Some Santa Cruz Co. health care workers wary about taking rushed vaccine
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Updated: 8:09 PM PST Dec 10, 2020
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Updated: 8:09 PM PST Dec 10, 2020
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GOOD EVENING EVERYONE I'M ERIN CLARK. DAN GREEN IS OFF TONIGHT. WE BEGIN TONIGHT WITH THE U-S A BIG STEP CLOSER TO APPROVING A COVID-19 VACCINE. AN ADVISORY COMMITTEE TO THE F-D- A ENDORSES PFIZER'S VACCINE. THE F-D-A IS EXPECTED TO FOLLOW THAT RECOMMENDATION. MILLIONS OF DOSES WILL THEN IMMEDIATELY BE SHIPPED AROUND THE COUNTRY. NEARLY TWO- THOUSAND DOSES SHOULD ARRIVE IN SANTA CRUZ COUNTY NEXT WEEK. THE COUNTY IS ALSO EXPECTING 28- HUNDRED DOSES OF THE MODERNA VACCINE BY THE END OF THIS MONTH. BUT AS ACTION NEWS EIGHT REPORTER PHIL GOMEZ EXPLAINS SOME HEALTH CARE WORKERS AREN'T READY TO TAKE IT. IT SHOULD BE POINTED OUT THAT AT THE START THE VACCINE WILL BE RELEASED IN PHASES TO A SELECT GROUP OF PEOPLE WATSONVILLE AND DOMINICAN HOSPITALS WILL BE THE FIRST TO RECEIVE THE PFIZER VACCINE HEALTH CARE WORKERS IN ACUTE CARE SETTINGS LIKE CHRISTINE LOEFFLER HAve BEEN ON THE FRONT LINES SINCE THE PANDEMIC BEGAN SHE WORKS 12 HOUR SHIFTS, THREE DAYS A WEEK, SOMETIMES EVEN LONGER "It means is, we can protect our patients better and health care workers have a higher percentage of getting Covid and I think it's a good thing that we can get protected from it." LONG TERM CARE FACILITIES AND FIRST RESPONDERS WILL ALSO BE A HIGH PRIORITY IN RECEIVING COVID VACCINATIONS BUT THE SPEED OF THE VACCINE DEVELOPEMENT HAS LEFT SOME HEALTH CARE WORKERS ON THE FENCE "Like anything you have concerns, even with the flu vaccinations. I would even say, above that because it's so new and some folks feel as if the vaccines were rushed and rightly so, we're in the middle of a pandemic and we want to get a grip on it" THE SANTA CRUZ COUNTY HEALTH SERVICES AGENCY HOPES IT REDUCES THE ILLNESS AND THE TRANSMISSION EXPOSURES ESPECIALLY, AS HOSPITAL BEDS ARE FILLING UP WITH COVID PATIENTS THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT ENCOURAGES THE PUBLIC TO GET VACCINATED BUT ALSO TO DO YOUR OWN RESEARCH. "Right now, studies on the vaccines shows efficacy, which means in a controlled environmentwe see a difference in terms of infections. Vaccines are really meant ot prevent infectiion Prevent the severity of the disease and prevent death." THE PUBLIC COULD GET VACCINATED BY THE SPRING OF NEXT YEAR, BUT NO TIMELINE HAS BEEN GIVEN YET. DISTRIBUTION WILL OCCUR THROUGH PRIMARY CARE PROVIDERS, CLINICS AND PHARMACIES THERE COULD ALSO BE COMMUNITY DRIVE THROUGH LOCATIONS WITH MASS DISTRIBUTION OF THE VACCINE BUT THOSE LOCATIONS HAVE N