Welcome to the United Church of Sun City 

Greetings from your Parish Nurse…

In the past few weeks, I’ve come across several people (including me) who have been down with some sort of respiratory illness. I decided to remind us all of some easy precautions, and also talk about the latest illnesses that have been on the news.

Lets begin there first. Probably everyone has heard of hantavirus which affected people on a cruise ship recently. It turns out this is not a new virus though we have rarely heard of it. It has been around for decades and primarily affects people who come in contact with rodent droppings or nesting materials.

The good news is that it does not spread easily from person to person. The cruise provided close contact over a period of time, and even then, a small percentage of passengers were affected.

Some precautions include wearing gloves and a mask if cleaning out a storage area, cabin, etc. that have evidence of rodents and nests. But by and large, there is no need to worry about this virus spreading through our population.

I also heard someone recently expressing concern about the Ebola Virus. There has been an outbreak of Ebola in Africa again. It’s a horrible virus causing bleeding and often death. But there is some good news. They have developed some vaccines for Ebola and are using them in Africa with promising results. There are some precautions for those traveling internationally, especially to areas in Africa so talk with your doctor about prevention and immunization before going.

The other good news is that the risk in the United States is very low as Ebola does not spread through the air or with casual contact. It requires direct contact with bodily fluids. Healthcare providers continue to take precautions as they are often exposed to the body fluids of others. But for most of us, this is not a common occurrence.

I hope this helps to allay some anxiety and fear about these viruses. But we do need to practice some simple strategies to prevent both contracting and spreading illnesses.

1-Keep vaccinations up to date. Seasonal vaccines like influenza and updates of Covid 19 can be very helpful especially if your immune system is compromised. We are at an age when contracting these viruses on top of our chronic illnesses can cause more serious illness.

2-Wash your hands frequently. Not just when you go to the bathroom (although that’s pretty frequent for some of us). Wash them thoroughly with soap for 20-30 seconds especially after being in contact with frequently used items – public hand rails, shopping carts, etc. If you can’t find a sink to wash your hands, pick up some antibacterial fluid or gel and use that until you find water and soap.

3-Avoid or limit your time in crowded areas inside like concerts, casinos, airports, etc. Consider wearing a mask in these areas if you need to be there.

4-If you feel sick, stay home and don’t pass the illness along. If it’s bacterial in nature and you are on antibiotics, you are not generally contagious after 24-48 hours although some symptoms, like coughing, may continue for weeks. If it is a viral infection, most will spread during the first 3-4 days, so be cautious about who you are with.

5-Cough or sneeze into a disposable tissue, or into your elbow or shirt front. 

6-Continue healthy practices of eating well, drinking plenty of water, taking vitamins, and resting well. These are practices that give your immune system a better chance to fight off infections.

Don’t forget that we are offering a CPR class on Tuesday, June 16th from 2 to 5 pm for $25 a person. Please sign up so we know who will be attending.

Have a happy June and be well!

Lisa Dunbar, Parish Nurse

Dispelling Some of the Information About the COVID-19 Vaccine

As a Parish Nurse, the pandemic of COVID-19 has certainly brought many challenges in focusing on the health of our congregation. Currently, the challenge is to help our congregation members to understand, to make an educated decision, and to receive the vaccination.

I have found that the first hurdle is in educating our congregation. I have been able to put short articles in the church newsletter, and to send an all-church email that gave information about the vaccine. It focused on dispelling some of the misinformation being disseminated on the web. For instance:

Concerns have been expressed about the vaccine being developed so quickly. Is it safe?
Although we don’t have years of research, the companies developing the vaccines tested it on the usual number of people that they have tested before with any new drug or vaccine. The difference in the timing is because much of the governmental bureaucracy that slows down the process after the test is finished was mitigated. The testing itself was still completed in a manner similar to other vaccines. As with any new treatment, vaccine or drug, there are potential side effects, but for the vast majority of recipients, the benefit far outweighs the risk.

I have heard about people reacting to the vaccine and becoming very ill, or even dying. Is this true? 
As with anything that we put into our body, we run a risk of being allergic to a substance in the medication or vaccine. At times, this may be a severe reaction called anaphylactic shock. In this case, the allergy may cause the body to swell tissues especially of the neck and trachea that may result in shortness of breath, a racing heart, and at its worse, a cardiac arrest. This is the reason that any recipient of the vaccine is required to remain at the site for 30 minutes after the injection as this is the time period where an anaphylactic reaction would take place. Each site is equipped with medical personnel and supplies to deal with this type of allergic reaction.

This happens very, very rarely. The current numbers are 11 reactions like this in 1 million recipients. These reactions may also occur after an influenza vaccination injection at a slightly lower rate. Although very serious for the 11, the 999,989 other recipients had no serious problems. A recipient of the vaccine may commonly have minor symptoms – a sore arm, muscle or joint pain, a low grade fever – similar to symptoms following other vaccinations. These are from an inflammatory response our body produces after a foreign substance has been introduced and usually only lasts 24-48 hours.

I have heard this vaccine may change my DNA. Is that true?
There is nothing in the vaccine to change our DNA. This vaccine is a new technology. In the past, vaccinations have carried in them a weakened amount of virus, which immediately stimulated our bodies to make antibodies to fight off the infection, The new Covid 19 vaccine has no weakened virus in it. Instead, it carries a message to our RNA to watch for an identifying factor on the virus – in this case a “spike” on the virus body. When our body recognizes that factor, it then begins very rapidly producing antibodies to fight the virus.

So a recipient may in fact “have the virus” for a short time before the antibodies are produced. It fights the virus before serious symptoms develop so one does not become ill. But it does raise the question of whether someone who has been vaccinated may still “spread” the virus even though they may have no symptoms. Studies continue to focus on this question. This is why even after vaccination, we may be required to wear masks in public places where social distancing is not possible.

Are fetal cells used in the production of the vaccine?
Fetal cell lines from fetuses in the 1960s and 1970s continue to be used in much of the early testing of many of our vaccines and other drugs. These tissues are registered and reported as the testing takes place. But no recent fetal tissue has been used in developing the Moderna or Pfizer Vaccinations. Other vaccines, notably the one from Johnson and Johnson, do continue to use more recently harvested fetal tissue in their development. There may be other companies as well.

After educating our congregation, the next step has been to identify those who are most vulnerable and require help in registering for the vaccination.

I began to make phone calls on those over 75, and those with chronic illnesses. Many had family or friends who were working with them to register for an appointment and who were willing to transport them to the appointment.

However, some of our congregants did not have access to a computer or were not able to complete the process on their own. I was able to assist them over the phone, at times registering them as my “family members” (after all, we are a church family!). I also helped to arrange transportation for those needing assistance.

Finally, I have continued to follow up with those registering – reminding them to take their ID and insurance card, walking them through the process at the sites, and informing them of the possibility of minor discomfort after that could be treated with Tylenol. I also continue to remind everyone to continue their social distancing precautions, handwashing, and wearing a mask.

Some in our congregation have chosen to wait to receive the vaccine. Some because of concern of long-term effects of the vaccine, others wish to wait for the vaccines with only 1 injection. I continue to share information with them, and to support them as they continue to follow the social distancing precautions and choose to remain limited in their social activities.