Category: Covid-19 Vaccine

Vaccinating kids, however, is often not just about the direct and immediate benefits to them. Its also meant to protect children against diseases that would otherwise become more dangerous for them as adultsmeasles, mumps, and chicken pox are three common examplesand dampen the overall spread of these diseases. In the short term, the primary reason to vaccinate children against COVID-19 may be that the U.S. will have a hard time reaching herd immunity otherwise.

Vaccines that work in adults generally work in children. But their effects can differ, especially in very young children. In newborns, for example, antibodies passed to them in utero can interfere with the protection conferred by the measles vaccine, which is why that vaccine is not given until babies are 12 to 15 months old. An early version of the pneumococcal vaccine did not work well in children under 2, because it stimulated a part of the immune system that was not yet mature.

Multiple factors determine the recommended age for a vaccination. For example, whens the peak incidence of disease? When is a child most likely to respond to the vaccine? says Cody Meissner, an expert on pediatric infectious diseases at Tufts. The answers to those questions might not align. For instance, the vaccine for HPV, a sexually transmitted virus that can lead to cervical cancer, is given to boys and girls as young as 9 years old because it stimulates a better immune response in preteens than in older adolescents, even though preteens are unlikely to need the protection until later in life.

Even though kids rarely get seriously sick from COVID-19, the vaccine can protect them from an illness that may still be bad enough for them to miss school and their parents to miss work, Jeff Gerber, a pediatrician at Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia, told me. Even those two-to-three-day illnesses can pile up. He pointed out that the flu vaccine is recommended for kids, and about the same number of children died of the flu last season as have died of COVID-19 to date.

But the main argument for broadly vaccinating children is that doing so is likely to reduce COVID-19 transmission. Although schools have not been sources of large outbreaks, many switched to distance learning, and most of those that held in-person classes required masks and distancing. If school buildings reopen without these precautions sometime this year, after adults get vaccinated but while kids are still vulnerable, they will essentially be hosting mass gatherings of unvaccinated people, says Jason Newland, a pediatrician at Washington University. Guess whos going to end up having it? All the kids, he told me. And those kids with certain underlying conditions are disproportionately impacted. Whats more, kids could bring COVID-19 home from school, even if they dont have symptoms. Children could pass it on to Grandma and Grandpa. They can pass it on to another loved one who has diabetes or has obesity or has chronic kidney disease and is not yet vaccinated, Newland said.

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Why Kids Might Be Key to Reaching Herd Immunity - The Atlantic

In addition to vaccine hubs, there are also smaller community vaccine providers throughout Texas, such as pharmacies, that may also have the vaccine available. (Eva Vigh/Community Impact Newspaper)

To answer these questions, Douglas Loveday, press officer for the Texas Department of State Health Services, spoke with Community Impact Newspaper about the vaccination process. While Loveday said vaccine supply is limited in Texas as of Jan. 19, the state is still receiving more vaccine doses on a weekly basis, meaning those who want to get inoculated should continue to stay in contact with their local vaccine provider.

"Also, other vaccines may soon be approved for use in the next several weeks, promising even more vaccine doses available for Texas weekly," Loveday said. "But until all who want a vaccination receives one, continue to wear a mask, avoid crowds and keep a safe distance from others, and get vaccinated when able."

The following information comes from Community Impact Newspaper's interview with Loveday and the Texas Department of State Health Services.

Who can get vaccinated when?

In an effort to provide the most protection to vulnerable populations and critical state resources, the Texas Department of State Health Services has developed vaccine allocation guidelines, which outline who will get vaccinated when. Currently, Texans in Phase 1A and 1B are eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. Once these individuals are inoculated, the vaccine will become more readily available to the general public, which will likely occur in spring 2021, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services.

Phase 1A and 1B individuals are as follows:

Phase 1A

Vaccination hubs were set up throughout Texas in January to assist with rolling out the COVID-19 vaccine. According to Loveday, the hubs aim to simplify the vaccination process and are designed to serve all people who are eligible to receive a vaccine, regardless of what county they live in.

