When will it be safe to hug loved ones again? Your COVID-19 vaccine questions answered
At a recent Illinois telephone town hall, the Illinois Department of Public Health director, Dr. Ngozi Ezike, and Gov. J.B. Pritzker answered questions from members of AARP Illinois on the vaccination effort in the state.
Here are excerpts from the session and more:
Q: When will it be safe to hug loved ones again?
A: Fourteen days after you and your loved one have been fully vaccinated, according to Ezike.
The state’s top public health official said people can feel safe hugging one another again 14 days after both individuals have received their second shot of Pfizer or Moderna, or their Johnson & Johnson single-dose vaccine.
“After you get your second shot and it’s been 14 days, two weeks after your second shot, you’re considered fully vaccinated,” Ezike said in response to a woman who asked when she would be able to exchange a “long-awaited” hug with a close friend.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also released guidelines for what people can do starting two weeks after being fully vaccinated, with the caution that they should continue following social distancing and other recommendations to stay safe in public places and other situations.
Fully vaccinated people can:
Visit with other fully vaccinated people indoors without wearing masks or physical distancing
Visit with unvaccinated people from a single household who are at low risk for severe COVID-19 disease indoors without wearing masks or physical distancing.
Refrain from quarantine and testing following a known exposure if asymptomatic
For now, fully vaccinated people should continue to:
Take precautions in public like wearing a well-fitted mask and physical distancing
Wear masks, practice physical distancing, and adhere to other prevention measures when visiting with unvaccinated people who are at increased risk for severe COVID-19 disease or who have an unvaccinated household member who is at increased risk for severe COVID-19 disease
Wear masks, maintain physical distance, and practice other prevention measures when visiting with unvaccinated people from multiple households
Avoid medium- and large-sized in-person gatherings
Get tested if experiencing COVID-19 symptoms
Follow guidance issued by individual employers
Follow CDC and health department travel requirements and recommendations
BEHIND THE STORY
MOREHow to share your questions with us
Help the BND report on COVID-19 vaccines and their distribution in southwestern Illinois. Send your questions, tips and coverage ideas to newsroom@bnd.com or 618-239-2500.
Q: How is Illinois working to ease the frustrations of seniors when registering for a COVID vaccination appointment?
A: Pritzker detailed a soon-to-be-launched vaccination hotline for seniors in the state that will help them navigate the process, which he said has been frustrating for some. He added that he has directed health departments throughout the state to be “proactive” about vaccinating the rest of the senior population. He said the departments should schedule vaccination days that specifically target seniors. Health departments also have been urged to continue reaching out to seniors who haven’t signed up to be vaccinated.
People 65 years and older have been eligible to be vaccinated in Illinois since Jan. 25. However, some counties began by vaccinating people who were older. For instance, St. Clair County began 1B vaccinations with individuals over 75 years old and later began vaccinating people 65 years of age and older.
In Madison County, health officials announced a new initiative that would see senior citizens receive postcards to increase awareness on how to schedule a vaccine appointment. The Madison County health and community development departments mailed 23,965 postcards to seniors 65 years and older this week.
“We are excited to have this collaboration to help get the word out to one of our most vulnerable populations who otherwise may not know how to schedule an appointment for the vaccine,” Madison County Health Department Director Toni Corona said in a statement. “There will continue to be plenty of vaccine for anyone who wants one when your turn comes. We appreciate everyone’s assistance to help spread the word, especially to those who do not use computers or may miss it in the news.”
In St. Clair County, officials have asked seniors who need help setting up a vaccination appointment to call the county vaccine call center that assists people who need help signing up for an appointment. The center’s number is 618-825-4447 and runs Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Q: What vaccines are available and how effective are they?
A: There are currently three available vaccines in Illinois that Ezike said are “safe and effective.” One from Pfizer and BioNTech, another from Moderna and a third, the newest and first one-dose vaccine, Johnson and Johnson’s Jannsen vaccine.
“All of them will do the job we want, and that important job is reducing to zero our chance of being hospitalized or dying from COVID,” Ezike said.
The main difference between the three vaccines is the number of doses needed and their “efficacy.”
While the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines require two shots, Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine only requires one. Meaning, unlike the other two doses, you will not have to schedule and return for a second dose.
Additionally, unlike the Pfizer and Moderna doses, the Johnson & Johnson vaccine can be stored at higher temperatures.
The Johnson & Johnson vaccine has a lower efficacy rate compared to Pfizer’s 95% rate and Moderna’s 94.1% rate. An efficacy rate is determined during clinical trials, according to the CDC. It measures how effective a vaccine will be in reducing the possibility of a person contracting the virus after being vaccinated.
According to data submitted to the FDA, the J&J vaccine has a 72% efficacy rate at preventing COVID-19 and an 86% rate at preventing death or severe illnesses from the virus. That means you’re 72% less likely to contract COVID-19 and 86% less likely to be severely sick or die from the disease.
Ezike added that the Johnson & Johnson vaccine has also tested well against different variants of COVID-19 that have been showing up in the U.S. and Illinois.
“This vaccine was actually tested in Brazil, in South Africa in these places where these variants we’ve talked so much about are prominent, and it’s been found to be effective against those variants,” Ezike said.
Q: How will Illinois get the vaccine to people who are bedridden or cannot travel?
Ezike said the state is working with local health departments and other agencies to develop mobile teams that would deliver the vaccination safely.
“We are identifying mobile ‘strike teams,’ if you will. Teams that can go to individuals who can’t meet the vaccine in an outside location,” Ezike said. “We’re trying to work with the local health departments and community-based organizations to identify who those individuals are that need to be reached.”
Q: Are all vaccine providers - government, hospitals, Walgreens, etc. - required to follow the Illinois statewide plan for vaccine distribution?
A: Yes, all vaccine providers must follow state and federal rules on who receives COVID-19 doses, according to the state health department. That means anyone in Illinois being vaccinated must be in the 1B vaccination group.
The following people are eligible in 1B:
People who are 65 years old and older
Firefighters
Law enforcement officers
911 workers
Security personnel
Teachers, principals and school support staff members
Daycare workers
Food and agriculture workers
Manufacturing workers
Corrections workers and inmates
U.S. Postal Service workers
Public transit workers, including those who work for ride-sharing services
Grocery store workers
Staff members at homeless shelters and women’s shelters
The state health department requires all vaccine providers to verify vaccine recipients’ eligibility.