Public health and government officials sighed with relief when COVID-19 vaccinations came to Coastal Georgia last December. The first 84,000 doses were set aside for those working in health care, including Dr. Kathleen Toomey, the commissioner for the Georgia Department of Public Health.
She spoke after receiving her first shot, saying vaccination felt like the "light at the end of a tunnel" after a long, hard year.
Vaccine and booster side effects can include fever, aches and fatigue. And this may be the first vaccine in history where people complain if they don't experience side effects, says one doctor.
In small studies in South Africa and in Germany, the results indicate a marked decrease in the ability of vaccines to neutralize this variant. But there are other findings that are encouraging.
The second time Vanessa Quintero's family caught the virus, probably from her 8-year-old daughter, fewer people got sick. They and their doctors credit the protection of vaccination.
Physicians weigh in on what you need to know about the safety and efficacy of the vaccine, and how to think about the risks and benefits of vaccinating your kid
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that both infection-induced and vaccine-induced immunity are durable for at least six months — but that vaccines are more consistent in their protection and offer a huge boost in antibodies for people previously infected.
A small number of health workers are protesting for global vaccine equity. Their demonstrations echo the call for equal distribution of HIV medications decades ago — but there are key differences.
Immunocompromised people such as transplant recipients are now strongly encouraged to get a booster shot — a third dose of the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine or a second dose of the Johnson & Johnson shot.
Lots of people suggest guzzling a tall glass of H2O before the injection. But is there any evidence it'll reduce side effects or improve vaccine effectiveness? Also: painkiller protocols!
