Vaccinated

[pulmonarymd]

Dec 6, 2021 19:07:09 GMT -5 formerroomate99 said:

Dec 6, 2021 18:34:34 GMT -5 swamp said:

Um, Massachusetts is tiny.  4 sites will cover the state well.  NY had 30 some. Why?  It’s bigger.  Utah should have had way more than 3 based on geography. 

There are three mass vaccination sites just in my county, not the whole state. The surrounding counties with decent population have their own mass vaccination sites along with a ton of retail locations and local health departments.

The folks in areas that have more cows than people don’t have it quite as easy. In those counties were talking about one health department site and a handful of retail locations. But then again, that part of the world, people are used to driving 50+ miles for groceries.

You are being obtuse. Back in the January yo April time frame(which I suspect you are referencing), the problem was SUPPLY. Plain and simple. Doses could not be wasted. Large, busy sites where it could be assured that doses were not wasted was the best choice. If you did not live in an area that had sufficient density, you needed to drive some distance. Demand here was much greater than in Utah. If doses had been allocated according to demand, this situation may have been less difficult.

But you would rather have your narrative, rather than listen to people who live there, or someone who has knowledge of how these decisions were made.

[jerseygirl]

Here in the US we are very insular , the world’s population and vaccination will determine the course of this plague

www.reuters.com/breakingviews/vaccinating-world-is-worthy-elusive-goal-2021-12-01/

[empress of self-improvement]

Dec 6, 2021 18:54:58 GMT -5 chiver78 said:

Dec 6, 2021 18:34:34 GMT -5 swamp said:

Um, Massachusetts is tiny.  4 sites will cover the state well.  NY had 30 some. Why?  It’s bigger.  Utah should have had way more than 3 based on geography. 

☝this. the four sites were all east of Worcester, the center of the three biggest cities in the state. once you go past Worcester, the population density drops like a rock. what county are your parents in, formerroomate? I'm currently in Plymouth county, was most recently in Worcester last summer temporarily and Barnstable before that. Eastern MA is too crowded. Boston won the honor of the worst rush hour commute just prior to COVID. it's simply not even close to comparing apples to apples with eastern vs western MA.

😠 HEY!!!! Who you calling too crowded?!?!? Weenie. Boston will right on winning that award. I swear 93 is worse now than it was then!

[chiver78]

Dec 6, 2021 20:27:24 GMT -5 empress of self-improvement said:

Dec 6, 2021 18:54:58 GMT -5 chiver78 said:

☝this. the four sites were all east of Worcester, the center of the three biggest cities in the state. once you go past Worcester, the population density drops like a rock. what county are your parents in, formerroomate? I'm currently in Plymouth county, was most recently in Worcester last summer temporarily and Barnstable before that. Eastern MA is too crowded. Boston won the honor of the worst rush hour commute just prior to COVID. it's simply not even close to comparing apples to apples with eastern vs western MA.

😠 HEY!!!! Who you calling too crowded?!?!? Weenie. Boston will right on winning that award. I swear 93 is worse now than it was then!

I'm very thankful I am not a part of that daily commute anymore. via train or driving at obscene hours of the morning.

[formerroomate99]

Dec 6, 2021 20:17:36 GMT -5 pulmonarymd said:

Dec 6, 2021 19:07:09 GMT -5 formerroomate99 said:

There are three mass vaccination sites just in my county, not the whole state. The surrounding counties with decent population have their own mass vaccination sites along with a ton of retail locations and local health departments.

The folks in areas that have more cows than people don’t have it quite as easy. In those counties were talking about one health department site and a handful of retail locations. But then again, that part of the world, people are used to driving 50+ miles for groceries.

You are being obtuse. Back in the January yo April time frame(which I suspect you are referencing), the problem was SUPPLY. Plain and simple. Doses could not be wasted. Large, busy sites where it could be assured that doses were not wasted was the best choice. If you did not live in an area that had sufficient density, you needed to drive some distance. Demand here was much greater than in Utah. If doses had been allocated according to demand, this situation may have been less difficult.

But you would rather have your narrative, rather than listen to people who live there, or someone who has knowledge of how these decisions were made.

You are right that supply and demand differences would be a huge issue. I didn’t really think of it as much as I should have. The fact that they didn’t have to do anything to convince people to line up for hours on end for whatever vaccines they had meant that they could be supremely lazy when it comes to distributing the vaccines. Have one site on the eastern edge of the area instead of a central location, in a mall that’s dying because it’s in a crappy area that is a pain in the ass to get to. Have everything so poorly organized that people are waiting in line for hours on end. This is a part of the world we’re getting your tags renewed means spending three hours in an un-air-conditioned building on a 90° day. People there are used to dysfunction.

