COVID-19 vaccines could arrive in New York City as early as this weekend. With preparations to vaccinate hundreds of thousands of people over the course of several months, many people have questions about the vaccines themselves and how they will be distributed.
Here’s what you need to know about the Covid-19 vaccine.
When will the vaccines arrive?
Pfizer’s vaccine is expected to arrive on December 15 and Moderna’s a week later.
This initial shipment of 170,000 doses of vaccines will go first to nursing home residents, staff and high-risk healthcare workers.
This Pfizer vaccine requires two doses for each person, so in addition to this first shipment, the state will receive another 170,000 doses within 21 days to meet the two-dose requirement.
What vaccine will be available? And how many doses are required?
The vaccine is given in two doses over the course of several weeks.
“The vaccine itself takes two doses and actually has a 10-day time period after someone is fully vaccinated,” said Dara Kass, an emergency physician at Columbia Medical University, in an interview on “Inside NY1’s City Hall “with Errol Louis. “So even the first population of people vaccinated on December 15 may not be considered fully vaccinated until early February.”
Both vaccines require two doses. People who receive the Pfizer vaccine should return for a second injection three weeks after the first; the Moderna vaccine requires a second injection four weeks later.
There are multiple other COVID-19 vaccines still in phase 3 clinical trials that could be approved in the coming weeks and months.
How does it work?
Vaccines work by tricking the body into creating an immune response to a virus that is not present in the body.
Health Commissioner Dr. Dave Chokshi said the vaccine does not affect or interact with a person’s DNA, but instead teaches the body to build immunity against the new coronavirus.
He said that it is moderately effective after the first 10 to 14 days of vaccination, but that the second dose is critically important, as it is what is needed to achieve 95% effectiveness in fighting the virus.
Are there any side effects from the vaccine?
No serious safety concerns have been found for either vaccine. Each vaccine has shown only minor side effects, such as injection site pain, fatigue, and headache.
However, following the launch of the vaccine in the UK this week, health authorities advise people with “a significant history of allergic reactions” not to get the Pfizer / BioNTech coronavirus vaccine. This comes after two healthcare workers, who both carried an adrenaline autoinjector and had a history of allergic reactions, “responded negatively” to their injection.
How should it be stored? Where will it be stored?
The Pfizer vaccine will need to be stored in ultra-cold freezers with temperatures of minus 80 degrees Celsius or minus 112 degrees Fahrenheit. The city currently has 44 hospitals equipped with these so far, according to the mayor.
The Health Department can also store hundreds of thousands of doses, for a total city capacity of 1.5 million doses.
Who will get it first?
Health workers and nursing home residents and staff will be prioritized by the city. After these two groups are vaccinated, priority will be given to those at high risk for complications from COVID-19, due to underlying medical conditions or age, and to essential workers who interact with the public and who cannot physically distance themselves. .
When the city has enough doses available, it will be made available to all New Yorkers.
Mayor Bill de Blasio has ensured that the distribution of vaccines will take into account minority communities that have been particularly affected by Covid.
Emphasis will be placed, de Blasio explained, on 27 neighborhoods in North Manhattan, central Queens and the South Bronx, as well as NYCHA public housing.
To organize and coordinate the entire vaccine distribution effort, the city has created a Central Vaccine Command headed by Vice Mayor Melanie Herzog.
Where can I get the vaccine?
The vaccine is likely to be available in the same places where vaccines are normally obtained, such as your healthcare provider, community and hospital clinics, pharmacies, and urgent care centers.
Is it safe?
The FDA is in charge of the approval process. The guidelines they have established for COVID-19 vaccines in development and trials must follow the same rigorous safety rules as any other new vaccine.
New York, along with a handful of states, has also created a panel of experts to independently review any COVID-19 vaccine prior to distribution.
When will the vaccine be widely available?
COVID-19 vaccines will not be widely available to the general public until mid-2021.
The goal is to reach at least 75% of the population with the vaccine to create a herd immunity against the virus.
How much will it cost?
The COVID-19 vaccine will be free for the entire population, according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
But you can still receive an invoice. According to the CDC (Centers for Disease Control), providers can legally charge an administration fee for giving patients the vaccine. However, you can claim the cost from your insurance company, as they are required to cover approved preventive care under the Affordable Care Act.
After receiving the vaccine, do I have to keep wearing a mask?
Yes. While the vaccine will likely keep you from getting sick with the virus, research is not yet clear on whether it protects you from spreading it to others.
New Yorkers who receive the vaccine must continue to wear masks and comply with coronavirus safety measures, Dr. Kass said.
“They still have to wear the mask and stay away until we have enough people in our general population to be protected from contracting the virus. These are all steps forward, but we must not think that we are overprotective from the beginning and simply abandon all our public health measures, “Kass explained.
Will the vaccine be mandatory?
No. There are no plans or discussions at this time to make the COVID-19 vaccine mandatory by state or local leaders. While there is a bill that was introduced by a member of the State Assembly that potentially seeks to make the COVID-19 vaccine mandatory, there are no plans to move forward with it.
Will information on immigration, citizenship or similar status be requested from those who want the vaccine?
No. Governor Andrew Cuomo has said that he signed an agreement with the federal government whereby New York State ensures that no information about the citizenship or immigration status of those who receive the vaccine passes to the government in Washington.
