CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. As of Wednesday night, more than 54,000 Virginias have started vaccinating against COVID-19. The majority of the individuals, health workers at the forefront of the pandemic.
Healthcare professionals and residents of long-term care are listed under Phase 1a of the Virginia COVID-19 Vaccine Vaccination Information.
Although they now enjoy priority, not everyone is willing to roll up their sleeves.
“I’m just worried about injecting something into my body that has developed so quickly, and not knowing what the long-term consequences are going to be,” said a Chesterfield nurse.
The 29-year-old Chesterfield nurse, who does not want to be identified, is not alone. Thousands of health workers addressed social media about the vaccination.
The Virginia Department of Health on Wednesday assured the public that the vaccine is safe. According to VDH, financial barriers have been removed in the global effort to speed up the vaccine.
‘All the safety review steps have taken place. There (sic) no corners have been cut, and no things have been turned down because the vaccine should be on the market. “These vaccines have been done by the same thorough investigation, scientific research by independent scientists to say that these vaccines have been found safe and effective,” said Christy Gray, director of the immunization department.
Traveling Virginia nurse Tempest Schaller was sent to New York at the start of the pandemic.
“You knew it was bad,” Schaller said. “I would sometimes see the 18-wheelers with the freezer, as with the freezers full of corpses, which would leave three or four of the trucks in one day,” she added.
Schaller says she will be vaccinated because it is her responsibility as a first answer and because of her experience in New York.
‘Until you saw your patients drown, I did not have a single patient in New York who did not. You know later, whose father has already passed away and lost a brother and a cousin and a child from COVID. You know, and it was, it was not an unusual story. You know, and I just think it’s difficult for people who live in places that have not hit COVID like that before, ”Schaller said.
‘I’m a nurse, my whole career is about science and medicine and the belief that things work. There are literally decades and decades and decades of research supporting this vaccination, you know, so to me it seems like any small risk is worth it. Because just the chance that we can try to suffocate this virus in the bud before it gets so much worse. For me, it’s worth it. ”
“I’m afraid people will think we’ll get the vaccine, and it’s all going to go away,” said the Chesterfield nurse. ‘Ultimately, COVID is a virus, and viruses are all around us, and it’s really not going to go away. It is here to stay. So we need to find a better way. ‘
Governor Northam says he has no plans to draft the vaccine, but he believes there may be situations where employers can do so. He says he will leave it to businesses, but says he will support their decisions.
“I’m just worried about violating my personal rights by making it compulsory and so it could change my career because I do not want to be forced to inject something into my body that I’m not comfortable with,” the Chesterfield nurse said. .
According to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, employers may require workers to receive a COVID-19 vaccine and exclude them from the workplace if they refuse. There are two exceptions for the disabled or for ‘sincere’ religious beliefs that prevent them from being vaccinated.
Rely on CBS 6 News and WTVR.com for full coverage of this important evolving story.
Covid19 Precautions
Most patients with COVID-19 have mild to moderate symptoms. However, in a small proportion of patients, COVID-19 can lead to worse diseases, including death, especially under elderly or chronic medical conditions.
COVID-19 spreads mainly through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes.
Symptoms include fever, cough and difficulty breathing. Symptoms appear within 14 days after being exposed to an infectious person.
Health officials in Virginia have urged the following precautions:
- Wash your hands regularly for at least 20 seconds with soap and water.
- Only use alcohol-based disinfectant if soap and water are not available.
- Avoid contact with your eyes, nose and mouth; cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or sleeve (not your hands) when coughing or sneezing.
- Clean and disinfect frequently affected objects and surfaces.
- Stay home when you are sick.
- Avoid contact with sick people.
- Avoid travel that is not essential.