Arthritis At Home Episode 61 – A rheumatoid arthritis patient’s perspective: Taking the COVID-19 vaccine
This week’s episode of Arthritis At Home features Cheryl Koehn, ACE’s President, and Carrie Barnes, a person living with rheumatoid arthritis and front-line health care professional.
The highly anticipated COVID-19 vaccines (Pfizer BioNTech and Moderna) have arrived in Canada. People with autoimmune arthritis may receive the COVID-19 vaccine. However, they should be aware that no data are currently available on the safety of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines for them.
In this episode of Arthritis At Home, Cheryl Koehn speaks to Carrie Barnes, a person living with rheumatoid arthritis and front-line health care professional, about the COVID-19 vaccine from a patient perspective. They discuss:
- Who should patients go to for advice about the COVID-19 vaccine
- Important questions to ask your rheumatologist or family physician
- What factors led Carrie to her decision to go ahead and get vaccinated?
- The first dose experience and one week later
- Thoughts about getting the second dose
Check out these helpful resources to learn more
Health Canada – Vaccines and treatments for COVID-19 – https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/2019-novel-coronavirus-infection/prevention-risks/covid-19-vaccine-treatment.html
Canadian Rheumatology Association Position Statement on COVID-19 Vaccination – https://rheum.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/CRA-Position-Statement-on-COVID-19-Vaccination-v2-FINAL.pdf
Arthritis Consumer Experts – JointHealth™ insight: A closer look at the ethical and societal questions surrounding the COVID-19 vaccine – https://jointhealth.org/programs-jhinsight-view.cfm?id=1259&locale=en-CA