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Debbie Malewicki considers herself a “triple risk” for COVID-19.
Malewicki described herself as overweight, close to obesity, as well as a breast cancer survivor with chronic breathing problems. So when her age group became eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine on Friday, she was pushing for the Moderna vaccine, which she said is most effective against the virus.
“I really want what’s going to provide the most extensive coverage,” said Malewick, 49, of Monroe.
She is not the only one to buy a specific vaccine.
Ruth Brooks, 74, of Guilford, called on everyone she can think of last week to find out where she can get the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Brooks said she contacted the state’s public health department, local health department, senior center and even the library to find out where the vaccine was available.
“I’m exhausted, I think anyone I can think of could possibly answer that question,” she said.
The former hospital chaplain decided she wanted the single dose vaccine because she was worried about having an allergic reaction to others. She said she was concerned about the side effects after the second stroke.
“I wanted the vaccination as simple as possible,” she said.
The state has asked suppliers to indicate which vaccine has been offered since Johnson & Johnson’s approval, Josh Geballe, state operations manager, said Thursday.
Two of the state’s largest healthcare systems – Hartford HealthCare and Yale New Haven Health – have announced that those who enroll at their facilities can choose their preferred vaccine.
Since March 3, when Johnson & Johnson became available, Hartford HealthCare began offering patients the option of choosing a specific vaccine or selecting the option for one that is available. Data provided by the hospital system shows that just over two-thirds of respondents have chosen to be vaccinated.
The hospital system plans to host Zoom webinars on March 24 and 31 and April 7 on the topic “Weighing vaccine options for people with questions”.
Dr Gregory Buller, of Bridgeport Hospital, part of Yale New Haven Health, said the webinar was taking place because many people were wondering what vaccines were being used.
“Because a lot of people are asking about this, we will make the vaccine that we offer in clinics transparent,” said Buller, who is Bridgeport’s deputy chief medical officer and chairman of the department of medicine.
But Buller cautioned against shopping for a certain vaccine.
“It’s kind of like, if you can get a vaccine tomorrow and in four weeks take the one tomorrow,” he said.
Geballe said most people feel that vaccines are equal and choose to take whatever is available to them first. Many people want Johnson & Johnson’s single-shot vaccine, according to Geballe.
“They love this shot and you are fully vaccinated,” he said.
“We know these vaccines are all safe,” said Dr. Albert Ko, a Yale epidemiologist. “They have a great safety profile with very rare serious adverse reactions – you know, one in a million.”
Ko, who co-chaired the governor’s reopening group last spring, was asked by a reporter whether giving people the option to choose might help convince some who are reluctant to get vaccinated.
“In terms of the effectiveness of these vaccines, when it comes to really problems in terms of hospitalizations, serious consequences, they all work equally well,” Ko said. “The most important thing is to let people know about them. . “
Many clinics listed in the Vaccine Administration Management System, the federal portal that allows eligible people to register for an appointment, list the vaccines offered.
Some vaccine seekers have taken to social media, including the Facebook group, New York / Connecticut Vaccine Hunters and Angels, which has nearly 15,000 members.
Emily Stagg, a Glastonbury resident, an advanced practice RN, is one of the moderators of the group. Stagg has worked as a volunteer vaccine administrator at several clinics around the state and is frustrated when she sees people choosing a specific vaccine.
“Six weeks ago, when I started to vaccinate, most people would say, ‘Is this Pfizer or Moderna? but most of all, they would say they were happy to get the vaccine, ”Stagg said. “But today they say things like ‘Oh rats, this is Moderna.'”
Stagg said she was surprised the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is the one most people are looking for because it has a lower efficacy rate than the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines. However, Stagg said many people seem drawn to Johnson & Johnson because it only requires one dose.
“I think for a lot of lay people it’s ‘I don’t want to suddenly, so I want something unique and done,’” Stagg said.
But Stagg said she tried to explain to people that it was best to get the shot.
“Waiting for Johnson & Johnson doesn’t make a lot of scientific sense,” Stagg said.
Malewicki said she realizes that waiting for a certain type of vaccine may not be the best approach. When she became eligible to register on Friday morning, Malewicki said the first appointment she could get for a vaccine was May 31.
Malewicki said she was sure more dates would open up and that she was still hoping to get the Moderna – for now.
“If it’s two weeks away and I’m in the same position I’m probably going to be less picky,” she said.
Brooks said she felt “almost betrayed” because she had pushed for the vaccine, but the process was difficult to manage.
“People are getting a little anxious and a little arrogant about it,” she said. “I’m trying, but I’m not going to take something I’m not comfortable with.”
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