Last week, Connecticut received 31,200 Pfizer vaccine doses, and the state was expecting another 87,765 this week. In Greenwich, elected officials are urging the community to take their shots in the arm when their turn comes up.
“This is extremely important. The risk [with COVID-19] to anybody who is older is high, and this vaccine, based on the science and all the FDA approvals, looks to be very safe. I strongly encourage people to take this vaccine,” said State Rep. Harry Arora (R-151).
Right now, the vaccination is voluntary and no mandates are being considered.
Phase 1A of the massive vaccine distribution campaign, which focuses on healthcare workers, long term care facilities and first responders, is underway around the United States.
Earlier this week, advisers to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention voted to recommend that adults age 75 and older, and “frontline essential workers”, such as first responders, teachers, and grocery store employees, be next in line for Phase 1B.
Arora recently sent out a survey about the vaccine, and he has received nearly 2,000 responses from the community. Seventy percent said they intend to take the vaccine as soon as it’s offered to them, and 18% said they’d like to learn more about it before making a decision. Nine percent are not interested in the vaccine at all. Roughly 80% of the population must be vaccinated in order to achieve herd immunity and stop the virus in its tracks.
State Rep. Stephen Meskers (D-150) said the vaccine provides an “overall umbrella of security” in the community. He recently sent out information on the vaccines to his constituents, and the reaction has been positive, he said.
Meskers hopes people understand that the quick turnaround for the development of the COVID-19 vaccines has nothing to do with cutting corners on science.
“We now have two world class, credible organizations that have developed vaccines. They’ve been broadly tested. The reason it has been accelerated is not because they cut corners on the testing, it’s that they pre-funded the logistics for the build-out of the supply chain to manufacture the vaccine,” Meskers said.
Experts have said that the vaccine is the only true way to escape the grips of the pandemic, but until more people get their shots, masking and testing will still remain key.
On testing, Arora said he not only wants to see more volume, but more timely testing in order to slow the spread of the disease.
He mentioned that pool testing, similar to what’s being done in schools, would help get results back quickly so people can know earlier if they’re infected or not, and the spread can be minimized. For example, people would submit samples on a certain day of the week, and results would come back the following day or soon after.
“You’re more likely to catch those people who are asymptomatic or who have not gotten to the stage where they’re spreading. [Right now], once people have symptoms and then they get tested, then by the time the test comes back, they’ve already spread it,” Arora said, noting that he’s suggested the development of a more timely testing program with Gov. Ned Lamont.
Kimberly Fiorello, a Republican (149th District) who will be sworn-in for her first term next month, has said recently that when the next legislative session begins, it won’t be the time to pass massive legislation because “there’s so much that’s in flux.” She said that elected officials must do everything they can to support local businesses and those on the frontline of the pandemic.
For more information on vaccinations in Connecticut, go to portal.ct.gov.
