Rick Patrick
rick@greenepublishing.com
The long-anticipated COVID vaccine is now available in Madison County. The Moderna vaccine made its way to Madison County on Monday, Dec. 28, and is now available to those citizens ages 65 and older. Vaccinations began with front-line health care workers before being offered to those in Madison who are 65 years of age and older. "This vaccine is our light at the end of the tunnel for this global pandemic," said Kimberly Allbritton, Florida Department of Health Madison Administrator. "How successful we are in vaccinating our residents will determine how many unnecessary deaths can be prevented. I am asking that you join me in helping to spread the word and encourage your fellow residents to take the vaccine. We can do this together." Four hundred doses of the vaccine were received in Madison on Monday, Dec. 28. Vaccinations began on Wednesday, Dec. 30. It has been said that 75 percent of the population needs to acquire immunity to the virus in order to significantly reduce transmission. Although those who have contracted the virus are believed to have a certain level of immunity, according to health officials, receiving the vaccine is a far safer choice.
The procedure to sign-up for a vaccination for those 65 and older is as follows:
• Note that this is a two-shot vaccination. The second shot needs to be given at 28 days. Nurses will work with patients to establish a reminder system for the second shot.
• Interested residents, ages 65 and older, need to return a signed consent form to the health department.
• Residents can get printed forms from the health department, the library in Madison, Greenville, and Lee or the Senior Center. Residents can call the health department at (850) 973-5000 if they would like a consent form mailed to them.
• Residents can return the signed form by scanning the form and emailing it to MadisonCHD@flhealth.gov, by mailing it to the health department or by hand-delivering it to the health department. The health department is located at 218 SW Third Ave., Madison, Fla.
• Nursing staff will contact residents in the order received to schedule vaccination appointments or to direct residents to a vaccine event.
Before receiving the vaccine, one should inform the vaccination provider of any allergies or if they have a fever. The provider should also be informed if you are taking blood thinners or have any kind of bleeding disorder; are immunocompromised or are on a medicine that affects your immune system; are pregnant, plan to become pregnant or are breastfeeding or have received another COVID-19 vaccine.
After receiving the vaccine, one may experience an injection site reaction, such as pain, tenderness and swelling of the lymph nodes in the same arm as the injection. One may also experience swelling and redness in the arm. General side effects include fatigue, headache, muscle pain, joint pain, chills, nausea, vomiting and fever. These side effects have generally been mild and temporary. There is a remote chance that the vaccine can cause a severe reaction. A severe reaction would usually occur within a few minutes to an hour after receiving the injection. For this reason, the vaccine provider may request that you remain where you received your vaccine for a few minutes. Signs of a severe reaction could include: difficulty breathing, swelling of your face and throat, a fast heartbeat, a severe rash all over your body, dizziness and weakness. These may not be all the possible side effects of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine.
Madison County Commissioner Alston Kelley was one of the first of Madison County's citizens to receive the vaccine. "I truly appreciate the opportunity to lead by example to protect myself, my fellow commissioners, and the community," said Commissioner Kelley. "I look forward to being COVID free and encourage all eligible residents to get the vaccine in effort to protect yourselves and your loved ones."
After receiving the first dose of the vaccine, a second dose is required a month later. More information can be obtained by calling Moderna Customer Care at (866) MODERNA (663-3762).