The Blog

2020-

2020-12-18 f
VACCINE NEWS I
“Who wants to be a guinea pig?”

Fears Prompt Some Medical Workers to Balk at Getting the Vaccine

Concerns about side effects, speed of approval dissuade them

In one Chicago hospital, 40% of staff say they won’t take it

Some nurses and emergency-response workers have expressed reluctance to take the new coronavirus vaccine, a reflection of unease that U.S. officials hope to overcome as they ramp up the nationwide immunization effort.

For months, surveys showed widespread skepticism about the vaccine after the Trump administration’s push to get it out before the November election. Public-health authorities say people’s concerns have eased since then, but this week’s launch of vaccinations made it clear that some health-care workers and first responders remain unwilling to get the shot.

While there are always vaccine detractors, hesitance among members of the medical community could deter the general public from getting it despite the safety record and more than 90% efficacy rate of the initial vaccines. Of the more than 20,000 trial participants who received Pfizer Inc.’s, serious side effects were rare.

... Still, some younger medical workers are reluctant because of widespread but unfounded rumors about possible side effects such as infertility.

... Others are skittish about the historic speed of the vaccine’s arrival. Pfizer’s vaccine -- and one made by Moderna Inc. that is expected to win U.S. authorization as soon as Friday -- were developed in a matter of months following the start of the pandemic early this year. The government’s Operation Warp Speed program helped speed up delivery of vaccines and treatments for Covid-19

Vaccine development typically takes much more time -- licensing can often take 10 years or longer, according to the CDC.

... Concerns were fueled this week by reports that two people in Alaska who received the vaccine suffered rare allergic reactions, which have also been seen in recipients in the U.K.

... But work remains to be done. At Loretto Hospital in Chicago, where the city’s first Covid-19 vaccine was administered on Tuesday, 40% of the staff do not plan to get it, according to a survey this month.

Sherrie Burch, 56, a ward clerk at Loretto, is baffled by how quickly the Covid-19 vaccine was developed, given how long medical developments typically take. And that makes her nervous. “It just happened too fast for me,” Burch said, adding that her children, grandchildren and 76-year-old mother aren’t planning to get it either. “It’s the fear of the unknown.”

... Workers in other parts of the country are also concerned.

In Maine, about 40% of staff and 30% of residents at the state’s larger nursing homes appear unwilling to get the vaccine, the Maine Health Care Association found after an “informal discussion” with the operators.

... A significant number of New York firefighters are also reluctant. Anthony Almojera, a lieutenant paramedic who’s vice president of FDNY’s EMS Officers Union Local 3621 said about 30% of his members resist getting the vaccine, judging from group chats and social-media monitoring. (read more)

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