DETROIT – Since the coronavirus pandemic began, Dr. Frank McGeorge has been keeping viewers up-to-date and informed on all fronts. He’s been answering your questions about the vaccine, the vaccination process and more.
READ: More answers to questions about coronavirus
If you’ve been fully vaccinated but feel as though you may have a mild case, what should you do and how long would it last?
Breakthrough infections are possible. If you’re vaccinated, but experiencing COVID symptoms you should get tested and stay home to avoid infecting others until your results come back.
There is no way to know how long your symptoms will last, but in a mild case they’ll likely resolve quickly.
Can I mix and match vaccines? I had an AstraZeneca vaccine in Mexico on April 9. I am now in the states and can’t get an AstraZeneca second shot. Which vaccine should I get and when?
This is a common question. There have been a couple studies looking at a dose of the Pfizer vaccine after a single AstraZeneca dose. One preliminary study spaced the doses out by two weeks and found an excellent response. Another study suggested spacing the two shots out by 12 weeks might reduce side effects. My recommendation would be to get the Pfizer vaccine as your second shot and now that you are six weeks out, I would say anytime is great.
I got both of my shots. Each time I received my shot it burned and my arm started itching and it turned a little red, is that normal?
According to a recently published paper in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology there is a 43% chance you will experience it with the second dose if you experienced it with the first.
The same study found that large skin reactions that occurred more than 7 days after the first shot were far more common in women and with the Moderna vaccine. Importantly, they did not find any long-term problems and the rashes resolved on their own.
Why are colleges making this vaccine mandatory for a virtually safe group of people?
While college students do have a lower risk of becoming seriously ill or dying, they have played a big role in spreading the virus because they tend to be more social and less cautious. With most colleges planning to have students back on campus and back in the dorms in the fall, getting vaccinated dramatically reduces the risk of outbreaks.