COVID vaccine availability

[Tío Riñon]

I recently read this article in the Washington Post:  Vaccine lotteries and personal appeals: The medically vulnerable find their priority status slipping away (https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2021/02/26/covid-vaccine-who-should-go-first/).

It got me to thinking about how chaotic the approach is to rolling out the vaccine around the nation.  Each state is so different with no clear plan for people who are waiting.

In a recent Zoom chat with our local support group, I learned that participants who are receiving dialysis treatment (both DaVita and Fresenius) have gotten the vaccine.  However, transplant patients are still waiting.  The state health department makes no mention of high-risk patients.  They are focused solely on seniors 65 and above as well as educators.

What are you seeing in your state?  What are your thoughts?  Have you been vaccinated due to CKD or transplant status?

[tigtink]

I am a year and a half post transplant, age 61. Here in Michigan, only 65 and older and certain essential workers are getting vaccines. All my older friends have either had one or both shots. High risk are in the next group, but as of today the state estimates they will not get to my group until May. I am hopeful it will be sooner with the vaccine supply ramping up. Residents of Detroit 60 and older who are high risk can get vaccinated now, but nowhere else in the state so I don't qualify.

I am staying home except for three days a week in the YMCA pool. They have strict precautions and I feel okay with it. Other than that I am staying put. These variants scare me and we could still get another surge, I tell myself I waited six years for a transplant so I can wait for the vaccine. Not that I have any choice in the matter.

[MooseMom]

As of 25th Feb, anyone between 16 and 64 with certain conditions (solid organ transplant) is now eligible.  The issue is just that there's not enough vaccine yet, but I expect that to change soon.

[Tío Riñon]

To what state or region are you referring?

As of 25th Feb, anyone between 16 and 64 with certain conditions (solid organ transplant) is now eligible.  The issue is just that there's not enough vaccine yet, but I expect that to change soon.

[MooseMom]

Sorry!  Illinois.

[MooseMom]

Some weeks ago, I'd signed up with my county's health department for updated information on the covid vaccine.  They made it very clear that signing up for updates did NOT mean you were signing up for an appointment for a shot.

I've just now received an "invitation" to a mass vaccine clinic being held at a local school on Friday, so I've signed up and will get the first Moderna shot on Friday!  I have all of my documents in order, so I'll be good to go.  I'm excited but nervous.  I'm actually a bit shocked, to be sure.  I'd been checking with Walgreens several times a day for the past five days, so I wasn't expecting this!

[Tío Riñon]

   Congratulations!  You'll be fully vaccinated and able to enjoy spring.

Just remember to leave a few buffer days after your 2nd dose since most people have side effects which put them out of commission for a day or two.

Some weeks ago, I'd signed up with my county's health department for updated information on the covid vaccine.  They made it very clear that signing up for updates did NOT mean you were signing up for an appointment for a shot.

I've just now received an "invitation" to a mass vaccine clinic being held at a local school on Friday, so I've signed up and will get the first Moderna shot on Friday!  I have all of my documents in order, so I'll be good to go.  I'm excited but nervous.  I'm actually a bit shocked, to be sure.  I'd been checking with Walgreens several times a day for the past five days, so I wasn't expecting this!

[tigtink]

Great news MM! Let us know how things go with it.

[MooseMom]

Yes, I'll let you all know how I get on.  I'm sure it will be fine. 

Tio, I will take a few "buffer days" after each shot.  That's a good excuse for just lolling about the house.

I think I read somewhere that it might be an idea to take some Tylenol a few hours before getting the vaccine, and again after.  Has anyone heard that?  Would that be a good idea or no?  Anyone have any tips to mitigate any discomfort?

Thanks.

Edited to add:  I've just read the CDC guidelines about the shot, and they say they don't recommend taking any pain killing meds before taking the shot because there has been no data about how that might affect the efficacy of the vaccine.  So, I've just learned something!

[enginist]

Side-effects, which range from chills to headaches to muscle pain, occur in about 50 percent of vaccine recipients, usually after the second dose.  This is a sign of the immune system kicking into gear.  The symptoms may seem rough at the time but only last a couple of days--unless you're one of the rare cases who goes into anaphylactic shock. 

[iolaire]

MooseMom I'm glad you got your appointment. 

Last Friday we drove a few hours for our first shot at a Walgreens because our county had not yet moved to including people with conditions.  Of course on the drive home we received our email inviting us to schedule locally for this week.  Its looking like for our second Pfizer shot we will need to drive to the original site as crossing county boundaries is frowned upon in our county.  Side effects were minor, my wife had a sore arm through Sunday but otherwise there was just a minor feeling of being out of sorts.

