# Who’s been vaccinated?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-s-been-vaccinated/928473>\
**Category:** The Quarantine Zone\
**Tags:** covid-quarantine\
**Created:** [December 20, 2020, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-s-been-vaccinated/928473 "2020-12-20T19:23:26Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 20\
**Page:** 20

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**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:** [February 26, 2021, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-s-been-vaccinated/928473/382 "2021-02-26T12:29:23Z")

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> [@BippityBoppityBoo](#):
>
> I suggest the non-dominant arm just in case the vaccination has an uncommon side effect of really stiff and sore injection site, which might prevent someone from finished their necessary work activities that day or the next while the stiffness/soreness resolves. People need to be able to type, hand write, drive, etc so they get their paycheck. If one arm is going to be conked out for a day or two, best it be the one they need less. If someone still wants the injection in their dominant arm I do it, that is a reasonable request and certainly well within their right to choose. There are occasional other reasons to use the dominant arm, such as pre-existing lymphadenopathy in the non-dominant arm.

So… I’m left handed but right armed. (Kinda ambidextrous.) And, should i ever score a vaccine appointment, I’m wondering which arm would be better to offer up.

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**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\
**Post date:** [February 26, 2021, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-s-been-vaccinated/928473/383 "2021-02-26T14:09:33Z")

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> [@puzzlegal](#):
>
> ambidextrous

_ARM_-bidextrous. Hehe.

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**Author:** ![BippityBoppityBoo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bippityboppityboo/32/5745_2.png) [@BippityBoppityBoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BippityBoppityBoo)\
**Post date:** [February 26, 2021, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-s-been-vaccinated/928473/384 "2021-02-26T15:44:25Z")

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> [@puzzlegal](#):
>
> So… I’m left handed but right armed. (Kinda ambidextrous.) And, should i ever score a vaccine appointment, I’m wondering which arm would be better to offer up.

I would suggest putting it in the arm or arm with the hand you can most easily use less precisely or less frequently for the next 24-36 hours. Don’t put it in the arm you most absolutely have to have complete and the usual amount of use of. You you type/text/compute a lot? Have to drive hours and hours a day for work? Only you know what you can do without or make do with less of. And all of this is unlikely to happen. A little Tylenol or a few 20 minute sessions with a moist heat application is very very likely to ease any movement limiting soreness or stiffness that might occur, but usually doesn’t.

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**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:** [February 26, 2021, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-s-been-vaccinated/928473/385 "2021-02-26T16:28:13Z")

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Thanks.

Well, I guess the advantage of being kinda ambidextrous is that it probably doesn’t matter. There really isn’t anything I can’t do with both hands. Even high-dexterity stuff, because I broke my left wrist in high school, so I had to learn to write with the right hand. I mean, it’s a little clumsy, but it works in a pinch.

I should probably get it in the left arm. I use the right arm more for gross motor stuff, like opening doors and carrying groceries, and I’m likely to be more annoyed by pain doing that sort of routine stuff than handwriting. I suppose I haven’t learned to swype right-handed, but I can hunt and peck with either hand.

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**Author:** ![BippityBoppityBoo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bippityboppityboo/32/5745_2.png) [@BippityBoppityBoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BippityBoppityBoo)\
**Post date:** [February 26, 2021, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-s-been-vaccinated/928473/386 "2021-02-26T16:34:40Z")

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Sounds like you are armed for success then! Hope you can snag that appt momentarily. I went from no jab in sight to “can you be here in 18 hours? When I was helping my sister one state over it was whack-a-doodle-hopeless chaos to “have her here in 9 hours”. So keeping the good thought for you here.

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**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:** [February 26, 2021, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-s-been-vaccinated/928473/387 "2021-02-26T16:39:45Z")

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I’m not eligible yet in my state, so it will be a while. But thanks for the good wishes.

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**Author:** ![peccavi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peccavi/32/388_2.png) [@peccavi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peccavi)\
**Post date:** [February 26, 2021, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-s-been-vaccinated/928473/388 "2021-02-26T17:21:00Z")

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> [@kayaker](#):
>
> Vaccinating old people I have to wonder how many “vaccine reactions” have nothing to do with the vaccine.

My sister told me that my mom (95) had no significant reaction to the 1st Moderna shot. Then she remarked that at her age, maybe the reaction was subsumed in how she feels every day!

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**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\
**Post date:** [February 26, 2021, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-s-been-vaccinated/928473/389 "2021-02-26T17:32:04Z")

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Older people seem to have fewer side effects, related to lower immune system function.

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**Author:** ![aurora\_maire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aurora_maire/32/328_2.png) [@aurora\_maire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aurora_maire)\
**Post date:** [February 26, 2021, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-s-been-vaccinated/928473/390 "2021-02-26T23:01:37Z")

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Yay! I just scored an appointment for Monday. I’d been watching the site all day and they just opened them up. I got it at my preferred location. I don’t think there is an option for which arm, since it’s a drive-thru situation. I can’t believe I’m so exited to get a shot. 😆

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**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:** [February 27, 2021, 9:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-s-been-vaccinated/928473/391 "2021-02-27T09:32:05Z")

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> [@dwyr](#):
>
> I work in a hospital lab and received my first Moderna vaccination yesterday.

My husband works in a lab, and deals with cancer patients, so he is going to get a line jump over other people his age (under 50), but not quite yet, in Indiana. We were expecting that he would have it by now, but everything is a week behind due to weather delays.

We were also hoping that families of tech would get it as well, but it looks like I am going to have to wait until they open it to teachers. I am over 50 (but under 55). I’m waiting to see which group comes up first-- teachers, or 50-55. I check the website every day.

