The Vaccine Thread

[j44ke]

From what I am seeing and hearing the supply is getting better and better. Now the problem will become having enough people available to poke people in the arm. I was struck by how many people were on duty from the time I entered the fieldhouse. I passed as part of a multithreaded operation at least 20-25 people before getting to the floor where they were giving shots and there had to be thirty tables staffed with two people each, a half a dozen doctors roving the floor asking questions - then on the way out maybe another 8-10 people handling the timeout period and showing us to the door.

Three shifts a day, seven days a week, however many full time SUNYs that's a lot of people. Not to mention the National Guardsmen and State police hanging out.

I just alerted my friend the professor to SUNY-Albany as they are showing appointments available to currently eligible people and she is and needs to get vaccinated ASAP before one of her students gets her. Thanks!

[Todd Amunrud]

We've just launched into vaccinating caregivers of children with certain chronic medical conditions. Lots of virtual high-five's and joyful tear's for some of the families in our clinic system. Some of my best phone calls in a long while.

[bigbill]

Number one at 10am tomorrow. Second shot on 4/13. I'll probably get my hair cut after that, it's been since July.

[bcm119]

I am eligible.

Interestingly, I hopped onto the Walgreens website about 20 minutes ago and was able to schedule an appointment for Wednesday. As of yesterday it was saying no appointments were available. Today it was green.

As a worker in the transportation industry I am eligible and will have to bring my employer ID with me. Hopefully there are no snags in the process.

I just did the same on the Walgreens site. Nothing too close to me, but I found an appt for Weds on the other side of my county. However, I haven't received the email yet, although I copied the confirmation code down as soon as the app returned it. Hopefully their system doesn't have a bug that allowed too many bookings.

[Saab2000]

I just did the same on the Walgreens site. Nothing too close to me, but I found an appt for Weds on the other side of my county. However, I haven't received the email yet, although I copied the confirmation code down as soon as the app returned it. Hopefully their system doesn't have a bug that allowed too many bookings.

Cool. It took about an hour for my email to show up.

[Lionel]

Cool. It took about an hour for my email to show up.

If it is like here they will not ask you any question.

[j44ke]

Do the AstraZeneca issues in Europe seem weird? Not the clotting but the context. AstraZeneca is a British/Swedish product. Brexit is irritating. Putin is waving Sputnik. Last week Italy was considering manufacturing the Sputnik vaccine.

[jimcav]

an interesting question on both fronts. the # of clotting reports seems very low in comparison to the millions of doses given, and the possibility of politics/industrial complex(ities) playing a role in a pre-text for halting and switching vendors sounds like a mid-rate netflix movie plot. Not implausible, just doesn't seem that likely too me. There isn't any data out there to link vaccines to clotting, and not specifically for this vaccine either. I'm sure the data will be released, but the numbers being reported won't place the incidence above the expected background rate of thrombotic events that occur for various reasons. It is a good plot though, billions of doses eventually being "bought", in one way or another...

[dgaddis]

New eligibility rules went into effect yesterday here in GA. Anyone over 55 can get it, and anyone over 18 with certain conditions can get it. One of those conditions is a BMI of 25 or higher....which is damn near everyone, me included. So I got mine yesterday, Moderna. My wife is an NP and has already had both doses, she felt a little crummy for a few hours from the first does and then the second dose put her on her a** for about 24hrs but that was it. I had a slightly sore arm from the first dose but no other side effects. All my family and buddies who haven't already got it have appointments this week, so I'm looking forward to this summer! I've been friends with my two best friends since we were ten years old, and we hung out a few times this last year but we only did outdoor stuff like going fishing, looking forward to going to dinner and hanging out at our houses with our families together again. We're all young and healthy and not really worried about getting COVID, but we are all worried about passing it to our parents.

When I went to get mine, at the Publix pharmacy, the girl checking me in asked "what's your eligibility?" I didn't want to just say "I'm kinda fat". So I said "the, uh, new eligibility rules, the BMI one." Then a lady in the back yells "What is it?" So I said eff it and yelled back "I'm kinda fat!" and she responded, without skipping a beat, "put that under health concern."

Fat enough to get it, not so fat they didn't have to ask why I was there. Right in the sweet spot baby!

[dashDustin]

Getting sort of frustrated here. Wife and I are both in construction. When Texas halted work other than essential businesses, GCs got together (especially here in Austin), lawyer-ed up, and voila - within 12hrs of shut-down, we're considered essential. CDC lumps us into Phase 1C since we have to interact face to face on a daily basis (and because we're in construction). Yet, we still can't get on any list for the vaccine because Texas seemingly doesn't consider us 1C.

