I haven't seen this posted yet, so thought I would share. The message is in the title, and the article itself bbc.com/future/article/2021... explains why you shouldn't rely on a single dose of any of the available Covid vaccines, why two is better than one.
And until we know different, take care even once you've had two doses - they might protect you while you infect others.
Don't drop your guard!
Solid advice to understand that it takes at least two weeks to get immunity from these vaccines.
I hope to my vaccine next week. My plan was to get the vaccine, head to my favorite stool at my favorite bar I have not been to in almost a year, and kiss all my friends on the mouth.
Its probably best I get checked for antibodies first. LOL.
Vaccine next week? Louisiana must have its act together better thanmost states! Good luck!
I am pulling every string I have to get vaccinated in Louisiana without success so far. If I was over 70 I would have gotten it done by now. Its really dumb a healthy 70 yr old can get the vaccine and not a 67 yr old leukemia patient.
I have a mafia type good friend who has assured me he will get me vaccinated this week and he has not come through yet. Its probably best, who knows what "favor" I would owe him. 
My doctor at MD Anderson wrote me this week and said they might have supply next week and that I am on their list. #fingerscrossed
There are no strings to pull in California. I don’t even think we have vaccines. People are very confused. The major cities say they are running out- and very few are being vaccinated.
I am the same - a 67 year old leukemia patient, but if this state has its way, the next group will include 25 year old grocery workers. While they need vaccines more, our fatality rate is about 100 times theirs. I guess no one can make up their mind whether they want to protect vulnerable people vs.the people who are in the middle of it all. Then again, I am biased (for good reason).
I’ll be glad when a federal strategy is soon released. Why are some states (like mine) still stuck on health care workers? Then they announce they will go to 65+, yet most places are still 75+ at best. Then they announce that we are almost out of anything to inject.
Its hard to get hopeful when everyone seems to contradict each other. I think the change in players will be very helpful.
I have put myself on multiple lists by myself and with the help of some doctor friends. They tell me it will get done, but then when I get calls they say I don’t qualify. But I keep hearing anecdotal stories of people here finding different ways to get the vaccine. Some places will have a list of people who don’t qualify and call them at the last minute if a vaccine batch is about to spoil.
Ironically I just got a call that gave me an appt next week from the very first list I got on. I have no idea why this place will vaccinate me and others would not. And my doctor at md Anderson told me maybe next week. Even though I supposedly have local appt next week, I would drive to Houston leaving now to get vaccine there.
It sounds a mess in California as it is here. My only thought would be to get on every possible list you can because the rules on who gets it and when are a moving target. I was kind of stunned to learn they will take me and my wife next week. There have been so many distribution interruptions here, so who knows if they will have ten vaccine to give me. Good luck.
I’m surprised that they will give you and your wife a vaccination too - next week. Best get it ASAP if you’re itching to get out and stay safe.
California is indeed a mess. There are people offering large amounts of cash to concierge doctors to get an early shot. It doesn’t work - nor should it.
I think the whole vaccine rollout in the US has been a lesson in “stupid”. I’m on the record somewhere that we should have bought a whole lot of doses early on - not a hundred million each from a lot of different companies when they knew it would likely be two shot regimens. 100 million doesn’t even cover 1/6 of the country!
And of course only a few companies are successful so far. So we go back to the “early performers” and buy another 100 million - but we are way down their production commitment by then. We still have not ordered enough of any proven vaccines to administer to the whole country.
And of course we have all these little counties administering according to their own plans. It’s really a comedy. Not funny, but comic nevertheless.
Ha, some plan!And some antibody tests are worse odds than Russian roulette.
Benne, I have been very careful. But at some point in the not too distant future after I get vaccinated, I am going to test drive the vaccination in the real world. Que sera, sera.
But having waited this long, I can give it another month after my vaccine before doing anything really dumb. I just cant keep the dumb in me down much longer though.
