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COVID Vaccine Poll & Discussion

Discuss anything that doesn't fit elsewhere on the site. As a reminder, religion, politics and weaponry are prohibited.

COVID Vaccine

I have had it or am receiving it
13
65%
I wish to receive it when available to me
7
35%
I am unsure if I should receive it
0
No votes
I will not take the vaccine
0
No votes
 
Total votes: 20
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biglovetravis
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COVID Vaccine Poll & Discussion

Post by biglovetravis »

Hey, all. I have been a RN for 31 years with the majority of my career spent in critical care and hospice.

Back in December, 2020, my wife (who volunteered to be our hospital’s COVID Employee Health RN) and I started the Pfizer series as soon as we had access. Had our 2nd jabs 21 days later. We both work with COVID patients/employees daily. We are confident enough that we have had our 78 & 88 year old parents get vaccinated.

This was a post I made in a series on the COVID vaccines in a couple of other forums and FB.

My take on things, now that I have made time to put it in writing.

*****
Let's talk about the COVID mRNA vaccine. Not politics, but science. I believe it is every person's responsibility to educate themselves about potential risks vs benefits of ALL medications and medical treatments.

Analysis of risk vs benefit is something we do daily without thinking about it, for the most part. You know driving to the grocery store could kill you in a wreck, but you want food. You could slip in the tub, hit your head and die or fall and break your hip but you love the feeling of a hot bath. The examples are endless.

mRNA vaccines have been in development for roughly 20 years for potential treatment of viral infections and as a potential cancer treatment. The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are the first to complete phase III trials and be available to the public. The speed of development and deployment are impressive and show what science is capable of when provided funding. If these vaccines prove safe, the advantages that they will provide to humans will be on par with the discovery of Penicillin. It has that kind of potential for good.

What is known is the vaccines currently offered CANNOT give you COVID. The vaccines work and work well, the data on their efficacy is irrefutable.


The unknowns are:

How long will immunity last?
It isn't known how long vaccine mediated immunity will last. If is similar to infection in the wild, at least three months. But honestly, if I have to get a booster shot every 3-12 months, I am ok with that. At least I will be alive.

Can I carry the virus, potentially infecting others after being vaccinated?
Possibly. With naturally occurring COVID infection, a large percentage of people have no symptoms and are spreading the virus. It is possible that vaccinated people could aquire the virus but not be made ill by it and still be able to transmit the virus. We just don't know yet. But if this is possible, it isn't worse than our current predicament. This is part of why masks and distancing will continue to be necessary until at least 75% of the population is vaccinated.

Are there any long term side-effects?
A complete unknown. The mRNA vaccines are new. Other types of vaccines have shown that in a VERY small percentage of recipients there are some long term side-effects that can include neurologic and autoimmune problems.


Now my take and why I chose to receive the vaccine.
I have been an RN for 30+ years. I currently work with COVID patients in ICU daily, not in direct patient care but in a somewhat administrative role. I have always been fascinated by epidemiology and historical pandemics. For the last year I have spent countless hours reading research studies, expert opinions and experiences, and discussing the virus with MDs, pharmacists and RNs whom I respect and trust.

I have seen the illnesses and deaths from COVID first hand. I know what the odds of survival are when someone requires hospitalization, assisted external oxygenation, mechanical ventilation. I have watched my coworkers and friends become ill and have seen the long term effects the virus has on their bodies as well as my own. I have had friends and co-workers die from COVID.

Back in July I dodged a bullet when I had the virus and I have no desire to be in that situation again. So if the vaccine allows me to survive this pandemic, even if it were to cause me some long-term health issues, which is highly unlikely, at least I will be alive. The odds of the vaccine harming me are VERY slim vs the odds of me dying from another COVID infection episode being high.

So educate yourself, pray about it if that is your thing, and make an EDUCATED decision based on SCIENCE.

It took 200 years to eradicate smallpox worldwide. It took 30 years to eradicate polio in the US. This won't be over in six months. It is a marathon, not a sprint. In 12-24 months we may well have this under control. Some semblance of a return to pre-COVID "normal" may be possible sooner IF the vaccines are widely utilized.

