# Got my COVID shot **URL:** \ **Category:** The Quarantine Zone\ **Created:** [September 20, 2025, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/got-my-covid-shot/1023231 "2025-09-20T17:42:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2025, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/got-my-covid-shot/1023231/1 "2025-09-20T17:42:16Z")
Was no big deal last year, but now it’s a challenge. My local grocery (Hannafords; I’m in NY) had them, so I went while it was still possible. I called in advance; their pharmacy phone had a recorded message they had it. Likely they’d be answering the phone constantly without that. Went pretty smoothly. Side effects were a sore arm (not as sore as in previous years) and not even feeling bad. A friend had to get it in NJ because none of her local NY pharmacies had it. ---
**Author:** ![ricepad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b38774/32.png) [@ricepad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ricepad)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2025, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/got-my-covid-shot/1023231/2 "2025-09-20T17:51:57Z")
Got COVID and flu vaccines yesterday. No problems getting them, just walked in, provided them with health insurance info, got the shots, walked out. Spent last night with aches and chills all night but no fever. Woke up at 1:30am and 2:30am shivering so hard my teeth were rattling. Had to put on sweatpants and sweatshirt. It’s now late morning and I’m still achy, although the chills are gone. I have never reacted to a shot like this time. No idea which shot caused the side effects. Beats getting sick, though. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2025, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/got-my-covid-shot/1023231/3 "2025-09-20T17:56:33Z")
I got mine two weeks ago with my flu shot. The 65 or older requirement is bullshit. Luckily, my Hashimoto’s qualified me as autoimmune compromised. But it’s not like they are asking for proof, at least at my local Vons. ---
**Author:** ![Aspenglow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspenglow/32/76_2.png) [@Aspenglow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspenglow)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2025, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/got-my-covid-shot/1023231/4 "2025-09-20T18:12:57Z")
Moderating: We’re trying to keep COVID-related posts in The Quarantine Zone. Moving. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2025, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/got-my-covid-shot/1023231/5 "2025-09-20T18:13:02Z")
We have a long-running thread on this same topic over here: > [@When should I get my next Covid Vaccination?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-should-i-get-my-next-covid-vaccination/990285): > > So I started off with J&J, then Moderna, then Pfizer. I hear of a new vaccine that’s either coming out, or already out. My last shot was 9/19/22. I already got my flue shot for the year. I’m 43 years old this November. I never got Covid that I know of. Given all of this information, When should I get that satisfying arm jab? Should I wait a little while because of my age? Thank you for your input. Also, what’s the name of the new and improved formula? ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2025, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/got-my-covid-shot/1023231/6 "2025-09-20T18:33:39Z")
I went in the pharmacy and asked about it when I picked up a scrip a couple of weeks ago. Turns out that here, you need a freaking prescription for it-- albeit, your doctor can call it in, and apparently most doctors are not requiring people to come in for exams first. They said I could get flu right away, but I had a mild cold, so I decided to wait. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2025, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/got-my-covid-shot/1023231/7 "2025-09-20T19:51:54Z")
Getting the flu shot and Covid shot on the same day was frowned upon, by my clinic. But I pressed them and got it. I had a bad night but not horrible. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2025, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/got-my-covid-shot/1023231/8 "2025-09-21T02:45:05Z")
I recently encountered the same thing in FL. But … After the fact I learned one more detail. To have a pharmacist administer the COVID vax I needed a scrip from my doc. To have an LPN working alone at the quicky clinic inside the same pharmacy administer the same vax I needed no scrip at all. People tend to answer the question they are asked, not provide a complete answer to all the questions that you ought to ask if only you had more nuanced knowledge of the situation. Point being you might be able to walk in & get jabbed with no scrip at a quicky clinic. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2025, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/got-my-covid-shot/1023231/9 "2025-09-21T03:20:42Z")
I’m not sure I trust a pharmacist to give me a shot. Even if they were trained to give shots, it’s not like their primary duties. Yeah, I’ll need a nurse. TYVM. That’s just me. Ya’ll carry on. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2025, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/got-my-covid-shot/1023231/10 "2025-09-21T03:28:06Z")
Huh. I’d trust anyone with half an hour of training to give me an intramuscular vaccine. It’s not very complicated. (I want an expert to draw my blood, and i only let experienced phlebotomists do it if i have any choice. But subcutaneous and intramuscular are easy.) ---
**Author:** ![SuntanLotion](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suntanlotion/32/16165_2.png) [@SuntanLotion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SuntanLotion)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2025, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/got-my-covid-shot/1023231/11 "2025-09-21T03:34:49Z")
I once got a flu shot at Walmart. ---