[finnime]

I had my booster scheduled for today at a county clinic, but was notified yesterday the appointment was cancelled due to running out of the vaccine (Pfizer). This is the county cited as having the highest vaccination rate in the country among larger counties. Demand is very high. I'll wait a bit and try again. I may wind up at a grocery store or pharmacy. I do want to get the booster before the holidays.

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

Eastern WA and Western WA are divided by the Cascades.  Of a total population of 7.7 million, 6.8 million live west of the Cascades, including the area just short of the Canadian border to south of Seattle.  Politically, western WA skews to the left, eastern to the right.

When we became eligible to get vaccinated, trying to find an appointment in western WA was damn near impossible.  If we wanted to drive 4 hours over the mountains, we had our choice of types, times and locations all over the place.  WA sent vaccines proportional to population, so if the uptake east was as much as the uptake west was, those appointments wouldn’t have been available.  

For us, it took almost 2 weeks of TD and I haunting all the web sites to get an appointment.  I found one first, and he finally got another appointment on another day and location.  He went with me, but the pharmacist vaccinated us both together, so he canceled his appointment.   

[pulmonarymd]

Dec 7, 2021 1:30:35 GMT -5 formerroomate99 said:

Dec 6, 2021 20:17:36 GMT -5 pulmonarymd said:

You are being obtuse. Back in the January yo April time frame(which I suspect you are referencing), the problem was SUPPLY. Plain and simple. Doses could not be wasted. Large, busy sites where it could be assured that doses were not wasted was the best choice. If you did not live in an area that had sufficient density, you needed to drive some distance. Demand here was much greater than in Utah. If doses had been allocated according to demand, this situation may have been less difficult.

But you would rather have your narrative, rather than listen to people who live there, or someone who has knowledge of how these decisions were made.

You are right that supply and demand differences would be a huge issue. I didn’t really think of it as much as I should have. The fact that they didn’t have to do anything to convince people to line up for hours on end for whatever vaccines they had meant that they could be supremely lazy when it comes to distributing the vaccines. Have one site on the eastern edge of the area instead of a central location, in a mall that’s dying because it’s in a crappy area that is a pain in the ass to get to. Have everything so poorly organized that people are waiting in line for hours on end. This is a part of the world we’re getting your tags renewed means spending three hours in an un-air-conditioned building on a 90° day. People there are used to dysfunction.

You still refuse to get it. The decision was utilitarian, not lazy. I thought republicans liked that. Getting vaccines into as many arms as possible was the point. Who got the vaccine didn’t matter. Demand far outstripped supply. Those who were motivated found a way. Guess your relatives weren’t motivated.

Logistics were an issue. Getting enough people to administer the vaccine was an issue, since we were in a winter surge here. Retired doctors, nurses and pharmacists, as well as dentists were recruited to give vaccines s. Again I was privy to how these decisions were made.

Based on results, MA did a great job. Maybe you should laud them and criticize Utah, based on results. Alternatively, admit your fellow citizens are too dumb to get vaccinated. Instead, you kept telling us how wonder things were going in your utopia. Based on metrics, I disagree.

We have the power to shut this down. Instead, we have Republican politicians actively fighting vaccine mandates, going so far as to prevent vaccine and masks mandates by private companies and local governments, against all logic, and killing people. But you would rather criticize a state which is in the top 5 for vaccination rates. Give me a break

[jerseygirl]

Some data on mix n match vaccine results seem encouraging. Also good news for countries with difficulties getttung vacccines to their population

www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/mixing-pfizer-astraz-covid-19-shots-with-moderna-gives-better-immune-response-uk-2021-12-06/

[busymom]

Well, my doctor's appointment is this morning, and I'll be asking whether I should mix and match Moderna with the Pfizer that I've already received.

[Deleted]

Dec 7, 2021 7:31:12 GMT -5 pulmonarymd said:

Getting vaccines into as many arms as possible was the point. Who got the vaccine didn’t matter. Demand far outstripped supply. Those who were motivated found a way. Guess your relatives weren’t motivated.

Logistics were an issue. Getting enough people to administer the vaccine was an issue, since we were in a winter surge here. Retired doctors, nurses and pharmacists, as well as dentists were recruited to give vaccines s. Again I was privy to how these decisions were made.

