Avon Lake Resident Reflects on COVID-19 Vaccine Experience

Rachel Sapola

For the first time in nearly a year, there’s a light at the end of the tunnel, as companies Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson have released vaccines to protect against the highly contagious coronavirus. On February 26, Avon Lake City Schools teachers and staff received their first dose of the Moderna coronavirus vaccine. As they await their second dose, Avon Lake resident Dr. Jessica Lovich-Sapola, MD, MBA reflects on her experience after receiving the coronavirus vaccine.

Dr. Lovich-Sapola has been an anesthesiologist at MetroHealth Medical Center for 19 years and is the current President of the Medical Staff at MetroHealth, and although her workload has looked similar, her job has experienced some changes due to the pandemic. When Dr. Lovich-Sapola intubates a patient, she puts a breathing tube into their airway in order to put them to sleep before their medical procedure, which means that the patient’s mouth and nose are exposed. Because of this, anesthesiologists are at a significantly higher risk for contracting the virus. “Every time I put someone to sleep, I have to wear a ton of personal protective equipment that I don’t normally wear. I have to wear an N95 mask, an eye shield, and a plastic gown in addition to my normal mask and hat I usually wear,” she explains.

Outside of her career, Dr. Lovich-Sapola had also been carefully following safety precautions at home. In the past year, she had sacrificed seeing family, going to restaurants, or traveling the world in order to keep her family, her patients, and herself safe.

Luckily, Dr. Lovich-Sapola was able to receive her first dose of the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine on December 18, at MetroHealth and her second dose three weeks later on January 6. Understanding the risk of the virus, Dr. Lovich-Sapola got the vaccine to protect herself and others. “I see the sickest coronavirus patients. I see people die from it, and it’s horrendous. I don’t want my parents, my husband, or my kids to get sick,” she adds.

After receiving the vaccine, Dr. Lovich-Sapola was fortunate enough to have minimal side effects, only having a sore arm. Despite this, she advises against making plans the day after the receiving vaccine, as people usually began having side effects about 18 hours afterward.

During preliminary testing, both vaccines were approximately 95% effective against the coronavirus. This means that as vaccines become more readily available and immunity becomes more widespread, there is hope that everyone’s lives will return to normal soon.

In the meantime, whether vaccinated or not, everyone should do their part to make Avon Lake a safe and healthy community. It is vital to continue social distancing, washing hands, and wearing masks to ensure the safety of everyone in our community.