COVID VACCINE RESOURCES & UPDATES
Greetings everyone,
I hope you all are well.
I'm still following the updates on local options for vaccination and the latest news vaccinations.
Hope this helps,
Dr. Orner
NEWLY APPROVED VACCINE
The Johnson & Johnson vaccine was recently approved. In the studies, the effectiveness is 72% compared to the 95% of Pfizer and Moderna vaccines. The effectiveness seems to vary depending on which COVID19 variant is most common in a country.
The Johnson & Johnson vaccine is one dose vs 2 doses for the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine. The newly approved vaccine is not an mRNA vaccine. It is a viral vector vaccine. This type of vector is also used in an Ebola vaccine licensed in Europe. Here's a great video on how they work https://youtu.be/nXY4NCMf41c.
TIPS FOR GETTING READY FOR & MANAGING AFTER VACCINATION
1. It is NOT recommended to take over-the-counter pain medication before the shot to prevent symptoms.
2. Be prepared for soreness, redness, and swelling at the injection site. It will likely last a few days and go away. It may come back in a week but usually resolves again ina few days.
3. The CDC says you CAN take over-the-counter pain medicine like ibuprofen or acetaminophen for discomfort AFTER the vaccination.
4. From my experience (and that of many of my friends), Dose #2 of the Pfizer or Moderna can be a doozy. Plan to take it easy on yourself for the first 24-36hrs. Personally, I decided to view the impressive muscle aches and fevers as a sign that my immune system is very robust.
LEBANON RESOURCE
Lebanon County Department of Emergency Services https://www.lcdes.org/covid-info/
Their website is accepting sign-ups for Phase 1A Essential.
They also have an area to sign up to receive regular updates.
LANCASTER RESOURCE
The Vaccinate Lancaster Coalition continues preparations to open a public COVID-19 vaccination center at the site of the former Bon-Ton department store at Park City Center. Registration is not open yet but you can get updates at https://vaccinatelancaster.org/
Other Resources:
Pennsylvania Department of Health
https://www.health.pa.gov/topics/disease/coronavirus/Vaccine/Pages/Vaccine.aspx#map
The website has a map of vaccine providers. I have found that not every place is offering the vaccine to the general public and the website mentions this.
The site also includes an eligibility checker.
Rite Aid
Rite Aid has a COVID COVID-19 Vaccine Scheduler online
https://www.riteaid.com/pharmacy/covid-qualifier
Additional schedule slots are open each day. However, you must log in each day to check if there are any appointments available.
Weis Pharmacy
www.weismarkets.com/pharmacy-services
You will have to check their website to see if any slots are available. they fill quickly.
From their website: "Additional schedules will open on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday early mornings and again in the early to middle evening hours. There will be a limited amount of people able to schedule at one time. If you are not able to access the scheduler, please close your browser and try again in about 15 minutes."