Vaccine? Soon!

[Fletch Lives]

I'm type B-real

[BC1980]

2 hours ago, Piddy said:

Do you know your blood type?  

I don't. That is something I always say I need to find out. 

[mrs rubble]

Interesting to read everyone’s experiences, especially our Ozzie friend. 

Roll out has been slow here too, but we have very few cases our border workers and managed quarantine workers are all being vaccinated first, my employer told us we will be sent email appointments for our vaccines as front line healthcare workers starting on the 29th.

I’m planning on getting the first and second shots (phizer) in each arm, as I had a reaction to my second shot of the meningococcal vaccine in January.. which was redness and swelling at the injection site with radiation. I had both shots of that vaccine in the same arm, so hopefully alternating arms will avoid that? 

We’re blessed to be in New Zealand, our summer hasn’t been too disrupted due to covid and we’ve been able to enjoy getting out and about!!

Check out the America’s cup racing happening in Auckland harbour!! 

[Alpacalia]

65 and older are eligible to get vaccinated in our area, but my parents haven't yet been able to receive a vaccine. A bit frustrating.

[Piddy]

9 hours ago, BC1980 said:

I don't. That is something I always say I need to find out. 

Go give blood and they’ll tell you.  Also, once you give blood you can always receive blood if you ever need any for free.  Always was that way when I gave blood periodically.

[Piddy]

12 hours ago, Piddy said:

Sure I’ll ask and get back to you.

Ok I asked and no one responded that they have slept better.  The consensus from who did respond  seems to be that maybe you feel relieved having gotten your first jab and have less worry, thus better sleep.  

[Happy Lemming]

@Piddy Thank you for asking (your group).

Yes... you and your colleagues are probably correct... less worry, easier sleep.

I'm just laying low until I get my second shot, which is scheduled for the beginning of April. 

At that point, I want to fly cross country and attempt to help my mother with a long laundry list of problems/issues. 

[Piddy]

https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2021/03/covid-vaccine-side-effects-everything-you-need-to-know.html

Here's a good article from yesterday (March 15) on the issue of side effects from the vaccines.

[Prudence V]

7 hours ago, Piddy said:

https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2021/03/covid-vaccine-side-effects-everything-you-need-to-know.html

Here's a good article from yesterday (March 15) on the issue of side effects from the vaccines.

I had the Oxford / AstraZeneca one and the only side-effect I’ve felt so far is gratitude. Immense, overwhelming gratitude.

[Piddy]

12 hours ago, Prudence V said:

I had the Oxford / AstraZeneca one and the only side-effect I’ve felt so far is gratitude. Immense, overwhelming gratitude.

Yup, absolutely.

 Anecdotal evidence from my golf forum aligns with people I know.  Type A (me) blood types have more effects after the second shot and type O, especially O negative have the least.

Like the article said,  the second shot is like a booster shot and your body already has made some antibodies from the first shot and reacts to the second shot.  

Which is a good sign the vaccine is doing it’s job.

 

 

 

 

Edited March 17, 2021 by Piddy

[sothereiwas]

I got on a waiting list a while back, and someone cancelled an appointment. I was the one nearest the top of the list that could get in before the office closed, so I got the jab a while back. No big deal . No, I don't feel guilty - it was either going into me or the garbage. This is better. 

[Alpacalia]

Just received my first dose.

Just a bit fatigued 😴. From what my friends have informed, they confirm the 2nd dose is much less pleasant.

My parents still haven't received their vaccine yet. 

[Angelle]

52 minutes ago, Alpaca said:

Just received my first dose.

Just a bit fatigued 😴. From what my friends have informed, they confirm the 2nd dose is much less pleasant.

My parents still haven't received their vaccine yet. 

My dad gets his second dose, next Saturday. I hope it doesn't hit him too hard, or you. ❤️ 

[Alpacalia]

2 hours ago, Angelle said:

My dad gets his second dose, next Saturday. I hope it doesn't hit him too hard, or you. ❤️ 

Thank you, Angelle. Hope your Dad fares well with his 2nd dose too.🤞

Edited March 23, 2021 by Alpaca

[Prudence V]

10 hours ago, Alpaca said:

the 2nd dose is much less pleasant.

 

I heard that this depends on the vaccine. Pfizer is worse on the second dose, AstraZeneca is better on the second dose. Don’t know about any other of the vaccines as I don’t personally know anyone who’s had a different one. 

[Taramere]

1 hour ago, Prudence V said:

I heard that this depends on the vaccine. Pfizer is worse on the second dose, AstraZeneca is better on the second dose. Don’t know about any other of the vaccines as I don’t personally know anyone who’s had a different one. 

Yeah, I know a few people in the medical/care sector who have had both jabs of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, and they've all said that they felt a bit of pain on their arm after the first jab, but felt fine after the second one.  I had my first jab recently and felt mildly achey the next day - but nothing that stopped me from doing normal day to day activities.  If I run my hand over the jabbed area I can still feel a very slight pain, but only because I'm looking for it.

There weren't as many people as I expected when I went for my jab.  A friend encountered the same thing.  She mentioned it to the healthcare worker who said a lot of people aren't turning up for their jabs.  That's so frustrating to hear.  The appointment document clearly asks people to let them know if they're not going to turn up for the vaccine.  If a person is determined not to have the vaccine then okay - but other people who do want the vaccine could have taken up those spots.  It's such a waste of healthcare workers' time and everybody's resource when people just don't bother turning up for their appointment.