How long between shots where you are? UK policy is firmly set at 12 weeks for all vaccines, so here the above message is highly pertinent.
My Russian roulette remark was off the cuff, but if your reintegration plan is serious I question whether a regular antibody test is appropriate and worth staking your life on. Their real world accuracy may be well short of maker's spec and declines if antibody response is less than strong, witness this independent assessment of the antibody test selected by the UK government as best in class: bmj.com/content/371/bmj.m42...
This is just out of concern for all members who are going to have to think about next steps after vaccination.
Solid advice! There have been many cases after the first dose and even right after the second. Remain highly vigilant until 14 days after the second dose and get tested for antibodies if possible.
So true, especially for us. We are working with others trials for measuring our response to the vaccines.
Agree so much. The rush to prove the UK is the first to vaccinate is reducing the value of it. Especially worried about the households of people like us. One dose could put at risk those who are forced to shield with us but won't get the vaccine.
Saw this message from Blood Cancer UK.
"Blood Cancer UK has called on the Government to protect people with blood cancer from the coronavirus by prioritising the adults who live with them for a vaccine.
At the moment, household members of the 200,000 people with blood cancer who are clinically extremely vulnerable are not on the priority list. This is because there is not yet good data on whether the vaccines prevent transmission, and so we cannot be sure that vaccinating members of a household will help protect the people they live with.
But one of the reasons the Government is prioritising healthcare workers is the hope that this will help prevent them passing the virus on to their vulnerable patients. So Blood Cancer UK has written to Health Secretary Matt Hancock and Vaccine Deployment Minister Nadhim Zahawi to make the case for taking the same approach to household members of people with blood cancer, and calling for them to be added to the priority list.
This is because blood cancer increases risk from the coronavirus by more than almost any other health condition, and vaccines do not usually work as well on people with weaker immune systems. This means vaccinating adults who live with people with blood cancer could be an important way of protecting them."
I'm so pleased that Blood Cancer UK has stated the case to government that vaccinating cohabitants is necessary to protect blood cancer patients.
As Governor Larry Hogan, Maryland says "Wear the damn mask."
My husband is getting his first dose tomorrow. I have to wait until the next phase as I am younger. It took many calls to get a person on the phone to make his appt. The appts. cannot be made online.
Somehow Austin TX got it a little together, and I rcvd Moderna #1 on Friday 1/15/2021.
It was only by luck that the public health website functioned properly for me as it had been doing nothing but crashing. I signed on for the umpteenth time Thursday night and was able to book the next day, Friday; I didn't believe it was real until I rcvd the email confirmation.
The distribution center had it super together. Parked at 2:30 and jabbed at 2:44.
The shot itself was painless. The injection point was slightly sore and pretty much no pain by lunchtime on Saturday.
An area with chairs had been set aside for folks to wait and make sure there was no allergic reaction. I stayed less than ten minutes, realized I hadn't croaked, and bid my farewell.
Now the trick is figuring out how to get #2 on or about 2/12. As once you get that #1 vaccine you are back on your own, getting on numerous lists and tracking down likely sources.
I asked the doctor if the Moderna vax 1 and vax 2 are identical. He said yes; same dose, identical strength. I also asked about getting the Pfizer as my number 2 if the Moderna wasn't available in 28 days
He stated that hasn't been tested, and is basically an unknown. He personally thought it would work, but suggested I stick with the program and proceed with what is currently understood . . . . do what I can to get Moderna #2 in the timeframe.
Good luck to all trying to locate and rcv a vax.
Soon. Soon I am going to be in turn for the first dose of vaccine. My view is that a fortnight after that I am going to turn into a normal person - wearing a mask, social distancing, being able to go out for essentials...... that is as far as it goes in my mind. I know I’m very lucky that my immune reaction to other innoculations has been good so I am “assuming” that I will react to this too . I hope all of you do too. Meanwhile - we are so nearly there (well, somewhere).
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