A huge huge thank you to Black Doctors' Consortium for giving COVID vaccines to home bound patients in Philadelphia!
When I call to register my patients who have not yet been vaccinated, their staff is always very friendly and professional.
#housecallmedicine #COVIDvaccine #blackdoctorsconsortium #conciergemedicine
Here are some facts about the newly released Johnson and Johnson COVID vaccine:
1. It has received Emergency Use Approval from the FDA (this is the same type of approval that was given to Moderna and Pfizer)
2. It was tested on over 44 thousand people in 8 countries and is still part of an ongoing vaccine trial. None of the vaccine recipients died from the vaccine during the trial. It was also tested in several countries unlike Pfizer and Moderna which were only tested in the US.
3. Only 1 vaccine is needed (unlike Pfizer and Moderna which require 2 shots).
4. It uses an inactivated common cold virus (not messenger RNA) to carry the spike protein to the cells which then are triggered to create antibodies against the protein. (This methodology has been used for Ebola vaccine that was approved in 2019)
5. You CANNOT get COVID from the vaccine (you cannot get COVID from any of the approved COVID vaccines)
6. Common vaccine side effects are local irritation, headache, fatigue, muscle aches and fever.
7. It is about 85% effective in preventing severe COVID disease and death from COVID which is comparable to the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines.
8. It is about 65% effective in preventing moderate COVID disease and has also shown to be effective against other strains that have been identified in other countries. Don't be turned off by the 65% - the primary goal is to prevent severe disease, hospitalizations and death which it does very well.
9. Immunity occurs 28 days after vaccination (Moderna and Pfizer are 14 days).
I am constantly hearing people comment with excitement that they don't have to wear their masks after they are vaccinated for COVID19. This is false! The CDC still recommends that masks be worn by all people, no matter their vaccination status.
Here's why:
1. The current vaccines only protect the individual from the SARS-COV2 strain. A mask can protect from newer strains that are being identified, some of which are more contagious.
2. No vaccine is 100% effective!
3. Vaccinated patients can still spread the virus to others.
Unfortunately, masks are here to stay. We still need to protect each other, protect our most vulnerable and not let our guard down. Vaccinated patients should certainly feel relieved that they are much less likely to get sick from SARS-COV2, but they still need to do their part to protect others.
PLEASE, WEAR YOUR MASK!
Dr. Pluta
