Jewish Healthcare Professionals Get the COVID-19 Vaccine in LA

When the COVID-19 vaccinations rolled out in Los Angeles the week of December 13, Jewish healthcare workers were some of the first in line to receive it.

Rabbi Jason Weiner, senior rabbi and director of the Spiritual Care Department at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles and rabbi of Knesset Israel Synagogue of Beverlywood discussed his experience getting vaccinated on Facebook and posted photos of the vaccine being administered to him.

On his page, Weiner wrote, “I recited this blessing (in Hebrew) as I received the COVID vaccine today: ‘Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the Universe, who is good and does good.’ I’m cognizant of my privileged access to the vaccine at this time, as a healthcare worker, which obligates me to show extra concern and care for those who are not as privileged. The virus is spreading horribly right now, and the situation is very severe. The emotions are thus mixed and complex, but as Chanukah draws to a close, there is finally light at the end of the tunnel.”

Later, in an interview with Journal, Weiner said that he’s seen horrible suffering, pain and death, as well as exhausted and overwhelmed healthcare providers and he’s desperate for the pandemic to be over. “The vaccine is our best hope right now. I know a lot of people are not sure if they want to receive it or not, so I want to be a role model to encourage people that it is safe and important to do. I see how this is finally giving hope and inspiration to the staff at the hospital now and I hope that it can do so for broader society as well.”

“I see how this is finally giving hope and inspiration to the staff at the hospital now and I hope that it can do so for broader society as well.” — Rabbi Jason Weiner

Weiner is not alone in wanting to stop the spread so that things can get back to normal. Dr. Zaza Atanelov, an ER doctor in Long Beach, Orange County and Encino who also got the vaccine the week of December 13 said that once healthcare providers get the vaccine and less of them contract COVID, then hopefully they won’t accidentally give it to their patients either. “When everyone gets it, my kids can see their grandma and grandpa and not feel stressed that they gave them COVID and we can live normally. I see that in the future.”

Melanie Hannah Bemel, an RN who works in the post anesthesia care unit, said that because of her job, she feels it’s a prudent decision to get vaccinated. “It makes sense to receive it. We are vaccinated against the flu, and deaths from the flu have been reduced since the development of the vaccine. It stands to reason that getting vaccinated against COVID would show similar results.”

Contributing writer to the Journal and an RN at Saint John’s Health Center in their Med/Surg unit Boaz Hepner said that once he’s back on the job after his medical leave, he’s going to get the vaccine right away. “I’m so excited and relieved that vaccines are here, and feel that every one of us has a moral responsibility to take them, as I’m confident they are safe and effective. [It’s] not enough to socially distance and [wear a] mask. The vaccines are not just helpful, they are crucial.”

While many news stories are focused on deaths from COVID-19, Scott Topiol, a registered nurse in an emergency department at a hospital who teaches CPR and first aid at CPR Ready, said that the death rate doesn’t tell the whole story. Topiol spoke to a neighbor who had COVID in April and still hasn’t gotten his sense of taste back.

“While there might be some questions about the long-term efficacy of the new vaccines, we for sure know that even those that recover from COVID don’t always return back to normal,” said Topiol. “For me, the benefits of the vaccine far outweigh the risks of COVID.”

Some of the risks may include side effects like allergic reactions, or a sore arm, like Topiol and Weiner experienced. One day after getting the vaccine, Weiner posted on Facebook that he had a sore shoulder, but three days later, he was feeling healthy and went for a 10-mile run. Topiol said that after receiving his first dose of the Pfizer vaccine, his arm was sore, but already it feel much better the next morning.

“The short-term safety of this vaccine is well established,” he said. “People will say it was developed too fast to know but the truth is that no steps were skipped in the trial and I’m 100% comfortable with the vaccine’s safety profile. Most of the delays in traditional vaccine development are due to the vaccination method and even more so the bureaucracy involved. Since the red tape was cut it allowed scientists and doctors to do their work without having to slow down for the pencil pushers.”

Even though healthcare workers are currently getting the vaccine, it may not be available to the general public for several months. In the meantime, Topiol urged everyone to stay vigilant and safe while waiting for the pandemic to come to an end. “I beg you to take this seriously, wear your masks properly and, as painful as it is, really avoid social gatherings until the storm passes,” he said. “This too shall pass.”