Česky
How is the vaccination going?
Last week we finished vaccinating the 80+ age group, we have vaccinated groups of health care workers and almost all institutions and nursing homes in the area. The vaccination centre is also ready for the next group of residents, which will be mainly residents of the age structure from 70 years upwards. This group is open from the first of March. Two days before that, a separate group of teaching staff was allowed to be vaccinated, and they are likely to be vaccinated in the first half of this week.
Is it still the case that the only way to get vaccinated is through the MoH registration?
The only way is to register with the MoH Reservatic system. If you do not have internet access or need help filling in your details, you can contact the 1221 helpline. The procedure for registering for vaccinations is detailed on our hospital website. There is also a form to be completed at the vaccination to view and download. There are also short messages about the effect of vaccines and instructions on how to book, including contact details.
What should people aged 80 and over who are only now deciding to have the vaccine do?
They must also register for the scheme. The whole booking system works by putting the oldest people first, meaning it doesn't decide when you register, but how old you are. We, as a vaccination centre, cannot influence the structure of the vaccinated or their ranking.
It is not possible to register except by meeting the criteria, and that is now age 70 and above. Other groups are under discussion. Consideration will be given to significant comorbidities and the occupational burden of the group.
What is the current vaccine supply? Can a regular supply be counted on?
At the moment it seems that we are already starting to see an increase in the number of vaccines. This trend is likely to continue. This week we have the possibility to vaccinate 220 - 250 people per day, and we are even planning to open Saturdays this week so that we can finish all the vaccines we have available.
What types of vaccines do we use now at the Hospital Hořovice?
Currently we have the most vaccines from AstraZeneca, followed by Pfizer vaccines and a few vaccines from Moderna. So this week we are vaccinating mostly with AstraZeneca vaccine.
Is there any difference between them?
The difference between the three vaccines currently in use is the principle of their action. The vaccines from Moderna and Pfizer are so-called RNA vaccines. The AstraZeneca vaccine is a vector vaccine, so it uses a vector, which is a harmless adenovirus, to carry the genetic information. The difference between these vaccines is also the length of time it takes to administer the second dose. Currently, Pfizer's second dose is administered after 21 days, Moderna's second dose after 28 days and AstraZeneca's second dose is administered after 12 weeks. In all cases, the second vaccine is given to maximise antibody production and the development of a person's immunity.
What are the differences in the effectiveness of each vaccine?
There is currently controversy about the effectiveness of the AstraZeneca vaccine in particular. However, this vaccine is also very effective against the virus, and even has several advantages. It prevents 100% of the severe course of COVID-19 and is very likely to have a longer persistence of overall effectiveness due to the fact that the second dose is given after 12 weeks.
The issue of this vaccine in people over 65 years of age has also been discussed, but this has come from the structure of the patient group in which the Phase III clinical trial of this vaccine was conducted, and it cannot be said that it has been shown to have a lower effect in the elderly than other vaccines.
Vaccines also differ in terms of storage conditions, usually storage temperature. AstraZeneca's vaccines and, in the future, Johnson & Johnson's vaccines have better storage conditions, can be stored for longer periods of time in an ordinary refrigerator and can be used by low-capacity vaccination centres or GPs. GPs are expected to be involved in the vaccination drive as early as this month, which, if sufficient vaccines are available, should significantly increase the vaccination coverage of the population.
In general, the immune system of older patients is not as responsive to any immunisation.
Is it possible to choose the type of vaccine to be given?
In the Czech Republic, a strategy of ordering according to age and other criteria has been chosen. The way vaccination centres work is that they set up a vaccination calendar according to the number of vaccines delivered, to which the booking system adds patients to be vaccinated according to the above criteria, i.e. especially according to age. Thus, a person cannot choose a vaccine but can refuse to be vaccinated with that vaccine. However, this means that he or she must go through the booking system again, and even then it is not impossible that he or she will be offered the same type of vaccine.
How is the vaccination itself administered?
The patient should come to the vaccination site with a simple form, where he/she is asked mainly about the diseases he/she suffers from, allergic reactions or concurrent febrile illnesses, etc. On arrival at the vaccination centre, he/she is again asked about his/her state of health and data on the first dose administered to the patient is entered into the central information system. At the second dose, a certificate is then generated from this system, which will serve in the future as proof of having received the COVID-19 vaccination. The vaccination itself is virtually painless, with the vaccination being administered to the shoulder of the non-dominant upper limb. The patient must then remain in the vaccination centre for the next 30 minutes under staff supervision to monitor any side effects.
In our experience, side effects are very mild. Apart from mild pain at the injection site and occasional muscle pain or malaise, we have not observed any side reactions. The most serious reaction that can occur immediately after vaccination is an allergic reaction. The vaccination centre is fully equipped to deal with this situation.
