By Karuna Chandran, Leila Salam and Saanvi Thakur
As the pandemic has progressed, many developments regarding the vaccine have been made. With the first mention of the Pfizer vaccine announced on Nov. 9, 2020, the distribution of vaccines has increased, according to Forbes.
With these rapid developments, vaccines have become more available and are currently being distributed to educators. In a survey sent out by the FUHSD district office, around 80% of the 535 educators who responded said that they have had their first dose of the vaccine, while 4% have had both doses and 9% have their first appointment scheduled in the near future.
When science teacher Jessica Wakefield heard about vaccine sites opening up, she said she jumped on the opportunity to get the vaccine, which for her was Moderna, and is currently waiting for her second round of the vaccine for the full protection provided.
“I feel more comfortable in the fact that after [the second vaccine], I'll feel safer,” Wakefield said in a Zoom interview. “[But]I still don't know what the efficacy is for transmission back to my family, and that makes me nervous.”
Wakefield said she found the process at her site, the Mountain View Community Center, to be very smooth, a sentiment that is echoed by other staff members, such as data tech Heidi Parrish.
“It was just a relief and [I was] very excited,” Parrish said in a Zoom interview. “Now, I feel half superhuman [after receiving my first shot]. But [I] just feel relieved that maybe we're coming to the end of this thing and there is light at the end of the tunnel and we can all go back to what we know as being normal.”
However, before that can happen, many staff members such as science teacher Dara Alleyne-Levy believe there need to be significant steps taken to ensure the safety of those on campus. All three sources also stressed the importance of getting vaccinated, especially as it becomes available.
“I'm still going to be wearing my mask [and]I'm still going to be cautious,” Parrish said. “But [I am] feeling better [and]more secure and feeling like we're moving in the right direction.”
The recent developments with the vaccine have been proven to be safe, despite some public concerns. The vaccine has nine of the same ingredients of a regular flu shot, with two altered for the coronavirus, Van Zandt said. However, with these new developments, healthcare workers face a new issue: people who are against wearing masks.
There have been many demonstrations against masks and lockdowns in California. From Santa Cruz to Fresno, hundreds of protesters have taken the streets with sentiments about alleged government control through enforcing safety protocols in counties, according to the Mercury News. For medical professionals, this outlook is another frustration that has come with the pandemic, healthcare professional Brandy Van Zandt said.
“I think [people who are against masks] are very blessed because that means they haven't had anybody who ever lived and died [from the coronavirus],” Van Zandt said. “They haven't had anybody who died from [the coronavirus] but I see people struggling for life. It's easy if you live in a neighborhood where there are no burglaries, you don't have to lock your door at night and can think ‘it doesn't happen to me’ or ‘These things don't happen to me’ until they do.”
Moving forward, the development of the Johnson and Johnson one-dose vaccine and newly released analysis proving its efficiency creates a possibility of change in the near future, according to the New York Times. For medical professionals, this means there is more importance placed on staying updated on new treatments, testing and protocols so they can apply the latest knowledge in their work, Harris said.
While medical workers focus on new medical treatments for coronavirus patients, the urgency placed on vaccine distribution remains.
“Students and their families need to be vaccinated [before we can return to in-person learning],” Alleyne-Levy said in an email interview. “There are also variants that may not be protected against by this version of the vaccine. We need more time to allow for all students to be vaccinated and to ensure vaccines protect against the variants that are emerging.”
With these rapid developments, vaccines have become more available and are currently being distributed to educators. In a survey sent out by the FUHSD district office, around 80% of the 535 educators who responded said that they have had their first dose of the vaccine, while 4% have had both doses and 9% have their first appointment scheduled in the near future.
When science teacher Jessica Wakefield heard about vaccine sites opening up, she said she jumped on the opportunity to get the vaccine, which for her was Moderna, and is currently waiting for her second round of the vaccine for the full protection provided.
“I feel more comfortable in the fact that after [the second vaccine], I'll feel safer,” Wakefield said in a Zoom interview. “[But]I still don't know what the efficacy is for transmission back to my family, and that makes me nervous.”
Wakefield said she found the process at her site, the Mountain View Community Center, to be very smooth, a sentiment that is echoed by other staff members, such as data tech Heidi Parrish.
“It was just a relief and [I was] very excited,” Parrish said in a Zoom interview. “Now, I feel half superhuman [after receiving my first shot]. But [I] just feel relieved that maybe we're coming to the end of this thing and there is light at the end of the tunnel and we can all go back to what we know as being normal.”
However, before that can happen, many staff members such as science teacher Dara Alleyne-Levy believe there need to be significant steps taken to ensure the safety of those on campus. All three sources also stressed the importance of getting vaccinated, especially as it becomes available.
“I'm still going to be wearing my mask [and]I'm still going to be cautious,” Parrish said. “But [I am] feeling better [and]more secure and feeling like we're moving in the right direction.”
The recent developments with the vaccine have been proven to be safe, despite some public concerns. The vaccine has nine of the same ingredients of a regular flu shot, with two altered for the coronavirus, Van Zandt said. However, with these new developments, healthcare workers face a new issue: people who are against wearing masks.
There have been many demonstrations against masks and lockdowns in California. From Santa Cruz to Fresno, hundreds of protesters have taken the streets with sentiments about alleged government control through enforcing safety protocols in counties, according to the Mercury News. For medical professionals, this outlook is another frustration that has come with the pandemic, healthcare professional Brandy Van Zandt said.
“I think [people who are against masks] are very blessed because that means they haven't had anybody who ever lived and died [from the coronavirus],” Van Zandt said. “They haven't had anybody who died from [the coronavirus] but I see people struggling for life. It's easy if you live in a neighborhood where there are no burglaries, you don't have to lock your door at night and can think ‘it doesn't happen to me’ or ‘These things don't happen to me’ until they do.”
Moving forward, the development of the Johnson and Johnson one-dose vaccine and newly released analysis proving its efficiency creates a possibility of change in the near future, according to the New York Times. For medical professionals, this means there is more importance placed on staying updated on new treatments, testing and protocols so they can apply the latest knowledge in their work, Harris said.
While medical workers focus on new medical treatments for coronavirus patients, the urgency placed on vaccine distribution remains.
“Students and their families need to be vaccinated [before we can return to in-person learning],” Alleyne-Levy said in an email interview. “There are also variants that may not be protected against by this version of the vaccine. We need more time to allow for all students to be vaccinated and to ensure vaccines protect against the variants that are emerging.”
Photo courtesy of HHS staff
