By David Fleet
Editor
RN Amber Gagnon described receiving the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine as less painful than the flu shot.
“Honestly I did not feel the injection,” said Gagnon, a 1999 Goodrich High School graduate who earned a BSN from The University of Michigan-Flint in 2007. “More than 24 hours after I’ve received the first dose (of the vaccine) I’ve had no side effects. My arm is sore but that’s it.”
Last month Moderna’s two-dose vaccine, which is about 95 percent effective against COVID-19 was released to politicians and health care workers. Gagnon, a nursing supervisor at Grand Blanc based Ascension Genesys Hospital, was one of the first groups in Genesee County to receive the injection.
County health officials say they are ramping up distribution of the vaccine.
The Genesee County Health Department has a “Memorandum of Understanding” with eight schools in Genesee County partnering for the utilization of their facilities for public health emergencies including, but not limited to, vaccine distribution. Current planning includes the use of these sites to provide drive through vaccination clinics. However, at this time there are no walk-ins or appointments for the vaccine open to the public.

“We are also looking at the possibility of providing clinics in other locations as well as the schools, to ensure all residents of the county are accommodated,” said Tina Hanson, BSN, RN public health nursing supervisor. As the COVID-19 vaccine becomes available to the Health Department, it will post the times and locations of clinics along with the priority group that will be eligible for receiving the vaccine at that time.
“There are people that are not on board with the vaccine,” said Gagnon, who began her career with an externship at Genesys Hospital in 2004. “Everyone has a choice, but those receiving the vaccine early on are leading from the front of the fight. We need the vaccine, and yes it’s scary but we need to get out in front of this virus. Nothing in this world is 100 percent but, I believe the producers of this vaccine have done everything to get the very best product out to the population that need it. The vaccine is one step in the right direction, we can’t just wait for the change we need to be the change.”
The vaccine will be distributed to the public in phases of priority, determined by the Centers of Disease Control (CDC) and Advisory Committee on Immunizations Practices (ACIP.), according to the Genesee County Health Department.
“COVID has pushed us all past our limits emotionally and physically,” said Gagnon. “The roles we had a year ago as medical professionals are just so different today. Many of us go way beyond our limits everyday and many have not stopped working since the pandemic started last spring—it’s taking a toll on our daily life.”
It’s more than just the medical front line and those infected by the virus impacted, she said.
“The patient’s family often don’t get the support they should due to the rigid COVID guidelines—that adds to our stress too,” she said. “We as medical professionals have become their emotional support and many nurses are exhausted. COVID has pushed us to learn different ways to cope.”
For more information regarding the COVID vaccine go to gchd.us