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As COVID-19 Vaccines Roll Out, Cardiologists See a Ray of Hope

Cardiologists and other clinicians are lining up for shots and spreading the word to patients that their turn will come soon.

By Caitlin E. Cox
As COVID-19 Vaccines Roll Out, Cardiologists See a Ray of Hope

After an unprecedented push, the first COVID-19 vaccines are now being distributed. First came the United Kingdom, quickly followed by nations as diverse as Canada, the United States, Kuwait, and Chile—healthcare workers at the head of the line are daring to feel hopeful.

Since the first vaccines were approved, cardiologists and others have been tweeting candidly about their gratitude and pride, along with insights into side effects or the lack thereof.

By December 26, nearly 2 million vaccine doses had been given in the US alone, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And while the rollout hasn’t gone smoothly so far—amid reports of queue-jumping by nonessential workers—the sense of relief comes at a critical time when, thanks to the holiday season, SARS-CoV-2 infections again are spiking across the world.

“It’s been a tough year,” James Januzzi Jr, MD (Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston), told TCTMD earlier this month, adding that “the light is clearly shining at the end of the tunnel.”

For the first time in months, he’s hopeful.

“I was exuberant the day that the first vaccine trials were reported. But I found myself feeling a sense of gratitude and emotion when I heard the first patient who was vaccinated asked the nurse, ‘Was that it?’ And you know, those three words are so remarkable when you think about it: is that it? It’s the beginning of the end of the pandemic. So yes, that’s it. We just have to hope that we can just get across the finish line with as few deaths, with as few critically ill patients as possible.”

Ajay Kirtane, MD (NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY), agreed that the vaccine is “the best possible news that we could have” to close out 2020.

“I almost started crying when I heard what some of the time line was for the distribution of it, etc. Crying out of happiness that it was actually going to happen. It was coming to fruition,” he said. “The team needs that. The teams need some hope and some light at the end of the tunnel.”

But the good news comes with some new stressors—who deserves vaccination first, and will the process be fair or hindered by hierarchy? There are 1 million practicing physicians in the United States, for instance, plus 5 million allied health professionals and nearly 4 million registered nurses. Plus there are other frontline workers who come face-to-face with the public while doing their jobs.

“People are excited about the vaccine,” said Laxmi S. Mehta, MD (Ohio State University, Columbus). Alongside that excitement is some angst. How quickly can clinicians get the shot? How long will protection against COVID-19 last? Even with these unknowns, she said, “it’s still reassuring” to know that the vaccine is on its way.

Januzzi, too, urged patience: “For those of us that have argued with friends, who have been put upon by strangers on social media about our stance regarding public health, what I would say is everyone needs to take a step back and think and act collectively for the next few months.”

As has been the case with other vaccines, the COVID-19 shots have drawn skeptics. Physicians, many galvanized by 2020’s challenges, are speaking up against that pushback.

Januzzi agreed that clinicians have a key role in getting out the word. “You can’t go a day without seeing a healthcare provider in the news now. You can’t go a day without our patients asking us for advice in the office about public health topics,” he said. For instance, “as a cardiologist in the Mass General Hospital heart center, on a daily basis I’m providing advice to my patients about COVID-19 vaccination, a subject that a cardiologist a year ago could never have dreamed of being responsible for.”

Keep up to date on all things COVID-19—including vaccine news—by checking out TCTMD’s Daily Dispatch.

Caitlin E. Cox
by Caitlin E. Cox

Caitlin E. Cox is News Editor of TCTMD and Associate Director, Editorial Content at the Cardiovascular Research Foundation. She produces the…

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