A MESSAGE FROM SECRETARY TREASURER MARIA CASTANEDA

I am very happy because this morning I received my first dose of the lifesaving COVID-19 vaccine. I hope our members and retirees will also embrace the vaccine to protect themselves and their families. For the last year, we healthcare workers have seen this deadly virus take the lives of our patients, co-workers on the frontlines, and our family and friends. It has devastated our communities, our economy, and the precious education of our children. Our personal lives have been on pause; no weddings, graduations, birthday parties or holiday celebrations. In many ways, life has stopped so we can avoid the spread of the virus even as we continue to protect ourselves at work with the appropriate PPE, use face mask, practice social distancing and washing of hand as our tools to fight the virus. But now we have another tool tofight COVID-19: a pair of vaccines that has been federally authorized for emergency authorization. These vaccines are a game changer in the fight against COVID19. I strongly believe they will help stop the spread of the virus, save lives, and help us safely re-open the economy, get back to school, be with our loved ones, and many other activities the virus put on hold. I understand the questions and concerns about the vaccine, but I believe and trust the scientists and other medical professionals who have worked on this vaccine and in vaccine development for years. I also salute the more than 75,000 people from communities around the globe who participated in the vaccines’ clinical trials to test their safety and efficacy. This data– and these volunteers’ contribution– from these clinical trials became the basis for the approval and reassured me in my decision to take the vaccine. I believe this is my strongest protection and fighting chance against this virus. Now I don’t feel powerless. If we get a big percentage of our communities vaccinated, together we can conquer the spread of this virus. Together we can help contribute to the global fight against this virus. I look forward to the day we can reopen our office, meet members in person, visit families in our home countries. I strongly believe this vaccine will help us win the war against COVID19 and together we will save lives, jobs, and communities.

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NEW YORK NURSING HOMES COMPLETE FIRST ROUND OF VACCINATIONS

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced this week that 100% of New York nursing homes have completed at least the first round of staff and resident COVID-19 inoculations. Nursing homes are inoculating residents and staff using three vaccination days as part of the federal Walgreens/CVS partnership. The good news is nearly 50% of the Central NY Region nursing home staff have completed at least their first inoculation. And in Western NY, only 21% percent of the staff have declined to take the shot. NYC and Long Island are lagging, with only 32% of staff nursing home participating in the vaccination. To protect our families, our co-workers, and our residents at least 80% of nursing home staff need to take the shot, so let’s keep improving in rounds two and three of the vaccination plan.

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"Member Voices"

I have been advocating for everyone to get vaccinated because we really need ” to get to herd immunity and save lives.

GENEVIEVE SMITH
CLINICAL LABORATORY SCIENTIST
NY-PRESBYTERIAN HOSPITAL, NYC

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FAQs/Questions/Links/Info FAQs compiled and updated regularly by 1199’s Benefit Fund and the first place to go for questions about the Covid-19 vaccine, where to get it, and other concerns. Read more Other questions about the COVID-19 vaccine? Email us at: VaccineQuestions@1199.org

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PRESIDENT BIDEN ANNOUNCES NEW COVID-19 VACCINATION PLAN

As President Joe Biden takes over on January 20, his administration has announced its commonsense plan to increase the amount of COVID-19 vaccine available and the number of people receiving the vaccine. The elements of the plan are:

• Use the Federal Emergency Management Agency to set up thousands of vaccination sites in gyms, sports stadiums, and community centers, and to deploy mobile vaccination options to reach those who cannot travel or who live in remote places.

• Mobilize the National Guard to staff the effort and ensure that strapped states don’t have to bear the cost.

• Expand who can deliver the vaccine and call up retired medical personnel to aid the campaign.

• Use the Defense Production Act to accelerate production of more syringes and other useful goods.

• The Federal Government is stepping up the effort to vaccinate the 80% to 90% of us needed to fully protect everyone from COVID-19. Our job is to step up, get the vaccine, and encourage our co-workers and others to do the same.

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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTION (FAQ) OF THE WEEK

Q: Does the COVID-19 vaccine have side effects?

A: Some people who get a vaccine will experience side effects, particularly after the second dose of a vaccine. All three candidate vaccines have reported mild to moderate side effects, including pain at the injection site, fatigue, and aching muscles and joints for a day or two. If someone is going to have a bad reaction to a vaccine, it is likely to occur in the first six weeks.