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    Covid and Vaccine Info Sheet

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    Jess Kant
    Deeper Than Water, Families for Justice as Healing, and Black & Pink Massachusetts worked with doctors and epidemiologists to get accurate information on COVID-19 and the vaccine to send to you so you make informed decisions about whether to vaccinate or not. On January 9, our groups held a Community Town Hall so we could share reliable info from trusted doctors as well as our concerns with family and loved ones.

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    Covid and Vaccine Info Sheet

    Uploaded by

    Jess Kant
    1K views4 pages
    Deeper Than Water, Families for Justice as Healing, and Black & Pink Massachusetts worked with doctors and epidemiologists to get accurate information on COVID-19 and the vaccine to send to you so you make informed decisions about whether to vaccinate or not. On January 9, our groups held a Community Town Hall so we could share reliable info from trusted doctors as well as our concerns with family and loved ones.

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    FAQs on Vaccines

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    Deeper Than Water, Families for Justice as Healing, and Black & Pink Massachusetts worked with doctors and epidemiologists to get accurate information on COVID-19 and the vaccine to send to you so you make informed decisions about whether to vaccinate or not. On January 9, our groups held a Community Town Hall so we could share reliable info from trusted doctors as well as our concerns with family and loved ones.

    Copyright:

    Attribution (BY)
    1K views4 pages

    Covid and Vaccine Info Sheet

    Uploaded by

    Jess Kant
    Deeper Than Water, Families for Justice as Healing, and Black & Pink Massachusetts worked with doctors and epidemiologists to get accurate information on COVID-19 and the vaccine to send to you so you make informed decisions about whether to vaccinate or not. On January 9, our groups held a Community Town Hall so we could share reliable info from trusted doctors as well as our concerns with family and loved ones.

    Copyright:

    Attribution (BY)
    of 4

    COVID and VACCINE INFO SHEET

    Deeper Than Water, Families for Justice as Healing, and Black & Pink Massachusetts
    worked with doctors and epidemiologists to get accurate information on COVID-19 and
    the vaccine to send to you so you make informed decisions about whether to vaccinate
    or not. On January 9, our groups held a Community Town Hall so we could share
    reliable info from trusted doctors as well as our concerns with family and loved ones.

    We know you are dealing with valid distrust of the DOC as well as real concerns about
    the medical industry’s exploitation and experimentation on Black and Brown people and
    incarcerated people. ​We know you are trying your best to take care of yourself and
    make the best decision for your own body and wellbeing. Sending you love and
    solidarity from your community.

    What do we know about the plan for vaccinations in MA prisons & jails?
    Wellpath will be administering the Moderna vaccine to people who are incarcerated in
    Massachusetts, likely mid to late January. Receiving the vaccine will be voluntary and
    you can choose to refuse the vaccine.

    How does the vaccine work?


    The vaccine helps our bodies develop immunity to the virus that causes COVID-19
    without us having to get the illness. ​The vaccine does not give you the virus or any
    part of the virus.​ The vaccine contains messenger RNA (mRNA), which is like a set of
    instructions for our cells to make a certain protein that appears on the outside of the
    coronavirus. The vaccine does not change a person’s DNA. The protein does not mean
    you have the virus. The body destroys mRNA “instructions'' from the vaccine once it
    makes the protein. The protein is what alerts the immune system and tells it how to fight
    the virus in the future. After you’ve been vaccinated, it takes a few weeks to work. This
    vaccine requires two shots, spaced one month apart. The first shot starts building
    protection, but two shots are needed to get full protection. Studies show that the
    Moderna vaccine is about 60-70% effective at protecting against COVID-19 after one

    1
    shot and 95% effective after the second shot. It can take 4 weeks for the first shot to be
    effective.

    Is there anything harmful in the ingredients of the vaccine?


    The COVID-19 vaccine does not contain live coronavirus (or any viruses), microchips,
    tracer technology, fetal tissue, DNA, stem cells, mercury, aluminum, luciferase, pork
    products, or preservatives.

    How was the vaccine tested? How do I know it was tested safely?
    The science of mRNA is well established. The research for the COVID-19 vaccine was
    well funded and the bureaucracy was expedited. Each vaccine has gone through 3
    phases of trials. The Moderna vaccine trials included 30,418 people and the Pfizer
    vaccine trials included 40,277 people, including representation across race, ethnicity,
    age, sex, and high-risk medical conditions (such as HIV, chronic lung disease, asthma,
    heart disease, and diabetes). Both vaccines have been tested through the same
    standard process that other vaccines have gone through. The vaccines have an
    emergency use agreement from the FDA which means that it has been reviewed and
    deemed safe for administration based on the best available evidence. Trial results have
    been published in one of the best peer-reviewed scientific journals: the New England
    Journal of Medicine.

