Bucks Montgomery Physician Summer 2021 - 19

Q. Will I get sick from the vaccine? What side
effects can I expect from the vaccine?
Q. Fetal cell lines have been used in the development
and I am against abortion - so I am against
getting the vaccine on religious grounds.
A. It is not possible to get COVID-19 from the vaccines
as these are not live-virus vaccines. Serious adverse effects
(anaphylaxis - trouble breathing) are rare and estimated
to occur in 5 in 1 million. The most common side effect is
pain and redness at the injection site - about 65 percent of
patients. Headache, fever, fatigue, body aches and congestion
are fairly common symptoms for 24 to 48 hours and seem
to affect younger people more as their immune systems are
stronger. Some individuals may have more side effects from
the second dose of vaccine. About 15-20 percent of patients
may experience these side effects, but the good news is that
they are generally short lived. Occurrence of blood clots
with rare deaths have been reported with the Johnson and
Johnson vaccine, mostly in women under age 60. Frequency
of this complication is approximately 10 per million cases
in this group and much lower for others. After a temporary
hold on the vaccine, the CDC and FDA have determined that
benefits of the vaccine overwhelmingly outweigh the risk.
Q. If I am young and healthy and not likely to get that
sick from COVID, why should I get the vaccine?
A. While the death rate for COVID is between 1-2 percent
of the cases, and older people are at greater risk, this is not
entirely predictable. If you get infected, you can spread the
infection unknowingly to the unvaccinated and vulnerable
friends and relatives. Up to 10 to 20 percent of COVID
patients can have effects from the infection that can last for
months - including severe fatigue, body aches, headaches and
" brain fog. " This is referred to as " long COVID. " Moreover,
not getting the vaccine provides " hosts " to keep the virus
circulating in the population and further opportunity for the
virus to potentially mutant into more aggressive variants.
Q. Are the Pfizer and Moderna Vaccines
better than the J&J vaccine?
A. No. I would be comfortable getting any of the vaccines.
They are all outstanding in preventing death and serious
illness. The J&J vaccine was tested at a later time and when
more variant COVID-19 strains were in the population,
so this is likely to explain the statistical differences. For
young women, I would advise getting the Pfizer or
Moderna vaccine. If you cannot afford to miss work
related to possible side effects, it may be best to
schedule a weekend day and choose the J&J
vaccine since it only requires one injection.
4/21
Service
Stability
Strength
SCHATZ ELECTRIC, INC.
Jeff Schatz, Owner/President
" Tompkins VIST Bank will be with us in the future
and help us grow even more, " Jeff says.
Schatz Electric has been in business for 45 years. To keep the
business growing, owner and president Jeff Schatz focuses on
mastering new technologies and supporting customers 24/7-so
he's always on the go. That's why he works with the team at
Tompkins VIST Bank, who proactively offer products and services
that increase efficiency, such as remote deposit.
A. No COVID-19 vaccine contains aborted fetal cells. Fetal
cell lines are grown in the laboratory and descend from
elective abortions in the 1970s and 1980s. Pope Francis,
the Dalai Lama and prominent leaders from the Jewish,
Muslim, and Orthodox Christian communities recognize
vaccination as " life affirming " and encourage their faithful
to get the vaccine as a way of protecting themselves and
others. Moreover, world religious leaders in a press release
from April have called for massive production of vaccine
so that that it could be distributed to poor countries.
The " Greatest Generation " was judged on how it responded
to the global threat of fascism and how we as a nation
responded to this existential threat. Our generation will
be judged on how we have responded and continue to
respond to the worldwide crisis of COVID-19. Getting
vaccinated and supporting vaccination efforts here and
internationally are important steps in which we
can all take part.
VISTBank.com
BUCKS AND MONTGOMERY COUNTY MEDICAL SOCIETIES 17
http://www.VISTBank.com
Bucks Montgomery Physician Summer 2021

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