The deeds you do may be the only sermon some persons will hear today” Francis of Assisi
We have to give thanks to the science world who joined together to battle the Covid-19 virus as vigorously as they did with the HIV pandemic from decades ago. Some of those scientists (i.e., Dr. Fauci and Dr. Gottlieb) are still with us, leading the way to tackle this deadly virus with continuous research, sharing scientific data, and the big one – the development of a vaccine. Now, it is our turn to do our part in the battle by getting vaccinated. The only effective means to develop immunity protection from Covid-19 besides exposure is vaccination.
Kudos to JusticeWorks staff for doing their civic duty by getting vaccinated! Teams from headquarters, Allegheny, Washington, and Westmoreland branches received vaccines last week distributed by East Liberty Family Health Care Center in Pittsburgh. Many staff from other JWYC locations are registered to get the vaccine as soon as supplies allow.
Danielle Kurtz (headquarters) reported the ease of scheduling an appointment to obtain the vaccine. “I had looked on the PA.gov website and clicked on the Covid-19 link. The website has a map that shows all the available PA sites that offer the vaccines. The map has either a red pin or a green pin. The green pin sites currently have vaccines, and the red sites do not. Every pin will give you the location and contact information for scheduling. I called and left my contact information. I received a call-back and was provided with the process to schedule my appointment.”
After receiving his vaccination, our President & CEO, Dan Heit (pictured above), stated, “I didn’t even feel the shot! I can’t tell you the great feeling I have to finally be protected beyond a mask and social distancing. Of course, I will continue to wear a mask and maintain social distancing. I get the second vaccine dose in a month.”
Wearing a mask after vaccination is crucial as it is currently unknown if vaccinated individuals can become carriers of the virus and spread it to those not yet vaccinated. Therefore, it is still vital to follow the mask and social distancing policies and guidelines.
Join us in our vaccination efforts so that we can begin a journey of healing and some semblance of normalcy in the near future. For those of you still on the fence about deciding whether or not to get the vaccine, or do not want the vaccine, Dan’s message is to first weigh the known risks against the unknown risks.
“The unknown risk is that the vaccine is new, and there is not much data collected on the efficacy, the length of protection (i.e., a yearly booster or one-time vaccination process), and other variables.
The known risk is there is an 8-10 times greater likelihood of dying from the Covid virus than from the flu. Many people who get sick develop symptoms that last for months after recovering from the virus. This phenomenon is known as Long Covid and can be debilitating. The fact is that Covid is a highly contagious virus, and even without symptoms, you can easily spread it to family, friends, colleagues, strangers, and loved ones. Those in high-risk categories may die. If not for yourself, get it for the sake of others.” As stated by Dan Heit in a company-wide email sharing his experience getting vaccinated.
Note: The recommendation is women who are breastfeeding or planning on becoming pregnant should not receive the vaccine. People who have severe allergies, particularly to other vaccines, must consult their physicians. Those with other medical conditions should also consult their medical practitioner before getting the vaccine.