    How do we know the vaccine the DOC gives us is the real vaccine?
    While there is no way to visually distinguish between a fake vaccine and the actual
    vaccine, it is in the best interest of the DOC that prisoners be given the real vaccine.
    Vaccines work best when most of the population has received them. Therefore,
    administering a fake vaccine to prisoners would make the vaccinations given to guards
    less effective, putting them at risk.

    What are known side effects of the vaccines?


    Some people have reported experiencing: pain and swelling at the injection site, muscle
    pain, joint pain, fever, chills, tiredness, and/or headache lasting between a few hours
    and a few days. These side effects are a result of the body’s immune system learning to
    fight COVID-19. A very small number of the millions vaccinated so far have had severe
    allergic reactions that require immediate medical treatment. Most allergic reactions
    occur within 15 minutes of receiving the vaccine. Just like the virus, the vaccine is still
    new and scientists can’t be certain that there aren’t long term side effects, but the long
    term side effects of COVID-19 also pose an immediate risk.

    Should I still get the vaccine if I have underlying conditions?

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    Yes, the vaccine has been approved for people with underlying conditions, including
    HIV, hepatitis C, heart disease, lung disease, diabetes, asthma, arthritis, autoimmune
    issues, and multiple sclerosis. If you have allergies not related to vaccines (like pets,
    foods, etc.) then the CDC recommends that you should get vaccinated. The vaccine
    doesn’t contain eggs, preservatives, or latex. If you have had a history of allergies
    related to vaccines (including allergy to polyethylene glycol (PEG) or polysorbate), the
    CDC recommends that you do not get vaccinated.

    Should I still get the vaccine if I’ve already had COVID-19?


    If you’ve already had COVID-19, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) recommends
    that you still get vaccinated. Scientists don’t know how long the protective antibodies
    created by having COVID-19 will last, but there is some evidence that people can get
    the virus again several months later. The vaccine should offer stronger protection. If you
    currently have COVID-19, you should wait to get vaccinated until it has been at least 2
    weeks after your first symptoms and at least 24 hours since you’ve had any symptoms.

    Can I still get COVID-19 after I’ve been vaccinated? Can I still transmit it to
    others?
    After you’ve been vaccinated, it takes a few weeks for the vaccine to work. If others
    infect you before the vaccine has enough time to work, then you could still get
    COVID-19. But, if others infect you after the vaccine has had time to work, then you are
    unlikely to get COVID-19. It’s possible for a person to get COVID-19 and spread it to
    others if they are exposed to the virus right before/after vaccination. Scientists still aren’t
    sure if people can get asymptomatic cases of COVID-19 after vaccination. The
    COVID-19 vaccine protects you from getting seriously ill. It’s still unclear the extent to
    which you could still pass the virus to others after you’ve been vaccinated. For this
    reason, the CDC asks that everyone continue with other precautions to slow the spread
    of COVID-19 to the best of your ability wherever you are - such as hand washing,
    masking, and social distancing, even after receiving two doses of vaccine.

    Stay in touch with us


    If you have concerns or info to share about your experience with COVID-19 or the
    vaccine inside, please write to:

    Families for Justice as Healing


    100R Warren Street
    Roxbury, MA 02119

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    GLOSSARY

    Asymptomatic​ - when someone is infected with a disease, but doesn’t show any
    outward signs that they have the virus. People who are asymptomatic can transmit the
    virus, even if they are not sick from it.

    Protein​ - This is a basic building block of living things. While you may think of it in terms
    of building muscle, all cells are made up of proteins.

    Epidemiologist ​- A scientist who studies health problems such as diseases, what


    causes them and how they spread and can be contained.

    Antibodies​ - proteins made by your body to fight specific infections. Once your body
    has discovered a new pathogen (such as a virus or bacteria), your immune system
    begins to produce antibodies to fight the infection.

    COVID-19 - ​COVID-19 is the illness that is caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The virus
    is spread between people who are in close contact with one another. The most common
    symptoms are fever, cough, headaches, fatigue, muscle/body aches, loss of taste/smell,
    sore throat, nausea, and diarrhea. You may have heard “coronavirus” and “COVID-19”
    used interchangeably.

    Coronavirus​ - a coronavirus is a specific subtype of virus. COVID-19 is a type of


    coronavirus.

    Herd immunity - ​Herd immunity occurs when a virus can no longer spread because it
    keeps encountering people who are already immune to it (i.e., people who have
    antibodies against the virus, usually by vaccine). Most estimates suggest that the US
    will reach herd immunity when 60-70% of the population has built antibodies.

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