COVID Vaccine: False sense of security or green light?
After perusing the posts I have seen much discussion about getting the COVID-19 vaccine/or not. This isn't one of those posts. I wanted to have a discussion with those who DID get the vaccine.
My parents cried, they were so elated to finally get the vaccine. "We can finally not worry anymore and have the whole family over!" My Mom said this with such enthusiasm and it was the first time over the last 10 months she seemed carefree. I wanted to immediately correct her since she had this "I am untouchable now I got the vaccine" way of thinking but I will let her revel in it until the 2nd Vaccine. Instead, I politely reminded her full immunity comes a week or so after the 2nd shot. If she starts planning an Easter party, I may need to have a discussion sooner.
I thought to myself, how many people are thinking this way? Is this much anticipated, solution to our problems vaccine giving too many of us a false sense of security? (Of course, I'm exaggerating a little) After experiencing a similar emotion after my 2nd injection I sort of understand. I had a moment when I thought this changes everything, but does it really? As a nurse I already researched the vaccine, coming to the realization we don't know enough about the vaccine, and we can't to go back to regular life. I had to mourn the loss of my old life just like everyone else. Had to go thru the 5 stages of grief. The stages went something like this-
1-Denial
This isn't happening! Covid Must be like another flu. (Boy were we wrong)
2- Anger
Stay at Home! Can't tell me what to do...what, everything is closed...guess I will just stay home then.
3-Bargaining- Viva Las Vegas
If I just wear my mask, stay far apart then my 2020 Vegas trip will be just like before...nope, not the same. Life just is not the same.
4-Depression
My kids never going back to school, I am going out of my mind stuck in this house! On the super depressing side, I see patients, coworkers and friends dying. None of us have ever seen so much death. No time to dwell on this, no time to process these pesky emotions, back to work. I Will schedule appt with a therapist after all this is over... I.e. who knows when.
5- Acceptance
Not sure I have reached this one yet. Is tolerating something the same as acceptance? If so then I wavier between this stage and the last three depending on the day.
We all have our own version of this I assume. Every one of us going through this loss together but separately, not to mention the loved ones lost.
I feel encouraged by the vaccine, all the while black clouds of uncertainty loom overhead. I read things like this and feel again like we have a long road ahead.
Quote
If I get a coronavirus vaccination, do I still have to wear a mask? Physical distance?
Yes. It may take time for everyone who wants a COVID-19 vaccination to get one. A vaccine that is 95% effective means that about 1 out of 20 people who get it may not have protection from getting the illness.
Also, while the vaccine may prevent you from getting sick, it is unknown at this time if you can still carry and transmit the virus to others. That is why, until more is understood about how well the vaccine works, continuing with precautions such as mask-wearing and physical distancing will be important.
What I mean is this, after I got the vaccine I felt relief knowing I am less likely to get COVID. Unfortunately, studies haven't been done yet to determine if I could still carry and transmit it. I think that's the part so many of us are forgetting, which is easy to do. Maybe they will do studies and find otherwise but until then I am considering every risk I take. Am I wearing a mask at home? Obviously not, but when my friends say to me we should go out now since I have the vaccine and my parents say come over, I think not yet. I am in the thick of this, working with COVID + patients every shift and the risk is still too great. I would rather not even think about it, any of it. Alas everywhere I turn these thoughts invade my mind, situations bring up these questions and others.
I want to get out there so badly. I was even less cautious for maybe 4 months, back when things slowed down. Part of me wants to go out with them but wear a mask and be outside? I try to rationalize that if others see their extended families, then so could I. That's when my logical side kicks in and for me, at this point it's worth waiting a little while before a family reunion. I would feel horrible if I unknowingly brought an uninvited "guest".
So, thanks for letting me say my piece (sometimes wondering off topic but will bring it full circle here?) Now that you know my inner struggle on this topic (sometimes hopeful, sometimes reality gets too real), I am wondering about others point of view who have been vaccinated, are you staying away for now or is the vaccine a green light for you to be around others? I know it's a personal choice but want to see other nurses' inner dialogue to see the reasons behind those choices.
Specializes in Hospice, corrections, psychiatry, rehab, LTC.
