Are vaccines the light at the end of the tunnel?

[Janealmalu]

I've been quietly reading this thread for months, and really appreciate the information and wisdom from so many knowledgeable posters, especially those in the medical field.  I'm ready now to humbly offer this observation.  

 

While many/most of us (including me) have been expressing frustration over the vaccination rollout, the states & localities have been quietly picking up the pace.  As of Jan 16, 2021, 13.7 Million doses have been administered with a daily average of ~ 850 thousand over the past week. 

 

https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/covid-vaccine-tracker-global-distribution/

 

If that pace is maintained, the 20 Million mark will be reached around January 25.  Many seem to focus on missing the goal of 20 Million by end December, but this IMO looses sight of the larger view.  I recall one famous spokesperson saying 20 Million by end December would be a medical miracle.  If that's a miracle, I'd say 20 Million by end January along with a growing pace is pretty spectacular.  

 

But also consider this:  The US has vaccinated far more people than any nation (even the much larger China) and is ranked 5th globally in doses/capita only behind 4 much smaller nations (kudos to Israel, UAE, Bahrain, and the UK).  Moreover, the US with 4.3% of the world's population has given over 34% of the doses (factor of ~ 8 to 1).  All of this data is in the link (the site updates daily).   

 

Was the rollout shaky and uneven? Yes.  Does it need to improve?  Yes  Is it getting better?  Definitely.  Do we have reason to be frustrated?  Yes.   But all in all, we have much to be thankful for and proud of.  

 

 

[baldilocks]

New Georgia state obtaining immune status for COVID:

 

Find a person who is infected, have then breathe or cough on you, if you live....you are immune.

 

Still no vaccine for us. The state is 'studying' setting up centralize immunization centers. Vaccination rate is below 30% for the already distributed vaccine doses. That means 70% is just sitting in freezers. 

Vaccine control is being 'handled' by large hospitals only. Since we have few hospitals in NE GA, no vaccine distribution for us.

[Arizona Wildcat]

On 1/16/2021 at 5:08 PM, Fouremco said:

An interesting article on how some states are administering Covid-19 vaccines at twice the speed of others:

 

https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/15/health/states-vaccinating-faster-west-virginia/index.html

Absolutely correct.  The problem in most of the others is thousands are coming up for their second dose and soon unless J&J is approved and Pfizer increases shipments the rate of vaccinations will sadly slow.  Arizona will reach that point in 2 weeks.

[nocl]

10 hours ago, Ken the cruiser said:

Hopefully more good news is just "weeks away" with regards to the J&J and AZ/Oxford vaccines, especially with regards to getting the vaccines delivered to more rural areas both in the US and Canada.

 

Fauci: Approval of AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson vaccines likely 'weeks away' | TheHill

The problem with the approval of AZ is that data published to date shows it to be less effective than the others.  Since it is the one that the US has purchased the most of, it will probably become the most common used.  I, for one, will decline the AZ vaccine if it is the one offered in my area.  I will wait for Moderna or Pfizer.  Will make the decision about J&J once I see their data when it is published.

[Ken the cruiser]

1 minute ago, nocl said:

The problem with the approval of AZ is that data published to date shows it to be less effective than the others.  Since it is the one that the US has purchased the most of, it will probably become the most common used.  I, for one, will decline the AZ vaccine if it is the one offered in my area.  I will wait for Moderna or Pfizer.  Will make the decision about J&J once I see their data when it is published.

It would be nice if we could pick and choose which vaccine we could get, but that might not be an option in our state for quite sometime. Personally, I would prefer to get the "one and done" J&J vaccine, but as they say beggars can't be chosey. So whichever FDA approved vaccine makes it to our local area will probably be the one that will wind up flowing through our veins. 

[nocl]

10 minutes ago, Ken the cruiser said:

It would be nice if we could pick and choose which vaccine we could get, but that might not be an option in our state for quite sometime. Personally, I would prefer to get the "one and done" J&J vaccine, but as they say beggars can't be chosey. So whichever FDA approved vaccine makes it to our local area will probably be the one that will wind up flowing through our veins. 

Big difference between one 95% efficacy and one 70% efficacy. I will wait.

[NantahalaCruiser]

1 hour ago, nocl said:

Big difference between one 95% efficacy and one 70% efficacy. I will wait.

