Today I received the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine, dose 1. I have seen over 800 Covid-19 patient encounters since the start of the pandemic, so today was an exciting but nerve-wracking day for me. I have done extensive research on the vaccines to determine their safety and efficacy. I was invited by my hospital system to be one of the first front-line healthcare workers to have this vaccine administered. It was a quick shot to the arm, similar to a flu shot, with a 15-minute observation time period afterwards. Fortunately I have had no side effects yet. The side effect that I am most concerned about is Bell’s Palsy, which causes temporary paralysis of the face, and can start happening at any time after the vaccine. Considering the risks and benefits of this vaccine, I determined that it was in my, my family’s, and my patients’ best interests for me to go ahead and receive it.
Over the next few weeks, I will post any adverse reactions or side effects that I might have (hopefully none).
Now the question you might have is, should you get it? My recommendation would be yes. There are certain criteria that could exclude you from getting the vaccine, but if you are not excluded then considering it would be a good idea. The long term efficacy of these vaccines is yet to be determined, but the research behind them is very promising. Moderna has been working with mRNA-type vaccines for over a decade now, so the likelihood that this vaccine is effective is fairly high. People are under the impression that this vaccine was developed in under a year, but the actual technology underlying the vaccine has been in development for many years
Best wishes for a happy and healthy holiday season and New Year’s.
-Dr A
