‘A call to arms’: KU doctor gets COVID-19 vaccine on air so you know what to expect
To give people a better idea of what to expect, a doctor with The University of Kansas Health System on Tuesday received a coronavirus vaccine live during a media briefing.
Dr. Dana Hawkinson, medical director of infection prevention and control at the health system, received his first injection of the Moderna vaccine. He will get the second dose in four weeks.
“I feel great,” he said after.
Before the vaccination, Hawkinson filled out demographic information and was given a COVID-19 vaccination information card from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. He was then asked if he felt sick or had ever had an adverse reaction to a vaccine; he answered no to both.
Other doctors within the health system have already been vaccinated, including those who work in the intensive care unit.
Health system chief medical officer Steve Stites, who will be vaccinated at a later date, said Hawkinson receiving the vaccine on the air was part of “a call to arms” to get people vaccinated.
For weeks, health leaders have been preparing to win over residents who might be hesitant to get vaccinated.
Adam Meier, director of ambulatory care nursing services at the health system, administered the vaccine to Hawkinson.
Vaccinations have been going smoothly, Meier said. Some people have reported mild symptoms, but they are usually resolved within the expected 48 hours, he told viewers of the briefing.
The Food and Drug Administration has said huge studies of the available vaccines have uncovered no major safety risks.
Getting either the Pfizer-BioNTech shot or the Moderna version can cause some temporary discomfort, just like many vaccines do.
The first COVID-19 vaccines require two shots; Pfizer’s second dose comes three weeks after the first and Moderna’s comes after four.
In addition to a sore arm, people can experience a fever and some flu-like symptoms — fatigue, aches, chills, headache. They last about a day, sometimes bad enough that recipients miss work, and are more common after the second dose and in younger people.
These reactions are a sign that the immune system is revving up. COVID-19 vaccines tend to cause more of those reactions than a flu shot, about what people experience with shingles vaccinations.
The CDC advises people to stick around for 15 minutes after vaccination, and those with a history of other allergies for 30 minutes, so they can be treated immediately if they have a reaction.
Health professionals on KU’s briefing advised people receiving the vaccine to continue social distancing and masking wearing.
Mary Ann Copeland, a respiratory therapist who works with COVID-19 patients, was the first staff member at the health system to receive the vaccine two weeks ago. Colleagues clapped and cheered as she walked down a hallway shortly after.
“It’s very exciting,” she said of her vaccination, calling it a game changer. “I’m getting it for all of my family and friends. Just everybody I come in contact with, so just, the public.”
As of Tuesday morning, the virus has killed 1,306 residents and infected 107,613 to date throughout the metro area, which encompasses Kansas City and Jackson, Clay and Platte counties in Missouri, and Johnson and Wyandotte counties in Kansas.
In the last seven days, the region has recorded more than 5,000 additional infections, bringing the weekly rolling average to 724 new infections a day, according to data kept by The Star.
A week ago, that average was 852. Two weeks ago, it was 996. The highest average yet came Nov. 22 at 1,199.
Ahead of New Year’s Eve, local doctors called on residents to continue wearing masks, washing their hands and avoiding large groups. There is “no reason” to push the envelope and go to restaurants or other indoor spaces, said Dr. Barbara Pahud, research director of pediatric infectious diseases at Children’s Mercy.
“A vaccine is coming,” Pahud said. “Please be patient and soon we’ll try to get back to normal as soon as we can.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
This story was originally published December 29, 2020 at 2:13 PM.