20 hours ago, TheMoonisMyLantern said:
Let's see, the CDC has been predicting a major pandemic for decades, this didn't just fall out of the sky. Most major hospital systems, governmental agencies have people who's sole purpose is disaster planning and emergency management and yet still we were completely unprepared.
Not to delve too deeply into politics, but we had an administration that defunded and then dismantled the pandemic response office, minimized the seriousness of the pandemic for political gain, and ridiculed those who took protective measures. They also ignored the advice of experts until the outbreak became so serious that they could no longer ignore it. A conscious decision was made to do nothing on a national level.
Specializes in NICU, PICU, Transport, L&D, Hospice.
12 hours ago, PsychNurse24 said:
Do you remember that the current president did not believe there was a reason to stop incoming flights from China? Do you recall the speaker telling people to come on down to San Francisco because they were open? Most politicians who made fun of the president’s actions at the beginning of the pandemic now criticize and have conveniently forgotten that they were opposed to his actions. And how would the editorial board have enforced isolation and quarantine? Lock people up?!? And the states with the strictest lockdowns have the worst coronavirus numbers. Compare California and Florida, compare Florida and New York. And again what are the specifics?? Lots of words, lots of hypocrisy, lots of articulate people spouting nonsense but with no solutions. When hospitals determine that too many patients Are getting infections, they figure out why and implement very specific solutions. Please fill in the blanks... To enforce isolation I would blank blank blank blank blank. To enforce social distancing I would blank blank blank blank blank. To enforce quarantines I would blank blank blank blank blank. To ensure people wear facemasks I would blank blank blank blank blank. Let’s hear your solutions! And the editorial review board’s solutions. And, please make sure the solutions are legal and constitutional. And if you Watch the news you will see that more people are saying they will get vaccinated.
Conflating Pelosi's comments to counter Trump's xenophobic remarks about the China Flu with her covid policy is disingenuous at best.
Why can't you read the NEJM article to learn what experts would have done rather than what Trump did?
Please tell me what public health recommendations for covid mitigation have been found to be unconstitutional or illegal? What are you referencing? Or is that simply a fabricated fear that runs through conservative circles?
Do you remember that the current president did not believe there was a reason to stop incoming flights from China? Do you recall the speaker telling people to come on down to San Francisco because they were open? Most politicians who made fun of the president’s actions at the beginning of the pandemic now criticize and have conveniently forgotten that they were opposed to his actions. And how would the editorial board have enforced isolation and quarantine? Lock people up?!? And the states with the strictest lockdowns have the worst coronavirus numbers. Compare California and Florida, compare Florida and New York. And again what are the specifics?? Lots of words, lots of hypocrisy, lots of articulate people spouting nonsense but with no solutions. When hospitals determine that too many patients Are getting infections, they figure out why and implement very specific solutions. Please fill in the blanks... To enforce isolation I would blank blank blank blank blank. To enforce social distancing I would blank blank blank blank blank. To enforce quarantines I would blank blank blank blank blank. To ensure people wear facemasks I would blank blank blank blank blank. Let’s hear your solutions! And the editorial review board’s solutions. And, please make sure the solutions are legal and constitutional. And if you Watch the news you will see that more people are saying they will get vaccinated.
Do you remember when the Pandemic Planning Response was restructured under #45 and John Bolton. How many cases of Ebola did we have?
I think PPE still needs to be utilized. Covid is a virus and will continue to likely mutate. The covid vaccines were manufactured for emergency use - I read the fine print on the vaccine handout and it actually doesn’t say that it protects people from covid because there aren’t enough long term studies out to prove that. I hate to compare it to the flu vaccine, but I will for a loose comparison. The flu mutates every year. I have had many coworkers out sick from the flu despite getting the flu shot. I assume this is because there is more then one flu variant. I actually still mask for the flu and have never been out sick from the flu.
Specializes in OR, Nursing Professional Development.
Hello all! A second reminder to please remember to stick to the topic of the effect of the COVID vaccine and what it means for returning to a state of “normal”. For discussions regarding the government response, there are several threads in the Politics forum found by clicking on the link to the Breakroom.
Specializes in NICU, PICU, Transport, L&D, Hospice.
