When the Pediatrician has Vaccine Hesitancy....My Journey to the COVID Vaccine

Hey Everyone! It's Dr. Terri! Just checking in for my #VDay. Yesterday I did a thing. I got my COVID19 Vaccine #PfizerBionTech.

I have struggled with the decision really since the emergency release was announced! Not WHETHER I would receive it or not but WHEN I would receive it. #VaccineHesitancy. I could not believe it. I a physician now for 26 years…had #vaccinehesitancy for real. Listen I believe in #science. But I had #QUESTIONS about the technology, the approval, and yes the development. It was sooo fast. Or so I thought. As a pediatrician I have given the #vaccinetalk to hundreds of parents and I am always just a little sad when they decline but I understand that my role is to empower them to make informed choices. Sometimes I share stories of all the disease our generation no longer sees and the occasional whooping cough babies I still see, or the recurrence of measles once long gone or point to my smallpox vaccination on my left arm…once of the last generation to receive one. For the first time I could imagine what they must feel like with me talking about give your baby this vaccine when so much other information is out there that evokes fear. I want to say I understand. #ItsOkay to ask questions…but get some #answers.. from a reliable source and make a truly #informeddecision.

In the days leading up to yesterday I worked at no less than 3 hospitals that offered me the chance for a vaccine as a frontline worker. …I was like NO! I don’t want to be first..because FEAR is real. Let someone else go!! But then something happened…my colleagues started showing up …and showing out and I was inspired and encouraged. I went to the #source and creator of the vaccine Dr. #KizzmekiaCorbett. I read the acutal study and the proceedings from the FDA Advisory meetings. I attended webinars with Dr. Anthony #Fauci and with Dr. James EK #Hildreth President of #MeharryMedicalCollege, a virologist and guess what a member of the #FDA Advisory committee… someone who looked like me and who understood our complicated history with medicine and research in the USA.

I was reminded that I give at least 2 talks a month about #racialhealthdisparitiesand talk about the #TuskegeeSyphilis experiment-which studied the untreated effects of syphilis in Black men for over 40 years and a total of 27 years after we knew penicillin was an effective treatment-without their consent or knowledge, #HenriettaLacks whose cervical cancer cells (HeLa)were harvested in 1951 and without her consent or knowledge and continue to be used today to revolutionize cancer treatments and J Marion Sims the Father of OB/Gyn who practiced his surgical techniques on enslaved black women without anesthesia or their consent between 1846-1849.

Y’all I end each talk saying we have good reason to not trust medical science as persons of color in the US. I end each talk by saying we persons of color did not receive treatment that was available—and the United States Government was well aware of this fact. That we did not have a seat at the table. That we were not given the opportunity to bridge gaps for our communities. How could I refuse my seat at the table? How could I ask to be last when I had a chance to be first when so many of my colleagues also not the front lines are working at places that do not yet have the vaccine? Gosh talking about talking the talk and walking the walk. #Ouch

But my friends...this is not 1846,1932 or 1951. It’s 2020! And we all should have a right to a seat at THIS table. Because of these horrific travesties that are a part of our history we now have rigorous checks and balances in place. We now have #DataSafetyMonitoringProtocols. One of the key developers of the vaccine is a brilliant African American Woman named Dr. Kizzmekia Corbett.. and we have Dr Hildreth a world renown Virologist and person of color is on the review committee. And of course, the one and only Dr. Anthony Fauci who has applauded and endorse what really is an amazing moment in medicine. #ScienceRocks

So guess what I actually did some additional reading and I LEARNED and RELEARNED a few things…. I’ve enclosed some resources… I hope you learn some too. Because it’s really true. Knowledge is Power.

1. The technology that allowed the vaccine to be developed was based upon YEARS of research already in process for SARS! Who knew??!! So when the full genome (genetic code for the virus) became available earlier this year it allowed scientists to work backwards to develop the mRNA vaccine to the #spikeproteins on the SARS-COV2 virus very quickly! Something that would have previously taken years! The spike proteins are the specific proteins outside of the COVID19 virus that cause all the problems clinically. They are the ones that attach to our cells and lead to infection. In our lifetime scientists were able to develop a vaccine in months which would have previously taken years! I also learned that scientists have been working on the HIV vaccine for years and have built an extensive network. This network was recruited to assist with the development of this vaccine.

2. Vaccines can be created several ways: exposure to a weaker form of the virus like measles and , mumps, exposure to a weaker toxoid from the virus like pertussis or tetanus, exposure to an inactive form of the virus like polio or the flu shot, exposure to sugar coat of virus like meningococcus, exposure to protein from virus like Hep B or HPV and vector viruses which carry genetic code like DNA or RNA like COVID19 virus. Messenger RNA carries the code for proteins in your body. The messenger RNA for this vaccine carries the code for the Spike proteins on the outside of the SARSCOV2 . When your body sees this, it makes spikes proteins that it later recognizes as abnormal and is able to make antibodies in response to these specific proteins. The booster shot accelerates this response so when the real COVID19 shows up with more spike proteins you have built up an immune response and hopefully will have results similar to those in the preliminary trial who did not manifest symptoms of the disease. This vaccine CANNOT change your DNA. In fact the mRNA is very fragile and dissipates after it’s work it’s done. This is another reason why it has to be stored at such cold temperatures.