Steady, stay the course, so that in generations to come, history will tell of the miracle of how this pandemic was defeated.
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Re: COVID Vaccine Poll & Discussion

Post by MoT »

I'll be taking the vaccine, Pfizer, Modena, J&J, or whatever, as soon as I am eligible. It's not even a question of "maybe" for me.

My father contracted Polio in 1953 when he was just about to turn 5. He spent almost a year in an iron lung, and had to re-learn how to go to the bathroom, walk, dress, feed himself and so many other things. He recovered, apart from some underlying health issues. He was also able to marry and father two children. Thank you, Dr. Salk.

He had my brother and I vaccinated as soon as we were able to be, and he gets understandably irate when he has to listen to anti-vaxxers spout their irrational BS.

Not to put a melodramatic point on it, but he still gets teary-eyed when he explains that if the vaccine had been available, he wouldn’t have had to watch some of his friends die.
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Re: COVID Vaccine Poll & Discussion

Post by The Sultan of SoWhat »

I am in my 80s and am eligible to receive the vaccine now--BUT I have not heard from any of the sites that i have applied to. The New Jersey Dept. of Health is controlling the operation for my township and they have informed me that I am on their list, but have offered no info as to when I would be scheduled. Other possibilities, such as drug stores and hospitals, routinely report no openings for scheduled shots. My brother, younger than me, who lives in NYC, received his first shot about 2 weeks ago. He thinks I should be shouting from the rooftop to draw attention. Somehow I don't think that would work. But this sitting and waiting is growing old!
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Re: COVID Vaccine Poll & Discussion

Post by Boourns »

I won't step in front of anyone who wants it and is more at risk than I am, but please jab me as soon as I'm eligible. That we developed multiple effective vaccines in such a short time is a great achievement of humanity. Science FTMFW.
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Re: COVID Vaccine Poll & Discussion

Post by Stretch44 »

The Sultan of SoWhat wrote: Tue Feb 23, 2021 9:14 pm I am in my 80s and am eligible to receive the vaccine now--BUT I have not heard from any of the sites that i have applied to. The New Jersey Dept. of Health is controlling the operation for my township and they have informed me that I am on their list, but have offered no info as to when I would be scheduled. Other possibilities, such as drug stores and hospitals, routinely report no openings for scheduled shots. My brother, younger than me, who lives in NYC, received his first shot about 2 weeks ago. He thinks I should be shouting from the rooftop to draw attention. Somehow I don't think that would work. But this sitting and waiting is growing old!
This saddens me. My parents are in their 70s and cannot get an appointment in San Luis Obispo county in California either. In Santa Clara County they have several hundred vaccines every week that will expire so they give them out to anyone that shows up late on a Sunday. I don't understand why we're not handling the rollout better.

When I can get it, I'll get it.

Thanks for posting this [mention]biglovetravis[/mention].
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Re: COVID Vaccine Poll & Discussion

Post by Sussa »

I will get it as soon as I'm eligible. My spouse is high-risk. I haven't hugged my mom in a year. I'll do whatever it takes to get us to the new, less risky normal.

My parents live in a low-population midwestern US county and scheduled an appointment for a week after they became eligible. A friend had a ridiculously frustrating time trying to schedule an appointment for her mother in Los Angeles. She said she'd rather keep quarantining than jump through all those hoops again and will wait until registering is more efficient for her own vaccine.

After the website crash that came with the rollout of the Affordable Care Act, you'd think governments would realize there will be a large load on any similar site. User experience seems to have been completely overlooked in favor of getting something, anything, out as quickly as possible. At least there are people like this woman, who made a better site for Massachusetts while caring for her newborn: https://www.cnn.com/2021/02/08/us/olivi ... index.html
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Re: COVID Vaccine Poll & Discussion

Post by pdsf »

Thanks for posting and providing education, [mention]biglovetravis[/mention].

