SOUTHFIELD, Mich. (WXYZ) — It is on to dose two. Beaumont Health invited WXYZ to capture history as its first health care heroes to get vaccinated received their second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
They are sharing their stories to raise awareness to get the most protection, one shot is not enough.
“You get more effectiveness of the vaccine with two doses. It's up to 95% effective, which is incredible with a vaccine. We don’t really have a lot of vaccines that are that effective,” said Dr. Nick Gilpin, Beaumont Health System Medical Director for Infection Prevention.
Beaumont Health says it has administered 15,000 vaccines so far and right now has the capacity to administer about 3,000 a day. It is looking forward to getting to the point where all priority health care workers are vaccinated and it can offer protection to the public.
Workers we spoke to experienced minor symptoms, similar to a flu shot.
In a hospital system that cared for more COVID 19 patients than any other local health system, they say it is worth it.
“Yes you might feel a little ill after getting it, but that is just your body doing what it is supposed to do and launching an immune response to something it doesn’t recognize. But that way if you do get exposed to the virus your body will be ready,” said Giulia Heiden, a Registered Nurse in the Beaumont Health System.
“My hope is that everyone who is on the fence about this vaccine understands vaccines are all about managing risk and what we know about Covid is weighed against what we don’t know about the vaccine. We have a lot of compelling reasons to take the vaccine,” said Dr. Rajiv John, Internal Medicine Physician Beaumont Dearborn.
“We want to all get back to normal. We want to get to life as we knew it. And the only way that is going to happen is with a vaccine,” said Dr. Gilpin.