[Prudence V]

20 hours ago, Taramere said:

a lot of people aren't turning up for their jabs

Are these the ones through GP surgeries, where the surgery contacts you and you agree at time and day over the phone, or the centrally organised NHS ones, where you actually go online yourself and schedule it? If the latter, why go through all that bother if you’re not planning to turn up? 

[elaine567]

9 minutes ago, Prudence V said:

Are these the ones through GP surgeries, where the surgery contacts you and you agree at time and day over the phone, or the centrally organised NHS ones, where you actually go online yourself and schedule it? If the latter, why go through all that bother if you’re not planning to turn up? 

Where I live in the UK, the NHS contacts you by letter and gives you an already booked appointment.  
If you do not show up, then the slot is wasted.

[Prudence V]

5 minutes ago, elaine567 said:

Where I live in the UK, the NHS contacts you by letter and gives you an already booked appointment.  
If you do not show up, then the slot is wasted.

That sucks. Here, there are two systems. The one is through GP surgeries, and they phone you, you agree an appointment (ours is at a surgery in a neighbouring village). The other is the NHS sends you a letter (centrally organised, in parallel with the other system) and it gives you a link to book on the website. 
 

Just sending out a letter, without having the person confirm, seems like a problem to me. Some of those people will have had their vaccine through a different route, some won’t be able to make the proposed time but won’t be arsed to contact the NHS for a new one, and some won’t even open the letter. 🙁

[Taramere]

26 minutes ago, Prudence V said:

Are these the ones through GP surgeries, where the surgery contacts you and you agree at time and day over the phone, or the centrally organised NHS ones, where you actually go online yourself and schedule it? If the latter, why go through all that bother if you’re not planning to turn up? 

Yeah, as Elaine is saying - it's a pre-booked slot at a vaccination centre.  So you arrive at your designated time and queue up - a bit like queuing to go through airport security.  Afterwards you sit down for 15 minutes (in case you have any reaction) then leave.  I was 15 minutes early, and mentioned that to one of the people who direct people to the right place - but she said "it's fine, everybody's early".  I got seen really quickly and they obviously weren't working to full capacity, so I'm guessing a lot of people didn't turn up.  I guess some people might throw the correspondence away without reading it, but everybody I know has been looking out for their appointment letter.

[elaine567]

2 minutes ago, Prudence V said:

, and some won’t even open the letter. 🙁

It was a noticeable letter, bright blue envelop. I guess those who want to be vaccinated are waiting for it, those who don't want to be vaccinated, will just ignore it.
At least with an already booked appointment, it solves the problem of "the public" not being available on the phone or not understanding new technology.

[Prudence V]

27 minutes ago, Taramere said:

Yeah, as Elaine is saying - it's a pre-booked slot at a vaccination centre.  So you arrive at your designated time and queue up - a bit like queuing to go through airport security.  Afterwards you sit down for 15 minutes (in case you have any reaction) then leave.  I was 15 minutes early, and mentioned that to one of the people who direct people to the right place - but she said "it's fine, everybody's early".  I got seen really quickly and they obviously weren't working to full capacity, so I'm guessing a lot of people didn't turn up.  I guess some people might throw the correspondence away without reading it, but everybody I know has been looking out for their appointment letter.

Mine was at a vaccination centre, too - my H’s was through the GP, so I was familiar with those two systems. But not the pre-booked slot letter. I’m guessing different Trusts have different systems? Or different regions? 
 

I was really impressed how efficient everything was, and how many people were volunteering so much of their time to help with this effort.  

[Taramere]

11 minutes ago, Prudence V said:

Mine was at a vaccination centre, too - my H’s was through the GP, so I was familiar with those two systems. But not the pre-booked slot letter. I’m guessing different Trusts have different systems? Or different regions?  

The pre-booked appointment slot is maybe just a Scottish thing?

https://www.gov.scot/news/vaccination-programme-update/

I'm not sure of the logic, but I suspect they're concerned about older people not being very internet savvy.  There have been daily updates from the Scottish Govt on the news for months, and everybody I know was looking out for their letter.  Just checking, a bit over 2 million people in Scotland have received the first vax, which seems in line with the UK numbers generally.  I looked a bit further into it - and it looks as though the problem is that a lot of appointment letters were delayed.  60,000 people apparently missed their appointments last week due to delays in the letters being sent out.  So it was down to a Govt admin issue rather than people being apathetic.

[Prudence V]

3 hours ago, Taramere said:  I looked a bit further into it - and it looks as though the problem is that a lot of appointment letters were delayed.  60,000 people apparently missed their appointments last week due to delays in the letters being sent out.  So it was down to a Govt admin issue rather than people being apathetic.

Ah, that makes more sense. 
 

There were delays here too - the date on my letter, and the date it arrived, were separated by weeks. So perhaps there were days when no one was booking appointments here too? 

[FMW]

I'm in a midwestern State in the US.  I signed up in January on my City's health department website.  I received an email last evening telling me I could book an appointment for Thursday for the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.  I'm 56, not in any special group, but our governor said everyone would be eligible by the first of April.  I'm booked for tomorrow.  I'm really surprised, the rollout has been going really slowly here for the past 6-8 weeks.   

I thought I would rather have one of the other two vaccines because of higher percentage of effectiveness in the testing, but I like that the J&J one is only one shot and has less likelihood of side effects.  And it's the one I was offered, so I wasn't going to wait around for the others.