Valley Expert: Powell’s Death Is Not Evidence That the COVID-19 Vaccine Does Not Work | Coronavirus

According to two medical experts in Valley, vaccination is the most vulnerable in society by protecting recipients from COVID-19 and reducing the potential spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes aerial infections. Protect the citizens.

UPMC’s Dr. Rutul Dalal and Geisinger’s Dr. David Pugliese, respectively, said the death of General Colin Powell, who died of COVID-19 complications on Monday, has increased the need for vaccinated people. They said his death was not evidence that the vaccine would not work.

“Love your neighbor,” said Daral, medical director of UPMC infections in central and northern Pennsylvania. I don’t know who is immunosuppressed in us. We need to protect them. “

Powell, 84, was completely vaccinated. He was also immunocompromised. As the Washington Post reported, Powell’s age made him at high risk of a severe infection with COVID-19 and had Parkinson’s disease. He has also been treated for multiple myeloma in recent years. The Associated Press reports that blood cancers impair the body’s ability to fight infections and respond well to vaccines.

“From a population health perspective, the more people we protect, the better we can live as a society,” says Pugliese.

“In medicine and life, there are always anecdotes and incidents that suggest that things aren’t fully functioning. Look at his incident and say that’s why you shouldn’t be (vaccinated). If so, 95% of the people who protect themselves from hospitals and ventilators would not have been protected. “

Dalal said current mRNA vaccines are 30% to 70% effective in immunocompromised people, depending on the particular condition. He said the effectiveness of Pfizer and Modana vaccines generally approaches 95% in healthy people.

According to Daral, immunosuppressed people need to work with clinicians on the timing of COVID-19 vaccination. For example, some treatments, such as corticosteroids for asthma and antimetabolites for cancer treatment, can weaken the response of the immune system.

Daral added that these same people and those around them must be vigilant by hiding and maintaining social distances, in addition to being vaccinated.

According to the American Medical Association, as many as 6 million American adults are immunocompromised. The organization upheld the recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Immunization Implementation Advisory Committee (ACIP), where such people not only receive a two-dose regimen, but also a third mRNA vaccine against COVID-19. You will also receive a booster vaccination.

According to ACIP, people who are organ transplant recipients, those who are actively receiving cancer treatment, or who have recently received such treatment, and those who have severe primary immune disorders are all immune to booster immunity. It is counted as a recommended person.

Joant Lautmann, a former executive director of Greater Sasuke Hana Valley United Way, discovered in late 2019 that he was suffering from the genetic connective tissue disorder Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome as the pandemic approached. As a result, she said she developed fibrillar neuropathy and autonomic imbalance, or automatic nervous system dysfunction.

She counts herself among the millions of people fighting invisible illness. She is also among the millions of people who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19. She also said she would take a booster shot.

“I’m worried about how COVID affects my nervous system in particular. Frankly, I don’t want to know. But my big concern is contributing to my family and society. I can continue to do it. I’m still wearing a mask in a particularly crowded area, not to protect me, but to protect others. I don’t know how to live with it, “Troutman said.

Trautman said her family acted cautiously not only to protect her, but also to protect relatives and medical personnel who recently fought cancer. She said she knew that the vaccine was not fail-safe and acknowledged the various factors surrounding Powell’s death.

“Data and science teach me that if you’ve been vaccinated, you’re much more likely to live. I believe what scientists are telling me,” Troutman said. rice field. “I don’t fully understand that, but people seem to want to live in a world where everyone thinks they’re cheating. Who gets by lying about COVID numbers? Not even. Nobody. “

Faced with vaccine skeptics who support Powell as evidence of unsuccessful vaccination, Pugliese asks everyone to work with their doctors to investigate their questions about the vaccine and finally take it. increase.

“There are many speculations about what the truth is,” Pugliese said. “Knowing what’s there, what the data is, and how to best interpret the data to make informed decisions is something we want all patients to know. “

The vaccine isn’t perfect, Pugliese said. They are not 100% effective. Large-scale clinical trials conducted during the Trump administration have shown overwhelming success in most of the population studied, approaching 95% with both Pfizer and Moderna vaccines.

According to Pugliese, not only people with a weakened immune system, but the underlying condition is always at work. The same is true for almost all interactions between illness and existing conditions when trying to balance health problems, he said.

The overwhelming majority of people vaccinated with COVID-19 are not hospitalized and have a much lower risk of death, Pugliese said.

Dr. Jewon Ryu, president and chief executive officer of Gaisinger, said last week that “new evidence” was that vaccinated people were five times more likely to get the disease and ten times more likely to be hospitalized. Said that it shows an 11-fold lower chance of dying. Ryu acknowledged the existence of breakthrough cases due to the delta mutation, but said there was clear evidence that the vaccine would work.