As of press time, there are no vaccination hubs located in the counties of Brazoria, Comal, Guadalupe or Waller counties, which Community Impact Newspaper also covers. For a complete list of vaccination hubs and COVID-19 vaccine providers, click here.

AUSTIN

Hays County

Collin County

Fort Bend County

How can I get vaccinated?

To receive a vaccine, Loveday said Texans have a few options. While each vaccination hub and community vaccine provider operates differently, Loveday said individuals wanting to be vaccinated should first check the provider's instructions for scheduling a vaccination, either online or by phone. Depending on the provider, patients may be placed on a waiting list or contacted by the provider via phone, email or text when vaccines become available.

Loveday urged Texans to not show up at a vaccination provider without an appointment, as waiting lists are already filling up and vaccine supply is limited.

"Remember, vaccine is still in limited supply, so there may be long waiting lists," Loveday said. "Please, don't just show up there. Check out the provider's website to learn how to sign up for a vaccine. Call if the provider's site doesn't answer your question."

In addition to vaccination hubs and community vaccine providers, Loveday said Texans should also stay in touch with their personal health care providers for updates on when they will be vaccinating patients. Older adults can also reach out to their Area Agency on Aging for assistance. To find a local Area Agency on Aging, click here.

Additionally, Loveday said the Texas Department of State Health Services has also established a COVID-19 Nurse Call Center, which Texans can contact by calling 877-570-9779 Monday-Friday from 8 a.m.-5 p.m., calling Texas 2-1-1 and selecting Option 6, or emailing coronavirus@dshs.texas.gov.

For more information about the COVID-19 vaccine, click here.

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EXPLAINED: When, where and how Texans can receive the COVID-19 vaccine - Community Impact Newspaper

Syracuse, N.Y. A year into the coronavirus pandemic, Americans are eager to get back to normal life. A pair of Covid-19 vaccines approved last month hold promise that we might be able to do that soon.

But it will be months before everyone who wants a vaccine will be able to get one, and before America achieves herd immunity, when enough of us have had the vaccine or the disease that the virus has a hard time finding new people to infect.

So what happens in the meantime? If you get the two-shot sequence for the vaccines, can you resume that longed-for normal life? We talked with two of Central New Yorks leading infectious disease experts Dr. Helen Jacoby at St. Josephs Health and Dr. Stephen Thomas at Upstate Medical University about what the vaccine will let you do, and what it wont.

Once I get the vaccine, can I take off my mask and stop social distancing?

No.

Until further notice, people need to continue the public health interventions that we try to encourage: practice masking, do not gather and, if youre sick, stay home, said Thomas, who was the lead investigator for the Pfizer vaccine, the first to be released. Its not going to be, I have proof of vaccination on my phone or Ive got my yellow card, and I can now go around without a mask.

Thats because its still unknown if vaccinated people can transmit the virus without knowing it, Jacoby said. The principal reason for a vaccine is to keep people from getting sick, and from overwhelming hospitals. Preventing infection outright is a much higher bar, and is much harder to test for.

We know that the vaccines currently licensed are very effective at preventing symptomatic disease, but what we dont know for sure is how good they are at preventing asymptomatic infections or your ability to catch the virus, feel fine and give it to somebody else, Jacoby said. We dont think its safe for people who have been vaccinated to go out and act like Covid never happened.

Thomas is hopeful that the vaccines will prevent people from passing along the illness, but that remains to be studied.

I will say that the way these vaccines are supposed to work, it is highly feasible that an effective vaccine could impact a persons ability to transmit to another person, he said.

How long will we have to keep up the mask-wearing and distancing? It could be months or even well into 2022. That depends on how quickly people get vaccinated and how well vaccines work.

Can I see my grandchild after I get the vaccine?

Thats a personal judgment call, Jacoby said. The two vaccines that have won emergency approval are about 95% effective in keeping people from getting sick: not a guarantee, but a big step forward.