I signed up in January to participate in National Vaccine Research Study for Transplant Recipients https://transplantvaccine.org/ Once I had my date I had to fill out a forum and the emailed orders for LabCorp for a SARS-CoV-2 Semi-Quant Total Ab test which showed <0.40 no antibodies.  I'll do the test again right before the second shot and then they will request a few more afterwards.  Here is a story I think is from the study: https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/news/newsroom/news-releases/covid-19-story-tip-study-indicates-covid-19-vaccines-are-safe-for-organ-transplant-patients

Anyway I'm glad to be getting the antibody tests as I think that will be what I can use to figure out if I need additional shots.  I've had to get my Hepatitis B shots a few times because lab work has shown I'm not protected.   I've been wondering if they would have a similar test for these vaccines.

[tigtink]

Our Governor just announced that as of Monday March 8 people in MI over 50 who are high risk will be eligible for the vaccine. I am not sure how quickly I will get an appointment, but I have registered with the local health department, my local hospital, and Meijer pharmacy. Once Rite Aid updates their system for the new guidelines I will sign up with them also.

Everyone here over 50 will be eligible March 22. So things are definitely moving forward!

[MooseMom]

Our Governor just announced that as of Monday March 8 people in MI over 50 who are high risk will be eligible for the vaccine. I am not sure how quickly I will get an appointment, but I have registered with the local health department, my local hospital, and Meijer pharmacy. Once Rite Aid updates their system for the new guidelines I will sign up with them also.

Everyone here over 50 will be eligible March 22. So things are definitely moving forward!

That's outstanding news!  That's just next week!

[MooseMom]

Iolaire, I'm glad to hear that you and your wife have had your first shots.  I'm confused about where you are going to get your second shot, though.  Will you get it in your county of residence, or will you be going back to where you got your first shot?  I'm confused about the "crossing county boundaries is frowned upon" part.  Anyway, of COURSE you get your "invitation email" as you were driving home!!  LOL!

Good on you for participating in the vaccine study for tx patients.  I don't doubt the safety of the vaccines, rather, I do wonder about the efficacy.  I'm sure it will be much better than nothing, but I'll be interested to read any hard data on just how protected an immunosuppressed person will be.  I'll also be interested in how you get on with the study.  Thank you for your participation!

[iolaire]

Anyway I'm glad to be getting the antibody tests as I think that will be what I can use to figure out if I need additional shots.  I've had to get my Hepatitis B shots a few times because lab work has shown I'm not protected.   I've been wondering if they would have a similar test for these vaccines.

I had an appointment with my nephrologist today and he didn’t think there would be any booster shots  of the same vaccine.  We would not get additional shots until they have new mixes that target the

We have an appointment back at the original site but my wife would prefer to get the second shot here. We will see how things look in three weeks maybe we can get the shot here. Otherwise we can got to the original site.  Virginia has tried to say you get vaccinated in you home country which our high demand county wants to follow versus other counties don’t care.

And country was a typo. That should have been county.

[enginist]

Dose dos: Nada.

[MooseMom]

Dose dos: Nada.

   
¡Que bueno!  A bilingual pun, too!

[enginist]

Ausgezeichnet!

[tigtink]

I have an appointment tomorrow at a local pharmacy for my first vaccine! Not sure yet which version it will be. I am excited!

[MooseMom]

I have an appointment tomorrow at a local pharmacy for my first vaccine! Not sure yet which version it will be. I am excited!

I'm excited for you!  I want to hear all about it!   

[iolaire]

I have an appointment tomorrow at a local pharmacy for my first vaccine! Not sure yet which version it will be. I am excited!

Congratulations, I've found the pharmacist jabs for the flu and covid vaccines to be very smooth with little feeling of the jab itself.

[tigtink]

I just got home. I received the Pfizer vaccine. So far no side effects, and Iolaire, you were right: I hardly felt the poke. I went to a local Meijer superstore. They said not to come early, but when I got there the line was snaked around several aisles of the store. It went really fast, and they were very organized. I had an appointment for 1 PM and had the shot around 1:30, then had to wait 15 minutes before I could leave. I was not happy about being in the store so long. If I would have known I would have waited a few days to see if I heard from the county health department. They do drive-thru, which would have been better. That said, it was encouraging to see so many people getting vaccinated. It was quite an operation they have set up! My next appointment is March 30.

[MooseMom]

That's great news, tigtink (other than having to wait longer than you expected), and I agree that it is encouraging to see so many people wanted to get vaccinated.  After hearing all of the anti-vax, anti-mask rhetoric for so long, I did wonder how many people would actually get the shot.

Let us know how you get on over the next couple of days!

[SooMK]

I'm scheduled for my second covid vaccine next week. Today I received a call from Walgreen's asking me if I had had my vaccine or if I wanted to schedule one (evidently the two systems don't talk to each other). You know vaccine supplies are looking good when the pharmacies are calling people.

[iolaire]

I'm scheduled for my second covid vaccine next week. Today I received a call from Walgreen's asking me if I had had my vaccine or if I wanted to schedule one (evidently the two systems don't talk to each other). You know vaccine supplies are looking good when the pharmacies are calling people.

I would also think some portion of the population is trying to get their second dose somewhere else closer to home.  Many people are jumping on any appointment that they are qualified for and then hoping to finish up closer to home. I am.  So they might be trying to prevent no shows.