3. The research for both Moderna and Pfizer has been very vigorous and ongoing for the past several months. A true randomized controlled trial which is our gold standard. Pfizer randomized 43,548 people at 152 sites with a wide range of ethnicity, gender and age. This is so important. The two-dose regimen spaced 21 days apart provided 95% protection against COVID 19 in persons 16 years of age or older for Pfizer and 94% for Modern ( at least 7 days following the 2nd dose of the vaccine). Essentially the two vaccines are very similar the only difference is the packaging that encloses the messenger RNA. This is why they have different temperatures for storage. Same two dosing regimen.

4. There is a lot we still don’t know !! We do not know about the long-term effects, the minimum follow-up for emergency authorization is only 2 months. But most adverse vaccine effects show up in the short term . We do not know about children. We do not know about pregnant women. We also don’t know all the reasons why a small number of patients have had severe allergic reactions. We don’t even know how long the immunity lasts.!! All of these questions are being evaluated in ongoing studies.. But we do know that to date in the US COVID19 has killed over 325,00 persons and infected over 18.5 million. As of last night, over 1 million front-line workers had been vaccinated. I am glad that I am in that 1 million and pray that very soon every American that desires to have the vaccine will be as well Everyone should have the opportunity for this choice especially those in marginalized and at-risk communities!! #HealthEquity .

So yesterday after....

• Another shift dressed as a moon man for deliveries.
• Another shift were colleagues found out they had been exposed to COVID19 and were positive.
• Another shift of telling parents they could only visit their baby once a day and one at a time.
• Another headline about a colleague dying of COVID19 who previously expressed concerns about her disparate treatment …................................................................

I put on my big girl panties and walked to the COVID19 Vaccine room. I kinda felt like Dead Man Walking but I did not want to lose my shot! This time I would not decline. I checked in and they called my name. I didn’t get up. “Terri? Terri Major-Kincade?” Finally, I stand up and walk to the nurse and sit down. She says “Oh you’re one of our doctors!” I say yes I am. She asks which arm right or left? I think neither because I’m still slightly afraid. She says you know it’s voluntary right? I’m like yes. Let’s do it. Then it was over before I even felt it! I was like that’s it? She said Yep did you want it to be longer? Then we both laughed. I really do hate shots and for real thought it would feel like my tetanus or flu shot.

Then I went to the vaccine monitoring room. I stepped in cautiously seriously thinking I would see people foaming at the mouth, doubled over, clutching their chests or changing into the Thriller Zombies. But everyone was sitting calmly, 6 feet apart with their 15 minute timers set so I did the same. But I kept thinking come on side effects let’s get it over with! I’m ready! Fever, Chills, Headaches, Muscle pain, Joint pain and for a small group of people severe allergic reactions. I was like Bring It!!. But nothing. Then my timer went off and I went home. Laughing at myself and the Miracle of Science.

#Grateful: I am grateful to my colleagues who have led the way. The scientists and study trial participants. I am grateful to have a place where questions can be asked and answered. I’m especially grateful for the Vac-Safe Hotline keeping track of all the side effects and outcomes..they are checking in with me twice a day. I’ll keep checking in with you guys especially if I develop adverse effects or acquire super powers!

My prayers are with those who have lost so much in so many ways and those living with the long term effects of this disease. Be safe you guys whatever you choose! Keep social distancing. Keep washing your hands. Keep wearing your mask. And please if you know you’re positive PLEASE STAY HOME.

I almost threw away my shot! For me, For you, For Those we lost and those to come…Thank God I didn’t!!

#Themoreyouknow #ThisIsOurShot #VaccinesSaveLives #ScienceMatters #GiftOfHope #Itsokaytoaskquestions #Knowledgegetyousome #CovidVaccinated #ByeCovid #FactsoverFear #ScienceWins #ThanksPfizer #BrandNewDay #FrontLineHealthcareWorkers #DrBoogotHershot!

#RESOURCES

#longtermeffectsofcovid

https://www.mayoclinic.org/.../coronavirus.../art-20490351

#VaccineDevelopment

https://www.statnews.com/.../a-huge-experiment-how-the.../

#Disparities

https://www.cdc.gov/.../hospitalization-death-by-race...

#TuskegeeStudy

https://www.cdc.gov/tuskegee/timeline.htm

#HenriettaLacks

https://nypost.com/.../henrietta-lacks-recognized-with.../

#General VaccineQuestions

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2772138

https://www.self.com/.../mrna-coronavirus-vaccine-questions

https://www.cdc.gov/coro.../2019-ncov/vaccines/8-things.html

https://www.statnews.com/.../a-side-by-side-comparison.../

#VaccineDevelopment

https://www.chop.edu/.../making.../how-are-vaccines-made

#VaccineIngedientsandSideEffects

https://www.fda.gov/media/144434/download

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