On Thursday, January 7, 2021, ACC Senior Services, with the help of CVS Pharmacy, began administering the COVID-19 vaccine at the ACC Care Center. The first round doses of the vaccine were given to the Care Center residents and essential healthcare personnel. Dr. Scott Stringer, ACC’s Medical Director, and the team have worked diligently to educate residents, family members, and staff about the importance of being vaccinated with great results. 106 Care Center staff and 75 residents received the vaccine.

The timing could not be more critical. 4,000 people in the U.S. are dying each day from COVID-19 with the senior population being the hardest hit. The FDA-approved vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna are 95% effective in preventing COVID-19. ACC President and CEO Darrick Lam has ordered the fast tracking ACC’s COVID-19 vaccination program to prevent sickness and loss of life in our community.

Some of the questions ACC is getting about vaccine include:

Can a COVID-19 vaccine make me sick with COVID-19? No. None of the authorized and recommended COVID-19 vaccines or COVID-19 vaccines currently in development in the United States contain the live virus that causes COVID-19. This means that a COVID-19 vaccine cannot make you sick with COVID-19.

If I have already had COVID-19 and recovered, do I still need to get vaccinated with a COVID-19 vaccine?
Yes. Due to the severe health risks associated with COVID-19 and the fact that re-infection with COVID-19 is possible, vaccine should be offered to you regardless of whether you already had COVID-19 infection.

Who will get the COVID-19 vaccine first? The Center for Disease Control (CDC) has issued guidance based on recommendations from the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), an independent panel of medical and public health experts. Healthcare personnel and residents of long-term care facilities should be offered the first doses of the COVID-19. This includes residents and staff of ACC Care Center. Next are frontline essential workers and people over 75. More from CDC.

Should I get the vaccine? Yes! It will protect your, your family, your co-workers and you community against the most deadly pandemic of our lifetime. The vaccine along with wearing a mask, practicing social distancing, and sanitizing your hands will help beat this disease back to normal. Building defenses against COVID-19 is a community effort.