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“Many physicians’ offices are also developing mechanisms to notify patients when they become eligible, either by email, SMS or phone calls,” he said. “Everyone understands that it’s unreasonable to expect people to constantly monitor the website, which is why local and state leaders are also discussing other communication strategies to ensure that people know. ”
What about people who do not have a primary care physician?
Biddinger said commercial pharmacies will administer vaccines and residents should seek information on vaccine eligibility from local public health departments.
“We believe there will be several large-scale vaccination clinics set up, in places like conference rooms, gymnasiums or arsenals. Fenway Park, Gillette Stadium and other large areas were also mentioned and are under consideration, ”he said. “If a resident does not have a primary care physician, they will need to check state posts, the state website, and the media to find out when they are eligible for the vaccination.”
Will residents have to make an appointment with their doctor, clinic or pharmacy to be vaccinated?
In most cases, they probably will, he said. This is because there is a mandatory waiting period of 15 minutes after a person receives the vaccine, so that medical staff can see if they have an adverse reaction. Appointments also reduce the need for waiting spaces.
“There could be real queue issues if everyone came at the same time, and we want to avoid long queues for physical distance,” he said. “There may be walk-in options, but for the most part people will need to make an appointment.”
At the end of a given day, there may be additional doses of the vaccine, as some may not show up for their appointments. Thus, some clinics may make last-minute contingency plans for the end of the day, so that doses are not wasted. Vaccines should be used within six hours of puncturing a vial. The vials contain five doses.
When should residents contact their doctor for vaccination? Is this something they should be doing soon?
Doctors’ offices aren’t planning vaccinations now as Massachusetts remains in the first phase of its plan, restricting vaccines to first responders, nursing home residents and others considered “critical” personnel . “When the state announces that it is entering phase 2 or 3, patients who believe they are eligible should contact their doctors, if they have not already been made aware of these practices,” Biddinger said.
He said the state had plans for drive-thru vaccination locations and other mass vaccination sites.
“No one in the state wants to have vaccine vials on the shelves, so efforts are focused on getting the vaccine delivered as soon as it reaches eligible people,” he said. “Everyone wants to vaccinate the public as fast as we have, so that we can move on to the next phases.”
Who determines if a resident has enough “co-morbidities”, such as heart problems and obesity, to make them eligible to receive the vaccine in the second phase?
“Medical systems search for medical records to help identify patients with these comorbidities, which will hopefully make it easier to identify eligible patients,” he said. People are unlikely to have to prove they have a co-morbid condition, he said. “Obviously, it’s really important for patients and for the systems to honestly follow the rules,” he said. “More information on how this will be ensured will likely be available soon.”
Will residents have a choice of vaccines?
Probably not, given the limitation of supply. “There is so much complexity in administration, there really isn’t an option to offer a choice at this point,” he says. Biddinger said he would have no preference between the two. “They are just as effective and just as safe,” he says. “There are only limited differences.”
The Moderna vaccine, for example, is approved for people aged 18 and older, while the Pfizer vaccine is for people aged 16 and older. There are also rare allergies associated with each of these that may affect a small number of people.
Other vaccines, if approved, could increase the supply and give residents more choice.
When will children be eligible for the vaccine?
It will take at least several months, as clinical trials must be conducted before federal regulators sanction their use in children, he said. The trials must recruit a large number of young patients. Pfizer and Moderna began testing the vaccine in children 12 and older in November and December.
“I think it won’t be until late spring before the kids can be eligible, at the earliest,” Biddinger said. “For young children, we don’t know when they will be eligible.”
Will those who receive an initial dose be guaranteed to receive the second dose?
As soon as one dose is given, the second dose is automatically assigned to that person, he said. They will be scheduled to receive their second doses on their first dose. Doses, however, are not left on a shelf for them, they are automatically ordered and tallied later when needed. “This is how it’s been so far, and we have received our second doses, as promised,” he said.
As of Thursday, the federal government had shipped more than 21 million doses of the vaccine, but only 5.9 million people had received a dose. President-elect Joe Biden’s transition team on Friday said his administration plans to release nearly all available doses “to ensure that Americans who need it most get it as quickly as possible.” Biden has pledged to deliver 100 million doses by his 100th day in office.
How long will the vaccines provide immunity?
“There are indications that we will have lasting immunity for at least three months, but at this point, because we don’t have the data yet, there is no way to tell if it’s a year or more, ”he said.
When does the average person expect to get a vaccine?
Biddinger said the timing still looks like April for most people to be eligible. It depends on the stability of the supply chain and assumes that at least one or two other vaccines also receive emergency approval from federal regulators. “There are so many unknowns that we can’t predict this for sure,” he said.
David Abel can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on twitter @davabel.
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