Visiting that grandchild can become significantly safer, Jacoby said. You would be much less likely to get sick if you caught Covid from that grandchild. For those personal things, it does make a persons life safer.

Can I visit grandpa in the nursing home?

That will ultimately depend upon state regulations, individual nursing home policies and the comfort level of families, Jacoby said.

Even when visitors are allowed, she said, families should remember that the vaccine will not be as effective for nursing home residents as it will be for younger, healthier people. The Covid-19 vaccine, like those for flu and other illnesses, works by triggering the bodys immune system to produce antibodies. Older people have weaker immune systems that simply arent as prolific at producing antibodies.

The trick, especially in nursing homes, is that the vaccine may not work quite as well in the very elderly, Jacoby said. We know they work, but it might not the 95% efficacy weve heard about.

Do I still have to quarantine if I go out of state or get exposed?

Yes, because, again, health officials dont know yet if you can pass along the virus without knowing it.

None of the rules have been changed for people who have been vaccinated, Jacoby said. At St. Josephs we have vaccinated a large percentage of our staff, but they are expected to follow the same precautions as if they hadnt been vaccinated. They have to wear masks and face shields, they have to socially distance at lunch; if they travel, they have to follow the same rules, and if theyre exposed, they have to quarantine.

If Ive had Covid-19, do I still need the vaccine?

Yes. Thomas said that while having had Covid-19 gives some resistance to the disease, its not clear yet how strong that resistance is or how long it will last. People who were sicker with Covid-19 had stronger immune responses and might have greater immunity than those who had a mild case of the disease, he said. In addition, there have been reports of people getting infected twice.

The vaccine also appears to protect people better than if theyve had the disease, Jacoby said.

We think the vaccine gives better immunity than a naturally occurring infection, she said. People who have had Covid should get immunized.

Jacoby said you should wait until you completely recover from the illness, then get the vaccine within 90 days.

Will the vaccine last a lifetime, or will I need one every year?

Covid-19 is only a year old, so its too soon to know how long the vaccine lasts. It probably wont be like the measles vaccine, which confers lifetime immunity after a sequence of two shots in childhood. The Covid-19 vaccine is also not likely to be needed annually, because the coronavirus doesnt mutate as rapidly as the flu virus, Jacoby said. The Covid-19 vaccine could fall somewhere in between, like tetanus, she said, which requires a booster shot every 10 years.

I dont anticipate a yearly shot, but are we going to need a booster every two or three years? she said. Thats something we dont know at this point.

Pfizer is conducting a two-year study of how well the vaccine works, she said, so well know more at the end of that review.

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Contact Glenn Coin: Email | Twitter | 315-470-3251

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Covid vaccine: Can you stop wearing masks? Visit the grandkids? Avoid quarantine? Questions answered - syracuse.com

CLEVELAND, Ohio The U.S. rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine has been rocky, hindered by a lack of supply and shipping delays.

What happens if those delays cause a delay for someone who is waiting for a second dose of the vaccine?

Our readers have questions about the coronavirus vaccine, and cleveland.com is getting answers from health care experts.

Q: If coronavirus vaccine shipments are delayed and you need to wait longer for a second dose, will it be less effective?

Both coronavirus vaccines approved by the U.S. require two doses spaced out over several weeks. The Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine doses should be given at least 21 days apart, and the Moderna vaccine doses should be given at least 28 days apart.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends getting the second dose as close to those schedule as possible. After you wait the required 21 or 28 days, there is no maximum interval between the two doses.

There is a minimum to wait, said Dr. David Margolius, MetroHealths division director of internal medicine. But youre OK delaying the booster.

In fact, Margolius said MetroHealth is delaying the second dose by design. The Pfizer vaccine in particular is more likely to cause side effects like pain, tiredness and fever after the second dose, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. MetroHealth is scheduling the second dose on Fridays to avoid side effects during the work week, Margolius said.

