COVID-19 vaccination

For about a year now, as the SARS – COV 2 pandemic has continued, it has become essential to contain it. Given the lack of effective antiviral treatment, mass vaccination is the only option. There are many diseases known to the humanity that have been defeated after introducing vaccinations. COVID 19 is another disease that can be prevented in this manner. Several pharmaceutical companies have produced vaccines for this purpose. Because of the race against time, the process of developing safe vaccines has had to accelerate greatly. This is why pharmaceutical companies have taken advantage of already known and used technologies to rapidly develop safe vaccines with SARS-COV2 antigens. Nevertheless, according to WHO and expert organizations, the vaccines have passed the necessary stage of clinical trials and the evidence of their safety and efficacy is sufficient for large-scale use.

The European Union and the Polish Government have signed appropriate agreements for the purchase and distribution of vaccines in the EU. Currently, Pfizer/BioNTech's COVID-19 "COMIRNATY" vaccine, Moderna's vaccine, and Astra Zeneca's vaccine are available in Poland and the EU.

WHERE CAN YOU GET VACCINATED?

We are pleased to inform you that Tartaczna 2 Medical Center has joined the competition to provide vaccinations reimbursed by the National Health Fund (NFZ) as a part of the National Vaccination Program. We met all the requirements and have received a positive opinion from the National Health Fund. We have officially become a vaccination site. A nationwide list of vaccination sites is announced at www.gov.pl/szczepimysie

DO I NEED A REFERRAL FOR THE VACCINATION?

For groups 1 and 2

A vaccination referral will be automatically generated as an e-referral according to the vaccination schedule and according to age group, occupational group or general population with a PESEL, or it will be issued individually by the doctor for persons without a PESEL (Polish resident identification) number, those with health problems or those whose e-referral is no longer valid.

Different rules apply to vaccination of medical staff (group 0), residents of nursing homes, health care and curative institutions, and people with chronic diseases such as cancer, organ transplants and dialysis patients (group 1B), as well as parents of premature babies

The remaining individuals are treated as part of the general population and will be vaccinated on a general basis.

You can make an appointment for vaccination at our vaccination center - Tartaczna 2 Medical Center in Gdańsk through:

• A dedicated telephone helpline for vaccination registration,
• On-line through an Internet Patient Account (IKP),
• through the facility where the e-referral was issued,
• directly at the vaccination center (phone number to reach our registration: 58 719-10-25).

There will be 2 appointments scheduled at the time of registration – as two doses of vaccination are required. The e-referral system sends an automatic SMS confirmation after registration and the day before vaccination.

Where to check your referral: https://pacjent.gov.pl or by calling our center (you do not need to know your e-referral number. Just provide personal information).

You do not need to know if you have such an e-referral – our staff will check it for you.

KEY INFORMATION ABOUT THE QUALIFICATION PROCESS AND THE VACCINATION ITSELF

• The vaccination does not require any special preparation.
• It can be performed at any time of day, regardless of meals (there is no need to be fasting).
• Your personal information and e-referral will be checked when you arrive at the facility.
• Next, you will fill out a questionnaire to be taken to the qualifying doctor. The doctor will decide whether you can be vaccinated at all and whether the vaccination should be postponed for medical reasons.
• A qualified person will receive the vaccination intramuscularly, in the arm, during the same visit to our center.
• After vaccination, you must stay in the facility for another 15 minutes to observe for any post-vaccination reactions.

NOTE!

• The referral is valid for 60 days from the issue date and covers both doses of the vaccination.
• Two doses of vaccination are required, 21 days apart for the Pfizer vaccine, and 28 days apart for the Moderna vaccine.
• The vaccination and the vaccine itself are free for all persons covered (fully reimbursed by the National Health Service).
• Vaccination is voluntary, starting at age 18.

VACCINATION CERTIFICATE

When you receive your second dose of vaccine, this certification will appear in the Immunization e-Card system. On request, the vaccinated person can receive such a certificate at the facility where the vaccination took place.

WHO IS AFFECTED BY THE VACCINATION?

