The covid vaccine

[Michael Murphy]

Scheduled for covid vaccine today 1/20/2021 at 4:15 PM.  Got the call yesterday in afternoon.  Strangely not from Fresinius where I thought it would come but from Summit Medical Group where all my doctors work.

[MooseMom]

Scheduled for covid vaccine today 1/20/2021 at 4:15 PM.  Got the call yesterday in afternoon.  Strangely not from Fresinius where I thought it would come but from Summit Medical Group where all my doctors work.

Oh, wow!  That's tomorrow!  I'm very eager to hear about it all, so please let us know.  I am hoping you'll fee just fine in the days afterwards.

[PrimeTimer]

Just had a telehealth call with my Pulmonologist. I have Pulmonary Sarcoidosis. He wants me to get the vaccination but since I am on several immunosuppressants, he wants me to wait until I am at least off Prednisone for a week or two. He said that the idea is to actually let my immune system come back enough to recognize the Covid vaccine as the invader and make my body produce the needed anti-bodies...if that makes sense. He also said that in the ICU they are seeing people recover better with the help of anti-inflammatories such as Prednisone. So for me, off the Prednisone and then get the vaccine and then jump back on the Prednisone. Won't be for a while, maybe in a few months.

If my husband's neph wants him to get the vaccine he's on-board with it.


*self edit:  Meant to add that my doctor said he/other docs aren't seeing anyone coming into the hospital for any adverse reactions to the vaccination. That's hopeful.

[Michael Murphy]

Went to Medical group was bundled in a 15 person group and lead into a area with 15 chairs socially distant. We sat down and nurses went down the two lines of3 chairs and stuck every one. We were told to sit 15 minutes while the nurses were sticking the next 15 people. Then we were told to go home. Quick fast and sos far painless.  In 28 days I go back for second shot.

[Jaybird]

I'm back and its been a week. I'm normal.. what is normal anyway? I had trouble getting pictures of the paperwork, but it was standard lingo that stated the shot isn't really approved, but is as an emergency etc... I signed my life away as usual. One good thing, I didn't see Death as a side affect on the shot, its usually a side effect on everything if you read the fine print. Maybe they just hadn't gotten around to adding it below diarrhea.

I'm optimistic about getting my second shot, because the side effects were minimal so far. I feel good, my blood pressure is good, my sleeping is normal. Just fatigue on day one and pain at the injection site for about 24-36hrs. I've had similar responses to the flu shot.

The 2nd shot is supposed to cause more intense side effects from what I've read. I'm expecting to be tired again and possibly feel bad for a day to two, but I'm optimistic about not having worse side effects.

Remember, the shot isn't a cure. It increases your chances of not catching Covid, but it does not eliminate them. The new strains of Covid are bothersome because the protein spike on Covid seems to be changing shape and that is what the vaccine targets. If it changes too much, the vaccine will become ineffective against those strains. So the best idea is to continue washing your hands, avoid drinking/eating after people and wear a mask and keep your distance from crowds as possible. But get out of the house, staying at home forever isn't a life I want to live. I got out MORE when I was on dialysis than I did in 2020. Those are my opinions, if you enjoy staying at home then I'm envious and wish I could feel that way.

Good luck to all, and I'll repost if I have any side effects and after I get my second shot.

 

[MooseMom]

Oh, thanks so much for the update, Jaybird.  Lots of good information there; we appreciate it. 

I was talking to a neighbor yesterday; he is our neighborhood gossip in that he seems to know what everyone is up to.  I was horrified to learn that my next door neighbor tested positive for Covid just before Christmas, and another two families also tested positive.  I have not seen my next door neighbor to ask him how he is doing or if he had any symptoms at all, but I do know that one of my other neighbors didn't get TOO sick but was out of action for a while.

This neighbor also told me that the lady who lives across the street from him is an RN (which I knew) and so got both shots.  Like you've mentioned, the second left her feeling not so great for about 24 hours, but she is fine now.

I also worry that the speed of contagion is quickening and that with more people becoming infected, the more chance there is of the virus mutating into a form that might be resistant to the vaccines we now have.  That said, I did hear Dr. Fauci (I think it was him) say that he believes that vaccines can be tweaked, if necessary, to protect against mutations.  If that's the case, it still seems to me that it would result in just more time consumed and into a logistical nightmare.

Please repost after your second shot particularly if you don't have any side effects!  Of course, if you DO have some, we want to know that, too!  Again, thanks for the update.

[Jaybird]

Moosemom, its funny you mention your neighbor. I saw my neighbor (2 houses down) when checking the mail and informed them i just got the shot recently. They then told me their entire family had covid right after New Years. They didn't even realize it until it was almost over. Just a few sniffles. Their daughter had to travel so was tested and that's how they found out. They are about 20+ years older than I am, so I'm very excited they didn't have complications, but I was also really surprised that they had covid so recently and i hadn't a clue living right next to them.

You never know who has this thing, so just use common sense and be vigilant.

[Michael Murphy]

I got the Moderna vaccine 5 days ago in my right arm.  I had one day of mild tenderness in my arm and for one day I felt a little tired.