However, health care experts recommend getting the second dose as close to the 21- or 28-day schedule as possible. The vaccines were approved based on data from clinical trials, and those clinical trials did not consider the effects of a significant delay, said Dr. Shanu Agarwal, an infectious disease physician at Summa Akron City Hospital.

If its something thats out of your control and they dont have it available, just get it as soon as they do, Agarwal said.

Some countries have opted to delay the second dose of the vaccine in order to give the first dose to a greater number of people. Last month, the U.K. announced that it planned to give doses of the Pfizer vaccine 12 weeks apart, four times longer than Pfizer has recommended.

The FDA said earlier this month that it has been following those types of discussions but does not recommend altering the vaccine schedule. There is no data to support changing the vaccine schedule, the FDA said in a news release.

Without appropriate data supporting such changes in vaccine administration, we run a significant risk of placing public health at risk, undermining the historic vaccination efforts to protect the population from COVID-19, the FDA said in the news release.

Do you have questions about the COVID-19 vaccine that youd like an expert to answer? Send it in a brief email to cleveland.com reporter Evan MacDonald at emacdonald@cleveland.com.

Your coronavirus vaccine questions answered:

If the coronavirus vaccine is 95% effective, how will you know if youre in the other 5%?

Why do I need to keep a mask on if Ive been vaccinated for coronavirus?

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Will your COVID-19 vaccine be less effective if you need to wait longer for a second dose? - cleveland.com

Updated throughout at 8 p.m. with new developments.

Dallas County commissioners, under duress from the state, on Wednesday reversed a decision to focus COVID-19 vaccinations efforts on residents from 11 vulnerable ZIP codes.

The five-member body backtracked hours after Texas health officials threatened to reduce the supply of vaccines to the states second-largest county if it moved forward with the plan. The warning, in an email to the countys health director, Dr. Philip Huang, said the decision to focus only on residents of those ZIP codes violated the terms of being a state-approved vaccine hub.

While we ask hub providers to ensure the vaccine reaches the hardest-hit areas and populations, solely vaccinating people who live in those areas is not in line with the agreement to be a hub provider, wrote Imelda Garcia, an associate commissioner of the Texas Department of State Health Services. If Dallas County is unable to meet these expectations, we will be forced to reduce the weekly vaccine allocation and no longer consider it a hub provider.

As part of rescinding the ordinance, the commissioners visibly incensed with one another and the state during an emergency meeting Wednesday agreed to revisit by weeks end how they would prioritize people for shots at the Fair Park site.

I dont like having my arm twisted, said Commissioner John Wiley Price, a Democrat who represents southern Dallas. He abstained from the vote that undid Tuesdays order.

Wednesdays events were yet another twist in Dallas Countys effort to vaccinate the most at-risk residents as the global health crisis rages on. While more than 12,000 people were inoculated during the megasites first week, limited county data showed that a large proportion of shots went to people in mostly white and affluent neighborhoods. Officials had hoped a large-scale vaccine site below Interstate 30 would yield a more diverse group.

We need to focus on the core African American and Latino communities that had been hit the hardest by the pandemic, but not to the exclusion of every Dallas County resident that doesnt live in those ZIP codes, Commissioner Elba Garcia, a Democrat who represents western Dallas, said in a statement after the meeting. We want to be sure that all vulnerable communities have an opportunity to get vaccinated.

The states letter was prompted by County Judge Clay Jenkins, who alerted the state to the commissioners policy change. Jenkins had openly questioned the legality of the commissioners decision during their meeting Tuesday.

Commissioner J.J. Koch had sponsored the proposal to focus on the 11 ZIP codes to hold Jenkins accountable for the bungled vaccination rollout. As county judge, Jenkins is responsible for emergency management.

Dallas Countys health department is currently receiving 6,000 to 9,000 doses a week from the state. Officials have been hoping to see a sharp increase, as the demand far exceeds the supply.

