Cass Regional Medical Center | Wellness Matters | Spring 2021

Wellness Matters | Spring 2021 9 Q Will the vaccine make me sick? Many people complain that vaccines make them sick. The reality is that when our immune systems get activated because of a vaccine, the inflammation that is produced is what makes us achy and tired and sometimes gives us a low-grade fever. This inflammation is very mild compared to the effects that the virus produces in its battle with our immune system. The bottom line is that it is much safer to get the vaccine than the infection. Q What is the risk of long-term side effects? How long will the vaccine last, and will we need boosters? Because the vaccine material is rapidly destroyed in our body, long- term effects are extremely unlikely. One thing we don’t know yet is how long these vaccines will protect us. Based on other similar viral infections, the protection will likely be at least a year or more. We may have to have our immune response monitored over time to determine if we need another booster, or we may just give the boosters on a regular schedule, like flu shots. Q Will these vaccines protect against the mutant strains? One more bit of good news is that the current vaccines are effective at neutralizing the mutant versions of COVID-19 that have been occurring around the world. However, if the virus ever mutates in a way to make the vaccine less effective, it will be very easy and fast to make a new variant of the vaccine against the mutant using the new vaccine techniques described previously. Q Will the vaccine stop the pandemic? The vaccine is extremely helpful to protect yourself against exposure and risk of infection from COVID-19. However, just as important is that when you get vaccinated, you lower the risk to all those around you. If at least 70% of people get the vaccine, then we can stop the spread of the virus almost completely, a concept known as herd immunity. This has been a long, confusing and at times scary year dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic. We now have the tools to put an end to it, but it will take most of us getting the vaccine to protect us all. RHEUMATOLOGY Expert care Rheumatologist Kevin Latinis , MD, PhD, and Gina Accurso-Lee , MSN, APRN, FNP-C, see patients from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday through Thursday, in the Specialists Clinic. Dr. Latinis is board-certified in internal medicine and rheumatology. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree from theUniversity of Kansas; attendedmedical school at theUniversity of Iowa; and completed his internship, residency and fellowship training at Barnes Jewish Hospital (affiliatedwith WashingtonUniversity’s School ofMedicine) in St. Louis. GinaAccurso- Lee is aboard- certifiednurse practitioner. Sheobtained her Bachelor of Sciencedegree in nursing fromAvilaUniversity. Shealsoholds aMaster of Sciencedegree innursing fromWaldenUniversity. She works incollaborationwith Dr. Latinis in theSpecialists Clinic. For more information or tomake an appointment, please call 816-887-0331 . ➤ Are you eligible? Get up-to-date details about the COVID-19 vaccine at cassregional.org/patients-visitors/covid-19 .