred internet search engine. In addition, The Nevada Independent has a comprehensive article explaining Nevada’s coronavirus vaccination process that’s updated as more information becomes available entitled, “Indy Q+A: When can I expect to receive the COVID-19 vaccine? Who is getting vaccinated now? Is it safe?” Let’s all help Nevada recover as quickly as we can. We need to work together and encourage each other to make the responsible choice to get vaccinated -- if not for ourselves, for the people who’ve endured the most this past year. I know Nevada’s seniors are eager to reconnect with friends and family, and I’m committed to ensuring they can safely, as soon as possible. www.SeniorSpectrumNewspapers.com // February 2021
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