Coronavirus 5: Let the Vaccination Begin

[Dandruff]

2 hours ago, TeaGrannie said:

Has anyone that got any of the Covid vaccines also had the shingles vaccine? I’m wondering how the reactions compared. Just had part 2 of Shingrix, ran a fever that wasn’t part of the first dose but felt better in a shorter time. 

I had Shingrix and felt much worse after the first dose than I did after my first dose COVID vaccine.  For example, I had chills and was shaking for hours the night after I had the first Shingrix dose.  The night after my COVID shot I had milder chills, and briefly felt like I might start shaking, but it didn't quite happen.

[Alisamer]

As predicted, at exactly 12 hours on the dot from getting the first Pfizer dose, my arm started to hurt a little. It really was a little, though, and still this morning is just soreness, not enough to really notice except if I touch it or my sleeve tightens on it when moving. If it stays like this I'm all good! So far I've noticed just a very mild headache coming and going (could have been the vaccine, but maybe not) and I've been tired but I can't remember the last time I didn't feel tired and this doesn't really feel unusual. Looking at my arm I can't even tell where the shot was. 

For comparison, when I get the flu shot I get a big red lump, it's exceptionally sore for many days, and it itches like you would not believe for about a week. 

I did take the day after the second dose off work, and it's a Friday. Just in case. My boss had no reaction beyond a mild headache so he thinks I'm being overly cautious, but IMO no reason not to plan for the worst and then enjoy the day off if I have no reaction. 

[anachronistic]

Update from my last post on moderna #2

Spoiler

Side effects have now mostly passed. 101 fever Tuesday, 100 yesterday, none today. Still have some headache pain, and injection site is hard and hurts, but overall feel like myself again and am so glad and thankful that I did it.

[SassyPants]

15 hours ago, TeaGrannie said:

Has anyone that got any of the Covid vaccines also had the shingles vaccine? I’m wondering how the reactions compared. Just had part 2 of Shingrix, ran a fever that wasn’t part of the first dose but felt better in a shorter time. 

I’ve only had Shingex #1, had to delay #2 d/t getting Covid #1, and now 2 (Pfizer). I had a terrible reaction to the first Shingex shot. In bed not being able to raise my head d/t headaches and a fever for 24 hours. I’m afraid for Shingex #2. I had zero adverse reactions to the Pfizer vaccines.

[WiseGirl]

I had the Shingles shot right before COVID came to town. First one hurt like hell and my arm was sore and swollen for a few days. I was expecting the same from the second but only got a little sore and was good to go the next day.

I am waiting for Moderna #2 on Easter Saturday but it is what it is. 

Whoops! I forgot to post this.

 

Edited March 18, 2021 by WiseGirl

[Alisamer]

Got the first of my Pfizer vaccines at 12:20 on Tuesday the 17th, and today is the 19th. Yesterday my arm was sore all day, not disruptive but something I noticed if I moved it at all. Today I woke up lying on that side and was surprised by that - very little soreness today at all! If I rub the area I can feel a little sore spot, and when moving it that arm doesn't feel sore so much as "more tired" than the other arm, if that makes sense. It's basically a mild ache today - if I focus on that arm I'm aware something happened, but it's not enough to catch my attention unless I bump it.

No lump, no itching, the soreness was never terrible. So far for me this has been far, far more pleasant than getting a flu shot. 

Checked in with my parents, they said when they got their second Moderna shots they had sore arms, and dad reported slight chills the next day. Mom reported no side effects she noticed. 

[CTRLZero]

No bad side effects from yesterday’s first Pfizer shot (and husband’s #2 shot).  A little soreness around injection site and feeling tired, but so happy we are vaccinated.

I have never gotten a shot at a mass vaccination center (military), so thought I’d share the process we experienced.  There were lots more people involved than I list, but these are the stages we personally went through:
1) a person checked our ID and appointment time at the door; 2) next desk was a person distributing clipboarded documents based on first/second shot; 3) we were directed to specific seats in a large waiting area by another person; 4) someone came down the row to ask basic medical questions and check our forms; 5) a person called us to get in line to enter the next room where the vaccinations were given; 6) another person directed us to a table where our vaccination card was generated; 7) then we were directed to a table where a person gave the actual vaccine (note: there were probably two dozen tables to process cards and give shots); 8 ) I stood in an exit line and met with someone to schedule my second shot (my husband skipped this step); 9) we took a numbered seat and a person let us know when we could leave after 20 minutes.  Whew!
It was a lot of steps, with our ID checked at every stage, but the whole process took 45 minutes.  My husband said the military sure knows how to give vaccines!

