This article will be continually updated as more information is provided

Iowa State begins planning for vaccine rollout 

Senior Vice President and Provost Jonathan Wickert said widespread vaccination for the campus community is unlikely to begin before spring semester.

The availability of vaccines could mean big changes by next fall, Wickert said at a council meeting according to a release from the university. 

Iowa State is preparing to help the state implement its distribution plan as vaccine supplies are expected to arrive this month by serving on-campus vaccinations and implementing the 10-day quarantine protocol in accordance with the Iowa Department of Public Health. Iowa State still allows for on-campus testing and requires face coverings on campus. 

Protocols for COVID-19 in campus offices and classrooms during the spring semester of 2021 will be similar to fall 2020, according to a release from the university.

Edith Parker is dean of the University of Iowa College of Public Health and is appointed to the Iowa Department of Public Health to serve on its Infectious Disease Advisory Council (IDAC). The council brings more than 20 subject matter experts from across Iowa to assist the state in developing COVID-19 vaccine distribution guidance and rotation of the population for when supply is limited.

Parker said in an email response it is important to wear masks and continue to social distance while vaccines are being distributed for multiple reasons. Masks are effective in reducing the transmission of COVID-19 as well as some protection to the person wearing one.  

“While the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines seem to be very efficacious at preventing serious illness, we still do not know if these vaccines are able to block the spread of the coronavirus,” Parker said in an email response. “That is because the research trials have looked at how many vaccinated people became sick with Covid-19, not if the vaccine stopped transmission of the virus. So, until we have data that suggests the vaccines stop transmission of the virus, everyone should keep wearing a mask, even those who have been vaccinated.”

Parker said because it will be some months before vaccines are available to everyone it will be important to keep wearing masks to prevent the spread.

Update on the vaccines

On Thursday, the Pfizer vaccine reached the last steps in the authorization process in the United States. Some Mayo Clinic doctors have reaffirmed the effectiveness of Pfizer and Moderna as very safe vaccines. Parker also said she knows some people distrust these vaccines because they were developed quickly but both are very effective based on clinical trials. 

“I know that these trials followed scientific procedures and I know colleagues at the University of Iowa who conducted part of the trial for the Pfizer vaccine and I am confident that the trials were done properly and with the utmost integrity,” Parker said. “I would take one tomorrow if I was given a chance and will definitely take it as soon as it is offered to me.”

What the CDC has planned for Iowa

Iowa is expected to begin vaccinations in long-term care facilities as early as Dec. 28, Gov Kim Reynolds said during her weekly press conference Wednesday. 

Iowa State officials announced details about the first COVID-19 vaccines that will be available to the state to distribute. The vaccines will be distributed prioritizing nursing home residents and health care workers and is expected to begin the week of Dec. 13.

Iowa is expected to receive 172,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines by the end of the month so long as it is approved as safe to use. Coming in weekly doses, the vaccines will gradually become available for other groups and soon the public once supplies become available. 

Social distancing and use of masks is still recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Skeptical about these vaccines? Here are the facts according to the CDC:

Currently, no vaccines are authorized and recommended to prevent COVID-19 in the United States. As of Nov. 24, five companies are in phase-three, large-scale clinical trials in the United States. 

• AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine

• Janssen’s COVID-19 vaccine

• Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine

• Novavax’s COVID-19 vaccine

• Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine​

Iowa is expected to receive vaccine supply from two companies, Moderna and Pfizer. The CDC does not have a role in developing vaccines but instead, they work closely with health departments to develop plans when a vaccine is available. 

Vaccinations can help prevent people from contracting COVID-19. COVID-19 vaccinations can help protect an individual by creating an antibody response. While this may seem like a redundant statement, people experience different effects of this virus from a mild illness, severe illness or even death. Because there is no way to determine the effects of COVID-19, catching the virus may spread the disease to people of higher risk. 

In the beginning, COVID-19 vaccines might be used under an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). An EUA is used in cases of a public health emergency to provide more timely access to drugs and diagnostic tests.

The FDA evaluates the possible options as quickly as possible with evidence that is available while balancing any risks and benefits before authorizing a vaccine. Regardless of the need for urgency, it is not in the best interest of the public health for the FDA to approve an inadequate drug. Inadequate vaccines can lead to false test results and can increase the spread of infectious diseases like COVID-19. 

Parker said vaccines are a very effective way in preventing death and disease and the clinical trials conducted for the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are extremely successful.

COVID-19 vaccines will not give you COVID-19; none of the vaccines currently in development in the United States use live viruses. The goal of the immunization process is to train the body’s immune system to recognize and fight the virus causing COVID-19. This can cause symptoms such as fever and are normal signs of the body building immunity. More on immunity can be found here.

Vaccines will not cause a positive COVID-19 viral test in the United States. When the body develops an immune response, there is a possibility to test positive on some antibody tests, which indicate previous infections. These antibodies may have some level of protection against the virus. Experts continue to look into how COVID-19 vaccination may affect antibody testing results. 

Parker said people should prepare for the vaccine shots to cause flu-like symptoms, which could include sore arms, muscle aches and fever and may need to miss school or work.

Will I have to pay?

Vaccine doses are purchased with U.S. taxpayer dollars but vaccine providers will be able to charge administration fees for giving the shot to someone. Chargers can be reimbursed by the patient’s public or private insurance company and, for those who are uninsured, the Health Resources and Services Administration’s Provider Relief Fund.