As COVID-19 vaccine rolls out, here’s what to know

CSEA members employed at health care facilities and nursing homes, many of whom are caring for COVID-19 patients, were among the first people in the state to receive the COVID-19 vaccine when it became available in New York in late December.

To those who opted to receive the vaccine, it is another resource to help fight the virus, which as this edition went to press, has killed more than 400,000 people across the United States. Many experts believe that along with the vaccine, an effective infection control plan includes multiple layers of protection, education and training, ventilation and other engineering controls, cleaning and disinfection, PPE, and safe work procedures.

To have all of the facts about the vaccine and to make an informed decision about receiving the vaccine, CSEA encourages members to discuss vaccination with their physicians. To learn more and to get a link to check your eligibility to receive the vaccine, visit https://cseany.org/coronavirus-information. Please note that due to high demand, you may have to wait for an appointment.

COVID-19 vaccine webinar now available on demand

As the COVID-19 vaccine continues to be rolled out across the state, many union members still have questions surrounding it. The Occupational Safety and Health Department’s very popular webinar on the vaccine is now available on-demand, FREE for all union members to view.

This one-hour program answers the most frequently asked questions regarding how the vaccines work, employee rights, the NYS Roll Out Plan and post-vaccine protocols in the workplace.
Register to view the on-demand webinar at: https://tinyurl.com/ csea-covid-vaccine-webinar.

Whitlock

“The COVID vaccine webinar program is a bit long, but it was worth taking the time to understand what is going on in today’s world. As an officer of the union, it helped me answer questions raised by my coworkers and even for myself.
It explained how the vaccines work, what are employee rights, the NYS Roll Out Plan and what to expect after the vaccine has been delivered. If members have any questions or concerns about COVID-19 and the vaccine, I can tell you firsthand the CSEA COVID Information Page website has also been a terrific resource for me and for my family. I highly recommend you check it out.”

— Kim Whitlock, examiner, NYS Workers’ Compensation Board and CSEA Rochester State Employees Local Treasurer

Wilfredo Batista Heredia, clinical nursing assistant, Stony Brook University Hospital (Photo by Jeanne Neville, Supervisor
of Photography, Stony Brook Medicine, Communications)

“As a frontline worker and having had COVID-19, getting the vaccine makes me feel safer because there’s a barrier to protect my family and me and even my co-workers who don’t want to get the vaccine. I feel humbled because I know that I’m doing my part to bring an end to this pandemic.”

— Wilfredo Batista Heredia, clinical nursing assistant, Stony Brook University Hospital

“Now that I’ve taken the COVID vaccine, I feel more confident that a can do my job more sufficiently without fear. I watched my father go through a life-threatening ordeal after contracting COVID-19. Now that I’ve taken the vaccine, I can conduct my daily activities feeling safer.”

— Sirlentor Berry, Child Care Worker, SCO Family of Services
(Photo provided by Sirlentor Berry)