I was vaccinated a few weeks ago (cos of my job). I had to get mine through the county as I am not employed by a healthcare organization. Apart from feeling a bit wonky for most of the day after the 2nd dose (Pfizer), all thankfully went well. Even though I wasn't feeling great, I felt I could still work and my productivity was actually the same (perhaps that says more about my usual level of productivity lol). I was back to normal on the second day.

I continue to wear a mask and social distance because if there is a possibility that I can still be a carrier/spreader, then for the sake of other people, I need to adhere to the same precautions and recommendations.

Procedures and availability do vary greatly. When I had to sign up for the first dose, the county where I work easily had spots available, yet the neighboring county, where I live, had reportedly no allocation at all. That seemed such a drastic difference. I have families in the Greater DC area and they told me Maryland is performing poorly at vaccine distribution, and Virginia is doing a much better job.

I hope you all are doing well.
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Re: COVID Vaccine Poll & Discussion

Post by Miggyd87 »

[mention]biglovetravis[/mention] thank you for your sacrifice.

I am counting down the days till I can get in line for my vaccine.
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Re: COVID Vaccine Poll & Discussion

Post by vta_watch »

I'm scheduled to get my first vaccination this morning (I qualify due to medical conditions). Have to say I'm not impressed with how my state (California) has been managing the vaccinations, though.

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Re: COVID Vaccine Poll & Discussion

Post by tommy_boy »

After (IMHO) too much screwing around trying to get scheduled, I got my first shot two weeks ago. I get stabbed for the second time on April 2nd. In the past two weeks (after my first shot) I was notified of my availability by my local Clinic and by the State. My wife has to wait her turn (in mid-April or sooner) or get lucky, should the Clinic have spare doses at the end of the day.

I know a couple of people who are on the fence about getting the vaccine for themselves. :?
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Re: COVID Vaccine Poll & Discussion

Post by TheJohnP »

I have my first shot scheduled for Friday.
And thankfully for my wife, Georgia is opening up vaccines for everyone over 16 starting tomorrow.
Hopefully she'll be able to get an appointment relatively soon.
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Re: COVID Vaccine Poll & Discussion

Post by MoT »

I'm scheduled to receive the J&J shot this coming Thursday.
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Re: COVID Vaccine Poll & Discussion

Post by MoT »

I just received the J&J at a community vaccination event about a half hour ago. Very smoothly run operation, I was impressed. Thank you to all the healthcare professionals and volunteers working the event, and of course to all healthcare workers everywhere.

I took the shot in my right arm, and the only thing to report so far is some moderate injection site stiffness. I'll reply to this thread again if/when there are other side effects.
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Re: COVID Vaccine Poll & Discussion

Post by MoT »

ManOnTime wrote: Thu Apr 01, 2021 1:34 pm I just received the J&J at a community vaccination event about a half hour ago. Very smoothly run operation, I was impressed. Thank you to all the healthcare professionals and volunteers working the event, and of course to all healthcare workers everywhere.

I took the shot in my right arm, and the only thing to report so far is some moderate injection site stiffness. I'll reply to this thread again if/when there are other side effects.
Nothing to report other than a sore arm, a slight headache, and some moderate queasiness. All-in-all, it feels like the sensation when you think you may be coming down with a cold.
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Re: COVID Vaccine Poll & Discussion

Post by Sussa »

Thanks to some generous re-defining of eligible medical conditions, I was able to schedule an appointment for early May. It was a frustrating experience, and one that will likely be used as a case study for user experience design students for years to come. I saw available appointments a few times, but no system held my appointment while I entered the required information. Even the evil empire of Ticketmaster manages to do this. I lost out on one appointment because I entered my date of birth as MMDDYYY instead of MM/DD/YYYY.

Ultimately, it was the sudden availability of hundreds of appointments at one clinic plus a ZocDoc registration system that actually showed me my position in queue that worked out. Even then, minutes after the appointments were posted there were 6000 people ahead of me in queue. I decided to wait it out. It took about 10 minutes, and the system accurately estimated that wait time.

Moral of the story: if you're in a place with high demand for appointments, hold your place in line. Others will give up.
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