SOUTH BEND - Director at Pacific County Public Health & Human Services Katie Lindstrom addressed more topics related to the COVID-19 pandemic to continue to maintain public awareness.
Lindstrom graduated from Oregon State University with a Bachelor's of Science Degree in Social Sciences and has worked for the Pacific County Health Department for nearly 19 years. Lindstrom was promoted to director of the department in December 2019.
Below is Part II of Lindstrom's interview.
Herald: What are your thoughts about when a fourth booster is necessary? Should people boost now or boost later or not at all?
Lindstrom: We do recommend that folks get the boosters as soon as they are eligible. Currently, those who are over age 50 and those over age 12, who are immune compromised are eligible for a second booster, and everyone who has completed their initial series at least five months ago is eligible for a first booster. There is a school of thought suggesting value for those eligible to "time" their second booster for a later date when case rates are higher and/ or we have a more virulent variant. While I can understand some of the logic behind this, I think this strategy could be risky for a few reasons. Our case data is not as reliable as it was earlier in the pandemic which makes it difficult to know when the case rates are actually increasing and by how much. This is primarily due to the recent increase in home testing, which is generally a good thing, but does result in less accurate data, as many of those who test positive are not reporting their cases. These factors make it difficult to accurately "time' that second booster because we don't know that cases are increasing sometimes until a few weeks after the fact, once hospitalizations and deaths start to increase.
Herald: What do you believe are the biggest myths about the vaccine?
Lindstrom: There are so many myths about the vaccine. Some people believe it alters DNA; it doesn't, or we've heard of people claiming they cause, among other conditions, an HIV-like disease; also not true. The vaccines have been shown to be very safe and effective and are all approved for use by the FDA with Pfizer having received full approval last year. Millions of people throughout the world have received the vaccines with the vast majority reporting only mild side effects, like a sore arm, or flu-like symptoms for a day or two after receiving the vaccine. That said, there are a few other documented adverse effects and risks of the vaccine. For example, there is a very small increased risk of myocarditis in males under the age of 30 who receive a MRNA vaccines. However, this risk is much smaller than the risk of myocarditis occurring as a result of having COVID-19. Put another way, the risk of myocarditis among young males occurring after having COVID-19 is at least five times higher than the risk of myocarditis occurring after vaccination.
Herald: What do you believe is the biggest misconception about COVID-19?
Lindstrom: There is so much misinformation out there about COVID-19. I think the biggest misconception is the idea that if a safety strategy, like masks or vaccines, fail to provide 100 percent protection, then they are not worthwhile at all. There is no perfect solution to stopping the spread of COVID, but we do have many effective strategies that can be layered to reduce the risk as much as possible. For example, vaccines don't prevent all cases of COVID, but they do reduce the risk of contracting COVID and drastically reduce the risk of hospitalization or death. Masks and social distancing do not prevent all cases, but to varying degrees do reduce the chance of contracting COVID. I often equate the risk reduction measures to car safety measures like seatbelts or anti lock brakes. Do anti-lock brakes prevent all accidents? No, but they do prevent some accidents. Can a person become severely injured or even die in a car accident while wearing a seatbelt? Yes, they can, but their risk is much lower than if they are not wearing one. This is the lens through which COVID safety strategies should be viewed. Each individual should implement safety strategies to help protect their community as well as based on their own individual risk factors.
Herald: Do you have to get tested for COVID-19 before you get vaccinated?
Lindstrom: No, however if you are currently experiencing any symptoms of COVID-19 or have been recently exposed to someone who has tested positive for COVID, you should wait until your symptoms resolve or you are out of your quarantine period before getting vaccinated.
Herald: Is it to the point where people will need to get an annual COVID injection?
Lindstrom: We don't know for sure yet. But I would not be surprised if eventually we have an annual COVID-19 vaccine to address the current variant in any given year, similar to how we have an annual flu vaccine.
Herald: Are a lot of people still getting vaccinated in north Pacific County? Are the numbers where they should be for our part of the county? Do more people still need to get vaccinated?
Lindstrom: Yes, we have seen an increase in demand in recent weeks, especially among those eligible for the second booster. Currently, the majority, 67 percent of all Pacific County residents, have initiated vaccination. The vaccines are very effective at reducing risk of death or hospitalization due to COVID and have been shown to be very safe. We strongly encourage everyone who's eligible to get the vaccine and boosters as soon as they are eligible.
Herald: What is the latest information you have on one-dose vaccines?
Lindstrom: I don't have much of an update on one-dose vaccine, other than the Johnson & Johnson one-dose vaccine, which has been around for about a year now.
Herald: If there's anything else you'd care to address, please do so.
Lindstrom: Just want to say thank you to the Willapa Harbor Herald for providing coverage since the start of the pandemic. We appreciate your partnership in helping to get information out to the public. We'd also like to thank the public for their continued efforts to help slow the spread of COVID-19. We know these past two years have been so hard on everyone and like you, are looking forward to a return to normal. With the current shift in the response to COVID and lifting of mask mandates, we do encourage everyone to continue to do what they can to reduce their risk and the risk in the community, which, for now we know includes getting vaccinated and boosted if you haven't already, wearing good quality face coverings while in crowded indoor settings when case rates are high, testing and staying home if you are sick, and working with your doctor to get early treatment if do contract COVID and you are high risk. More information on all of these topics can be found at www.pacificcountycovid19.com.
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