Page 61 - BusinessWest December 21, 2020
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cine,” he said, placing heavy emphasis on that word. “But the truth is, it isn’t available for the general population now, and it may be several months before it is.”
Artenstein, an infectious-disease expert who founded and directed the Center for Biodefense and Emerg-
ing Pathogens at Brown University
for more than a decade before arriv- ing at Baystate, has been one of the public faces locally of the fight against COVID-19, and he was careful to temper optimism about a vaccine with a reality check on the timeline
— and what people need to do in the meantime.
“A vaccine may eventually be the answer, but it’s only going to be part of the solution for the next six to 12 months, assuming we continue to get vaccines that are safe and effective. It’s going to take a while — even if all goes well — before we get enough immu- nity in the population to really put an end to this thing.
“In the meantime,” he went on, “we would benefit greatly by continu- ing to push the classic ways to inter- rupt transmission: masks, distancing, avoiding gatherings. All those things will continue to help us because, even after we start vaccinating parts of the population, it will take the better part of the year to roll it out to everyone, and we need to continue to interrupt transmission.”
Jessica Collins, executive director of the Public Health Institute of Western Massachusetts, agreed, even though
it can be a challenge getting through to people suffering from ‘pandemic fatigue,’ who feel isolated and weary of all the changes in their lives over the past year.
“I’m sorry people are tired,” she said. “But the basic messaging isn’t hard — wear a mask, wash your hands, and don’t be inside spaces with a mask off with people you don’t know. I do think the holidays have created
a tremendous sense of urgency to remind people again, especially with students leaving schools and coming back to their homes.”
Hopefully, health leaders say, vac- cines will put a definitive end to the crisis. But that day is still far off, Col- lins added. “People need to wait it out.”
Making a List, Checking It Twice
In announcing the Common- wealth’s vaccine-distribution plans, Gov. Charlie Baker noted that Mas- sachusetts goes further than national recommendations by prioritizing all workers in the healthcare environ- ment, not only providers, but also food-service, maintenance, and other facility workers. Similarly, home health workers, including personal-care attendants, are prioritized on the list, recognizing their important role pro- viding services to vulnerable individu- als and the fact that they often reside
in communities highly affected by COVID-19.
Phase one of vaccine distribution — which, as noted, includes health- care-facility workers; police, fire, and ambulance workers; congregate-care settings, including not only senior-liv- ing facilities, but shelters and jails; and home-based healthcare workers — is expected to last into February. Phase two, expected to run from February to April, will prioritize individuals with co-morbidities that put them at higher risk for COVID-19 complications; all adults over age 65; as well as workers in the fields of early education, K-12 education, transit, grocery, utility, food
and agriculture, sanitation, public works, and public health.
Phase three, expected to follow in April or May, will see the vaccine more widely available to the general public.
Baker’s announcement noted that vaccines go through extensive test- ing, more than any pharmaceuticals, including extensive testing in clinical trials. The U.S. Food and Drug Admin- istration, which approves the vaccine, and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Commit- tee on Immunization Practices, which will make its recommendation for use, must ensure any vaccine is both safe and effective for the public before
approval and distribution.
All this is necessary for emergency-
use authorization of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, Artenstein said, but the testing process is far from over, and long-term effects won’t be known until, well, the long term.
The emergency-use ruling “is not licensure, but allows the immedi-
ate use of the vaccine pending more information that leads to licensure down the road — because we’re in a pandemic,” he noted, adding that he’s optimistic about further testing, as tri- als so far have shown about 95% effec-
Vaccines
Continued on page 62
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BusinessWest
BUSINESS OF AGING
DECEMBER 21, 2020 61
 GIVE A HUG
Do you notice weight changes, increased frailty?
OBSERVE HER SOCIAL LIFE
Especially given the current state of our world, are there still signs of active friendships?
OPEN THE MEDICINE CABINET
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INSPECT THE KITCHEN
Look for expired food, broken appliances.
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