It wasn't just motivation, especially in the beginning. Some of it was- dare I say it?- privilege. The first place that called me about an appointment was 75 miles away. I jumped on it but I could- I'm retired and I have a functioning car. The sites with long lines were impossible for people in wheel chairs or who couldn't stand for long periods (especially in heat or cold). I did read of one site where an adult daughter was permitted to keep a place in line for her elderly parents because Dad was in a wheel chair and Mom wasn't in good enough shape to stand in line and keep pushing him forward. One woman in my area drove her chronically-ill husband to a site set up in the inner city and was turned away because they didn't live there.

It was kind of crazy in the beginning- hard for people with limitations and sometimes the sheer luck of being in the right place at the right time and getting "leftover" vaccines. I got my booster at a CVS a coupe of miles from home so it's easier now.

[pulmonarymd]

Dec 7, 2021 8:40:14 GMT -5 @athena53 said:

Dec 7, 2021 7:31:12 GMT -5 pulmonarymd said:

Getting vaccines into as many arms as possible was the point. Who got the vaccine didn’t matter. Demand far outstripped supply. Those who were motivated found a way. Guess your relatives weren’t motivated.

Logistics were an issue. Getting enough people to administer the vaccine was an issue, since we were in a winter surge here. Retired doctors, nurses and pharmacists, as well as dentists were recruited to give vaccines s. Again I was privy to how these decisions were made.

It wasn't just motivation, especially in the beginning. Some of it was- dare I say it?- privilege. The first place that called me about an appointment was 75 miles away. I jumped on it but I could- I'm retired and I have a functioning car. The sites with long lines were impossible for people in wheel chairs or who couldn't stand for long periods (especially in heat or cold). I did read of one site where an adult daughter was permitted to keep a place in line for her elderly parents because Dad was in a wheel chair and Mom wasn't in good enough shape to stand in line and keep pushing him forward. One woman in my area drove her chronically-ill husband to a site set up in the inner city and was turned away because they didn't live there.

It was kind of crazy in the beginning- hard for people with limitations and sometimes the sheer luck of being in the right place at the right time and getting "leftover" vaccines. I got my booster at a CVS a coupe of miles from home so it's easier now.

Yes, it was difficult early on. Again the issue was supply and demand. There were always going to be "losers" and "winners", and it was going to be "unfair". They could have done a random approach such as a birthday lottery. Privilege also included access to a computer. Being available when "excess" doses were available. But, given the OP point about a functional government, none of that was because of a functional government. Areas where you heard the most complaining about availability happen to be the areas with the highest vaccination rates. Coincidence?

[busymom]

Ok, so they're telling me I should decide whether to continue with Pfizer, or mix with Moderna.  They're only saying they've seen some good results with people who have used both.  But, I get to make the final decision.


I guess that means I'll be doing some research, but I do have that appointment in January for more Pfizer.  They DID say DH needs to get another dose of something.  He had the one dose of Johnson & Johnson, and they claim at this point he's only got about 14% protection.  

[tallguy]

Dec 7, 2021 11:29:04 GMT -5 busymom said:

Ok, so they're telling me I should decide whether to continue with Pfizer, or mix with Moderna.  They're only saying they've seen some good results with people who have used both.  But, I get to make the final decision.


I guess that means I'll be doing some research, but I do have that appointment in January for more Pfizer.  They DID say DH needs to get another dose of something.  He had the one dose of Johnson & Johnson, and they claim at this point he's only got about 14% protection.  

As I said a few days ago, I faced the same choice.  It made sense to me to switch my booster to Moderna but I wanted to talk to someone first.  I gave my reasoning to the charge nurse at the hospital clinic and asked if there were any contraindications to switching?  She said she could not actually advise me one way or the other, but did say that she did the exact same thing for herself.  Pretty easy to conclude that my reasoning was sound, so I switched.  No problems at all and should have at least marginally better protection, which was important because I was travelling to Florida a week later. 

[pulmonarymd]

Dec 7, 2021 11:29:04 GMT -5 busymom said:

Ok, so they're telling me I should decide whether to continue with Pfizer, or mix with Moderna.  They're only saying they've seen some good results with people who have used both.  But, I get to make the final decision.


I guess that means I'll be doing some research, but I do have that appointment in January for more Pfizer.  They DID say DH needs to get another dose of something.  He had the one dose of Johnson & Johnson, and they claim at this point he's only got about 14% protection.  

Perfect is the enemy of the good here. Any booster is better than not getting one. Mixing and matching works. I would not stress too much about it.

