News spreads about COVID-19 vaccinations beginning in California. Los Angeles’ healthcare workers are among the first to get doses. Five healthcare workers at the Kaiser Permanente hospital in Hollywood were among the first Californians to get the COVID-19 vaccination on Monday the 14th. Gov. Gavin Newsom, state Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and L.A. County Supervisor Hilda Solis were on hand as the county’s first workers to get their shots, the beginning of what will be a long campaign to vaccinate California, starting with front-line healthcare workers. The vaccine offers a new promise as California faces the darkest moment of the COVID crisis, with cases reaching unprecedented levels and hospitals filling up. The vaccine won’t change these grim circumstances, but it does offer hope. Newsom said California has already received 33,150 doses of the vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech. The state’s initial vaccine allocation — about 327,000 doses in all — will go mostly to acute-care hospitals to be administered to healthcare workers, although some counties have said they also will send a portion to skilled nursing facilities. California is planning on receiving roughly 2.1 million doses by the end of the year, says Governor. Newsom. However, the vaccine isn’t expected to be available to everyone who wants it until at least the spring. Though development of the COVID-19 vaccine was rapid, and played out amid the politically charged backdrop of a presidential election — officials emphasized Monday that residents should feel comfortable that the shots have been tested for both their efficacy and their safety. A working group of scientists and experts representing California, Nevada, Oregon and Washington have already reviewed the vaccine and endorsed its safety.
As you can see there is a lot to think about when getting the vaccine. Personally I would rather not take it immediately when it comes out because I want to know, from other peoples’ experiences, exactly what the later side effects will be and what to expect.
- Ariana Sarraf ‘23
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