**Author:** ![robby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robby/32/11048_2.png) [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2025, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/got-my-covid-shot/1023231/12 "2025-09-21T03:52:21Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > I’m not sure I trust a pharmacist to give me a shot. > > Even if they were trained to give shots, it’s not like their primary duties. Yeah, I’ll need a nurse. I’ve gotten my last dozen or so vaccinations from pharmacist technicians at CVS. They are apparently authorized to do this under the supervision of a pharmacist and are required to be trained and certified to administer them. [Cite](https://www.drugtopics.com/view/an-update-on-state-level-authority-on-pharmacy-immunization). The one that gave me my most recent Covid shot told me that she had personally given 30 shots that day. So I imagine they would get pretty good at it, especially since CVS typically has one tech on duty at any one time that pretty much does nothing but give shots all day long. Nurses (RNs and even LPNs) would certainly be qualified as well, but they do a lot of other things besides giving shots. So nowadays it might actually be the case that giving vaccinations may be more likely to be the primary duty of the tech assigned to this a pharmacy than that of a nurse in a doctor’s office. But like anything else, it comes down to training and experience. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2025, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/got-my-covid-shot/1023231/13 "2025-09-21T04:48:17Z")
I’ve given myself 1000s of shots. Not the least bit afraid of them. Even me with my perfect injection protocol(?) shit happens occasionally. Flu shots always burn me. I’m sure it’s a ‘_me’_ thing. You trust who you trust. If you’re getting good shots at CVS, good deal. ---
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2025, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/got-my-covid-shot/1023231/14 "2025-09-21T16:59:10Z")
Maybe it’s because I’m in California – I was able to make an appointment on CVS’s website and get the latest vaccine without a prescription just like I have previous years. I just had to attest that I had one of the risk factors on the FDA’s list (I can truthfully say I do; my BMI is over 25…). The I just walked into the pharmacy and the pharmacist gave me the shot, no questions asked. ---
**Author:** ![ricepad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b38774/32.png) [@ricepad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ricepad)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2025, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/got-my-covid-shot/1023231/15 "2025-09-21T19:29:51Z")
Two days post-injections. I noticed yesterday that I’ve got some small bumps here and there on a fairly large tattoo on my arm. No itching, but the Google says it’s a result of my immune system kicking into overdrive from the shots, a by-product of which is it also recognizes the ink as foreign. They’re not very big, perhaps the size of a small lentil. The Google also says they’ll go away. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2025, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/got-my-covid-shot/1023231/16 "2025-09-21T21:54:57Z")
Same. I’m in good old Red, red, red Arkansas and I had _zero_ issues getting injections/Vax. I do believe if you have a clinic or Doctors office you’re established with you’ll be fine. So many folks don’t have this and rely solely on gov/sub public health. Which, as we know is in disarray. Good luck out there. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2025, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/got-my-covid-shot/1023231/17 "2025-09-21T22:10:17Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > So many folks don’t have this and rely solely on gov/sub public health That’s an issue for many things, but in this case, it’s really just about each state’s regulations, and got they interact with the stuff coming out of the CDC. In some states, any pharmacist can give it to anyone. In others, they can give it to “high risk” people (about 2/3 if the population, and it’s self-attested.) in others, you need to go to a clinic and see a nurse practitioner or a doctor. Or you can get a prescription from a doctor and take it to a pharmacist. [![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!dW-9!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0e7845a2-5293-421e-8cc1-efb4d2594329_1240x1138.png) ](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!dW-9!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0e7845a2-5293-421e-8cc1-efb4d2594329_1240x1138.png) ---
**Author:** ![Aspenglow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspenglow/32/76_2.png) [@Aspenglow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspenglow)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2025, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/got-my-covid-shot/1023231/18 "2025-09-21T22:19:37Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > I do believe if you have a clinic or Doctors office you’re established with you’ll be fine. Not true. Even each individual state’s mandates are in a muddle. According to @puzzlegal’s graphic, Oregon is a ‘No prescription needed’ and ‘Taken an action to maintain vaccine access’ state, yet I and several friends, all older than 65, who are trying to get our COVID vaccinations have _all_ had to get a prescription from our PCPs in order to be vaccinated. My doctor’s office does not have the COVID vaccine. I was directed to get it through my pharmacy. I have no problem doing that except for the extra hassle of getting the prescription, which should not be necessary. My doc’s office did have the flu vaccine and I got that last Tuesday, since I was already there for a routine visit. Got the prescription for the COVID vax phoned in to my pharmacy at the same time. @beckdawrek, your experience is not true for everyone. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2025, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/got-my-covid-shot/1023231/19 "2025-09-21T22:27:27Z")
My doctor’s office had signs up all over that they were out of covid vaccine when i visited. But that was right after the state took action to allow pharmacies to give out the shots – we had a week or two when you needed a prescription. I think the doctor’s office had a run on vaccine those two weeks. I plan to get it in two weeks, but lots of local friends have arranged vaccines with no trouble (since the state changed its rules.) ---
**Author:** ![Aspenglow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspenglow/32/76_2.png) [@Aspenglow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspenglow)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2025, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/got-my-covid-shot/1023231/20 "2025-09-21T22:42:37Z")
And I may well have been caught in the same type of mess. I hope the rules according to your graphic have now taken effect in Oregon, too. Otherwise it seems like a lot of trouble was gone to with no real result. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/got-my-covid-shot/1023231.md?page=2)