For the first time in months, Sean Uhler, a custodian and an employee of the Carroll County Bureau of Aging and Disabilities, will be able to work without fear of contracting COVID-19.
While many have spent the past year working safely from home, Uhler has been sanitizing county buildings to protect others from the novel coronavirus.
“It’s been kind of stressful,” Uhler said. “You kind of try to stay mindful as to who you keep around and the last thing I want to do is catch this thing and transport it to my parents.”
Uhler is one of some 500 essential workers who were scheduled to receive their second dose of the Moderna vaccine on Wednesday at the Westminster Senior and Community Center. While the county began administering second doses last week, the two Wednesday clinics vaccinated the largest group to have received the second dose so far.
The second Moderna dose is to be administered exactly 28 days after the first and is the last step toward inoculation from the novel coronavirus. Still, health specialists advise individuals to continue to socially distance after receiving both doses. While the vaccine has been found to be effective at preventing symptoms from developing, there is no clear data on whether the vaccine prevents the spread of the virus.
Maggie Kunz, the Carroll County Health Department health planner, said those who take the first dose are automatically registered for the second dose, which is scheduled exactly 4 weeks from the date of the first.
“Once you take the first dose, you’re signed up and you’re in the system and so the system actually just sends you an email reminder,” Kunz said. “It’s the same weekday, so it’s pretty straightforward.”
Individuals are observed for 15 minutes after vaccination to monitor any possible reactions.
Kunz said while the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reported that people have been found to have more side effects with the second dose, she has not yet witnessed any strong reactions.
Ed Singer, Carroll County’s health officer, said allocation for second doses remains separate from first doses.
“There really isn’t any shortage of second doses at this point in time,” Singer said. “We’ve been receiving the second doses that we’re supposed to get. And as far as I know, the other providers are receiving the second doses they’re supposed to get as well.”
Vaccines are sent directly to the county from the federal government after the state allocates a number to each county, Singer said.
“There aren’t any doses sitting in a warehouse anywhere,” Singer said. “Whatever is coming off the production line is being shipped out to the states.”
Prior to Wednesday, Carroll’s health department had administered 5,840 first doses and 100 second doses. The department received 800 first doses for this week and will have 1,200 for next week. Carroll is in phase 1B of the state’s vaccine distribution plan, which means residents who are at least 75 years old and educators are eligible to be vaccinated by the health department, but the second doses are going to those in 1A who received their first dose in early January.
For now, the county is relying mainly on qualifying individuals to register themselves on the list and has partnered with the county government and Citizen Services to perform some outreach, but plans are underway to begin more rigorous outreach. The county’s first clinics for adults over 75 began last week.
“We have not done all the outreach we’re going to do.” Kunz said. “We just need to get past this surge of people.”
Becka Rosenberger, a health services specialist with the county health department and a phlebotomist, has been administering the vaccine. Rosenberger was another essential worker to receive the second dose Wednesday and is the first among her family and friends to be fully vaccinated, but wishes she could speed along the process for others.
“I understand why it was important for me to be one of the first people,” Rosenberger said. “But I also feel like I know other people who I’d rather be protected.”
The health department is asking residents who want to receive the vaccine to complete interest forms for their phase of vaccination. These forms can be found online at cchd.maryland.gov/covid-19-interest-forms. More information on the state phases can be found at covidlink.maryland.gov/content/vaccine. More information on COVID-19 vaccinations in Carroll County can be found on the health department’s page at cchd.maryland.gov/covid-19-vaccination or by calling 410-876-4848.
