The months December through February 2021 will most likely be the worst months for Covid-19 transmission. On Tuesday, January 12, 2021, we saw the worst day so far with 4,320 deaths in one day. The average for the week was a whopping 3,300 deaths per day. The national average for the number of cases in the U.S. is around 200,000 per day. Overall, the virus has killed 382,000 Americans. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention claims close to 10.3 million people in the United States have received an initial dose of a Covid-19 vaccine.
By Monday, about 25 million doses had been sent to hospitals and healthcare centers. The first person to receive the vaccine was frontline nurse Sandra Lindsay in December 2020. As of January 14, 400,000 people have received the second dose of the vaccine that is supposed to provide 95 percent immunity.
Nursing homes are getting hit hard but they are on track to have the vaccines administered mostly by the end of the month. The virus is so easily passed between people that many nursing homes are going into total lockdown. Also, the CDC recommends vaccinations for all those 65 and older or who have preexisting conditions. The general public will be able to get the vaccine by this spring or summer. The vaccine will be given at health care facilities or by a general physician. The incoming Biden administration also has a goal of distributing 100 million vaccines, during the first 100 days in office.
Nurses are in still in high demand. They are getting called in from retirement and are getting paid more as well. If you are a nurse or know anyone who is, contact a staffing agency and get hired. Even nursing students are getting called to administer the vaccine amid high demand for health care worker’s and a shortage of both nurses and educators in the field of nursing. We are also seeing an increase in online programs within the field of nursing, if you are looking for job opportunities.
The number of Americans who said they probably or definitely will get the vaccine when it’s available now stands at 71%, an increase from 63% in September. Among health care workers a Kaiser Family Foundation survey found 29% of health care workers might decide not to get vaccinated, which is on par with the general population. People who don’t want the vaccine are concerned about side effects and have a lack of trust in the ability of the government to make sure the vaccine is safe. Social media has also fueled false conspiracy theories, saying that it causes fertility problems. The Food and Drug Administration claims available vaccines meet its rigorous standards. The side effects of the vaccine are mild and people cannot get the coronavirus from the shot.
Overall, we are all hopeful that the vaccine will work and save us from this horrible virus. Dr. Anthony Fauci recently had the vaccine and reported that the only side effect was a sore arm. He also recommends that we double down on social distancing, mask wearing and personal hygiene. With numbers of people catching the virus skyrocketing after the holiday season we must all try a little harder. Until then it is our responsibility to follow the CDC guidelines and hope they are on track to save us.