I got the COVID-19 vaccine and I hope you will, too.

On December 18, 2020, Dr. Joseph Kaiya, a Winona Health hospitalist, was the first to receive a COVID-19 vaccination at Winona Health. As a physician, and as a parent, he is a strong proponent of vaccinations as he understands the science behind their effectiveness in preventing disease or serious illness due to disease. Here, Dr. Kaiya shares answers to questions about getting vaccinated along with additional information for consideration. Did you have any hesitation about getting the COVID-19 vaccine? No. None whatsoever. As a healthcare worker, having taken care of some very sick patients with COVID-19, I couldn’t wait to get the vaccine—not only to protect myself but to protect the people I’m around, especially those who are high risk. What side effects did you experience after your first dose? I had no side effects after either my first or second dose. Some people do experience side effects that are typically short-lived and/or mild. Are there common side effects people might experience? Some people experience soreness at the injection site, some may experience fatigue, some muscle aches, a few experience mild fever and chills, but, these side effects typically last only a day or so. What should people consider when deciding whether to get a COVID-19 vaccine? I hope people will keep in mind that it’s important to do what you can to protect yourself and others from getting this disease, and the benefits of getting vaccinated far outweigh the risks. Monitoring afterwards is important in case there is a reaction—which is extremely rare. I understand some people being hesitant, but healthcare providers see the range of affects COVID-19 can have, and it’s definitely something people of all ages (especially those who are elderly) should want to avoid. We don’t know about the long-term effects, so even if symptoms are fairly mild, you don’t know what the long-term effects of COVID-19 might be. What should we know about the effects of COVID-19? What’s important is to keep in mind that you don’t know how it might affect you or the people you may expose. Of the people who land in the hospital, a small percentage will end up in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) with some requiring a high concentration of oxygen. If a patient is unable to breathe well enough to maintain an appropriate oxygen level for body and brain function, a ventilator becomes necessary, which can lead to other complications. And there’s a likelihood that their lungs may never fully recover. People are still dying from this disease or complications related to the disease. Landing in the hospital can be very distressing for a patient and their family. It can feel very isolating and after several days, there is increased chance for patients—especially the elderly—to experience delirium (extreme confusion) and some may end up with residual cognitive deficits. What else would you like people to know? When the vaccine was in extremely limited supply, it was hard to accept the vaccine knowing seniors and others were waiting. I had to remind myself that we have to maintain the healthcare system capacity so we can take care of others. Thankfully we are at a point in Winona where many folks have now been vaccinated and more vaccine is becoming available. The more people vaccinated, the better. Herd immunity is the goal—we have to stay focused on breaking that cycle of transmission. We don’t want to keep taking two steps forward, two steps back. Vaccines stimulate the human immune system and prevents the virus from jumping from person to person. It’s much safer to be protected by the vaccine than to get the disease. There are some things we still don’t know. For example, we don’t yet know how long that immunity lasts. What we do know is that the vaccines work and masking, distancing and good hand hygiene work. Why do you hope everyone will decide to get vaccinated? Ultimately, getting vaccinated protects you and others. Should you be exposed to COVID-19, being vaccinated greatly decreases the odds of getting the disease or needing to be hospitalized. Vaccinations work. Think about your parents and grandparents—those people who may not have the luxury of having a good outcome. We owe it to them to protect them. There are certain factors in our control: Wearing a mask and taking other precautions is the first thing we can do. Getting the vaccine is the next thing that’s in our control. I protect you. You protect me. As part of a community, I think it’s what we all need to do so we’re protecting each other. Breaking the cycle of COVID-19 transmission gives us the best chance to get back to normal. How has the pandemic affected you as a physician? Taking care of people is what we all sign up for as healthcare workers. At one point, more than half of the people hospitalized at Winona Health were here because of COVID. We’re professionals, we can handle this, but it does get to you. It takes a toll – especially on the nurses who are with those patients constantly. It’s tough emotionally and it’s especially tough seeing how the disease affects families. It’s heartbreaking seeing seniors—especially those who have dementia—suffer this illness as some of them don’t fully understand what’s happening or where their family is. Either way, it is heartbreaking to see individuals and families suffering the physical and emotional effects of this disease. How has it affected you personally? I’m a dad, so this has affected me as it has many other parents dealing with the disruption to our kids’ lives. From virtual school and no school activities and not being able to visit family, that’s been hard for all of us. And like a lot of others, we’d like to go to a restaurant but we understand we all do our part. Seeing kids wearing masks and playing basketball and other sports wearing masks doesn’t seem normal – but we want them to be protected and we want teachers to be protected. Again, we all need to do our part. As things open up again, we all still should be making decisions about what’s safe for us to do and how it might impact others.

Get to know Dr. Kaiya

Why did you become a physician? My grandfather inspired me. He taught himself to read and write. Then, he taught other adults how to read and write. He valued education, and he always hoped to have a doctor in the family. What drew you to Winona Health? I have family here in Southeast Minnesota. Working environment is very important to me, and I feel like Winona is a good community. I like the sense of camaraderie at Winona Health, and when I interviewed here, I was surprised that a city of this size could have a healthcare organization like this. What’s the best part of your work? I’ve always enjoyed sports, especially team sports. Taking care of people in the hospital means being part of a team. I’m happy to be a member of a team that has a positive impact on the community. Plus, I like interacting with people. Listening to patients and working together with them and the rest of the clinical team to figure out what’s best for them makes my work meaningful to me. What’s the best advice you can give others about getting or staying healthy? Eat healthy and remain active. To me those are key—they impact your health in the short term and the long term. What do you enjoy in your free time? I played basketball, soccer and field hockey in college. I’m a huge sports enthusiast—I love watching basketball. I also enjoy listening to music—all types. I also enjoy traveling internationally, and I’m looking forward to doing that again sometime.