(WXYZ) — There’s been reports of a third serious reaction to Pfizer’s vaccine – this time in Alaska.
It’s not clear if this person did or did not have a past history of allergic reactions before they received the first dose of Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine. All we know at this point in time is that a healthcare worker reportedly had a serious allergic reaction yesterday. And they remain hospitalized for observation and are currently in stable condition.
So while we wait to hear more information, now is a good time to talk with your family doctor if you have any kind of allergies. To see out if there are any ingredients in this particular vaccine that you might have an adverse reaction to.
Unfortunately, I can’t say with certainty if folks in high-risk groups can get vaccinated early. We are just getting started and at the moment, there is a very limited supply.
The White House has said they can immunize 20 million in December, 30 million in January, and 50 million in February. Now that is a great start, but those doses are spread out all across the US. And here in Michigan, our first batch contains just over 84,000 doses. And those are going to hospitals and public health departments first. Because the CDC and the ACIP - the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices - has recommended a four-phase rollout.
Phase 1A includes health care workers and nursing home residents. Phase 1B includes workers in essential and critical industries. And then after that, is Phase 1C, where people who are at high risk of developing severe COVID-19 are recommended to get vaccinated.
Now Michigan is planning to follow these recommendations. But it was pointed out that some phases may begin even when other phases haven’t been completed yet. This opens the door for some folks to get vaccinated a little sooner than others who might be in an earlier phase.
I love talking about self-advocacy and being what I call your own health hero - you become your own health hero when you make your health your number one priority. So yes, it can’t hurt to try advocating to get vaccinated early.
You can talk to your doctor to make sure your electronic health records are up to date, and that any underlying medical conditions you might have are included. You can also discuss which category you fall into and how you might be able to get vaccinated quickly once the vaccine is available to that group.
But remember, the logistics of all this are still being worked out. So please be patient as it may take some time before physicians, like myself, have detailed answers.
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