My son got the J and J vaccine. We got him a Moderna booster, for what it is worth. IMHO, he should get one of the mRNA vaccines. We are still not seeing any severely ill vaccinated patients(regardless of type of vaccine) in the ICU

[Lizard Queen]

I shared a chart that shows the boost each combo gives you earlier in the thread. I went Pfizer to Moderna. The little data they have shows a little more boost than just sticking with Pfizer. Good enough for me. Not sure why it's such a difficult decision?

[Opti]

Dec 7, 2021 11:42:16 GMT -5 Lizard Queen said:

I shared a chart that shows the boost each combo gives you earlier in the thread. I went Pfizer to Moderna. The little data they have shows a little more boost than just sticking with Pfizer. Good enough for me. Not sure why it's such a difficult decision?

I think it depends on the person. I was originally going to get a Moderna booster, but since my sinus infection was in a bad patch I decided to stick with Pfizer since I remembered what my reactions to the shot were. 

[busymom]

Dec 7, 2021 11:42:16 GMT -5 Lizard Queen said:

I shared a chart that shows the boost each combo gives you earlier in the thread. I went Pfizer to Moderna. The little data they have shows a little more boost than just sticking with Pfizer. Good enough for me. Not sure why it's such a difficult decision?

     I've got a health issue, or two.  DS has some major health issues.  I especially want to keep him safe, but don't want to throw any unnecessary risks his way.  That's why I tend to overthink this.

[Lizard Queen]

Dec 7, 2021 11:52:44 GMT -5 busymom said:

Dec 7, 2021 11:42:16 GMT -5 Lizard Queen said:

I shared a chart that shows the boost each combo gives you earlier in the thread. I went Pfizer to Moderna. The little data they have shows a little more boost than just sticking with Pfizer. Good enough for me. Not sure why it's such a difficult decision?

     I've got a health issue, or two.  DS has some major health issues.  I especially want to keep him safe, but don't want to throw any unnecessary risks his way.  That's why I tend to overthink this.

I see. If you have allergies/sensitivities, I could see going for the tried and true. If you need the best boost, go for the best boost. I'm afraid it's still a bit of a guessing game for everyone at this point.

[azucena]

Dec 7, 2021 11:39:27 GMT -5 pulmonarymd said:

Dec 7, 2021 11:29:04 GMT -5 busymom said:

Ok, so they're telling me I should decide whether to continue with Pfizer, or mix with Moderna.  They're only saying they've seen some good results with people who have used both.  But, I get to make the final decision.


I guess that means I'll be doing some research, but I do have that appointment in January for more Pfizer.  They DID say DH needs to get another dose of something.  He had the one dose of Johnson & Johnson, and they claim at this point he's only got about 14% protection.  

Perfect is the enemy of the good here. Any booster is better than not getting one. Mixing and matching works. I would not stress too much about it.

My son got the J and J vaccine. We got him a Moderna booster, for what it is worth. IMHO, he should get one of the mRNA vaccines. We are still not seeing any severely ill vaccinated patients(regardless of type of vaccine) in the ICU

Pulmonary and others - switching topics just a little.  Are you seeing the articles about European sports players having heart issues after vaccination?  It's blowing up my facebook, and I don't know how to think about it and don't have time to do a deep dive.

    www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10261605/Sporty-plumber-26-DIES-12-days-getting-Pfizer-Covid-vaccine.html?fbclid=IwAR14H7KJ5qXIydChUakXvgDEWJ6Ciw3nyN4LRnb8eWG7AHQoyGR7ROJrbDE

www.thecardiologyadvisor.com/general-cardiology/heart-inflammation-after-covid-19-infection-in-athletes    /?fbclid=IwAR3ZmMO0jYxLZVqx81-a4aY2jRSB6UyNzoMVY20cev7UKaGisqW34VKaxCI

[pulmonarymd]

Dec 7, 2021 12:18:03 GMT -5 azucena said:

Dec 7, 2021 11:39:27 GMT -5 pulmonarymd said:

Perfect is the enemy of the good here. Any booster is better than not getting one. Mixing and matching works. I would not stress too much about it.

