The nurse rubbed the injection site on my left arm with an alcohol pad, then gently forewarned me. “This one will be a stinger,” she said.

On Monday, as the new COVID-19 vaccine began its initial rollout across the nation, I visited my doctor’s office for two other vaccination shots – for influenza and shingles.

“Your arm may be a bit sore today,” she told me while applying a small Band-Aid.

The flier I received afterward stated, “Each year thousands of people in the United States die from flu, and many more are hospitalized. Flu vaccine prevents millions of illnesses and flu-related visits to the doctors each year.”

Shingles is caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox. Because I’m older than 50, I received the recombinant vaccine, given as a two-dose series. This also is how the new COVID-19 vaccine will be administered, and similarly created with no live virus.

What recipients are given with this type of mRNA-based vaccine, compared to a purified protein vaccine such as with hepatitis B, is the genetic material that teaches your cells to make that protein, according to Dr. Paul Offit, director of the Vaccine Education Center at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

“Your body then makes the antibodies needed for immunity. That’s the difference,” said Offit, a member of an FDA panel of experts that recommended this COVID-19 vaccine. “It’s not a novel strategy.”

Offit said this Monday afternoon on an informational webinar designed for journalists from across the country to help educate the public. The webinar featured a panel of nationally recognized immunology experts including Dr. Susan Bailey, president of the American Medical Association, who’s been outspoken about widespread misinformation that has made fighting this pandemic needlessly difficult.

For widespread acceptance of this new vaccine and to counter what’s labeled as “vaccine hesitancy,” the medical community needs to be together on message to the general public. “Speaking with the same voice,” Bailey said.

Bailey, who also shared her message on the “NBC Nightly News” later that day, told Americans that this new vaccine is “completely incapable of giving you COVID-19.”

Bailey shared this insight in response to a common question from curious or suspicious people. If you happen to show symptoms of this virus, or contract this virus, after receiving the vaccination, COVID-19 was already incubating inside of you, Bailey said.

The webinar offered several useful take-aways, addressing questions that I’ve been asked by readers this past week as the new vaccine begins distribution through “Phase 1A” of the rollout. “Journalists get called by the craziest of people,” joked Al Tompkins, of the Poynter Institute, who moderated the webinar.

For starters, using this mRNA technology versus a more traditional live virus process is akin to using a commercial jetliner versus a covered wagon to transport this new vaccine to the masses, according to Patricia Stinchfield, president of the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases.

“We’ve never done anything like this in our world history,” she said.

Also, to help promote vaccine confidence within the public, media outlets should avoid using the “large needle” stock photos and videos that are used in too many stories, she said. It only amplifies trypanophobia, an extreme fear of medical procedures involving injections or hypodermic needles.

Stinchfield, a vaccine safety specialist, told journalists that showing needles being jabbed into people’s arms may scare off public acceptance for the COVID vaccine. I’m guilty of doing this. For my Tuesday column, I chose such a photo, not knowing I was contributing the problem.

Stinchfield, who’s also a registered nurse, explained the difference between efficacy and effectiveness. Efficacy looks at how well a vaccine works during clinical trials. Effectiveness describes how well a vaccine works after it’s distributed.

The science behind receiving two shots, including a booster shot, is that it simply improves the level of immunity. “We need to do what we’ve always done – review the evidence the trust the science,” Bailey said.

She explained that the term “herd immunity” originated from veterinarian medicine, with cattle. Also, that 70% of the U.S. population would be ideal to create such a herd immunity to this new coronavirus. “Obviously the higher the better,” Bailey said.

Another common question from people is about the familiar term “90% effective,” which means this vaccine will likely not work for 10% of recipients. “That’s exactly what it means,” Offit said.

As with any vaccine, recipients should remain near the site for 15 minutes where they receive this new vaccine in case they experience a severe allergic reaction, he said.

In an upcoming column I’ll share more insights from this webinar, including why the Black community has a “legacy of distrust” with vaccines. And rightfully so, considering its painful history with medical research in this country. And also the ongoing national campaign, “Love Letter to Black America,” to address this collective distrust.

“We ask you to join us in participating in clinical trials and taking a vaccine once it’s proven safe and effective. We know that our collective role in helping to create a vaccine that works for Black people – and that we trust – has an impact on our very survival,” its website states.

“Equity in distribution is a crucial aspect of the new vaccine rollout,” said Dr. Leon McDougle, president of the National Medical Association.

On Tuesday, I felt the effects of the flu and shingles vaccines that I received Monday. I felt a bit feverish with mild body aches and a headache. As Bailey reminded me through the webinar, these symptoms are a good thing, showing that my body is beginning to build immunity to these viruses.

“It means your immune system is responding,” she said.

The same reaction could happen after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine.

“Experiencing one or two days of symptoms is far, far better than having COVID,” Bailey said.

jdavich@post-trib.com