Mass vaccinations are a guarantee of population health. Interruption of transmission, or the spread of the disease, is contingent on the immunity of individuals to the disease. We are all at equal risk for coronavirus infection. Some will pass it asymptomatically, some with flu-like symptoms. Nevertheless, there are certain groups who, because of their burdens, develop a more serious reaction than healthy people. The burdens that increase the risk of severe SARS-COV 2 infection and fatal COVID 19 development include people with compromised immune systems e.g. diabetes, cancer, AIDS, obesity, cardiovascular disease e.g. Arterial hypertension, coronary artery disease, after myocardial infarctions. This group also includes people with respiratory diseases, such as COPD, the elderly or residents of nursing homes.

Remember that an asymptomatic or oligosymptomatic course of coronavirus infection does not mean the absence of future health problems (post-COVID syndromes) such as lung, heart, kidney, nervous system diseases e.g. post-COVID brain fog or fatigue syndrome.

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT COVID 19 VACCINATION?

Vaccination is nearly 95% protective against COVID-19, including a severe COVID-19 course and death, and protects against the potential health problems that have been observed in recovering and asymptomatic individuals with SARS-COV 2 infection.

Vaccination has a proven impact on human health and was recognized by the WHO in 2018 as one of the two greatest achievements of the 20th century (the other being access to clean water).

mRNA vaccine are a modern technology for transferring virus antigens (its tiny particles) into the body. Thanks to the carrier, they do not build into our DNA and do not even enter into the cell nucleus - everything takes place outside of your genetic material. The vaccine does not contain the entire virus, but only a small piece of its RNA with information about one protein stored in it (it is not pathogenic in itself). This prevents you from contracting coronavirus through vaccination. The cell quickly degrades (digests) such mRNA, and there is no trace of it in the body.

Very rare cases of allergic reactions have been reported. So far, after more than 2 million doses have been administered worldwide, there have been no vaccine-related deaths.

Vectorized vaccines, such as the Astra Zeneca vaccine, are an older type of vaccine. We are familiar with many other vaccines.

HOW DOES THE Pfizer/BioNTech AND Moderna mRNA VACCINE WORK?

Messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines are a new type of vaccine based on the premise that mRNA is a biological record of information about a protein that is produced by a cell's ribosomes, in its cytoplasm. Building upon such a viral mRNA, the cell produces a viral protein that is foreign to the body. Our immune system recognizes this and starts producing antibodies to attack such a foreign protein. It takes several weeks (3-4 weeks) for the immune system to "learn" and remember to attack whenever a virus containing this protein enters the body. This is why the vaccine is active late and you have to wait for it to take full effect. Unfortunately, as of today, we do not know how long you will be able to detect such a virus and, once it enters your body, quickly fight it off. Meaning, in short: how long post-vaccine immunity will last.

Sometimes, adverse reactions occur after vaccination, but they are usually short-lived and are related to the activation of your own immune system, e.g. erythema at the injection site, flu-like syndrome, allergic reactions. Most often, they do not require medical intervention or absence at work.

HOW DOES Astra Zeneca's VECTOR VACCINE WORK?

This is what is called a ‘vector vaccine’. An adenovirus is used here to deliver the genetic code of the S protein, without causing the disease in humans, without replicating, without multiplying, constituting a vehicle for this genetic code instead, and allowing it to enter the cell, so that this cell would create the viral protein, resulting in immunity. In individuals aged 18-69 years, it yields 60% efficacy after 2 doses (mean score for interval of 4 weeks to 12 weeks) in protecting against COVID-19 and nearly 100% efficacy in protecting against severe disease complications (including fatal complications), and hospitalization for COVID-19.

ARE COVID-19 VACCINES SAFE?

All medications have greater or lesser risks associated with taking them. Every doctor is required to report adverse drug reactions, especially those that have not yet been demonstrated by the manufacturer. This is a standard procedure that applies to all available vaccines and medications. The vaccine is relatively new and is subject to reporting of all possible adverse reactions that were not captured during the clinical trials and the relatively short post-vaccination follow-up time.

Given the mass vaccination rate worldwide, about 2 million people vaccinated with the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, it has been shown to be safe, and its early complications are rare and not life-threatening to people, except for a few cases of anaphylaxis. Anaphylaxis reactions are early reactions that occur within minutes of allergen administration and require appropriate medication. Every vaccination center is required to have these drugs as one of the conditions for joining the vaccination program. Our center also has these medications. No vaccine-related deaths have been reported to date.