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Many people have gone months without seeing their aging or vulnerable parents, grandparents and close friends for fear of unintentionally transmitting the deadly COVID-19 virus.
The arrival of the vaccines begs the question: will it be safe to visit aging grandparents, relatives or people with underlying health issues once they have been vaccinated against the coronavirus? The ambiguous answer from Michigan health officials, medical professionals and vaccine makers is: no, not entirely.
“So that’s the million dollar question right now,” said Dr. Darryl Elmouchi, president of Spectrum Health West Michigan, a division of Spectrum Health in Grand Rapids. “The FDA and CDC warn that people with immunity could get a ‘subclinical infection,’ which means you could get COVID, but you just don’t have any symptoms. And you could be contagious by then. A study is still underway on this subject. “
“… We don’t know that you won’t give it to mommy and daddy who are fragile and sensitive. That is why this recommendation is always to wear a mask, to distance yourself socially and to be careful. I guess in the coming months we’ll have more and more data, and it will probably be fine. But until we know, we can’t recommend. “
“Although urgently approved vaccines have been shown in short-term trials to reduce the severe symptoms that accompany the virus, such as respiratory problems which have been shown to be fatal to the tune of nearly 12,000 in Michigan alone, this does not mean that the body is not always a carrier and capable of spreading the virus.
Additionally, no vaccine is impenetrable, so there is always a risk, albeit significantly reduced.
Clinical studies have shown that the first FDA-approved vaccine created by Pfizer with German pharmaceutical company BioNTech was 95% effective in patients who received trial vaccinations. The next vaccine which is expected to receive approval from Moderna, a Cambridge, Massachusetts-based biotechnology company. It is 94% effective, according to clinical trial data.
With a phased plan in place for vaccine deployment, it’s likely that those over 65 can be vaccinated months before their offspring. The first vaccinations arrived in Michigan last week, but the general public is not expected to have access to the vaccination until late March or April, according to Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, Michigan medical director at the Department of Health and Human Services.
The current order of priority for receiving the vaccine: frontline health workers in direct contact with the virus and residents of long-term care facilities, followed by workers yet to be defined in “critical and essential industries. “. Residents over 65 and those with underlying health vulnerabilities are next, followed by the general public.
In addition, the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine requires two injections received three weeks apart. You are not fully vaccinated until after the second dose. Moderna’s vaccine requires two injections one month apart.
On the mix between the vaccinated and the unvaccinated, Michigan officials and health professionals have offered a range of opinions, but none have given the green light for a return to mainstream family interaction. .
“So as long as the parents have received both doses of the vaccine,” they should have immunity, said Dr. Paul Entler, vice president of the Sparrow Health System at Lansing. “Obviously it’s not 100% effective, it’s 95%, so they could still be 5% of the population” where the vaccine doesn’t work.
“… One thing that is happening now is that people are going to visit and not wear masks indoors, which increases the risk.”
Khaldun reiterated the importance of maintaining safety precautions despite vaccination.
“After receiving your vaccine, you will still need to wear your mask, practice social distancing and wash your hands frequently,” she says. “Although the vaccine appears to be very effective in preventing COVID-19 disease in those who come in contact with the virus, more research needs to be done to see if people who have received the vaccine can still transmit the virus to other people.
“So as we continue to roll out these vaccines, make sure you continue in your role by wearing a mask, washing your hands and walking away socially.”
A total of 297 Michigan residents had been vaccinated against COVID-19 according to a new COVID-19 vaccine dashboard launched on December 15 to help Michiganders keep track of vaccine information. More than 26,000 doses have been shipped to delivery sites, so far to hospitals that immunize frontline healthcare workers.
Michigan residents who want more information about the COVID-19 vaccine can visit Michigan.gov/COVIDvaccine.
Learn more about MLive:
The numbers of COVID-19 in Michigan and Ohio increased at the same time this fall. Then the trend lines went in opposite directions.
Trucks carrying Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine leave Michigan facility for distribution
4 studies Michigan used to explain the spread of COVID-19 in restaurants
Children’s social and emotional learning, another victim of the COVID-19 pandemic
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