We will be normal when we don't presume that our public health professionals are lying to us about covid data and when the majority of the country wants to participate in mitigation rather than mock it, to help the country. IMV
Vaccines will definitely help us end the pandemic but returning to normal is quite a different matter. On the other side of this disaster we'll assess how we did as a nation and as a health system. Maybe we won't want to go back to normal.
Specializes in Mental health, substance abuse, geriatrics, PCU.
In my area the vaccine has a very long waiting list and they're administering every single one they've been allocated. I hate that people are having to wait but I'm glad so many people are willing to get vaccinated, I've take that as a postive sign,
I appreciate your request to hear our "inner dialogue!"
At first, after vax number one I was extremely relieved but of course I continued to mask and distance when possible. Basically, I changed nothing. What changed was feeling some inner relief at a light at the end of the tunnel. And that was it. Now that I'm past my 2nd week of the 2nd vax, I feel basically the same. What has prevented me from really feeling even more relief is concern for the variants out there. That's complicated things. The line I'm hearing and reading is that people who have been infected are susceptible to getting infected with a variant but that the vaxes are so far protective against them. Still.
Reading your story, me in your shoes, I would consider visiting my vaccinated family but given the work with Covid+ patients, I would likely wear a mask and try to meet them outside, and probably no touching. Here's what I else would recommend: testing just to make extra sure.
On 1/31/2021 at 4:22 PM, Schweet said:
Instead, I politely reminded her full immunity comes a week or so after the 2nd shot.
It's actually 2 weeks, based on what we were told (Moderna).
I know posts can derail naturally but this post is hilarious ? . As you can see from my original post I tend to wonder off topic as well. I get plenty of political discussion from my hubby so I'll kindly just not acknowledge that facet of this thread even if applicable ?
4 hours ago, JVBT said:
It's actually2 weeks, based on what we were told (Moderna)
At first, after vax number one I was extremely relieved but of course I continued to mask and distance when possible. Basically, I changed nothing. What changed was feeling some inner relief at a light at the end of the tunnel. And that was it. Now that I'm past my 2nd week of the 2nd vax, I feel basically the same. What has prevented me from really feeling even more relief is concern for the variants out there. That's complicated things. The line I'm hearing and reading is that people who have been infected are susceptible to getting infected with a variant but that the vaxes are so far protective against them. Still.
Reading your story, me in your shoes, I would consider visiting my vaccinated family but given the work with Covid+ patients, I would likely wear a mask and try to meet them outside, and probably no touching. Here's what I else would recommend: testing just to make extra sure.
I am grateful for your thoughtful response, as well as that from others too. I think you guys have given sound advice ? I plan to visit my parents this Spring for an outdoor, masks wearing, no contact visit. While it is frustrating to fly all the way there for such a no contact visit, it's better than nothing. Also it will be well over 2 weeks after their 2nd Pfizer vaccine.
My parents both only have so much time left because of their age, it will be so nice to be able to bring supplies and see them. It seems better to do this now than wait until it's too late.
I will be getting back to my life. The people who say “The vaccine isn’t 100% effective”— nothing is. Not the flu vaccine, not MMR (I had to have that one again at age 30 because it “wore off”), not seat belts. We all walk around with risk every single day. But why did you get the vaccine if you plan to remain in lockdown for the rest of your life?
I suppose I got the vaccine hoping they will find it does more than just prevent serious illness, hopefully make it less likely to be spread but that remains to be seen. Also, less chance if dying from it feels reassuring also.
"[It] would be safe, if everyone in the family has been vaccinated," said Dr. Colleen Kelley, an associate professor of infectious diseases at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, Georgia who is involved with the Moderna and Novavax vaccine clinical trials. "I think the issue is it's going to be a long time before we get to the place where all members of a family are vaccinated, especially if it's a multigenerational family with grandparents and little kids and adults. But I think once we get to the place where everyone in the family is vaccinated then yes, they should feel free to see each other freely."
Orca, ADN, ASN, RN
2,066 Posts
Not to delve too deeply into politics, but we had an administration that defunded and then dismantled the pandemic response office, minimized the seriousness of the pandemic for political gain, and ridiculed those who took protective measures. They also ignored the advice of experts until the outbreak became so serious that they could no longer ignore it. A conscious decision was made to do nothing on a national level.