2022 North Central Florida Healthcare Guide™

it is contracted. The Johnson & Johnson Janssen COVID-19 vaccine is a singledose vaccination and protection from the vaccine will begin 28 days after the dose is administered. According to the CDC, the single-dose Johnson & Johnson Janssen COVID-19 vaccine is 66.3 percent effective in clinical trials with preventing laboratoryconfirmed COVID-19 illness in people who had no evidence of prior infection two weeks after receiving the vaccine. In April 2021, the CDC stated that the Johnson & Johnson Janssen COVID-19 vaccine had more than 6.8 million doses administered in the United States. Also in April, the Johnson & Johnson Janssen COVID-19 vaccine was recalled after six reported cases of a rare and severe type of blood clot occurred after individuals received this vaccine. The reports of this condition have been only women under the age of 50. “In these cases, a type of blood clot called cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST) was seen in combination with low levels of blood platelets (thrombocytopenia),” said the CDC. “These particular events seem to be extremely rare. COVID-19 vaccine safety is a top priority for the federal government, and we take all reports of health problems following the COVID-19 vaccination very seriously. People who have received the Johnson & Johnson Janssen COVID-19 vaccine who develop a severe headache, abdominal pain, leg pain, or shortness of breath within three weeks after vaccination should contact their healthcare provider,” stated the CDC.

When an individual is deciding whether or not to get the vaccine it is important to consider benefits. The vaccine can help limit the risk of developing serious or deadly symptoms. Social distancing and frequent handwashing have proven to both be effective methods of slowing and preventing the spread of COVID-19, but receiving the vaccine can also lessen the chance of spreading COVID-19 to anyone in contact with other individuals such as family and friends.

Throughout the world, researchers have been monitoring different variants of the COVID-19 virus as several mutations have been found. In March 2021, the first reported strain of the Delta variant, known as B.1.617.2 was reported. As of August 2021, a surge of COVID-19 cases has been reported in Florida, with the Delta variant as the culprit behind many of the cases. “The Delta variant is as contagious as chickenpox and carries a longer transmission window than the original COVID-19 strain and is more transmissible than the common cold, the 1918 Spanish flu, smallpox and Ebola,” states a document from the CDC. Healthcare professionals are recommending some of the same safety measures that were originally suggested at the start of the pandemic such as wearing a mask, frequent handwashing, use of hand sanitizer and disinfectant wipes. North Florida Regional Medical Center reported that at the beginning of August 2021, 30 percent of patients in the hospital were being treated for COVID-19, but by mid-August 2021, this number had jumped to 41 percent. “As COVID-19 continues to increase in our community, we strongly encourage everyone to become vaccinated against the virus. Becoming vaccinated is one of the safest and most effective tools we have to mitigate the spread of COVID-19,” Dr. Sean Benoit, Chief Medical Officer for North Florida Regional Medical Center, stated in a news release. “From what we know so far, people who are fully vaccinated against the coronavirus appear to have protection against Delta, but anyone who is unvaccinated and not practicing preventive strategies is at risk for infection by the new variant,” stated a Yale Medicine article. Inci Yildirim, MD, PhD, Yale Medicine pediatric infectious disease specialist and vaccinologist wasn’t entirely surprised by the new variant. “All viruses evolve over time and undergo changes as they spread and replicate,” said Dr. Yildirim. “Viruses constantly change through mutation, and new variants of a virus are expected to occur. Sometimes new variants emerge and disappear. Other times, new variants persist. Multiple variants of the virus that causes COVID-19 have been documented in the United States and globally during the pandemic,” said the CDC. “Viruses constantly change and become more diverse. Scientists monitor these changes, including changes to the spikes on the surface of the virus. By carefully studying viruses, scientists can learn how changes to the virus might affect how it spreads and how sick people will get from it.”

With COVID-19 numbers spiking, many people who were hesitant to get the vaccine have now taken the initiative to get it. “Like everything in life, this is an ongoing risk assessment,” said Dr. Yildirim. “If it is sunny and you’ll be outdoors, you put on sunscreen. If you are in a crowded gathering, potentially with unvaccinated people, you put your mask on and keep social distancing. If you are unvaccinated and eligible for the vaccine, the best thing you can do is to get vaccinated.”

Those who haven’t received the COVID-19 vaccine are still worried about the efficiency and safety of the vaccine, but educating the community about the benefits of the vaccination is key to spreading awareness. “The scientific community in general needs to get better at getting the message out more clearly,” said Maigan Brusko, UF assistant scientist regarding the COVID-19 vaccine.