Author: goarnn

The emergence of the Omnicron variant and the new wave of COVID cases have piqued citizens’ interest in vaccinations and booster shots–particularly vaccinated individuals that originally received the Johnson and Johnson vaccination. 

Dr. Anthony Fauci announced the Omnicron variant’s arrival to the United States yesterday via someone traveling from South Africa to Florida. The person was vaccinated but did not have a booster. The Omnicron variant contains mutations that could increase the virus’ transmissibility, which highlights the importance of vaccinations and booster shots, Fauci said. 

Since the booster shot became available in November, vaccinations increased 11.

“The data did show that the Janssen vaccine, or the Johnson and Johnson vaccine as most people refer to it, is not as effective,” said Dr. Christopher Cooper, the Director of Operations for Heartland Pharmacies. 

The University of Arkansas provided students with free vaccines at the onset of the vaccine rollout last spring. However, the university mostly provided students with the Janssen vaccine.

Sophia Ultes, a sophomore, and Audra Maxwell, who recently graduated, both received the Johnson and Johnson vaccine through Pat Walker Health Center at the University of Arkansas last spring. Ultes recently received the Moderna booster shot.

“I wanted to get the booster because I had the Johnson and Johnson, so I didn’t know how effective that was going to be after such a long time period,” Ultes said.

The Janssen vaccine itself is not the cause for speculation, rather its single-dose administration, Cooper explained.

“Where we really see improvement is with a second dose or when it comes to your immune system, that reintroduction,” Cooper said. “The first vaccine doses just provide initial protection, but reintroducing that into your immune system for a second time increases your immune response.”

The Johnson and Johnson vaccine concerned Maxwell, too, but she struggled to get time off of work to get a booster shot. She recently recovered from COVID for the second time, however, her first infection occurred months before vaccine distribution, Maxwell said. Though she had been vaccinated, she still had symptoms.

“I had a fever,” Maxwell said. “I did lose my taste and smell, but that was more towards the middle of my quarantine.” Her symptoms were not serious enough to require hospitalization, she explained.

Vaccines are not completely infallible, however, the vaccines are not meant to make individuals immune to the virus, Cooper explained.

“The goal with a vaccine and with this pandemic is to minimize hospitalizations and Covid-19 related deaths,” Cooper said. “There is a small chance that individuals may become infected after receiving either a two-dose regimen of a vaccine or even after receiving their booster…But the severity of that infection should be greatly diminished. Your likelihood of having to be hospitalized is greatly decreased, and your likelihood of mortality is also significantly decreased.”

Vaccine side-effects, such as arm soreness, tenderness at the injection site and common cold-like symptoms are normal, but they are not signs to worry, Cooper said.

The vaccine is not actually causing those symptoms, rather your immune system is recognizing the antigen, and “basically flaring up to try to boost that immune response,” Cooper explained.

Third doses, or booster shots, are now available for individuals 18 and older in Arkansas if six months have passed since receiving a second mRNA vaccine dose or two months have passed since receiving the Johnson and Johnson vaccine, Cooper said.  

by Grace Arnn

The vaccination gap between white people and minority populations is closing as vaccine accessibility increases suffice minority groups’ experienced healthcare and COVID-related disparities throughout the pandemic. 

“Minorities tend to have a higher ratio of their populations working in service-related jobs,” Mark Williams, Ph.D., dean of the UAMS Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health, said. “As such, they could not isolate at home as more white-collar related workers. And white-collar related jobs tend to be more white than Black, Hispanic or any other minority.”

Service-industry jobs are high-exposure and invite virus transmission due to their social and in-person nature. Moreover, service-industry jobs rarely offer health insurance, which decreased the possibility of employees visiting a physician, Williams said. 

“Also, it’s come to light more recently, from some sociological studies that have been done is that having health insurance plays a big part in whether or not someone is vaccinated,” Williams said. “And part of the reason for that is because people tend to rely on their primary physicians for advice on getting vaccinated and oftentimes get vaccinated at their physician’s office.”

However, some of the jobs that were originally COVID-transmission hubs are now requiring vaccinations. Meat-processing companies such as Tyson enforced vaccinations among their employees, particularly affecting the Hispanic population in northwest Arkansas, Williams said. In fact, the vaccination rate of Hispanic individuals has exceeded the white vaccination rate in Washington county- the home of Tyson. Other companies, such as Walmart, have instilled employer-mandated vaccinations, as well.

“They’re simply being given no choice if they want to keep their employment,” Williams said. 

Furthermore, state-based community groups and UAMS have provided on-site vaccination clinics to specifically reach Hispanic and Marshallese populations in northwest Arkansas and other populations in the Arkansas Delta, Williams said. 

A solid level of trust is important in providing COVID-related information, education and vaccinations, Zac Brown, the assistant director of communications at Pat Walker Health Center, said. A lack of insurance or distrust in the healthcare system can discourage people from visiting physicians or offices. Rather, specific institutions, that minority groups trust, have found success bringing COVID-related resources to their communities. For example, some African American communities have utilized churches as vaccination sites, Brown explained. 

Translation-based outreach has increased the accessibility of COVID-related resources, too. In northwest Arkansas, the Northwest Arkansas Council has paired with the state health department to provide educational and promotional COVID-vaccine information in Spanish, Marshallese and other languages, Brown said. When dispersing information, reaching diverse communities goes beyond simple translation efforts because the information provided in English must be culturally-sound, as well.

“We are always getting and sharing information, but we are also working with the local agencies, healthcare providers, and sharing information about the vaccines,” said Margarita Solorzano, the executive director of Hispanic Women’s Organization of Arkansas. 

“Also, making sure that the communications that any of these agencies, either at a state level or local level, are culturally and linguistically appropriate for the immigrant and Latino community.”

The Hispanic Women’s Organization of Arkansas, which is located in Springdale, Arkansas, is a part of the Latino task force at the state level that reviews COVID-related information and daily statistics to reach the Spanish-speaking community, Solorzano said. 

Though COVID cases have dropped over the past few months, the mortality rates have been high. Increased mortality rates may be influencing the increase in vaccination rates, too, Williams said.

“It’s something to say that people are simply realizing how serious the pandemic is,” Williams said. 

Typing from the confines of a cat on my lap and another sitting upon my feet.

This is a screengrab from a video of Pumpkin dramatically yawning, thus the poor quality. Nonetheless, it makes me laugh!