My son got the J and J vaccine. We got him a Moderna booster, for what it is worth. IMHO, he should get one of the mRNA vaccines. We are still not seeing any severely ill vaccinated patients(regardless of type of vaccine) in the ICU

Pulmonary and others - switching topics just a little.  Are you seeing the articles about European sports players having heart issues after vaccination?  It's blowing up my facebook, and I don't know how to think about it and don't have time to do a deep dive.

    www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10261605/Sporty-plumber-26-DIES-12-days-getting-Pfizer-Covid-vaccine.html?fbclid=IwAR14H7KJ5qXIydChUakXvgDEWJ6Ciw3nyN4LRnb8eWG7AHQoyGR7ROJrbDE

www.thecardiologyadvisor.com/general-cardiology/heart-inflammation-after-covid-19-infection-in-athletes    /?fbclid=IwAR3ZmMO0jYxLZVqx81-a4aY2jRSB6UyNzoMVY20cev7UKaGisqW34VKaxCI

Haven't seen it. Myocarditis is a known complications of many viral infections, including influenza and COVID. It also is associated with the coronavirus vaccine. How significant it is is still up in the air. Although the concerns about long term damage from prior infections in the college athletes who were infected seems to have been overblown.

[jerseygirl]

GSK antibody treatment works against Omicron

www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/new-data-shows-gsk-vir-drug-works-against-all-omicron-mutations-2021-12-07/

[moon/Laura]

Dec 6, 2021 12:43:57 GMT -5 @athena53 said:

Dec 6, 2021 12:23:57 GMT -5 pulmonarymd said:

Vaccination done in pharmacies. Make an appointment online. My son came home for Thanksgiving and got an appointment within 24 hours. We have one of the highest vaccination rates in the nation. Massachusetts is also in the top 5. How is it that Utah is so much lower, yet you are congratulating yourself for living somewhere where the government works?

You have to make a distinction between the availability of the vaccines for those who want them and the willingness of people to get them. They're two separate issues. There's no excuse for lack of availability anywhere these days, but there are some people who wouldn't get vaccinated even if you showed up at their door with a dose, and Utah may have a higher % of them.

That would be my brother. SMH. I texted him the other day to urge to *please* reconsider because of omicron. He gave his version of facts and why he feels that not getting it is the right choice for him. I told him he was selfish to put his employees/friends/family (when he visits) at risk, not to mention the people that *can't* get vaccinated even though they want to. And then I turned off his text notifications and he'll be ignored until... whenever.

[jerseygirl]

Vaccines are expired and wasted in Nigeria
Sad situation and bad for health of world


www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/exclusive-up-1-million-covid-vaccines-wasted-nigeria-last-month-2021-12-08/

[thyme4change]

I talked to my vaccinated friend who had a bad breakthrough case. She described it to me, and it sounded awful, but she said her husband (who is a trained medical professional) gave her IVs to keep her hydrated, and she was still a disaster. She still can't taste or smell. She also got it while sitting outside at a kids soccer game. What a nightmare. I'm so glad she was vaccinated. Highly likely she would have been hospitalized. She also said Covid is particularly hard on people with blood type A. I am blood type A. I will probably mask pretty hard again. 😒 Upside, easy for people with blood type O - which my husband has - so better chances that we won't both go down.

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

Kids get shot #2 today.   

[chiver78]

Dec 8, 2021 8:41:22 GMT -5 thyme4change said:

I talked to my vaccinated friend who had a bad breakthrough case. She described it to me, and it sounded awful, but she said her husband (who is a trained medical professional) gave her IVs to keep her hydrated, and she was still a disaster. She still can't taste or smell. She also got it while sitting outside at a kids soccer game. What a nightmare. I'm so glad she was vaccinated. Highly likely she would have been hospitalized. She also said Covid is particularly hard on people with blood type A. I am blood type A. I will probably mask pretty hard again. 😒 Upside, easy for people with blood type O - which my husband has - so better chances that we won't both go down.

I remember hearing about the blood type differences last winter, but nothing in quite awhile. I wonder why there's such a difference (I also have O, so yay for me?) 

glad your friend pulled through. hopefully she gets her senses back. 

[pulmonarymd]

That is still up for debate. Initially, there was concern that those with type A blood may be more easily infected. Data is not consistent on whether that leads to more severe cases

[thyme4change]

Dec 8, 2021 9:52:10 GMT -5 pulmonarymd said:

That is still up for debate. Initially, there was concern that those with type A blood may be more easily infected. Data is not consistent on whether that leads to more severe cases

But a single poorly worded Google search said it was so! 😝😝

[anciana]

Dec 6, 2021 13:59:23 GMT -5 anciana said:

Has anyone heard anything about approving boosters for teenagers any time this winter? My kids are now 6 months past their 2nd vax shot.

Happy to see that they're moving in that direction:
FDA expands eligibility for Pfizer Covid booster shots to 16- and 17-year-olds

The Food and Drug Administration on Thursday expanded eligibility for Pfizer and BioNTech's booster shot to people who are 16 and 17 years old.
-----
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention still needs to authorize boosters for 16- and 17-year-olds before the shots are administered.