IT BEGINS WITH BEING WELL-INFORMED
Healthcare workers knew fighting coronavirus would be challenging, and Grant says his infection prevention team really stepped up to the plate in providing guidance that undoubtedly saved lives.
Grant himself has worked 80-hour weeks during the pandemic to help prepare the Hartford HealthCare system’s strategy to reduce the spread. Then, as the vaccine went through final approvals, he and his team studied regulations, reviewed guidance from federal health and regulatory organizations, participated in review committees and spent countless hours combing through information and distilling it for briefings.
“I’ve spent so much time over the last few months going over different documents, working closely and being a part of the scientific advisory committees for the governor, so I was well-enough informed to appreciate that this is a safe process,” Grant says. “The technology’s amazing. I was excited about the fact that we now have a definitive tool to help with fighting this virus.”
Grant emphasized that the vaccine is 95% effective. Flu shots are generally below 60%. Still, because of the time it takes for enough people to get the required two doses — 21 days between injections — he warns that people should not let their guard down. The more people who receive the vaccine, the more we are able to achieve a level of herd immunity. Only then can life begin to feel normal again.
DISPELLING MYTHS
Unfortunately, misinformation about COVID-19 has been rampant, especially on social media where false or misleading information is shared repeatedly — sometimes unknowingly and other times maliciously. That’s why Hartford HealthCare has created a special website (www.HartfordHealthCare.org/ vaccine) to provide reliable information and counter myths and misinformation. For example, here are three facts to dispel a few of those myths.
• The COVID-19 vaccine will not give you the virus. • The COVID-19 vaccine will not make you test positive
for the virus.
• The COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna
will not alter your DNA.
Also on the site, you can find explanations as to why common myths are untrue. You can read the truth about how the vaccine was made so quickly: scientists were able to start working on the virus before the first known case of COVID-19 in the U.S. by using the viral genome from other countries as a template. Also, this vaccine does not require time-consuming steps such as growing ingredients in chicken eggs, which is necessary for seasonal flu shots.
PREPPING WITH FACTS
Hartford HealthCare has launched a multimedia educational campaign called “VacciNation” to reach the community with up-to-date information and care throughout the pandemic, and this all-hands effort will continue during the vaccination process. For example, the Hartford HealthCare site answers frequently asked question about the vaccine and its safety, including whether any serious long-term side effects have occurred. (The answer is no.).
Additional Hartford HealthCare efforts to educate and inform the public include:
• Conducting (virtual) town halls
• Supporting a 24-hour hotline for COVID questions • Holding regular media briefings
• Providing experts to news organizations and sharing
articles in print and online
• Producing podcasts to better inform the public • Working with local colleges and universities to establish safety measures and protocols to help with a safe return to campus
• Hosting live Facebook interviews with Hartford HealthCare physicians and health experts. The next Facebook Live, which discusses the COVID-19 vaccine, is Dec. 23 at 12:30 p.m.
• You can also view videos on Facebook of local media
coverage about the vaccine.