What are your questions and concerns about the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine in Pennsylvania and the Lehigh Valley?
© Rick Kintzel / The Morning Call/The Morning Call/TNS
Mildred Bell, a Lehigh Valley Health Network nurse, gives a patient the COVID-19 vaccine during the first mass inoculation clinic at Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom in South Whitehall Township. After receiving their dose, patients waited in the parking lot for about 15 minutes so they could be monitored for any adverse reaction.
In an ongoing conversation, Morning Call reporters have tried to answer your questions. Here are some of the latest:
Q. Im taking antibiotics. Should I still get the vaccine?
A. Physicians are instructed not to withhold a vaccination if a person is taking antibiotics, according to the CDCs prevaccination checklist. However, those with moderate or severe acute illness should wait until their condition has improved before getting a vaccine.
And according to Antibiotic Research UK, a company that studies antibiotic resistance, antibiotics should have no impact on the coronavirus or the vaccine.
Q. Im pregnant. Can I still get the vaccine?
A. Yes. Experts think the vaccine is unlikely to pose a specific risk for those who are pregnant, according to the CDC. And even though the vaccine hasnt been widely studied in pregnant women, researchers have not identified any specific safety concerns.
Q. I already had COVID-19 and recovered. Do I need to get the vaccine?
A. Yes. Health officials say you should be vaccinated regardless of whether you already had COVID-19.
Q. When will the vaccine be available for children?
A. There are three vaccines available, but there are minimum age requirements on each. For the Pfizer vaccine, you must be at least 16. For the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines, its 18.
However, earlier this week, Moderna announced it has begun testing children younger than 12, including babies as young as 6 months. They are also running a separate study for children 12 to 17.
Q. Ive heard that animals have started getting the vaccine. Is this true?
A. Four orangutans and five bonobos at the San Diego Zoo last month received two doses each of an experimental vaccine for animals developed by a veterinary pharmaceutical company, according to National Geographic. The vaccinations came after eight gorillas at the zoos Safari Park in January became the first great apes in the world to test positive for the disease.
If you have a question, go to themorningcall.com/yourcall.
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