As information regarding the COVID-19 vaccine continues to evolve, Chapman University partnered April 20 with the Orange County Register to host a COVID-19 town hall live stream, attempting to provide clarity and information on the topic. Chapman students, faculty and staff had the opportunity to pose questions regarding vaccine safety and efficacy. 

Panelists included health experts across Chapman as well as Regina Chinsio-Kwong, a representative of the Orange County Health Care Agency (OCHCA). The conversation highlighted important topics such as the latest vaccination updates, vaccine misinformation, vaccine safety and the future of COVID-19 protocol. 

Vaccine Updates 

Chinsio-Kwong discussed OCHCA’s progress in vaccinating the entire county by July 4, citing that the county had administered a total of nearly 2.2 million doses as of April 20.

“What that amounts to is we’re probably at the rate of at least 40% of our eligible population vaccinated with at least one dose,” Chinsio-Kwong said.

As dispersion of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine was paused April 13 due to rare blood clots, many people are curious about the future of the vaccine’s use in their community. When asked whether Orange County will resume administering the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, Chinsio-Kwong said OCHCA will follow recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). If the CDC approves the use of Johnson & Johnson and there are doses available, OCHCA will likewise allow Johnson & Johnson vaccinations to resume.

As of April 25, Orange County has now administered a total of 2,358,977 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. 

Vaccine Misinformation

While vaccination numbers in the county are rising, hesitation to receive doses still lingers, even within the healthcare community. 

“It turns out the workers in the nursing homes, nursing attendants, early on had one of the lowest vaccination rates of healthcare providers,” said panelist Jeff Goad, Chapman’s chair of pharmacy practice. “And we still struggle in that area to get them vaccinated.”

Given how much medical information is readily available online, panelists advised viewers to be critical of what they read and accept from others as truth. 

“Ask for the evidence,” said panelist Jennifer Totonchy, an assistant professor at Chapman’s School of Pharmacy. “If a person is giving you real information, they should have evidence to back up what they’re saying. And if they provide you with evidence, check the veracity of that source; check whether that source is trustworthy.” 

Vaccine Safety

Although Johnson & Johnson vaccinations will resume in the coming days with an added warning label, the pause of its distribution is fresh in minds across the nation, leading to increased apprehension toward vaccine safety.

Goad attempted to reassure viewers that there are systems in place to monitor the effects of the vaccine in the U.S. He explains that there are three such monitoring systems: the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS), V-safe and the Vaccine Safety Datalink. Goad attributed the VAERS with first identifying blood clots associated with the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, which he said affirms the fact that surveillance and safety systems are working. 

One potential concern discussed by panelists was the rapid speed with which the vaccines were developed and then released for public use. To combat this apprehension, Goad addressed the factors that helped expedite the distribution process.

“Some of it, frankly, is money,” Goad said. “If you invest money, you can recruit quickly and you can open up many different trial sites; you can move a vaccine quicker through its process. Did we cut corners? Absolutely not.”

While questions regarding the vaccine’s safety are important, Chinsio-Kwong reminded viewers of the comparatively graver risk of contracting COVID-19. 

“In general, a lot of people are concerned about, ‘What is the safety of all these vaccines?’” Chinsio-Kwong said. “At the end of the day, when you think of the consequence of actually getting COVID-19, some of the consequences are severe for many people.” 

What does this mean for the future?

As vaccinations take place throughout the state and across the nation, questions remain in regard to what these developments mean for the COVID-19 protocols Americans have grown accustomed to.

Regardless of vaccination, individuals are required to continue wearing a mask in public settings until further notice from the CDC. The policy falls in line with speculation from Anthony Fauci, director of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, that the requirement could proceed through 2022. 

“With any of the vaccines, it does take time for the body to build antibodies and it’s not 100%,” Chinsio-Kwong said. “If they do get COVID-19, there’s still a potential for transmissibility … The other concern we have is that there are these other variants that come into play that the vaccine may not be as effective against, so wearing a mask is still important to protect ourselves as well as our loved ones.” 

In addition to mask-wearing, the necessity for COVID-19 testing remains equally important for anyone, vaccinated or not, to curb exposure. Although a need for the continuation of restrictions and safety protocol still exists, panelists left viewers with a message of hope.

“The pandemic will come to an end,” Goad said. “If we can all pull together with some patience, keep our preventative measures in place, keep vaccinating (and) work through vaccine hesitancy, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. But we can’t jump the line in this case to get there. We have to make our way through it.”