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    COVID-19 vaccine available to Washington Air Guard members

    COVID-19 vaccine available to Washington Air Guard members

    Photo By Master Sgt. Timothy Chacon | Staff Sgt. Shayna Shon, 225th Air Defense Group personnel specialist, receives a...... read more read more

    WA, UNITED STATES

    01.10.2021

    Story by Master Sgt. Timothy Chacon 

    194th Wing

    Across Washington State, every Air National Guardsman is eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine on a voluntary basis, and many are.

    On Jan. 8, 2021, several members of the 194th Wing and Western Air Defense Sector went through their vaccination process at Camp Murray, Washington. They were among the first few groups within the Washington Air National Guard to receive the vaccine.

    “This is our path forward to getting back to a life without masks and social distancing,” said Col. Kenneth Borchers, 194th Wing Commander. “I understand people’s hesitation, but I think this is the right way ahead and as more information comes out on it I think that will be proven true. I encourage people to seek out the information that is currently out there.”
    These Air Guardsmen opted in for their own personal reasons, but most shared a common theme of wanting to contribute to the collective effort needed to push back against the COVID-19 virus.

    “I decided to volunteer because I want us to get back to some kind of normal,” said Staff Sgt. Shayna Shon, a personnel specialist in the 225th Air Defense Group. “2020 was rough for me, so I think contributing to hopefully getting past the pandemic will make an impact for our country and improve my life personally.”

    Part of the process included a lengthy brief from medical personnel. They covered the vaccination process, to include the two shot series for the Moderna variant they would be receiving. They went over the statistics for vaccines already administered, and ample time was given to answer questions from everyone. This was an important step for some.

    “My biggest concern was for the long term affects, but the more I researched the benefits outweighed [possible] side effects,” said Senior Master Sgt. Rebekah St. Romain, 225th Air Defense Group Superintendent. “I’m hoping more people will get the vaccine and they can see that it is ok. I feel it was the right decision. All the briefings and the info they provided helped alleviate my concerns.”

    The exposure to factual information about the vaccines was a common turning point for many in their decision process.

    “Initially this was not something I planned on doing. I was nervous because I didn’t know the facts,” said Tech. Sgt. Courtney Lawson, 225th Air Defense Group base records manager. “But my leadership providing [the facts] and my husband getting it changed my mind. Just because it hasn’t gone all the way through the [approval] process doesn’t mean it’s not safe. They explained what steps were taken, and that alone made me feel safer.”

    According to the Food and Drug Administration, the COVID-19 vaccines have and are undergoing a rigorous development process that includes tens of thousands of study participants to generate the needed non-clinical, clinical, and manufacturing data.

    The vaccines are currently being administered under an Emergency Use Act. A EUA is a mechanism to facilitate the availability and use of medical countermeasures, including vaccines, during public health emergencies, such as the current COVID-19 pandemic. For a EUA to be issued for a vaccine, the FDA must determine that the known and potential benefits outweigh the known and potential risks of the vaccine.

    The FDA says the COVID-19 vaccine has been developed so quickly because U.S. government agencies, international counterparts, academia, nonprofit organizations and pharmaceutical companies have develop a coordinated strategy for prioritizing and speeding development of the most promising vaccines.

    Washington Air National Guard Commander Brig. Gen. Gent Welsh has made getting vaccines to those who want them his organization’s highest priority. He was confident that a few hundred members would be vaccinated by Jan. 10 and has a plan in place to reach the rest of those wanting the vaccine in the coming weeks.

    Information is readily available for those who have questions about the vaccine and the process. The vaccine is not mandatory at this time, but the vaccine has a stellar track record with the more than 22 million people who have already received it as of Jan. 9.

    “This is an optional vaccine. This is not mandatory at this time,” said Borchers. “Whether to receive it or not is up to each of you. There’s no negative consequence to opting out. We all need to make up our own minds based on what we know, what we’re learning, and what new reliable information is made available. If you’re interested in getting vaccinated, make sure you let your chain of command know so we can add you to the opt-in list.”

    Facts about the COVID-19 vaccine can be found on the Washington State Department of Health website and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website.

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    NEWS INFO

    Date Taken: 01.10.2021
    Date Posted: 01.10.2021 12:05
    Story ID: 386666
    Location: WA, US

    Web Views: 140
    Downloads: 2

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