No vaccine mixing allowed in US… I hope this changes very very quickly 😱

[MR_T]

We both followed our governments/provincial advice and took the AstraZeneca vaccine for our first shot as soon as it opened up to our age group and then again followed their advice to take a different vaccine for our second shot… we did our research and new all the potential side effects that could happen but we both felt perfectly fine and didn’t have any side effects, even the injection site felt better vs the 1st dose. We felt at the time we were actually somewhat lucky as the studies coming out mentioned that we would likely have better outcome vs 2 AstraZeneca shots. Now we find out we are not allowed to cruise to or from the US! 

[ETHTrader]

I didn't even realize that you can get mixed vaccine shots. When I got my shot, they didn't give me options. We received whatever supply of vaccine they happened to have at the location

Edited July 18, 2021 by ETHTrader

[cangelmd]

What is the vaccine availability situation in Canada? Could this be as simple as going for a second dose of your two dose vaccine? I guess that is technically not FDA approved either, since a lot of time may have elapsed since the first dose?

This is a mess, because it is quite likely you are well protected, just can’t “prove”it

[tert333]

3 minutes ago, cangelmd said:

What is the vaccine availability situation in Canada? Could this be as simple as going for a second dose of your two dose vaccine? I guess that is technically not FDA approved either, since a lot of time may have elapsed since the first dose?

This is a mess, because it is quite likely you are well protected, just can’t “prove”it

Unfortunately, Canadians are not allowed to get a third dose.   It is controlled by the health agency.   I called on Friday and was told it could not happen.

[kiwimum]

Family in New Zealand bought this to my attention today.  Could be another interesting outcome.

 

https://amp.9news.com.au/article/4306cec0-5d9c-403b-8357-efaf315622c2

[MR_T]

41 minutes ago, cangelmd said:

What is the vaccine availability situation in Canada? Could this be as simple as going for a second dose of your two dose vaccine? I guess that is technically not FDA approved either, since a lot of time may have elapsed since the first dose?

This is a mess, because it is quite likely you are well protected, just can’t “prove”it

Regarding availability it changes… AstraZeneca is in short supply as they have stopped most if not all vaccination with it so a second shot was at the time hard to find. as for phizer & moderna it seems to change weekly dependant on current delivery’s

 

we believe we are protected nearly as much as 2 phizer doses from what the studies have shown, certainly as much if not more as 2 x AstraZeneca. 
 

we didn’t really get to choose we just chose to get it as soon as we were allowed, at the clinic we were told the second shot was phizer and as that was what was recommended at the time we followed the guidance we received from our government! 

Edited July 18, 2021 by MR_T

[MR_T]

15 minutes ago, kiwimum said:

Family in New Zealand bought this to my attention today.  Could be another interesting outcome.

 

https://amp.9news.com.au/article/4306cec0-5d9c-403b-8357-efaf315622c2

This is another level of crazy… this whole issue seems to be getting worse by the hour 🤷🏼‍♂️

[Travelexpert35]

2 minutes ago, MR_T said:

This is another level of crazy… this whole issue seems to be getting worse by the hour 🤷🏼‍♂️

i agree that this is getting crazy. Wait for another week and this will change again. Hopefully this will all be sorted out.

[sergel02]

This seems bad since it’s not like people had a choice, and as time goes it will show the mixing is fine.

[excitedofharpenden]

Thanks for starting the thread Tony. It's a veritable minefield at present and I'm sorry you are caught up in it. I lifted and shifted the Apex October cruise we were on to next year, but do have two Azamara cruises in November, one of which is a transatlantic, so I have a horse in the race too. Let's keep fingers crossed. 🤞

 

Phil 

[MR_T]

2 hours ago, excitedofharpenden said:

Thanks for starting the thread Tony. It's a veritable minefield at present and I'm sorry you are caught up in it. I lifted and shifted the Apex October cruise we were on to next year, but do have two Azamara cruises in November, one of which is a transatlantic, so I have a horse in the race too. Let's keep fingers crossed. 🤞

 

Phil 

Hi Phil, 

 

what vaccine Ines did you get? 

 

We we are hopeful things will get sorted out but looking at plans should we have to change... 🤞🏻

[rodndonna]

10 hours ago, Travelexpert35 said:

i agree that this is getting crazy. Wait for another week and this will change again. Hopefully this will all be sorted out.

 

I really like think (hope?) you're right. We are sailing late September, but if this isn't resolved within the next week, I think we will just cancel and work on another holiday plan. It just isn't worth the stress and I don't feel like I have a holiday to look forward to anymore.

[bigbeergut]

I'm sure Canada was doing the best they could but it's all about safety on the cruise ships.  The mix of effectiveness of  a mix of vaccines has not been verified by rigorous studies.  Until this is complete, Celebrity needs to hold the line and require fully vaccinated people to have 2 shots (or 1 for J&J) of an approved vaccine to be considered vaccinated cruisers.  Anyone with a mix of vaccines can still sail as an unvaccinated cruiser.  It's all about safety.

[TeeRick]

12 hours ago, cangelmd said:

What is the vaccine availability situation in Canada? Could this be as simple as going for a second dose of your two dose vaccine? I guess that is technically not FDA approved either, since a lot of time may have elapsed since the first dose?

This is a mess, because it is quite likely you are well protected, just can’t “prove”it

Well at least this thread has been allowed to continue so far.  It is highly relevant to cruising.

 

cangelmd- Some thoughts along the lines of what you said here:

Maybe the authorization by EUA of a third (booster) dose might solve this problem for some?  Then they could get a dose of either vaccine that they originally had and be fully vaccinated.