[PreciousPantsofDoom]

Provincial Gov just announced that teachers (and grocery store workers, and first responders (how the fuck have they not been done yet?) and a few other groups) will be the next ones vaccinated here!  Finally! 

Such a relief. Maybe going into schools won't feel like walking a tight rope without a net anymore. 

(and can report that Mr PPOD, who got his first Phizer shot on Tuesday, had minor soreness in his arm Tuesday evening, but said it was all back to normal the next day.) 

[Alisamer]

8 minutes ago, CTRLZero said:

I have never gotten a shot at a mass vaccination center (military), so thought I’d share the process we experienced.  There were lots more people involved than I list, but these are the stages we personally went through:
1) a person checked our ID and appointment time at the door; 2) next desk was a person distributing clipboarded documents based on first/second shot; 3) we were directed to specific seats in a large waiting area by another person; 4) someone came down the row to ask basic medical questions and check our forms; 5) a person called us to get in line to enter the next room where the vaccinations were given; 6) another person directed us to a table where our vaccination card was generated; 7) then we were directed to a table where a person gave the actual vaccine (note: there were probably two dozen tables to process cards and give shots); 8 ) I stood in an exit line and met with someone to schedule my second shot (my husband skipped this step); 9) we took a numbered seat and a person let us know when we could leave after 20 minutes.  Whew!
It was a lot of steps, with our ID checked at every stage, but the whole process took 45 minutes.  My husband said the military sure knows how to give vaccines!

My experience at the local hospital (in a relatively small city) was similar: 

First, the GPS took me to the wrong entrance, but there were signs telling me which entrance to go to. Once I got there, there were people there directing where to go for vaccines and where to go for other things. They directed me into a parking deck where people were parking you like it was a concert or something, so there was no confusion as to where to park. Then, at the elevators, a woman took my temperature and gave me a sticker to wear, which I found out later had marked on it which floor of the deck I'd parked on (very useful!). They allowed 3 people per elevator separated with stickers to stand on. Getting off the elevator we were directed into the building, and down a long hallway dotted with distancing stickers. They were prepared for a very long line but the line was nonexistent really, they were moving so quickly. We were directed in as a station opened up where we were checked in on a computer and asked if we had any questions. Then each person was sent to where there was another line, but no one in line so I was sent straight to the woman who did my shot. It was done quickly and efficiently, then I was given a card saying when I could leave and sent to set up my next appointment. After making my appointment I sat in the chair until time to leave - they had a big TV displaying the current time. On the way out the door I stopped at a station where a woman checked me out, and I was on my way. There was another woman managing the elevators back up, and the parking people waved me out as I left. 

I think it took maybe 35 minutes max? Including the 15 minute waiting time. It didn't feel rushed, but it was very efficient. There were tons of people working there, and I wish I'd photographed the whiteboard where they were tracking the number of people vaccinated that day - I remember it was well over 1000. 

[therulesofjinx]

My mom got her first shot (Pfizer) today! Her age bracket is not technically able to go yet in my state (she is 61) but she has been diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis and was able to get the vaccine due to that diagnosis. I am super happy she got her first round- she's been going in to work for the whole year- never once worked from home (accounting firm). However, she was one of three people still going in and they all had their own bathrooms and stayed in their offices, which made me feel better, but still...

My state just announced this morning when the rest of the age brackets will open up. 30+ starts April 12, so I will be able to register then- as will my fiance and the rest of my co-workers/friends who weren't already eligible! 16+ opens up at the end of April, I believe, so college students will be eligible. I work at a University....we may actually get to have a normal-ish fall semester this year!

[ADoyle90815]

Moderna #2 for me is April 6th, and I should get an email to schedule that appointment shortly before then. The good thing is that I'm not scheduled to return to work just yet, so if the second dose has more side effects, I don't have to use a sick day to deal with them. All I had from my first dose was a sore arm the evening of that shot that lasted a full 24 hours.