I don’t care which vaccine I get-- I’ll take the J&J one with a smile. I can deal with getting the sniffles and a mild cough, as long as it keeps me out of the hospital-- albeit, I understand that the “66% effective” vs. 88-95% for other vaccines has to do with groups it was tested on.

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**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\
**Post date:** [February 27, 2021, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-s-been-vaccinated/928473/392 "2021-02-27T13:29:39Z")

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Got mine yesterday at a RiteAid pharmacy. Pfizer Rocks!! No pain, slightly tender today. My appointment for the second is March 19.

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**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:** [February 27, 2021, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-s-been-vaccinated/928473/393 "2021-02-27T19:40:20Z")

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Got my second shot this morning.

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**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\
**Post date:** [February 27, 2021, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-s-been-vaccinated/928473/394 "2021-02-27T22:24:03Z")

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My wife and I got vaccinated (first shot) this morning- Pfizer vaccine, and at the Dallas County Health and Human Services site at Fair Park in Dallas. She’s got asthma, and I’m fat enough and have hypertension.

I highly recommend it to any of you that qualify in Dallas County- you drive in to Gate 2 of Fair Park, they drive you around the back, check your QR code, and then into a short line in a parking lot, where National Guard people are giving out the shots in a long tent- roll your window down and your sleeve up! From there, out the other side of the tent, and into another line, where they monitor you for 15-20 minutes to make sure you have no adverse reactions- they come up every five minutes or so and ask if you’re doing ok, and then they turn you loose after your alloted time. Easy peasy.

You leave with a DCHHS/CDC card verifying that you got your first dose, and when you’re supposed to come back for your second one.

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**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\
**Post date:** [February 27, 2021, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-s-been-vaccinated/928473/395 "2021-02-27T23:26:47Z")

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My wife got her first shot today. She’s eligible as a teacher. I’m not eligible yet, and probably won’t be for a while.

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**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\
**Post date:** [February 28, 2021, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-s-been-vaccinated/928473/396 "2021-02-28T14:00:18Z")

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Followup: 2nd shot yesterday. Although my lymph gland swelling has not gone down after almost 3 weeks, after consultation with VA medical professionals, I decided to accept the 2nd shot. I now have the same swelling, plus problems with swallowing, sinus strangeness and increasing headaches (which I rarely have, so it’s most likely from the shot). If things don’t get any worse, I can live with it. I guess time will tell.

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**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\
**Post date:** [February 28, 2021, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-s-been-vaccinated/928473/397 "2021-02-28T18:14:52Z")

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Mrs. Cretin and I got our second Pfizer shots yesterday morning. Late in the day we both felt mildly flu-ish, and mild soreness at injection site. Day Two, 24 hours since injection, we feel about the same as last night. These are pretty much the same reactions as after our first shots. We think we got off rather easy. We’re both in our 70’s, btw.

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**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\
**Post date:** [March 1, 2021, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-s-been-vaccinated/928473/398 "2021-03-01T00:31:11Z")

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I’m a teacher, and got my first shot of Pfizer last week. There’s a site that’s set up for most of the schools in the area, and it was very well-organized: They assigned everyone a five-minute appointment window, and they actually kept to that schedule. I was out the door in less than 20 minutes, even with the mandatory 15 minute wait in case of adverse reaction.

I didn’t get a great night’s sleep the night after the shot, but it’s hard to say if that was related or not. And I had some soreness at the injection site. That’s it, for side effects, so far.

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**Author:** ![gdave](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gdave/32/3683_2.png) [@gdave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gdave)\
**Post date:** [March 1, 2021, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-s-been-vaccinated/928473/399 "2021-03-01T14:26:30Z")

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I got my second dose (Pfizer) last Friday. The logistics were a snap; I my total time from arrival to departure including the 15 minute cool down period was probably 20 minutes. On the other hand, I seriously think they had nursing students doing the injections; the young woman who gave me the vaccine looked _very_ young, and had trouble getting the syringe to work(!). She stuck the needle in, and it was significantly more painful than my first dose, and then had it in there for several seconds while she struggled with the plunger(!).

Symptoms were much milder than my first dose. I had moderate aching in my arm by that evening, took some acetaminophen, felt a bit better, and went to bed. Saturday, the arm was mildly achy, I felt kind of out of sorts and mild fatigue, really started fading by afternoon, but couldn’t get to sleep and had a really restless Saturday night (but that may well have just been because I was resting all day Saturday and just wasn’t really tired, not directly due to the vaccine). Sunday I was a bit tired, and took a nap in the afternoon, but that’s probably just because of the restless night previous. The injection spot was still sensitive to the touch (and still is today), but otherwise fine. I’m still a bit tired today, but again, that’s probably just down to a disrupted sleep schedule.

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**Author:** ![eenerms](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/cdc98d/32.png) [@eenerms](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eenerms)\
**Post date:** [March 1, 2021, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-s-been-vaccinated/928473/400 "2021-03-01T14:32:49Z")

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Johnson and Johnson’s rolling out it’s one and done! Wow! Maybe I can move up the list!

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**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\
**Post date:** [March 1, 2021, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-s-been-vaccinated/928473/401 "2021-03-01T14:45:49Z")

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I got my second Pfizer dose a couple weeks ago. My wife and I lucked out. Our son’s long-time girlfriend works in a doctor’s office, they were having a clinic for their patients and at the end of the day they were allowed to call in friends and family rather than waste the vaccine. Once we got the first dose, we were put on the list for the second dose.

I was impressed by how long the needle was and wondered how they managed not to hit bone.

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