 

Or just sign up for 1 dose of J&J if accessible? It is approved in both Canada and the UK but I know there are supply issues.  This is a strategy that might mean some got three different vaccines so kind of questionable regulatory-wise. 

 

Just to mention that there is a lot of data showing high effectiveness of most of these vaccines perhaps a month after only the first shot.   At least against serious COVID.  

 

All this is about officialdom (or officialdumb) and has little to do with the vaccine mixed dose effectiveness which by real world data is good.

 

I still say the FDA and Canada and UK regulatory authorities should all meet together on this issue and try to solve it.  C'mon!  It should not be too hard.  Let our cruises go!!

Edited July 18, 2021 by TeeRick

[ipeeinthepool]

8 minutes ago, TeeRick said:

I still say the FDA and Canada and UK regulatory authorities should all meet together on this issue and try to solve it.  C'mon!  It should not be too hard.  Let our cruises go!!

 

 

Canada didn't seem to be too interested in helping the Alaskan cruises resume, I'm not sure this would be much different.

[TeeRick]

1 minute ago, ipeeinthepool said:

 

 

Canada didn't seem to be too interested in helping the Alaskan cruises resume, I'm not sure this would be much different.

I am sure they are interested in the east coast cruises and tourism.  

[ipeeinthepool]

2 minutes ago, TeeRick said:

I am sure they are interested in the east coast cruises and tourism.  

 

So they didn't help Alaska because it didn't provide them any benefit?

[TeeRick]

4 minutes ago, ipeeinthepool said:

 

So they didn't help Alaska because it didn't provide them any benefit?

ipee- the Alaska issue was entirely USA-based and due to PVSA (archaic law).  Canada was trying to protect it's borders and people like every other country during the pandemic.  I'm sure Alaska cruising is far down on their priority list.  But the pandemic is starting to recede at least for those of us vaccinated.  And border restrictions are easing for the vaccinated.

[ipeeinthepool]

4 minutes ago, TeeRick said:

ipee- the Alaska issue was entirely USA-based and due to PVSA (archaic law).  Canada was trying to protect it's borders and people like every other country during the pandemic.  I'm sure Alaska cruising is far down on their priority list.  But the pandemic is starting to recede at least for those of us vaccinated.  And border restrictions are easing for the vaccinated.

 

I guess we'll disagree on this one.  Canada could have allowed technical stops and not affected their health or safety.  I guess I see the vaccination situation to be similar.   If Canada wants to solve the problem for people who want to travel, they can provide a third shot.  They have the ability to solve the problem themselves.

[nocl]

12 hours ago, Travelexpert35 said:

i agree that this is getting crazy. Wait for another week and this will change again. Hopefully this will all be sorted out.

The problem with Indian and Australian manufactured AZ is a pretty simple one to solve. They just need to get the manufacturing facilities certified by the EU. Since they had no plans to ship product there from those facilities they did not submit the data to the EU. It would take a couple of months but with the current restrictions can be solved before they are lifted if immediate action is taken. The plants will already have all of the needed data.

Edited July 18, 2021 by nocl

[Josie201]

19 minutes ago, ipeeinthepool said:

 

I guess we'll disagree on this one.  Canada could have allowed technical stops and not affected their health or safety.  I guess I see the vaccination situation to be similar.   If Canada wants to solve the problem for people who want to travel, they can provide a third shot.  They have the ability to solve the problem themselves.

I believe the FDA ABD/or WHO is currently not recommending a third dose.  

[ipeeinthepool]

6 minutes ago, Josie201 said:

I believe the FDA ABD/or WHO is currently not recommending a third dose.  

 

I'm not sure that the FDA has spent much worrying about what to do with people who got different vaccines.

[ipeeinthepool]

28 minutes ago, Josie201 said:

I believe the FDA ABD/or WHO is currently not recommending a third dose.  

 

Actually not true.  If someone has taken a non-authorized Covid vaccine, that may be offered a complete series of an approved vaccine.  Maybe Canada should do the same.  From the FDA website

 

• COVID-19 vaccines neither authorized by FDA nor listed for emergency use by WHO
  • People who received all or some of the recommended doses of a COVID-19 vaccine that is neither authorized by FDA nor listed for emergency use by WHO may be offered a complete, FDA-authorized COVID-19 vaccine series.

 

The home countries may need to do more to allow some of their citizens to travel internationally and cruise.

Edited July 18, 2021 by ipeeinthepool

[Charles4515]

45 minutes ago, ipeeinthepool said:

 

I guess we'll disagree on this one.  Canada could have allowed technical stops and not affected their health or safety.  I guess I see the vaccination situation to be similar.   If Canada wants to solve the problem for people who want to travel, they can provide a third shot.  They have the ability to solve the problem themselves.

 

The PVSA does not allow technical stops so the exception to the PSVA would still have been required for Alaska cruise to happen this summer. 

[TeeRick]

44 minutes ago, ipeeinthepool said:

 

I guess we'll disagree on this one.  Canada could have allowed technical stops and not affected their health or safety.  I guess I see the vaccination situation to be similar.   If Canada wants to solve the problem for people who want to travel, they can provide a third shot.  They have the ability to solve the problem themselves.

Not so far apart on this one.  I agree about the technical stops - but I understand about any stops at ports involving passengers. Yes I am saying that both Canada and the UK delayed second doses and then decided to use mixed vaccines (both were correct decisions for them IMO).  It is their problem to fix for their citizens - in any number of ways.  And I have no doubt it will be fixed.  But in what time frame?  It might take several months.  Not good news for people about to cruise from these countries who are in this particular Catch-22 situation.  Just like the brave folks who volunteered for Novavax and AZ (US) clinical trials who have been fully vaccinated but not officially.