Should Healthcare Workers Receive The New Covid-19 Vaccine First?

We are starting to hear statements that the FDA is not far from approving the newest vaccine in America. This vaccine is one that has been anxiously awaited and much needed in 2020. It is the Coronavirus vaccine, being produced by the Pfzier drug company. Many articles and stories were released yesterday stating that we may see the vaccine available as soon as December or January of this upcoming year. Excitement is building since it will be released soon. While healthcare workers, including myself, are thrilled that we may have a possible miracle vaccine on the horizon, we also have some hesitation.

It was also noted yesterday that one of the first groups of people to be offered the vaccine would be healthcare workers. Those that are on the front lines and in contact with patients during their daily jobs would get the vaccine before others. Especially those taking care of at risk populations. Now don’t get me wrong… I am honored that people are stating that we should be serviced first. But I also have a bit of hesitation and a lot of questions. How safe is this vaccine? What are the side effects? How effective do they think it will be? Do I need one yearly? Have they really trialed this long enough? Do I still have to wear a mask? Can someone else go first? There also is the question of storage. The vaccine has to be stored at extremely cold temperatures and transported that way as well.

Here is the scariest question of all. Could they possibly say that we have no choice and must receive the vaccine if we are healthcare workers? I mean, with the flu vaccine we at least have a choice. If you refuse, then you know the consequences. Several months of wearing a mask. What will our consequences be? I feel like a lot of this fear is in how rushed this trial has been. Has there really been enough time to make sure that this doesn’t harm us? I posted an article on my page yesterday from NPR.org that stated that the first of the covid-19 vaccines would go to healthcare workers. I then followed up this article with a question, “Do you guys want to receive it first?” The response across the board was predominately no! I think inherently as healthcare professionals we are all scientists. We know that there must be some side effects associated with receiving this vaccine. We are also aware that this vaccine is on the brink of being released in a record amount of time. Usually these procedures and studies take years to accomplish and get approval from the FDA. But time is ticking, and people are dying. And so the pressure continues to mount.

These next few months will be very interesting. I feel like I need so much more information before I can make an informed decision. I hope that the CDC can help guide us all in a safe direction. I guess time will tell and we will see. If someone was to ask me right this very moment if I wanted to be one of the first to get the vaccine, my answer would be a big fat NO! I am not quite ready and don’t feel safe being a guinea pig, end of story.