More than 300,000 people have registered with Dallas County to get the shots. The county is also coordinating with other hubs in North Texas, including UT Southwestern Medical Center and Parkland Health & Hospital System. Texas launched the vaccine hub model earlier this month. Before the hub model, the state was sending smaller quantities of vaccines to hundreds of providers.

While the state said it moved to the hub model to make it easier for residents to get the vaccine, North Texans say theyre just as confused as they sign up with multiple providers.

Dallas County and other providers are allowed even encouraged to prioritize residents who are especially vulnerable, a spokesman for the state health department said in a follow-up email to The Dallas Morning News. However, the spokesman said, no provider can exclude entire swaths of the population who are eligible for the vaccine under state guidelines. Those include any health care worker working with COVID-19 patients, residents over 65 and those with serious medical conditions.

During Wednesdays emergency meeting, commissioners grappled with understanding why the state had come out against their decision.

Koch, a Republican who represents northern Dallas County, said his policy did not exclude anyone. He said Jenkins had mischaracterized the policy change in his correspondence with the state.

Its particularly disgusting, Koch said in an interview before Wednesdays emergency meeting.

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Dallas County backtracks on COVID-19 vaccine priorities after Texas threatens to reduce supply - The Dallas Morning News

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Phoenix area school districts holding COVID-19 vaccination events for teachers, employees - AZFamily

Allen ISD has collaborated with the city and fire department to create a drive-through vaccine location at the Eagle Stadium parking lot.

The stadium is centrally located within the city and can accommodate a large appointment-only clinic, according to a release from the district.

Allen residents qualified in priority groups 1A and 1B can sign up for Allen Fire Departments COVID-19 vaccine appointment alerts online. The fire department is expected to receive a shipment of 2,000 vaccines this week to serve those who have already signed up.

Since COVID-19 first appeared, the leaders in the City of Allen and Allen ISD have worked together to help reduce the impact of the pandemic throughout the community and school district as much as possible, Fire Chief Jonathan Boyd said in the release. This partnership is a continuation of our efforts to keep our citizens safe. We are thankful to have a strong partnership with AISD that allows us to work with Collin County to increase vaccine availability and get vaccinations administered as quickly as possible.

Qualified individuals in phase 1A includes:

Qualified individuals in phase 1B includes:

Collin County Healthcare Services also offers a waiting list for future vaccine appointments.

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Eagle Stadium to be used for drive-through COVID-19 vaccine location - The Dallas Morning News

Introduction

Across states, health and long-term care workers and residents have been the first groups offered COVID-19 vaccines, consistent with federal recommendations. Previous KFF analysis estimated that, nationwide, 19.7 million adults work in health and long-term care settings, of which roughly 15.5 million are estimated to have direct patient contact and be included in the initial priority group for vaccination. Media reports suggest that the initial vaccination efforts have been slower than expected and that some health care workers who have been offered the vaccine have chosen not to get vaccinated, particularly among staff in long-term care facilities. More information is needed to understand why some health care workers are declining the vaccine, although there are anecdotal reports of concerns about safety and/or side effects. KFF survey data show that roughly three in ten health care workers (29%) express hesitancy about getting the COVID-19 vaccine and that, among all adults, levels of vaccine hesitancy and reasons for hesitancy vary across demographic groups.

This analysis provides an overview of demographic characteristics and health insurance coverage of health care workers with direct patient contact, including those working in hospital and long-term care settings, who may be most at risk of patient contact with someone with coronavirus due to the concentration of cases in these facilities. Increased understanding of who these health care workers are can help inform vaccination efforts and prevent disparities in vaccination among this group.

Table 1 presents data on race/ethnicity, citizenship status, sex, age, education, poverty status and health insurance coverage for the 15.5 million health and long-term care workers who are estimated to have direct patient contact. It also includes separate data for those working in hospitals and long-term care facilities, who account for 37% and 25% of health care workers with direct patient contact, respectively.

