The Federal Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the Pfizer vaccine and we anticipate approval for the Moderna vaccine will be forthcoming. Since initial supplies will be limited, health systems like ours have plans in place for allocation, storage and distribution. We carefully developed plans in accordance with guidelines from the FDA, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and state and local public health agencies.
Vaccine allocations are decided by federal and state agencies. Initial supplies will be very limited since multiple health systems/hospitals and other organizations will be tasked with this massive vaccination effort. We will need to be agile as things will develop and change quickly. We are in regular contact with all appropriate agencies and will be ready as the situation unfolds. We will keep you updated as we get new information.
Pfizer is the first vaccine to be distributed and requires ultra-cold storage. Both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines utilize a new technology, known as mRNA, which introduces a genetic code the body can use to make its own viral protein to induce an immune response to fight off the coronavirus. Recipients need to receive two shots spaced several weeks apart for full protection. Detailed information will be provided when the vaccine is given.
We ask that managers be mindful of this as staff are signing up. We will be offering the vaccine over several days.
No, because receiving the vaccine is voluntary/not mandated. The most common adverse events include mild to moderate injection site pain and redness, fatigue, achiness, headache and fever. Side effects are a sign that your immune system is doing exactly what it is supposed to do. It is working and building up protection to the disease. These symptoms are generally short-lived and usually go away on their own. .
We understand that there may be concern over the safety and efficacy of a COVID-19 vaccine. The FDA is required to make decisions that are guided by science and data regarding authorization or approval of COVID-19 vaccines. We have confidence in the FDA’s approval process and are committed to safety, quality and high reliability.
Central Maine Healthcare is following the CDC guidelines for distribution of the vaccine. A multidisciplinary team developed plans for vaccine distribution in accordance with the FDA, the CDC and state/local public health guidelines and are committed to achieving equity and protecting our most vulnerable populations. Available doses will ramp up in 2021 so we hope to be able to offer the vaccine to as many of our team members as possible as it becomes available.
You won’t be charged for the vaccine. It will be covered like your normal flu vaccination.
Central Maine Healthcare is offering the vaccine on a voluntary basis. There are no plans at this time to make the vaccine mandatory.
We don’t know yet and it is one of the reasons that unconditional FDA approval isn’t being granted at this time. We will know more about the durability of vaccine protection as experience with these vaccine candidates evolves in ongoing clinical trials and under Emergency Use Authorizations. The trials will be ongoing for a minimum of two years, and this is one of the key questions we hope we will learn. In addition, the initial results that have been reported were focused primarily in an adult population, and the next phases will include children. Some other questions that remain include how well the vaccines will work in specific population groups, as well as understanding more about people who are infected with COVID-19 but are asymptomatic.
Pfizer (BNT162b2) | Moderna (mRNA-1273) | |
Efficacy Overall | 95% protection from having an infection | 94.1% protection from having an infection |
Similar efficacy with different race, ethnicity and age |
Infection prevention experts recommend that you get the vaccine to protect yourself, your family, your team members and your patients. By protecting yourself you can help stop the spread of COVID-19 in our communities. You will also be setting the example for others, including friends, co-workers, and the community-at-large.
Data available so far have shown that these vaccines are around 95% effective. This is a very effective vaccine. By way of comparison, the typical influenza vaccine is usually 40-60% effective at preventing the flu. And although not yet proven, it is believed that the 5% of individuals who could still become symptomatically infected with COVID-19 after receiving a COVID-19 vaccine will experience a milder illness.
While these vaccines are being developed as quickly as possible, safety has been a top priority. Safety steps have not been skipped. The same safety standards required for any vaccine in development are required for the COVID-19 vaccine. No serious safety concerns have been observed in either of the 2 front-runner COVID-19 vaccine studies, which together, include over 70,000 participants with racially and ethnically diverse backgrounds. None of the COVID-19 vaccines currently in development in the United States use the live virus that causes COVID-19. Therefore, the COVID-19 vaccine CANNOT give you COVID-19.
COVID-19 vaccines are administered as an intramuscular injection in the arm, no different than the standard influenza vaccine. Nearly all of the vaccines will require two injections administered 21-or 28-days apart.
Yes, masking will still be required. Similar to other vaccines, a large number of people in the community will need to get vaccinated before transmission drops enough to stop the use of masks.
Even though the vaccine has been shown to significantly reduce the likelihood of becoming infected with COVID-19, there is not yet enough data to make fully informed recommendations on when masking will no longer be required. In addition, patients need to be reassured that hospitals are following all CDC guidelines and in order to make sure they feel safe, recommendations regarding masking of all hospital personnel will not be changed based on vaccination or exposure status.
