Today is the Winter Solstice, the official start of Winter and the shortest day of sunlight in the year. It’s cold, dark and the mood is more gloomy than normal for obvious reasons. The flip side is that the days will start getting longer tomorrow, and although we will be celebrating things differently this year, the Holidays are upon us. We also have hope for treating and possibly eradicating SARS-Cov-2, the virus which causes Covid-19 in the form of 2 vaccines, now approved for use in the US and a few more likely on the way in 2021.
I am grateful and fortunate enough to have received my Covid-19 vaccine shot today at The Chester County Hospital, one of the hospitals where I work.
My shot went fine. I didn’t pass out (I am a wimp and can’t stand the sight of my own blood, admittedly odd for a surgeon). It was a little more painful than the flu shot I got back in October. I will post about my experience over the next few days. Two of my partners, and many other medical and front-line colleagues have received their shots already and have had no issues.
I know there are many misgivings about the vaccine out there and quite honestly, a lot of misinformation and outright lies being spewed by conspiracy theorists and the anti-vaccination community. I also suspect that a lot of this misinformation is from agents outside our country. I’ve posted about these inaccuracies before. The latest concern has to do with an apparent “blank” vaccination given to a nurse on camera. SEE, it’s a government conspiracy! They just want to track us!!! As someone who knows what it is like to perform in front of an audience (I’ve repaired my share of facial lacerations on kids under the watchful eyes of anxious parents), I can attest to increased nerves and “performance anxiety”. The poor nurse giving the shot probably was flustered by all the cameras and scrutiny. Do accidents happen? Sure. Every day. Every office. Every hospital. That doesn’t mean someone is out to get you. There is a reason surgeons do a “time-out” before being handed the scalpel. Make sure you are doing the right procedure, on the right patient and the correct side. This was a simple mishap, caught on camera and quickly remedied.
I urge everyone to get vaccinated as soon as it is available to you. It really is the only way we will get past this with any hope of eradication. There are very few instances in which the vaccine MAY need to be avoided, but they are uncommon. Known allergy to a component anda previous anaphylactic reaction to a vaccine are a few, but that is about it. In my research for specific patients, including ones with immunocompromising conditions or autoimmune conditions, their doctors all reported that they should still get the vaccine.
Vaccination is not just something to protect you as an individual. It is a societal issue. It is a means of protecting everybody. It’s an indication that you care about others.
I will post about my post-vaccine status over the Holidays but will otherwise be taking a “blog hiatus”. I’m sure some crazy issue or question will come up which I will feel compelled to respond to but I will do my best to keep the TV off the news, turn off my cell phone notifications and enjoy my family. You should all do the same.
If you must go out, or must be in close contact with people outside your household, please continue to do the basics. Once more for the holidays:
MASK UP! Wear a good one. Wear it correctly covering your nose.
DISTANCE.
WASH YOUR HANDS.
DON’T TOUCH YOUR FACE.
PROTECT YOUR EYES WHEN APPROPRIATE.
VENTILATE.
VACCINATE.
GET HEALTHY.
Happy Holidays.
Stay safe and be well.
AC