I did find out that more of my coworkers did get at least one dose this week, so by the time we do go back, most of us would have been fully vaccinated. My fiancee has his first vaccine appointment set for the 30th through Kaiser, and at least he'll leave with his second dose scheduled for late April.

[clueliss]

I received vax number 1 this morning,  moderna.  Scheduled for the second one in 4 weeks.  Mentally planning on a return to semi normal two or three weeks after that.

[Alisamer]

My cousin got his first dose the same day as me. I'm not sure if his fiancee has had hers yet.

Since this is the second Easter we'll be missing getting together as a family, and my cousin and his fiancee who I've not met IRL yet are going to be in town, we're having a backyard get together. 

That'll mean my parents and his parents are fully vaccinated, he and I will be 2.5 weeks in from our first shots (pretty good immunity rate for Pfizer at that point I think). There will be a few family members not vaccinated yet, but still we might be able to treat it semi-normally! Outdoors, and distanced, but we wouldn't have even attempted it if no one was vaccinated yet. 

I'm hoping my local BJD collecting group can start our quarterly meetups again in a couple months. Vaccines required, most likely.

[sndral]

I had Moderna 1 on 3/1 @ CVS. My appointment was scheduled for 12:15, but the instructions said to arrive 10 minutes early, I arrived 20 minutes early & sat in the car until 12:05, then walked in double masked - it felt a little weird since it was the first time I’d been inside a building other than my home in almost a year. There was a lady at a table w/ a sign on it that said ‘Covid vaccinations’ I waited for the woman ahead of me to ask her questions (turns out her appointment was for the next day) showed the table lady my DL, she looked at her list on a clip board, pointed the external thermometer at my forehead (that must be when they inserted the microchip - lol,) gave me my vaccination card, & directed me to aisle 9. Aisle 9 had distance markers so I stood on the open one, there were 2 people ahead of me, w/in a few minutes my vaccinator walked up to me & I followed him to the chair, he took my vaccine card, asked which arm, I said left and sat down, rolled up my sleeve & closed my eyes - I didn’t even feel the needle! He gave me back my vaccination card & directed me to aisle 10 where there were chairs spaced apart & told me I could leave at 12:28. My text to my son telling him I’d been jabbed was at 12:14 - so I had my shot 1 minute before my official appointment time haha.

After 15 minutes staring at the baby items in aisle 10, I left CVS, made the 15 minute drive to the ocean and took a 4 hour walk. That night when I went to bed I noticed my left harm wasn’t comfortable to sleep on, but no other problems & it was fine the next day.

CVS scheduled both appointments online at the same time, so I’ve been counting down the days until Moderna 2 - only 10 more days now. I will say that I’m feeling much more relaxed on my daily outdoor rambles knowing that I have some protection from the unmasked idiots I occasionally encounter, but I still mask up.
I’ll be celebrating 4/14 when I should be at full immunity - watch out TJ’s I’m masking up & going inside the store, I may even risk picking up a take out fajita salad from my favorite Mexican restaurant for the first time in over a year!

Edited March 19, 2021 by sndral

[Born Skeptic]

On 3/18/2021 at 4:04 PM, WiseGirl said:

Whoops! I forgot to post this.

 

It is progress but unfortunately, it is 100 million doses - NOT 100 million Americans.  According to the CDC, 41.9 million people have been fully vaccinated as of Friday, March 19th.  77.2 million people have received at least one dose of the Pfizer, Moderna, or J&J vaccine.  (Biden's team clarified on January 20th that he, in fact, meant 100 million doses to 50 Million people.  We are certainly ahead of that goal.)

[indianabones]

I got my first Moderna shot today! I had a dream last night about getting it, and it was completely painless (but cold). Today, when I got the actual shot it hurt even less than it did in my dream. Barely felt a thing. Eight hours later and my arm hurts a lot. It was pretty itchy, too. Hoping that it stops hurting as much by tomorrow, but we shall see. The grocery store I got the shot gave me a 10% off coupon too!

I'm not telling anyone I got it until two weeks after my second vaccine. Actually, my mom did ask me today when I thought I'd be able to get the first shot and I said, "Oh, I already got it," and she snorted and went back to reading her magazine.

