BBC reports that in the UK, nearly 140 000 people were vaccinated in the first week.
The article also includes a handy listing that allows you to estimate how far down the queue you are. NB that it appears to contain an error - age 70-74 should be, according to the gov.uk website, part of group 4 rather than group 3.
j
I suppose this is as good a thread as any to ask this, so I will.
I’m wondering what the procedure will be once we get past the front line medical people and nursing home residents. I’m in a somewhat at-risk group–I’m over 50 and have high blood pressure. My wife already has chronic lung issues, so she is probably at even higher risk. So, when they decide it’s time for us to get vaccinated, I’m wondering how we find out. Will we get a call from the doctor saying “Come in and get the shot”? A letter from the CDC saying “You’re up”? Do we just have to keep an eye on some official tracker and make an appointment when it looks like it’s our turn?
I realize that the only true answer to this may be “We don’t know yet,” but it’s something that’s been on my mind.
^^I’m wondering the same thing. I have high blood pressure, high sugar (both on medication for), and had a stroke two years ago. I’ve heard that stroke survivors can have worse complications if they get COVID.
Has there been any discussion about how to treat people that have already been infected? Seems like they should be at the back of the line.
Up to two extra doses in each five-dose vial.
Has the US Government not published a rollout plan?
In the UK, we’ve been given a priority list, and told not to call - our GPs will call us when we’re next. (I guess this is where a National Health Service helps things).
I expect to rely on The Straight Dope Message Board – quite possibly this very thread – to let me know when my time comes.
My GP friend was vaccinated today. No adverse reactions so far.
I think this is how it works:
The US has prioritized groups, and then is allocating, on a total population basis, doses of vaccine to the states. It is up to the states to implement the priorities as vaccine arrives. (E.g., specifically defining who essential workers are, which residential care and healthcare workers get it first.) And to figure out how it will be distributed within the state.
I got a letter from my healthcare provider organization (my insurance PPO) explaining that it’s not broadly available, but they’ll update me when it is, and providing general info about the vaccine.
I wonder if one way they’ll address the chronic illness and underlying conditions groups once they are up, is to invite people to ask if they qualify, and then get a prescription or order for the vaccine and instructions for getting it. My PPO has a Covid group that you get referred to if you have symptoms, so perhaps an expansion of that group would handle it. Other systems would need to be created for people without primary care physicians.
And I don’t know what an independent primary care physician is going to do if they are inundated with requests to document conditions.
Ha! That’s funny!
But seriously, no and there probably won’t be. This is the land of rugged individualism! Those of us not in the front of the line will have to wait for news reports letting us know when to start inquiring as to when it’s our turn in our pathetic patchwork of a so-called health care system.
I predict there will be a rollout plan after Jan 20.
It’s mostly up to the states. But how much vaccine each state gets when is up to the feds, making it hard to plan.
It would likely depend on level of risk. From the CDC:
" FACT: People who have gotten sick with COVID-19 may still benefit from getting vaccinated
Due to the severe health risks associated with COVID-19 and the fact that re-infection with COVID-19 is possible, people may be advised to get a COVID-19 vaccine even if they have been sick with COVID-19 before.
At this time, experts do not know how long someone is protected from getting sick again after recovering from COVID-19. The immunity someone gains from having an infection, called natural immunity, varies from person to person. Some early evidence suggests natural immunity may not last very long.
We won’t know how long immunity produced by vaccination lasts until we have a vaccine and more data on how well it works."
By the way, a hearty “fuck you” to Fox News, whose website is breathlessly reporting as headline stories any and all reported untoward effects of the vaccine. The latest example is a nurse who fainted after getting the Pfizer shot. This was not “news”, as vasovagal reactions are not uncommon after injections of any kind, and have nothing to do with the safety of this particular vaccine.
Morons.
Maybe this belongs in another thread, but wasn’t the Pfizer vaccine emergency-approved in the US for people over 16. I read that they are only considering the Moderna vaccine for people over 18. Am I wrong? If I’m right, does anyone know why?
It depends on how many test subjects were of that age to make a safety decision. Someone mentioned in another thread that the vote to make Pfizer 16+ wasn’t unanimous as some were concerned about the lack of data for <18 yr olds.
In fact, I thought they hadn’t even tested under-18. But maybe I’m mistaken.
A quick Google seems to agree so I don’t know why it was approved for 16+.
Sure, there is a minuscule risk of reinfection. However, the data shows that most people already infected seem to have robust immunity that lasts many months. It seems like we should try to get vaccines to uninfected people first.
My cousin (ER nurse in Texas) got hers this week. She says her arm hurts like she got a tetanus shot, but no other side effects.
I haven’t seen much about allergies and the vaccine. My dad has gone into anaphylactic shock twice because of an allergy to yellow jackets and carries an epi-pen. It seems that the current warnings are for people who have had serious reactions to food, medicines or other vaccines.
And my husband is allergic to penicillin (diagnosed as a child, hasn’t had it since).
I hope they figure out the trigger soon.
Here’s how things have happened / are happening in my area. The main hospital received all the initial doses of the Pfizer vaccine. The initial round earlier this week was for hospital employees. Yesterday they opened it up to all healthcare providers in the area. The nursing homes will start receiving their doses in the next two weeks, likely to be the Moderna vaccine due to the less strict temperature requirements.
For the record, I received my first dose yesterday, and so far I’ve had no side effects. Please everyone, get vaccinated when it becomes available.