BRAZOS COUNTY, Texas — After the Brazos County Health District held their press conference on Thursday afternoon, a lot of people still might have follow up questions about the vaccine distribution here in town and how should folks behave after they get it.
First, let’s get the key facts down.
Baylor Scott and White College Station’s getting 951 doses of Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine.
This is the first of two doses that will be available for free to hospital based healthcare workers who opt in and employees and residents of assisted living facilities.
This doesn’t include everyone who works in medicine though.
“[It will go to] hospital, healthcare workers who work with COVID patients or patients that are potentially effected with COVID," said Rachel Crowder, Pharm D, the Director of Pharmacy at Baylor Scott & White College Station.
She also noted the first round of vaccine doses could also go to key support departments such as pharmacy, lab, housekeeping, raspatory therapy etc.
Once those qualified get both required doses of the vaccine, it doesn’t mean they can go back to “normal” life right away.
“Your immunity builds through time as your body reacts to and learns from that vaccine how to fight the virus,” Crowder said.
She added the government will probably recommend that people wait until a significant portion of the population is vaccinated before easing up on mask wearing and other CDC guidelines.
Once people are vaccinated, can they still pass on the virus to other people even though they themselves will likely be fine?
Crowder said, “the vaccine does not give you COVID, it teaches your body how to recognize and fight it, and so it doesn’t turn you into a carrier.”
In today’s press conference Dr. Seth Sullivan said the health district has been approved to be a vaccine provider to uninsured members of the community.
More information on how many doses they will get and how the distribution logistics will look will come in later briefings.
“The more folks we get vaccinated, the less pressure there is of this vaccine in the community, and the better it protects everybody, Dr. Sullivan said.
Dr. Kia Parsi, the Chief Medical Officer for CHI St. Joseph Health added once more doses are available for the general public, “we have to vaccinate our communities. That will save lives.”
Baylor Scott & White expects to get the first doses of the vaccine within 10 days.
They say the second dose will come in the coming weeks after.