Edited March 20, 2021 by indianabones

[WiseGirl]

My parents got their second Pfizer shot yesterday and promptly went to Whole Foods, to pick up some meals. My brother is going to have to remind them to slow their roll for 2 weeks.

My state has opened shots to 45+. Colleagues are headed to Florida for Spring Break because travel bans are lifted.  I told one of my friends I was jealous because people were going to Florida and I was going to rehab. Then I realized what that sounded like. For claritiy, my rehab is occupational therapy. It was a good laugh.

[Sarcastically spinster]

On 3/18/2021 at 9:46 AM, Alisamer said:

I did take the day after the second dose off work, and it's a Friday. Just in case. My boss had no reaction beyond a mild headache so he thinks I'm being overly cautious, but IMO no reason not to plan for the worst and then enjoy the day off if I have no reaction. 

I've heard enough people saying they felt like they got hit by a truck/had to go home from work that you're certainly not being overly cautious.  I scheduled my second Moderna for a Friday at end of day, and definitely wouldn't have wanted to work on Saturday.  

Hopefully you just get to enjoy a long weekend!

[JenniferJuniper]

5 hours ago, Sarcastically spinster said:

I've heard enough people saying they felt like they got hit by a truck/had to go home from work that you're certainly not being overly cautious.  I scheduled my second Moderna for a Friday at end of day, and definitely wouldn't have wanted to work on Saturday.  

I did the same.  My second Moderna is this Friday.  I still have arm pain (although not nearly as bad as it was) from the shot over 3 weeks ago and I'm prepared to feel unwell next weekend.  My aunt was sick in bed for 4 days after her second Moderna shot.  But still, I'd rather spend a little time being sick with something that I know won't kill me rather than get Covid.   A good friend of mine, a workaholic in her mid 50's with no pre-existing problems, has been unable even to work from home for the past three weeks because of the virus.  The minute she starts feeling like she's getting better, she goes right back to where she was.  "Waves of hell" she calls it.  No, thank you.

[ADoyle90815]

My arm pain from the first Moderna shot lasted a full 24 hours, and any itchiness also went away, after taking an allergy pill that I normally take for seasonal allergies. My dad just got the second Phizer vaccine yesterday, and had none of the side effects others have had from the second dose.

[thoughtful]

I got my first Moderna shot.

I also got a bonus - someone was walking two beautiful German Shepherd dogs in the parking lot, so I got to pet dogs for the first time in over a year! They were a bit distracted, because one of their humans was in the building, so they had to do the herding dog "where is the missing lamb?" thing, staring at the door. So I think I got more out of the petting than they did.

This was the first time I had been in a building other than my own house since March 10 of last year. It felt very weird at first.

 

[adidas]

The vaccine rollout has been delayed again here, this time due to extreme weather and floods. Some of my state has been given a ‘stock up and stay home’ directive because of how dangerous things are. Not because of the virus, but because of the rain  

We need a break. The last few years have been brutal. First we had the worst drought on record, then really destructive bushfires. After that, Covid. Now floods and vaccine delay. 

[Ozlsn]

1 hour ago, adidas said:

The vaccine rollout has been delayed again here, this time due to extreme weather and floods. Some of my state has been given a ‘stock up and stay home’ directive because of how dangerous things are. Not because of the virus, but because of the rain  

We need a break. The last few years have been brutal. First we had the worst drought on record, then really destructive bushfires. After that, Covid. Now floods and vaccine delay. 

Hope where you are is safe and high enough to not need to evacuate - the flooding is crazy. I really wish they had started the rollout earlier, at least to cover everyone working in hotel quarantine/with covid patients - I'd feel much more confident if we at least had that covered and were moving across medical/aged care staff and the elderly now.

But if we lock down at least I'll have something to do:

Spoiler

Stay safe @adidas.

[adidas]

Lol @Ozlsn love that cross stitch! I’m safe but hubby and I might be both impacted later this week with (separate) plans for work travel. I’m just concerned for all of the people in the thick of it. It’s scary stuff. Hoping you’re safe too. 

[clueliss]

US AstraZenca trial results are in.  79% effective - no increased risk of Blood Clots.

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/03/22/astrazeneca-coronavirus-vaccine-79percent-effective-in-us-trial.html