Overall, the data show that, although most of these health care workers are White (59%) and citizens (95%), 41% are people of color and 5% are noncitizens. The majority are women (77%), and nearly one in four (23%) are age 55 or older. Most have completed at least some college (80%), and, reflecting that they are all employed, few are low-income (17%) and nearly all have health insurance coverage (93%). Hospital workers largely mirror these overall patterns, although they have higher levels of education, income, and health coverage. Workers in long-term care settings include higher shares of people of color (52%), non-citizens (8%), women (84%), and workers age 55 or above (27%) and have lower levels of educational attainment, lower incomes, and higher uninsured rates compared to the overall population of health care workers with direct patient contact. More detailed findings include:

Race/ethnicity. Roughly six in ten health care workers with direct patient contact are White (59%), while the remaining 41% are people of color, including 17% who are Black, 14% who are Hispanic, and 8% who are Asian (Figure 1). Among those working in long-term care settings, over half (52%) are people of color, including over one in four (28%) who are Black.

Citizenship Status. The large majority of health care workers with direct patient contact are citizens (95%), while 5% are noncitizens (Figure 1). However, the share who are noncitizens is higher, at 8%, among those working in long-term care settings.

Sex. Over three-quarters (77%) of health care workers with direct patient contact are women, and this share rises to 84% among those working in long-term care settings.

Age. Nearly a quarter (23%) of health care workers with direct patient contact are age 55 or older, while four in ten (41%) are age 35-54 and over one-third (35%) are below age 35. Those working in long-term care settings include a slightly higher share of workers age 55 or above (27%), while those working in hospital settings have a slightly lower share of workers age 55 and older (21%).

Education. Eight in ten of health care workers with direct patient contact have completed at least some college, including 45% who have a bachelors degree of higher (Figure 1). Education levels are higher among hospital workers, with nearly nine in ten (88%) completing at least some college, including over half (54%) who have a bachelors degree or higher. In contrast, among those working in long-term care, six in ten have completed some college, with only 20% having a bachelors degree or higher and 10% having less than a high school education.

Poverty Status. Overall, 17% of health care workers with direct patient contact are low-income (household income less than 200% of the federal poverty level (FPL)), with only 5% with household income below the poverty level (Figure 1). Over half (54%) have income at 400% FPL or higher. Those working in hospitals generally have higher incomes, with nearly two-thirds (64%) having household income at 400% FPL or higher. Household income is lower among those working in long-term care, where one-third (33%) are low-income, including 11% who have household income below poverty.

Health Insurance Coverage. Less than one in ten (7%) health care workers with direct patient contact are uninsured (Figure 1). Nearly eight in ten (79%) have private health insurance coverage, 10% are covered by Medicaid, and 4% have Medicare coverage. Coverage rates are higher among those working in hospitals, with only 3% uninsured and 90% having private coverage. In contrast, coverage rates among those working in long-term care are lower, with 14% uninsured. Moreover, they have higher rates of Medicaid coverage (21%) and lower rates of private insurance (60%).

Increased understanding of who health care workers with direct patient contact are can help inform vaccination efforts and prevent disparities in vaccination among this group. In sum, these findings show that the roughly 15.5 million health care workers with direct patient contact are a racially diverse workforce. They are predominantly female, with most between ages 35-54. Most have completed at least some college and, reflecting their employment, few are low-income, and the large majority have health insurance. However, those working in long-term care settings are more likely to be Black and have lower levels of education, income, and insurance coverage, which may have implications for access to the COVID-19 vaccine and willingness to get vaccinated.

KFF survey data show, as of December 2020, roughly one in three adult health care workers (29%) said they probably or definitely would not get vaccinated, similar to the share among adults overall (27%). Data also show that levels of vaccine hesitancy vary across demographic groups. For example, adults age 30-49 and Black adults have relatively high levels of hesitancy, while adults ages 65 and older report greater willingness to get the vaccine. Hesitancy varies among health care workers in similar ways. For example, an earlier KFF/The Undefeated survey found that, among adults who are health care workers or who live in a household with a healthcare worker, Black adults were much less likely to say they would definitely get vaccinated compared to White adults (24% vs. 46%). Moreover, different groups have different reasons for vaccine hesitancy. For example, among adults overall who say they probably or definitely wont get vaccinated, Black adults are more likely than White adults to cite concerns about side effects and the newness of the vaccine, and about half of Black adults in this group cite worries they may get COVID-19 from the vaccine or that they dont trust vaccines in general as major reasons.

