Every adult in the US will soon be eligible for COVID-19 vaccine, which promises to protect people against the virus and also reduce absences from work due to the disease.
However, in the short term, employers could face a number of paid leisure claims from millions of people scheduled to receive beatings. President Joe Biden this week called for all American adults – including professionals of all ages in various industries – to be eligible for a shooting by April 19th.
Experts say this will help push the country closer to the herd’s so-called immunity. But the side effects that some people report could force workers to take a day or two off work to recover. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the vaccine can cause pain and swelling at the injection site, fatigue, chills, muscle aches, nausea and fever. However, some individuals have no side effects.
“People should expect that they may need 24 to 48 hours off work, but some people feel nothing,” Dr. Neeta Ogden, an internal medicine specialist and immunologist, told CBS MoneyWatch. “So, depending on what kind of job they have, their employers should know that this is a possible side effect.”
Data from v-safe, a CDC record-keeping system that tracks vaccine recipients’ reactions, shows that at least 70% of participants reported a reaction at the injection site after both doses. Fifty percent of participants reported broader systemic reactions affecting other parts of the body after their first photos, while 70% reported other symptoms after the second shot.
Because it is difficult to know how you will react, health experts recommend asking for time off from work and other tasks after scheduling your vaccination or scheduling inoculations on a Friday to have your recovery weekend.
Kamala Harris slowed down
If you start to feel tired after the vaccine, don’t be afraid. Reactions, such as fatigue and arm pain, are normal indications that the body has an immune response to build protection against COVID-19, according to the CDC. However, side effects can impair a person’s ability to perform work-related activities for up to 48 hours after an injection, according to health experts.
Even US Vice President Kamala Harris said he had to ease his schedule to deal with side effects the day after he received the second shot of the Moderna vaccine, one of three Covid vaccines-19 currently authorized by the Food and Drug Administration.
“The first dose, I was fine. The second dose, I thought I was fine. I woke up early in the morning, went to work, and then at noon I realized, yes, I might have to I’m slowing down a little bit, “Harris said. during a visit to a pharmacy in southeast Washington, DC, in February.
A shot or two?
Both Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines requires two photos, and the second dose tends to cause more significant side effects, according to the CDC. Pfizer doses are administered at a distance of 21 days, while a waiting period of 28 days is required between the first and second Modern photo. Johnson & Johnson vaccine requires a single injection for optimal protection against the virus.
The CDC recommends against the preventive use of analgesics as it could reduce the effectiveness of vaccines. For some, the side effects could mean spending an awkward day in bed and possibly losing your job.
“It’s a good idea to listen to your body’s needs and rest if it’s needed, or work slower and take less responsibility if you have to be at work,” Ogden added.
Ogden encourages employers to be flexible with employees so that they are not discouraged from getting vaccinated – a potential risk for some workers if they feel they have to choose between their pay and shooting.
“Take these messages in advance as eligibility opens up so people feel it won’t be a problem,” she said.
Also, if employees feel overwhelmed, working through pain or discomfort will not affect the vaccine’s effectiveness, Ogden added.
Free time request
While the CDC recommends that companies grant employees paid sick leave if necessary to recover the COVID-19 vaccine, federal law does not require this.
The American Rescue Plan Act, signed into law in March, also ceases to require paid leave for COVID-19 vaccinations. But it offers tax credits to employers who offer free time.
“Many employers offer paid leave for COVID reasons, including vaccination, and some companies even do this to encourage people to get the vaccine,” said Amber Clayton, director of the Society for Human Resource Management’s Knowledge Center.
Clayton urges employees to read their employers’ policies. “Either they offer paid leave or employees will have to use their own and decide whether or not to take the next day.”
Jonathan Hyman, a labor lawyer and employee at Wickens Herzer Panza, said employees should be prepared for “the possibility that after the vaccine you will have 24-48 hours of side effects and could be potentially quite significant.”
Employers should also make sure that they do not accidentally create barriers to vaccinating workers.
“If you have a salaried employee who has a salary and does not have free time, and the only appointment for the vaccine they can receive is at 13 on Wednesday, we really want them to choose between their salary or receive a vaccine that will keep them safe and healthy? Hyman asked.