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Pine Island Task Force talks vaccine safety

By PAULETTE LeBLANC - | Dec 28, 2020

pleblanc@breezenewspapers.com

The Pine Island Task Force recently discussed Eric McCrea’s television interview, which covered his role on the Task Force as well as needed testing on the island. Member Martha Huard pointed out that Gov. Ron DeSantis has suggested potentially dispersing only one of the two COVID-19 vaccine doses recommended by the Department of Health.

“He said that today,” Task Force member Jim McLaughlin said of DeSantis. “He apparently wants to stretch them out and give at least one vaccine to more people because he only ordered enough for 90,000 people.”

“He wants to give them only one (dose) each and there’s no evidence that that is in any way effective,” Huard said.

Member Katey Largay RN MPH feels that since DeSantis is not a medical professional, he should not be making decisions as to the distribution of necessary vaccine dosage.

“It’s not the MD that really gives the authority,” said epidemiologist Dr. James Koopman. “It’s the scientific experience with immunity and vaccines, which is very considerable.”

Largay went on to say she believes it’s criminally negligent on the part of DeSantis to use his considerable position of authority to make the recommendation.

Koopman agreed that any approved vaccine needs to be administered in the dosage intended.

“I think he got fewer vaccines than he thought the state of Florida was going to get,” Task Force member Sue Dahod said.

“We were supposed to get a million and we got 189,000,” McLaughlin said.

“This is an illustration of how we need a national strategy and not a state level driven strategy,” Koopman said. “At a national level you can decide what’s going to be distributed where. It would be possible, for example, to say okay you’ve got your 190,000–we know what’s coming and what’s going to be used first, now, knowing you’re going to be getting the right amount later. But that can only be determined at a national level, it can’t be determined at a state level.”

Koopman said perhaps the Chinese vaccine will prove well, which would be good as it is easily manufactured.

Huard pointed out that it is not an mRNA vaccine as there has been some fear in general regarding mRNA vaccines.

“That might be less scary to some people,” said Huard, who mentioned she has received emails regarding the mRNA vaccines infiltrating DNA and creating changes on a molecular level. “People are believing it. They hear RNA and think it will infiltrate DNA because it’s messenger RNA.”

Koopman maintained the only aspect to fear is the severe allergic reactions, which are not related to the RNA.

“The mode of action is that the mRNA does go into the cells, and the cellular machinery of your own body makes proteins that are spike proteins,” Dahod said.

The CDC explains it this way, in an article on their website (cdc.gov) regarding COVID-19 vaccines. COVID-19 mRNA vaccines give instructions for our cells to make a harmless piece of what is called the “spike protein.” The spike protein is found on the surface of the virus that causes COVID-19. COVID-19 mRNA vaccines are given in the upper arm muscle. Once the instructions (mRNA) are inside the muscle cells, the cells use them to make the protein piece. After the protein piece is made, the cell breaks down the instructions and gets rid of them. Next, the cell displays the protein piece on its surface. Our immune systems recognize that the protein doesn’t belong there and begin building an immune response and making antibodies, like what happens in natural infection against COVID-19. At the end of the process, our bodies have learned how to protect against future infection. The benefit of mRNA vaccines, like all vaccines, is those vaccinated gain this protection without ever having to risk the serious consequences of getting sick with COVID-19.

Koopman pointed out the complexity of biology, saying there could be much in the unknown, but he believes this to be a good first step.

“For the kind of work that I’m doing, it’s going to pay if we can target specific epitopes and specific problems as time goes on, because the virus is going to change as time goes on,” Koopman said.

Largay emphasized that islanders posted many recent holiday events on social media and she is very disturbed by the seeming lack of concern locals have regarding transmission of COVID-19.

“I don’t begrudge people having a good time, but wear a damn mask,” Largay said.

Koopman agreed that people seem to be letting their guard down, believing the pandemic is close to coming to an end with vaccines coming quickly and reminds everyone that they need to calculate the number of deaths with masks as opposed to the number of deaths without them. Koopman said to those not wanting to get vaccinated because they’ve already had COVID-19, that you shouldn’t let it stop you any more than having had the flu should stop you from getting a flu shot.

“The main reason we re-vaccinate for the flu is that the flu is changing all the time,” Koopman said. “I suspect COVID is going to be changing all the time too, although we don’t know that yet. The other reason is you do need boosters. It wanes and you need a booster.”

McCrea said he feels the Task Force should focus on vaccine safety education.

While Koopman agreed that vaccine safety education is important, he emphasized that this is an emergency use authorization, adding that it’s important to balance the risks versus the benefits.