People living in immigrant families and people who are uninsured may also have specific concerns which could make them less likely to seek vaccination. For example, people living in immigrant families may have concerns about potential negative effects on their or a family members immigration status. People who are uninsured are less likely to have an established relationship with a health care provider and generally have greater concerns about potential costs of health care.

Addressing concerns and potential access barriers to vaccination among health care workers will be particularly important since, as one of the first groups offered the vaccination and a top trusted messenger for information on the COVID-19 vaccine, their experiences and take-up may help inform the general publics attitudes and willingness to get the vaccine. Together these data suggest that providing information to respond to concerns about potential side effects and safety of the vaccine is key, particularly among Black health care workers. Clearly communicating that personal information collected for vaccination cannot be used for immigration-related purposes may help reduce fears among noncitizen workers. Moreover, ensuring people know that they will not face any costs associated with the vaccine may reduce concerns among people who are uninsured. Beyond providing education and information, making the vaccine easily accessible is key. While many health care workers are able to access the vaccine directly through their employment site, ensuring it is available in ways that accommodate workers varied schedules, caregiving responsibilities, and transportation options can help reduce potential access barriers among those who need to obtain it through pharmacies or community sites.

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Key Characteristics of Health Care Workers and Implications for COVID-19 Vaccination - Kaiser Family Foundation

(AP Photo/Jessica Hill, File)

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) Hillsborough County health officials announced Thursday that residents who have already received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine will be receiving more information in the coming days about getting their second dose.

According to the Hillsborough County Emergency Operations Center, people vaccinated January 6 through 9 or January 13 through 15 will be contacted to confirm their second appointment.

People who received their first injection at any of Hillsborough Countys public vaccination sites (ie. Ed Radice Sports Complex, Strawberry Festival grounds, University Mall, or Vance Vogel Sports Complex) during those time frames will be able to return to those sites for their second dose.

People returning for second doses must bring a valid photo ID with their name and date of birth and the COVID-19 Vaccine Record Card that was issued to them during their first injection.

Appointments are mandatory to receive a receive. No walk-ups will be accepted.

For more information regarding second doses, go to HCFLGov.net/Vaccine and click on the I Have an Appointment, Now What? button.

If you are 65 years of age or older and/or are a frontline health care worker and have yet to receive an initial dose of the vaccine, you can call 866-200-3896 or TTY: 833-476-1029 to request an appointment. Health officials will call you back when appointments are available.

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COVID-19 vaccine: When will Hillsborough County offer 2nd dose? - WFLA

As many Americans scramble to arrange appointments for their first doses of theCOVID-19 vaccine, some health care workers are declining to be inoculated.

A significant percentage of doctors, nurses, EMS workers, support staff and other health care employees said they turned down the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines over concerns they may not be safe or effective, according to a recentsurvey by Surgo Ventures, a non-profit group focused on solving health and social problems. Others in the health field worried the development of the vaccine had been rushed.

"We have a lot more work to do to get health care workers to take the vaccine. Simply making it available is not enough we have to take a more precise, targeted approach to reach different segments of population to overcome hesitancy," Hannah Kemp, director of programs for Surgo Ventures, told CBS MoneyWatch.

That hesitancy can be surprisingly stubborn to overcome. Surgo polled more than 2,500 U.S. health care workers to assess their comfort in getting vaccinated. At the time of the survey, administered from December 17 to 30, 53% of respondents had been offered the vaccine. Of those workers, 15%, or almost 200 people polled, said they had refused to take the vaccine, with many claiming there is insufficient evidence the treatments are effective, despite assurances otherwise by federal and state health agencies and major pharmaceutical companies. Another 24% cited personal safety concerns, while 16% said they thought the approval process was too rushed.