Yes! We are lucky to be receiving the Moderna here in Western NC.  Not only is it 95% efficacy after the 2nd dose, it is 80% after the 1st dose.  So even though we will have to wait 4 weeks before getting the 2nd shot, we will have more protection from the 1st than many will be getting from both with some alternative vaccines.

 

Of course no one knows at this time which will be most effective 12 months after receiving the two doses.

Edited January 18, 2021 by NantahalaCruiser

[NantahalaCruiser]

5 hours ago, baldilocks said:

New Georgia state obtaining immune status for COVID:

 

Find a person who is infected, have then breathe or cough on you, if you live....you are immune.

 

Still no vaccine for us. The state is 'studying' setting up centralize immunization centers. Vaccination rate is below 30% for the already distributed vaccine doses. That means 70% is just sitting in freezers. 

Vaccine control is being 'handled' by large hospitals only. Since we have few hospitals in NE GA, no vaccine distribution for us.

Very unfortunate.  And of course there is still very little know (or at least very little communicated) about the level of immunity after surviving an infection.

[TeeRick]

Folks here is a great link to a complete vaccine Q&A published in NE J of Medicine.  Includes most everything that we have been discussing on this thread- and then some!

 

Paul Sax, M.D., a Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and an infectious disease specialist, provides concise and engaging answers to clinicians’ questions about Covid-19 vaccination and to the questions and concerns patients will raise. 

 

https://www.nejm.org/covid-vaccine/faq?campaign_id=9&emc=edit_nn_20210118&instance_id=26125&nl=the-morning&regi_id=121450033&segment_id=49584&te=1&user_id=8259b050a84d722b46d85f64ae857bb0

[zitsky]

A short FAQ on one variant.

 

https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/942643

[phoenix_dream]

23 hours ago, Ken the cruiser said:

Hopefully more good news is just "weeks away" with regards to the J&J and AZ/Oxford vaccines, especially with regards to getting the vaccines delivered to more rural areas both in the US and Canada.

 

Fauci: Approval of AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson vaccines likely 'weeks away' | TheHill

I sincerely (and avidly!) hope he is correct.  Unfortunately he is also the one who led me to believe that as a 65+ year old I would be getting vaccinated starting in December.  In my state it could take me until sometime in April.  Big difference.  I do have a lot of respect for him, but the point is that the best laid and anticipated plans with this vaccine have not exactly come to pass as promised.  But I will continue to hope for the best!

[Ken the cruiser]

46 minutes ago, phoenix_dream said:

I sincerely (and avidly!) hope he is correct.  Unfortunately he is also the one who led me to believe that as a 65+ year old I would be getting vaccinated starting in December.  In my state it could take me until sometime in April.  Big difference.  I do have a lot of respect for him, but the point is that the best laid and anticipated plans with this vaccine have not exactly come to pass as promised.  But I will continue to hope for the best!

To be honest when it comes right down to it, that's all we can do is hope for the best AND be in a position to register to get the vaccine when it's our group's turn. For us to that end as we are in the "over 65" Group 1C, we have "liked" our state and county's heath department, EMA and regional hospital Facebook pages. We have also registered on the various regional pharmacy websites (CVS, Walgreens and Publix) just in case they start sending out vaccine registration notices in the near future. Right now we're hoping to get a vaccine in late February, but will be happy if we get it by the end of March.

[Caymus88]

3 hours ago, TeeRick said:

Folks here is a great link to a complete vaccine Q&A published in NE J of Medicine.  Includes most everything that we have been discussing on this thread- and then some!

 

Paul Sax, M.D., a Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and an infectious disease specialist, provides concise and engaging answers to clinicians’ questions about Covid-19 vaccination and to the questions and concerns patients will raise. 

 

https://www.nejm.org/covid-vaccine/faq?campaign_id=9&emc=edit_nn_20210118&instance_id=26125&nl=the-morning&regi_id=121450033&segment_id=49584&te=1&user_id=8259b050a84d722b46d85f64ae857bb0

Very informative. Read this!!

[mimbecky]

3 hours ago, Ken the cruiser said:

We have also registered on the various regional pharmacy websites

Please clarify.  Have you somehow pre registered for the vaccine on these websites or just established accounts? I have established accounts and downloaded apps but have yet to see any sort of pre registration.

