One complication in any US rollout plan is that a significant fraction of Americans don’t even have a primary care provider. Yet another implication of our pervasive health care prevention system.
But a lot of the shots will be given at the chain pharmacies I thought?
That should help out on that issue at least. I have a primary doctor, and CVS is where I got my flu shot and eventually will be my Zoster vaccine (Shingles).
I think there is a good chance it will be my COVID vaccine location too.
I, too fainted from a vasovagal reaction after a tetanus shot about 30 years ago. Nothing like that has ever happened to me again, before or since.
A discussion on another site mentioned an NPR interview where a rural doctor expressed his frustration at the knowledge that some vaccine was 150 miles away but he didn’t have any. I pointed out that it’s not going to just magically show up; the people at the warehouses need to know where to send it, and how much, and when, and that they can’t be transported in just any vehicle.
I will probably get my Covid shots at a pharmacy as well.
While prescribing information for the Pfizer vaccine says that a history of severe allergic reaction* to any component is a contraindication to getting it, the CDC states that such a medical history requires precaution but is not a contraindication. While pharmacies may technically be qualified to give immediate aid to vaccine recipients who start showing signs of a potential anaphylactic reaction, people with the relevant medical history would probably feel safer getting the shot in a physician’s office, clinic etc.
Note that severe allergic reactions to the vaccine so far have been very few and were successfully treated.
*allergies to things like pet dander, pollen are not considered a significant risk factor or reason for special precaution.
http://cdc.gov/vaccines/covid-19/info-by-product/pfizer/clinical-considerations.html
But tell your clinician about your allergies anyway. They may have a special formulation of the vaccine available without the pet dander and pollen components.
I’ve had the tetanus/TDaP booster shots a total of five times in my adult life, at 10-year intervals.
The first time (1975), I very nearly fainted but only because the nurse who gave the shot told me to hang around a while because some people faint. She also remarked that people tend to outgrow that response as they get older. In my case, that has proved to be true.
The third time (c. 1995) my whole arm got sore from shoulder to fingernails like it was bathed in napalm so I couldn’t use that arm for a whole week. I’ve never had that kind of reaction to the other TDaP shots nor any other shots, before or since.
“They” are saying that shingles shots can produce sick-ish reactions for a day or two, and that the Covid shots are likely to be like that.
I didn’t have any bad reactions to my shingles shots, nor the pneumonia shots, nor most of the tetanus shots, nor the annual flu shots other than mild soreness at the injection site for a day or two. So I’m hoping my Covid shots, should I live long enough to get them, will be like that.
I guess the question is how will it be coordinated so it goes to priority cases first. Of course there’s no issue with pharmacies issuing the vaccine, but how will people know where and when they need to get their shot?
As the vast majority of people here in the UK are registered with an NHS primary care provider, GPs are coordinating the rollout, calling patients to book them in (even if the actual shot is done elsewhere).
In expanding vaccination beyond the initial targeted groups of healthcare workers and nursing home residents, the ACIP experts said the transition between phases will likely overlap. They said decisions to move to the next priority levels will be made at the state or local levels, though they have suggested benchmarks for moving to the next phase, such as appointments for vaccination less than 80% booked over several days or a significant increase in vaccine supply.
Phase 1b includes seniors ages 75 and older and frontline essential workers including, for example, those working as first responders, teachers, public transit employees, and grocery store staff. The list also includes people working in food and agriculture, manufacturing, corrections, and the US Postal Service.
Phase 1c includes seniors ages 65 to 74 years old, people ages 16 to 64 with underlying health conditions, and other essential workers such as those working in transportation, food service, finance, and communications positions.
I got the shingles vaccine a few weeks ago, and that’s exactly what it was. The way I would describe it is, I felt bad enough that I would work from home, except I’m already working from home. I did not feel bad enough to not work at all. I would gladly trade feeling like that for a week in exchange for a 90% protection from COVID-19.
Other than being a bit sore at the injection site, I’ve never had a bad vaccine reaction, and I’m all up to date, and get a flu vaccine every year.
I’ve felt like a truck hit me after the tetanus booster. I ached all over. The time it was worst I also vomited and had a fever.
I am nonetheless up to date on tetanus. I’m really late in line for covid vaccine, thigh. Under 65 (not so far under as to feel safe) work from home. My industry is essential (at some level, I imagine most are) but my role isn’t. Or… It’s a rule that’s really easy to do from my bedroom, anyway.
Within the past hour, I heard on the Rachel Maddow Show that one advantage to the Moderna vaccine is that unlike the Pfizer vax, it does not have to be shipped in large batches, which makes it much more practical for remote areas.
Almost from the start, the smaller batches and reasonable freezer temp have been mentioned as the big advantages of the Moderna vaccine. This is why (I assume) the US government has ordered so much of it.
We have 200 million doses ordered through 1st quarter of 2021 and then another 300 million for the 2nd Qtr. So Pfizer should inoculate 50 million Americans and Moderna another 250 million by July 1st. That is about 90% of the US population.
There are still some additional meds working there way through testing so things are looking pretty good for close to normal by mid-June and semi-normal in May.
Where did you see this? I thought we just had the 200 doses, and would be looking at Astrozeneca or J&J after that.
We have an option for 300 million of Moderna for 2nd qtr.
I thought I read we took the option. But now I can’t verify that.
There’s a dozen hits about the option, but whatever I thought I read is not there now.
