Submitted by Phyllis Jones, SON Sr. Staff Writer
In a few short weeks, it will be one year since life as we knew it took a major shift. For some of us, it will be a year since we have dined in a restaurant, participated in family gatherings, traveled, entered into a school building, theater or even attended an in person worship service.
This disruption of life was due to a virus called Covid-19.
As of February 22, 2021, the population of the United States has been reduced by more than 500,000 people. Who could have imagined thousands of people dying daily from the same disease? Sadly, no one. Even though millions have survived, this loss is still too great.
A year after Covid-19 has come onto the scene, a vaccine has now made its debut. While some are elated and waiting to receive the long awaited vaccine, others are just waiting to see the results of those who received the vaccine.
Tracy Doughty, Senior Vice-President of Huntsville Hospital Health Systems, shared that there is a protocol in place, in regard to individuals who will receive the vaccine first. “According to the State guidelines, vaccinations given are age and occupation based. Those who are 65 and up, regardless of where you work, and those who are considered high risk or essential such as teachers, police officers, fire fighters, grocery store employees, EMS, doctors, nurses and clergy are eligible to receive the vaccination at this time.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows data sampling for 21,123,262 cases, of which only 10,986,570 cases provide race/ethnicity. Of that number, 55.9% of the cases are whites and 12.2% are blacks, but blacks are dying much faster. Race and ethnicity are risk markers for underlying conditions that affect health, including socioeconomic status, access to health care and exposure to the virus related to occupation. Compared to whites, blacks are 1.1 times more likely to contract the virus, 2.9 times more likely to require hospitalization and 1.9 times more likely to die from it.
It’s no secret that a lot of African Americans are skeptical about receiving the vaccine. Doughty has conducted Zoom calls, with various African American organizations, answering questions and confirming facts versus fiction when it comes to the vaccine. He understands why this group is skeptical. “The Tuskegee Experiment, not trusting the government and normal health care disparities are real and are on the forefront of the minds of people of color. Even though the Tuskegee Experiment ended in 1972, most people still remember what happened and thus, there are various degrees of mistrust of the government,” Doughty expressed.
The CDC website shows the most recent vaccination data. As of February 22, 2021, data from 44,138,118 people who have received one or more doses, race/ ethnicity was only available for 24,007,713 people. Of that number, 64.1% were White, 8.7% were Hispanic/ Latino, 6.4% were Black, 5% were Asian, 0.3% Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander and 13.8% reported multiple/other. The demographic data reported have varying degrees of missing data and are not generalizable to the entire population of individuals with Covid-19 vaccination. Missing data may be influenced by inconsistent collection of race and ethnicity information at the time of vaccination, differences in state data electronic data programs, as well as some jurisdictional policies or laws that do not allow demographic data to be reported.
Madison County currently has 65 patients diagnosed with Covid-19. The peak was 270 late last year. Doughty confirmed that approximately 35,000 people in our area have had the vaccination, including himself, his wife, who is a teacher and his sister, who is a nurse. There are currently 25,000 or so on the waiting list. Doughty stated, “It’s not that we don’t want to provide the vaccination to everyone, we run out just as soon as we receive it.” He goes on to add, “The State works with the Federal Government and the vaccines are distributed to the State based upon population. Currently, there are not enough vaccines for wide distribution. Huntsville Hospital is waiting for more to arrive. Even physicians are in line to get their vaccination.”
Doughty believes the vaccine has been vetted and the rollout is pretty decent, even though more are needed across the country. Based upon information he has received, the vaccine has been proven to be safe. Multiple studies have shown that the vaccine is 92%-95% effective against Covid-19 in controlled studies.
Pfzier vaccine is being used by Huntsville Hospital. It’s a two part series. The second shot is received 21 days after the first shot. As more studies come out, the effectiveness will be known if it last three months, six months or a year. It has been reported that some of the vaccine reactions have been mild. They range from soreness in the arm to slight headaches. Most surveyed say the reactions are no different than those experienced when a person receives the flu shot.
Doughty doesn’t think that vaccination will be mandatory as a country, but some industries may make it mandatory for employment. He is certain that at some point, masks and social distancing restrictions will be a thing of the past and most people will be vaccinated. However, when the data is reviewed, he doesn’t want people of color to be the ones with low vaccine counts, which may still cause health issues down the road. He also understands that at the end of the day, each person will have to decide if the vaccination is right for them. Doughty is encouraging everyone, especially blacks, to get the vaccine. He pleads, “Do some soul searching. Pray about it. Talk to your physician and do our own research. Look for reputable places to find your research and know that sometimes it is not social media.”
If anyone would like to sign up to receive the vaccination, please visit Huntsville Hospital’s website: www.huntsvillehospital. org