With the death toll fromCOVID-19 approaching 400,000, the findings underline a key challenge as the incoming Biden administration and states around the country try to accelerate what has been a bumpy initial rollout of the vaccines.

"If health care workers are hesitant and we need to take specific efforts to overcome that, we are going to have a huge challenge in convincing the general population to take the vaccine in the U.S.," Kemp said.

Jessica Outten, a nurse practitioner specializing in pediatric neurosurgery at Children's Hospital Colorado in Denver, is one health care worker who is opting against getting vaccinated for now, saying that people who are more vulnerable to COVID-19 should have priority.

"It's our choice, and at this time I am going to let other people who are immunocompromised, elderly and who really want it go first," Outten, 38, told CBS MoneyWatch.

But Outten also admits being in no hurry to get her shots because of concerns about the safety of the vaccine, expressing confidence that her diligent use of personal protective equipment will keep her safe. The Food and Drug Administration authorized both the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines for emergency use in under a year. Developing vaccines typically takes a decade.

"So much is unknown about the vaccine's long-term effects and with the virus, and I'm pretty conservative. I make sure all my ducks are in a row before I do anything I'm not very adventurous," she said, noting that some of her co-workers have had modestly more severe reactions to their initial dose.

Black health care workers refused the vaccines at a significantly higher rate than average, Surgo's survey found: 35% turned down the opportunity to get their first dose. That compared with 12% to 14% for other racial groups. Women and Republicans were also less likely to accept the vaccine, according to the survey.

Researchers weren't surprised to find higher resistance among Black employees in health care, pointing to a historic distrust of the medical community by many African Americans. Such attitudes, while not universal, are rooted in past abuses includingexperimental operationson enslaved Black women in the 1840s as well as the infamousTuskegee Institute experimentsin the 1930s that examined the progression of syphilis in Black men.

"In the African American community, the Tuskegee experiment still resonates to this day," said Dr. Emmanuel Peprah, an assistant professor of global health at New York University.

Workers in health care support roles who deal with patients, such as phlebotomists who draw blood for tests, were also more hesitant to take the vaccine.

"Among some health care workers there is low understanding overall of how vaccines work, so it would be beneficial to couple conversations explaining the COVID-19 vaccine with overall conversations about how vaccines work in general," Kemp said.

Some facilities, including Houston Methodist, a leading hospital in Texas,is offering its 26,000 workers a $500 bonus if they take the vaccine, to persuade those who may be reluctant to sign up.

Other organizations aren't giving individuals a choice. Trinitas School of Nursing in New Jersey is ordering students in its program to get the COVID-19 vaccine or else withdraw, according to CBS New York.

Another worrisome finding: Aides and other workers at long-term care facilities including nursing homes where more than 100,000 residents and staff are believed to have died of COVID-19 said they were less likely to get the vaccine than hospital workers, according to the survey.

Forty-one percent of workers in these types of facilities believed only "some" or "a few" of their colleagues would get the vaccine, compared to 25% of hospital workers, Surgo found. Such numbers jibe with other reports indicating reluctance among long-term care workers. Roughly 60% of workers in Ohio nursing homes chose not to get vaccinated, according to state data released in December.

Kemp suggested that leaders in nursing homes, assisted living centers and other eldercare facilities could set an example by getting vaccinated and sharing their experiences.

That was the approach embraced by Rev. Dr. Derrick DeWitt, director and chief financial officer of the Maryland Baptist Aged Home in Baltimore, Maryland. Some of his staffers and residents didn't know much about the COVID-19 vaccine, so he got the shots to reassure them it was safe, he told CBS MoneyWatch.

"It was really challenging getting people to take the vaccine, but I took it first to try to encourage people to do it, and I assured them I had no residual effects from taking the vaccine," he said. "More people came around after that."

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Many health care workers are refusing to get a COVID-19 vaccine - CBS News