The Pfizer COVID vaccine rollout is imminent in Louisiana and Governor Edwards is imploring residents to take it when available, and maintain COVID mitigation measures until you can.
A Pew poll shows 40 percent of Americans would refuse to take the vaccine if offered. Edwards says he hopes they change their mind but it won’t be mandatory in Louisiana, and he won’t be financially incentivizing people to take it.
The first wave of Pfizer vaccines will be administered to frontline COVID-facing healthcare workers, possibly as early as Sunday. A vaccine by Moderna is expected to be approved within the next few weeks as well, and that will be given to nursing home residents and staff.
European reports indicate the vaccine has some side effects, but Edwards says he’s reviewed the data and there are vaccines people already take with side effects worse than what you may experience with the Pfizer vaccine.
“A very small percentage of people will have some soreness at the injection site, well that’s really common,” said Edwards. “For a day or maybe 36 hours they will be a bit sluggish, and that is pretty common too.”
Those reports indicate the heaviest side effects for the Pfizer vaccine come after taking the booster shot 21 days after you are first vaccinated.
Edwards warns the vaccine won’t be available to the general public until sometime in spring and right now we’re facing a highly concerning spike in cases.
“There really is light at the end of the tunnel,” said Edwards who warned, “In the short term that light is a freight train, it’s called a COVID surge coming at us, but there is also a vaccine and the promise that it holds.”
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