(Snippets from the frontline)
COVID-19/BLM: Getting shot…ready, aim, fire!
The COVID-19 vaccine distribution will be a conveyor belt of people getting shot. Expectations are high it will be effective.
The majority of us will roll up our sleeves, spend hours in line, and get the injection in a matter of 10 seconds. Afterwards, you could get a band-aid, a sticker saying “I just got shot”, or maybe a lollipop.
Despite the shot, some of us will still become infected from COVID-19. We don’t know why, but in those 10 seconds of “ready, aim, fire”, it might be wise to carefully observe if appropriate techniques have been followed.
Medical professionals know there are variables in those moments where the injection could not be done correctly. This shot is given in the muscle (“IM” – intramuscularly). If it goes into the soft tissue or fat, it will not be effective.
The length of the needle and placing it at 90 degrees to the skin (straight in) is important. If you are over- or underweight, this could be a factor.
Ask questions of the professional administering the shots, as I know my colleagues will not want to fire blanks.
Gene Uzawa Dorio, M.D.
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