Yes. While experts learn more about the protection that COVID-19 vaccines provide under real-life conditions, it will be important for everyone to continue using all the tools available to us to help stop this pandemic, like covering your mouth and nose with a mask, washing hands often, and staying at least 6 feet away from others. Together, COVID-19 vaccination and following CDC’s recommendations for how to protect yourself and others will offer the best protection from getting and spreading COVID-19. Experts need to understand more about the protection that COVID-19 vaccines provide before deciding to change recommendations on steps everyone should take to slow the spread of the virus that causes COVID-19. Other factors, including how many people get vaccinated and how the virus is spreading in communities, will also affect this decision.
People who have gotten sick with COVID-19 may still benefit from getting vaccinated. Due to the severe health risks associated with COVID-19 and the fact that re-infection with COVID-19 is possible, people are advised to get a COVID-19 vaccine even if they have been sick with COVID-19 before. At this time, experts do not know how long someone is protected from getting sick again after recovering from COVID-19. The immunity someone gains from having an infection, called natural immunity, varies from person to person. Some early evidence suggests natural immunity may not last very long.
The CDC has a website that provides much useful and authoritative information about COVID-19 vaccines: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/index.html
Routine vaccination visits should be postponed for people who are suspected or confirmed to have COVID-19, regardless of symptoms. While it is generally okay to get a routine vaccine when mildly ill, vaccination visits should be delayed for those who have or think they have COVID-19 to avoid exposing healthcare personnel and other patients to the virus that causes COVID-19.
Notify their provider's office before their visit if they have or develop any symptoms of COVID-19. Someone who has symptoms or tests positive for COVID-19 should follow CDC recommendations for home isolation. They should reschedule their appointment once they meet criteria to discontinue home isolation.
Once the isolation period is over, they can be vaccinated. Ensuring that routine vaccination is maintained or restarted during the COVID-19 pandemic is essential for protecting people and their community from vaccine-preventable diseases and outbreaks.
An Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for a vaccine is based on the need to use a vaccine quickly to save lives during a public health emergency. The EUA is a faster track but no steps are skipped in the safety evaluation process. The FDA will assess if the vaccine known and potential benefits outweigh the known and potential risks. Two separate advisory boards (Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee and Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices ) will also review the data and make recommendations. An EUA does NOT imply that the authorization was done too quickly or that the vaccine is not safe
It is safe to get the COVID-19 vaccine even if you have had COVID-19. Even if you have positive antibodies, the vaccine could give you longer or better protection against the disease.
mRNA technology is new in vaccine production but is already being used in cancer treatment. It has been studied for more than ten years. COVID-19 mRNA vaccines give instructions for our cells to make a harmless piece that looks like the “spike protein.” The spike protein is found on the surface of the COVID-19 virus. Our bodies recognize that this protein should not be there, so they build antibodies that will remember how to fight the virus that causes COVID-19 if we are infected in the future.
Both the Pfizer (BNT162b2) and Moderna (mRNA-1273) are mRNA vaccines. They Do NOT contain COVID-19 virus so they cannot give you COVID-19.
Pfizer (BNT162b2) | Moderna (mRNA-1273) | |
Number of people enrolled | Over 40,000 | Over 25,000 |
Race and ethnicity of participants | Total 30% racially diverse 10% black, 13% Hispanic | 37% racially diverse 10% black, 20% Hispanic/Latino |
Older adults | 45% were 56-85 years | 23% were >65 years |
Yes, we will need to continue following the same infection prevention protocols around traveling, quarantining, masking, social distancing and other safety measures until a large enough percentage of the community is vaccinated and transmission drops.
Central Maine Healthcare is following the recommendation from the CDC for distribution of the vaccine.
If you have any concerns regarding receiving the vaccine, you should consult with your primary care physician.
If you answer “yes” to any screening questions you need to contact Occupational Health.
If you answer “yes” to any screening questions you need to contact Occupational Health.
You should consult with your primary care physician if you have concerns about receiving the vaccine. It is important to get information from reliable sources (CDC, medical directors, providers). Social media is full of misinformation and opinions based on that misinformation. Here are some additional links to information:
- CDC: https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/hcp/covid-conversations/answering-questions.html
- CDC: About COVID-19 vaccines: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/about-vaccines.html
- CDC: Provider Resources for COVID-19 Vaccine Conversations with Patients and Answering Patients’ Questions: https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/hcp/covid-conversations/
- CDC FAQ: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/faq.html