The national news occasionally carries conflicting reports on the effectiveness of vaccines. We want to make it clear that Wake Robin believes in science and this is how we handle vaccination season on our campus.
Angela Kiefer is Wake Robin’s Infection Control Nurse. Vaccination clinics are part of her world and a frontline tool for protecting our residents and staff. We sat down with Angela recently for a question and answer interview.
Question: “What is the purpose of a vaccination?”
Angela: “Although vaccinations do not stop you from getting the illness, they help to make the symptoms less severe.”
Q: “A vaccinated person is likely to be less sick?”
Angela: “Yes, it’s proven with the flu vaccine, and it’s been proven with the Covid vaccine. We still had a number of people who were sick last year.”
Q: “Had they been vaccinated before?”
Angela: “Yes. That’s the point of getting the boosters each year. Keep up with it.”
Q: “Some people are reluctant because they have a reaction to the shot.”
Angela: “You are actually supposed to have some sort of reaction. It’s your body’s way of figuring out how to make the antibodies to fight off the actual virus. It’s your immune system educating itself.”
Q: “The flu vaccine is reformulated each year to anticipate new strains. Is the Covid vaccine similar?”
Angela: “It’s the same premise. We are seeing different symptoms with Covid now than we did in the beginning. You’re not losing your sense of taste, and we don’t see fever right now.”
Q: “Has our awareness about that changed too?”
Angela: “In just a few short years, we’ve changed our mindset. We evolve just as the viruses evolve. We still have to protect people and vaccinations are a huge way to do that.”
Q: “How much of our Wake Robin policy is driven by our own standards and how much comes from the state and federal governments?”
Angela: “We always go to the Vermont Department of Health and the CDC for their recommendations. We make adjustments for our community knowing what works best for the people of Wake Robin. We have specific protocols for masking, quarantine time, and levels of PPE (Personal Protection Equipment). We try to figure out what’s best for the residents because that’s top priority.”
The flu season typically runs through the winter months and into early spring. October and November are optimum months for getting your annual vaccine to protect yourself and those around you. Angela encourages you to get the Covid booster as well!