[MooseMom]

I got the Moderna vaccine 5 days ago in my right arm.  I had one day of mild tenderness in my arm and for one day I felt a little tired.

Oh, I'm glad you got your first shot and that you experienced no bad side effects.

[Hereware]

my brother in law got his first shot last week, he said he felt soreness on his arm and had chills. but it was gone after 24 hours from the time of vaccination.

[MooseMom]

my brother in law got his first shot last week, he said he felt soreness on his arm and had chills. but it was gone after 24 hours from the time of vaccination.

Oh, thanks for that!

[PrimeTimer]

My husband is still at the nursing rehab facility. He was given the first shot yesterday of the Pfizer vaccine. As of today, still no side effects. Next shot in three weeks. He's supposed to be discharged to come home later this week so they told him that unless his Fresenius clinic will administer it, he will have to return to the rehab place for the next dose.

[kristina]

Many thanks for the update, PrimeTimer ... but ... what about your vaccination? Have you been offered the opportunity to have your vaccine? I am asking because of your own health-issues?

Best wishes from Kristina.

[burford]

I also want to have the vaccine but I'm really afraid of the side effects... How bad are they?

[kristina]

I also want to have the vaccine but I'm really afraid of the side effects... How bad are they?

Hallo burford,

I think the side-effects depend on your medical history (and perhaps on the "sort" of vaccine?).
For example I just had my first Pfizer-vaccine and it was not too bad and now I have to wait for my second Pfizer-vaccination and have heard that the second "lot" is a bit "heavier" than the first ...
But if we honestly consider it, I don't think we have any chance but to take the vaccination whatever the side-effects because the alternative is the unthinkable...

Best of luck from Kristina.

[Simon Dog]

1st Pfiezer yesterday; tired in the afternoon (not sure if cause/effect here); sore arm at night.

2nd dose is identical, however, I have been told to expect more intense side effects.

[iolaire]

Its looking like the wait for me post transplant and under 65k will be until late March or April best case, unless the Feds do some sort of additional mass vaccination site using their own doses.

Virginia and Arlington County specifically seems to be going slow, our county has about 200k people and is only receiving about 3k doses per week. They forecast 92% of the population will want the vaccine.  We have a large priority pool here as there are many higher priority employers being based in the county and our county not requiring those employers to provide prioritized lists.  I could imagine that the entire corporate staff of the Lidl grocery store chain be invited to be vaccinated because they are "grocery store" employees.  Plus we have many federal and defense related  offices which might be priority. Right now they are working on 75+ and the critical employees, 65+ will be next, and after that would be the at risk due to condition people like me which they estimate is about 50% off the population.

My wife is stressing about it throughout the day, but I'm trying to not stress too much.  At least I'm able to work from home and wait. 

I'm looking forward to being vaccinated and being able to go out a bit more and feel less at risk.  I'm fairly sure the mask wearing is here to stay for at least another year but it might feel ok to do indoor dining with the spaced out tables, or more crowded spaced out outdoor dining.

PS because how the vaccines are allocated by state/county its looking like I will not be able to get vaccinated via my nephrologist or transplant center which is located in DC.  But maybe the rules will change or the feds will step in a build a better distribution system.

PS2 my worry about receiving the vaccination is a first world problem, I worry about the rest of the developing world which will have much longer waits on the order of years for the vaccine...

[MooseMom]

100% ^^^^^^^^this

[enginist]

PS2: Not necessarily.  China is always looking for opportunities to increase its influence in Africa and South America.  It also has the capacity to ramp up vaccine production to meet a huge demand.  India, too, has the expertise to inoculate its own people. 

[Michael Murphy]

The world is every ones problem,  the longer this pandemic rages the more variants will mutate.  Getting vaccine deployed until the planet has herd immunity is the only way to slow or stop the mutations.

[cassandra]

Yesterday I got my 1’ Astra Zeneca jab from my former D clinic who had left over. Feeling like terrible today.

[MooseMom]

Yesterday I got my 1’ Astra Zeneca jab from my former D clinic who had left over. Feeling like terrible today.

Oh, no.  I'm really sorry to hear you're not feeling well.  It's really hard to know who will have side effects and who will not.  Once you are feeling better, I'd like to hear more about what exactly you're experiencing.  In the meantime, I hope you feel better tomorrow.

[enginist]

As the West, especially the U.S., struggles with its rollout, Russia is poised to fill the breach with its Sputnik V vaccine. 

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-02-06/putin-s-once-scorned-vaccine-is-now-a-favorite-in-pandemic-fight?srnd=premium

[cassandra]

Yesterday I got my 1’ Astra Zeneca jab from my former D clinic who had left over. Feeling like terrible today.

Oh, no.  I'm really sorry to hear you're not feeling well.  It's really hard to know who will have side effects and who will not.  Once you are feeling better, I'd like to hear more about what exactly you're experiencing.  In the meantime, I hope you feel better tomorrow.

Hi MM I’m now completely back to feeling ‘normal’. I basically felt like the flu. Raised temp, muscle ache, headache etc. Nothing serious really.

[MooseMom]

That's good news, cass!  I'm pleased you are feeling better.  Thanks for letting us know.