As local health departments prepare to receive their first shipments of coronavirus vaccine, they continue to reassure us that the vaccine is safe.
Ed Rivers, Director of the Scott County Health Department, says development and production have been speeded up quite a bit for the COVID vaccine but there've been no shortcuts that would compromise safety.
"Early results from the trial show that COVID-19 vaccine has worked as it's supposed to with no serious side effects. These results include the more than two to three months of follow-up of individuals involved in the vaccine trial."
Rivers says Rock Island County expects to receive 1,000 vaccine doses next week, while Scott County could receive 2,000. And both expect to split their allocation evenly between Genesis Health System and UnityPoint Health.
"After the hospital systems have vaccinated their team members, doses then will go to other medical first responders, including paramedics."
Following reports of a few possible reactions to the vaccine, he says it's normal for the body to react, as it builds immunity to the virus, and the symptoms should go away in a day or so.
