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COVID -19 vaccines: Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna now authorized for emergency use in the US - which one would be best for me?
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ow that the two COVID -19 vaccines: Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna have been authorized for emergency use in the United States, and is currently being administered initially to all medical frontliners, our age group of 60 years and older will be the next in line, and we remain to ask: which of these two vaccines would be best for me? According to a newsletter published by the American Medical Association (AMA), some of its leading physician experts said that "it is less important which of these two vaccines a person gets, but it is imperative that EVERYONE gets VACCINATED." "These new vaccine platforms are not unknown; scientists have been working with these mRNA (messenger RNA) technology for nearly two decades," said Sandra Fryhofer, MD, an Atlanta general internist who serves as AMA's liaison to the Centers for Disease Control; and Prevention's (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) and a member of ACIP's COVID-19 Vaccine Work Group. Dr. Fryhofer also explained that "mRNA vaccines - also known as messenger RNA vaccines are now being approved for the first time; they have been a topic of study by researchers for decades. The difference between mRNA vaccines and more traditional ones comes down to what is contained in the vaccine. mRNA vaccines do not contain live virus, so, they cannot cause an infection and they cannot give someone COVID because mRNA vaccines do not affect or interact with our own DNA in any way, The messenger ENA never enters the nucleus of the cell and it doesn't hang around... the body breaks it down within hours." Apparently, the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is the first mRNA vaccine that received Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) by the FDA. On the other hand, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has also granted EUA to the SARs -CoV-2
Dr. Sandra Fryhofer, AMA’s liaison to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Filipino and Vietnamese Americans in hardest hit by COVID-19 By SUNITA SOHRABJI EMS Contributing Editor
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ilipino and Vietnamese Americans in California are some of the hardest hit populations amid the COVID-19 pandemic, said Steve Kang, director of external communications at the Koreatown Youth and Community Center, at a Jan. 21 briefing organized by the California Department of Public Health and the Sierra Health Foundation. Kang referred to data recently released by Santa Clara County Health Officer Sara Cody. Vietnamese Americans make up just 19 percent of the Asian American population in Santa Clara County, yet account for 28 percent of all coronavirus infections in the county. Similarly, Filipino Americans are 13 percent of the Santa Clara County Asian American population, yet they account for 21 percent of COVID cases in the county. Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders in the county also have disproportionately high rates of infection. Dr. Erica Pan, state epidemiologist with the California Department of Public Health, said the state is looking closely at why some subsections of the AAPI population are at higher risk for COVID infections.
A lot of the state’s health workers are Filipino Americans, she noted, while the garment industry in the state employs a lot of Vietnamese Americans who may be working in settings that do not allow for social distancing. A study published last December in the Journal of General Internal Medicine noted that 57 percent of Vietnamese-Americans live under the poverty level, which is a risk factor for overall mortality. The researchers — Daniel Wang, Gilbert Gee, Ehete Bahiru, Eric Yang, and Jeffrey Hsu, of the UCLA School of Medicine — noted that Vietnamese Americans, Koreans, Chinese Americans, and Pacific Islanders are more likely to be uninsured. Filipino Americans make up one-fifth of the health care work force in California, noted the researchers, who advocated for dis-aggregating data related to COVID in the Asian American community. At the briefing, Dr. Pan noted that California is continuing to experience a surge in infection an death rates from COVID, putting a severe strain on health care resources. Vaccines, said Dr. Pan, are “absolutely the light at the end of our tunnel the end of this pandemic.” CONTNUED ON PAGE 16
vaccine developed by Moderna. Further, Dr. Fryhofer said, "both Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna have done a good job in trying to mirror their study to represent the real world. Everything just happened a lot quicker than we're used to, which is good; so now, the next thing we've 'got to do do is elevate our job and take advantage of this gift that was given to us." As the country navigates COVID -19 distribution, Dr. Fryhofer , who is a member of the AMA Board of Trustees, took time to discuss how to respond to patients about the types of vaccinations offered to them. She stressed that "physicians should SHARE which COVID -19 vaccine they received and that when they discuss it, there should be a disclaimer that said "I would have gotten whichever one was offered, and that I was able to get a dose of whichever vaccine I got,
“TOm LaBONGe SUmmIT”... fROm PaGe 1 of life have shared warm wishes, memories, and tributes to Councilmember LaBonge, a reminder of how many people he touched, inspired, and moved over the course of his career. Any L.A. residents, friends, and admirers who wish to add their condolences and stories are encouraged to do so here. Given the spread of COVID-19, the LaBonge family will hold a private memorial in the days ahead; as soon as it is safe to do so, a larger, public gathering will be organized. Until that is possible,
because I didn't care which one it was; I just wanted to get a dose of a vaccine and I will also make sure that I get my second dose in the series eventually." Dr. Fryhofer also recommends that all physicians should tell their patients that they should take the one they can get and added the following message: "you have to decide if you wish to be vaccinated; Our recommendation to you is to go for it; take the one you can get, because the sooner you get that second dose, the better you are because you have to have BOTH doses in the series to get that 9495% protection." Finally, Dr, Fryhofer suggested that patients should have an open communication with their physicians, because some of them might experience side effects after they receive their first dose, "both vaccines will have some side effects on most people, such as: sore arms, feeling tired, or muscle aches, but those side effects are of course much better to deal with than having COVID -19. Also, she added that usually, the second dose has more side effects, but they usually last from one to four days." Luckily, this writer's son, who's a frontliner had both of his Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines done already. His recommendation was to take Acetaminophen before the vaccination. Another doctor friend said he was given Moderna and took over-the counter Zyrtec pills, before being vaccinated and he was fine; and a girlfriend also took Benadryl before she was vaccinated with Moderna. To date, this writer's physician predicts that the Batch of COVID -19 vaccines for her office will not be available for us until next month. Surely, whatever it will be, I will definitely be in line for it. Hopefully, we will ALL receive the vaccines eventually, to enable us to LIVE longer, HEALTHY lives until this pandemic is eradicated. Wishing you all to BE SAFE and STAY HEALTHY!
anyone wishing to make a contribution in LaBonge’s honor is asked to support The Tom LaBonge Memorial Fund for Griffith Park. As many knew, LaBonge walked through Griffith Park daily, exploring every view, pathway, and vista, and he gave his soul to this city. To keep his memory alive, the family has urged residents and community members to do what Tom always urged them to do — in his words, “let’s continue to enjoy and love Los Angeles!”