Thanks

[larry_s_taco]

7 hours ago, TeeRick said:

Folks here is a great link to a complete vaccine Q&A published in NE J of Medicine.  Includes most everything that we have been discussing on this thread- and then some!

 

Paul Sax, M.D., a Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and an infectious disease specialist, provides concise and engaging answers to clinicians’ questions about Covid-19 vaccination and to the questions and concerns patients will raise. 

 

https://www.nejm.org/covid-vaccine/faq?campaign_id=9&emc=edit_nn_20210118&instance_id=26125&nl=the-morning&regi_id=121450033&segment_id=49584&te=1&user_id=8259b050a84d722b46d85f64ae857bb0

Thank you. This is a great reference.

 

[Ken the cruiser]

41 minutes ago, mimbecky said:

Please clarify.  Have you somehow pre registered for the vaccine on these websites or just established accounts? I have established accounts and downloaded apps but have yet to see any sort of pre registration.

Thanks

We just established accounts on the pharmacy websites in our area on the outside chance any/some of those pharmacies might decide to send notifications out when the time was right. I did notice "COVID vaccine coming soon" on some of the sites, which suggested establishing an account made sense. 

[LGW59]

21 minutes ago, Ken the cruiser said:

We just established accounts on the pharmacy websites in our area on the outside chance any/some of those pharmacies might decide to send notifications out when the time was right. I did notice "COVID vaccine coming soon" on some of the sites, which suggested establishing an account made sense. 

Because we got our flu shots at a local CVS, we now receive regular updates from them re COVID vaccine and how to register.  We are bit off from eligibility but good to know they have us in their database now.  

[mimbecky]

Yes, I also have set up an alert with our county.  Was just informed today via cell phone alert that we opened up to over 75 and helped a friend get signed up just as the info on the website was updating.

 

[eas2225]

Not sure if this will help anyone, but here in PA, some counties are preregistering those in groups 1B and 1C.  I signed my 69 year old husband up on Montgomery County's website.   Bucks county is doing it too.

 

Also, if you're a veteran, you can preregister in some counties.  Did that too for my husband.

They will administer vaccines at Coatesville VA hospital.

 

If your primary physician is part of a health system, you may be able to schedule an appt. too.

 

 

[Orator]

Both my DW and I are over 75 and on two lists for Palm Beach County, Florida. Still haven't been given an appointment. Perhaps we should start smoking or commit a crime and we'd move to the front of the line.

[verizon]

2 hours ago, Orator said:

Both my DW and I are over 75 and on two lists for Palm Beach County, Florida. Still haven't been given an appointment. Perhaps we should start smoking or commit a crime and we'd move to the front of the line.

Try set up appointments with Broward county.

You stand a better chance.

[Orator]

18 minutes ago, verizon said:

Try set up appointments with Broward county.

You stand a better chance.

Publix has just announced that they will schedule appointments early tomorrow. We have several stores near us both in Boca and Broward County. Will add ours names to both.

[Wine-O]

26 minutes ago, Orator said:

Publix has just announced that they will schedule appointments early tomorrow. We have several stores near us both in Boca and Broward County. Will add ours names to both.

If it's the Pfizer vaccine, how are they going to keep it at -70 degrees?  I just got my first Pfizer injection last week.  The nurse giving it reached back behind her and picked one of the 5-6 syringes laying there to inject me.  🍷 

[verizon]

34 minutes ago, Orator said:

Publix has just announced that they will schedule appointments early tomorrow. We have several stores near us both in Boca and Broward County. Will add ours names to both.

Residents can begin making reservations Wednesday with the first doses being distributed on Thursday.

[UnorigionalName]

On 1/13/2021 at 7:47 PM, Wine-O said:

It's not a problem for the 99.6% who get it and recover.  It's the high risk folks that have to take precautions.  I never said I was so eager to get the vaccine.  I've had covid and have the antibodies.  My only symptoms were a post nasal drip.    I'll sell some of the plasma to you if you're interested.   😁 🍷   

 

1 hour ago, Wine-O said:

If it's the Pfizer vaccine, how are they going to keep it at -70 degrees?  I just got my first Pfizer injection last week.  The nurse giving it reached back behind her and picked one of the 5-6 syringes laying there to inject me.  🍷 

 

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