[j44ke]

Dustin, you realize that the BMI factor is because higher than 25 puts you at greater risk for a serious illness from covid infection, right? And that it may signal an increased risk of actually getting covid. That's NIH data. So you actually should worry about getting covid. And it is good that you are getting the vaccine.

Summer will be interesting. I guess we'll see what variant transmission rates are and how durable vaccinated immunity is.

[dgaddis]

Dustin, you realize that the BMI factor is because higher than 25 puts you at greater risk for a serious illness from covid infection, right? And that it may signal an increased risk of actually getting covid. That's NIH data. So you actually should worry about getting covid. And it is good that you are getting the vaccine.

Summer will be interesting. I guess we'll see what variant transmission rates are and how durable vaccinated immunity is.

Yes, I realize that, but it's not like I'm get-a-show-on-TLC-obese, I'm ~20lbs heavier than I should be. The risk for me is still very low. I don't want to catch it, I wear my mask when out in public, we've avoided crowds, eaten at indoor restaurants literally only a handful of times in the last year, I got tested before our much smaller than normal holiday gatherings, etc. I don't want it, and I'm taking steps to avoid it, but I'm not worried if I do get it. Look at deaths by age. I'm 36, so near the bottom of the 35-54 age group, and have no health problems other than being a little chunky. Peak numbers back in April of last year:
24-34yr old = 0.24 deaths per 100,000
35-54yr old = 1.28 deaths per 100,000
55-64yr old = 5.24 deaths per 100,000
65-79yr old = 16.37 deaths per 100,000
80+yr old = 70.34 deaths per 100,000

https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tra...aphicsovertime

Based on this data, my age group accounts for 1.1% of the total deaths while accounting for 16.3% of the cases.

But my folks are in that 55-64 age range, and have all the conditions you don't want in combination with COVID. Overweight, COPD, diabetes, etc. My mom had open hear surgery 2.5 months ago to replace a valve and we just saw her for the first time this past weekend. So we've been especially careful to make sure we don't take it to them. Both my folks got their first round of the vaccine yesterday too!

EDIT just to add, GA has been more or less fully open for a while now. Some places aren't allowing indoor dining, but most just have a few tables blocked off, and some don't have any blocked off. Cases are still dropping. We're moving in the right direction, so I just hope we keep going that direction!

[ides1056]

I went to Walmart yesterday for my second shingles shot. Absolutely wrecked me. Shaking uncontrollably if I got out of bed. But I'd rather suffer this effect than not get the vaccine.

[j44ke]

Just saying, you want to be on the right side of the percentages. Rubber side down.

[davids]

I went to Walmart yesterday for my second shingles shot. Absolutely wrecked me. Shaking uncontrollably if I got out of bed. But I'd rather suffer this effect than not get the vaccine.

I had a similar experience. It's my model for what to expect from the COVID-19 vaccine.

...and I'm so glad I got the shingrix shot. I thought, "If the vaccine wrecks me this badly, that God I'm never going to experience Shingles!"

[johnmdesigner]

Success!
Made an appointment at Duane Reade/Walgreens yesterday in my neighborhood.
Took a half hour today. Glad I waited and didn’t go through that Javits Center hell.
Wanted a Ninja or Sumo bandage though. No luck.

[htwoopup]

I had a similar experience. It's my model for what to expect from the COVID-19 vaccine.

I had the Moderna and had absolutely no reaction to the second shot. My sister had Moderna as did my step-kid and my daughter had Pfizer and they all had the reaction to the second shot that made them say about covid what you said about the shingles vaccine/disease...makes them glad they never got covid because the second shot reaction was so bad for 24 hours. I vaguely remember reading somewhere that women are three times as likely as men to have reactions to the second covid shot so maybe you get lucky also.

[davids]

I had the Moderna and had absolutely no reaction to the second shot. My sister had Moderna as did my step-kid and my daughter had Pfizer and they all had the reaction to the second shot that made them say about covid what you said about the shingles vaccine/disease...makes them glad they never got covid because the second shot reaction was so bad for 24 hours. I vaguely remember reading somewhere that women are three times as likely as men to have reactions to the second covid shot so maybe you get lucky also.

I've had my first (Pfizer) vax and my side effects were minimal, fatigue & a slightly sore arm. I've heard the reactions to #2 can be worse, so I'm mentally preparing!

Honestly, since I have a shellfish allergy I was more worried about that. Nada thankfully. But since I'm scheduled for a mass-vax site EMTs are standing by.

[johnmdesigner]

I had shingles on my face in 2014.
I am still suffering the effects of nerve damage today.
So if you just get the shakes consider yourself lucky.

[zachateseverything]

my state announced that they're opening up the vaccine to all residents 16 and older on 3/29. Hopefully I can find a shot quickly.