Information on the Covid-19 vaccine and registering

Bonnie Whiffler, marketing and communications for Life the Glynnwood and Life Glynnview shares information about the Covid-19 vaccine, including side effects, where to register and what phase is being implemented, that was vetted and checked by Dr Sahid, Glynwood Infectious Diseases specialist.

What are the side effects of the vaccine?

The most common symptoms include pain at the injection site, fatigue, headache, dizziness and muscle pain.

Joint pain, fever, nausea and chills are known to be side effect among older adults.

It is expected that the vaccine that is being rolled out to the community will require a two-shot vaccine.

The side effects from the second shot are known to be a little more intense than the first.

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How long do the side effects last?

The side effects typically last one to three days.

Should the side effects last longer, patients are encouraged to see their doctor.

If people are prone to dizzy spells or have difficulty with balance, they are encouraged to go to the appointment with someone who can hold their arm.

Make sure you are well hydrated before your vaccine as this can also help reduce light-headedness.

Patients are observed for at least 15 minutes after the vaccine has been administered.

Who gets the vaccines first? And why?

The government has put a risk prioritisation process in place, meaning that people at the highest risk of developing complications from the Covid-19 are prioritised.

Hence phase one of the Sisonke programme, which focused on healthcare workers being vaccinated first. They are patient-facing and at a high risk of being infected.

Phase two now focuses on people 60 years and older as they are the next most vulnerable with many of the elderly managing co-morbidities (pre-existing conditions that are known to put people at risk of developing complications from Covid-19 – those with diabetes, heart conditions, and renal conditions).

The government will advise South African’s of the category of individuals in the next phase following the elderly being vaccinated.

Do the health care workers get the vaccine at Life The Glynnwood or somewhere else?
Healthcare workers were vaccinated at vaccine sites approved by the Department of Health and these included Baragwanath and Milpark hospitals.

According to the government, they will publish the phase two list of vaccine sites weekly and people will be able to see which sites are activated or deactivated, available at Active Vaccination Sites – SA Corona Virus Online Portal.

Is it true that if you had or have Covid you have to wait three months before you can get the vaccine?

It is best to talk to your doctor before getting the vaccine.

The three-month waiting period is a time frame applied as this is the period that is believed that Covid-19 patients still have antibodies in their system.

It is uncertain how long exactly you are protected from getting sick again if you have already had Covid-19.

Cases have been reported of patients who have been re-infected. It is too early to know, at this stage, how long the vaccines will protect you against Covid-19, there is not enough data yet.

Will the vaccines help with the new strains they have found in places such as the UK and or India?

It is too early to tell at this stage.

The Covid-19 virus has mutated thousands of times and is continuing to mutate.

The vaccines were developed to protect against a known strain at the time.

It is uncertain how effective the vaccine will be against any new strains that mutate going forward.

Not having the vaccine, however, means that your body has not been able to produce the protein necessary to help manage the severity of the disease should you contract it.

Are the symptoms of each strain of Covid-19 the same? Please tell me some of the symptoms for each strain of the virus?

They are similar and differ from person to person.

Some people are asymptomatic (in that they experience no symptoms at all) while others can experience severe symptoms.

The most common symptoms include:

• Fever

• Dry cough

• Tiredness

Less common symptoms:

• Aches and pains

• Sore throat

• Diarrhoea

• Conjunctivitis

• Headache

• Loss of taste or smell

• A rash on the skin/ discolouration of fingers or toes

Serious symptoms:

• Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath

• Chest pain or pressure

• Loss of speech or movement

If you have serious symptoms, seek medical attention. Please call your doctor/ hospital before visiting. It can take four to six days for the symptoms to show after exposure.

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Can people get vaccinated at Glynwood?

Discussions to confirm the Life Healthcare vaccine sites with the Department of Health are ongoing and subject to the vaccines having been delivered.

According to the government’s statement last week the number of vaccination sites will change according to the amount of stock that they have and what the need is.

They have also advised that they will publish the list of sites weekly and people will be able to see which sites are activated or deactivated, available at Active Vaccination Sites – SA Corona Virus Online Portal.

This phase of the vaccination programme utilises the Pfizer vaccine, which is a two-dose vaccine.

Only those registered on the EVDS and scheduled to be vaccinated at a specific vaccination site may be vaccinated.

There are many rumours about a zombie gene can you put this to rest?

This is a myth.

The mRNA does not change a person’s DNA, but rather assists the body in introducing a protein to help fight the virus in the event of exposure to Covid-19.

Is it true that you lose your taste and smell when contracting the virus? Why is this?

This can happen, though does not happen to everyone.

The loss of taste and smell is one of the symptoms of Covid-19, however, is not only a result of Covid-19.

This is an early symptom, thus if you notice changes in these senses, it is recommended that self-isolation takes place and a Covid-19 test is done.

Changes in these senses include:

• Taste and smell being less sensitive than normal

• No sense of smell or taste

• Foods tasting strange (and increasingly more bland)

• Odours smelling unusual

The lining within your nose and sinuses become irritated or inflamed.

This impacts the senses of taste and smell.

Where can people obtain the vaccine from? Please name some places in Benoni?

At this point, people have to register on the Electronic Vaccine Delivery System (EVDS) to be scheduled to be vaccinated.

Once registered they should wait for their scheduling SMS, which will confirm when and where they should go for their vaccine.

According to the government’s statement last week the number of vaccination sites will change according to the amount of stock that they have and what the need is.

They have also advised that they will publish the list of sites weekly and people will be able to see which sites are activated or deactivated.

What do people need to do to register for the vaccination? Please explain all the steps for people to take?

All registrations are to be done on the Department of Health registration site at https://vaccine.enroll.health.gov.za/#/

The portal sends SMS’s directly to people with details regarding their registration and when they are to go for their vaccine.

All communication is done via SMS, so make sure the telephone number used is correct.

People over the age of 60 should register on the EVDS and wait for their scheduling SMS which will confirm when and where they should go for their vaccine. The SMS is generated by the EVDS and not Life Healthcare.

Individuals needing more information can contact the free Vaccine Call Centre 0800 029 999 for assistance.

EVDS registration information:

• The EVDS is open to all over 60’s to register at the following link https://vaccine.enroll.health.gov.za/#/

• Register on Whatsapp by sending ‘Register’ to 0600 123 456.

• Register by SMS by dialling *134*832*your ID number.

• No ID number – you can dial *134*832# for assistance.ed, available at Active Vaccination Sites – SA Corona Virus Online Portal.