On Wednesday I received my second dose of the Pfizer vaccine against SARS-CoV-2. As I had anticipated the facility where the inoculations were being administered was much, much busier than it had been a little more than three weeks ago when I received my first inoculation. There were probably 500-1,000 people waiting in line. They were, of course, mostly not observing social distancing although when I looked squarely at the people in front of me and behind me in line they gave me a wider berth. I have command presence.
The inoculation itself hurt like blazes, significantly more than the first. I haven’t experienced any other side effects so far other than soreness at the inoculation site although I’m told that they can take as long as a week to manifest.
Well, now I guess I’ve done what I can in the largest clinical trial in the history of the world.
I got my second Pfizer a week ago. It got sore but I had no other ill effects. Most people I know got fevers or felt ill, I seemed to be the exception for some reason.
My wife gets Moderna #2 tomorrow. Anecdotally from acquaintances, it seems like Moderna #2 is worse than Pfizer. We’ll see. Two of my three kids have had their first shot of Pfizer – the other is too young.
Meanwhile, my 62yo brother who lives in Germany is scheduled to get the first Astra Zenica vaccine in two weeks. I talked to him today and he was shocked to learn my kids already have their first shot.
I’m a 52yo asplenic who is going to get his first dose next week at the same time as my 17yo son. This was the earliest I was eligible because (checks list), I’m not employed by the government, a college or the media, the Democratic Party triumvirate. These were the last groups prioritized before opening to everybody, but I can’t get angry, I’m spleenless. / Greek humors.
Good grief! Just how backward is Chicago? There were no lines here in Hicksville, Ohio. But we actually have sorta competent and sorta honest government.
I had no reaction to either Pfizer shot, other than the usual soreness at the injection site. However, the second shot put my wife to bed for three days with fever, nausea, aches, fatigue.
If the anti-vaxxers are right, in six months to a year, we’ll all have mad cow disease, and Bill Gates will have succeeded in reducing the world population and ending AGW.
“As I had anticipated…….”
In Bluffton SC they make you sit for 15 minutes to ensure no shock or other severe symptoms. Accordingly, it was 25 minutes from start to finish.
“…the second shot put my wife to bed for three days with fever, nausea, aches, fatigue.”
I’ve heard everything from mild arm soreness to ‘the worst flu ever.’ Its a bit surprising they haven’t figured that out yet. Personally, round 1 was mild arm soreness and a bit of malaise, although I couldn’t swear it wasn’t the power of suggestion.
“Well, now I guess I’ve done what I can in the largest clinical trial in the history of the world.”
I’m not really worried, although for all the world there seems to be what looks like a tail growing out of my backside……….
I’m not sure “backward” is quite the right word. AFAICT all distribution is being done at the county level. I’m confident that there were other methods of distribution but they would have required relinquishing government control.
It took me 1:15 to be inoculated and then, of course, the 15 minutes waiting period afterwards.
The reason, rather clearly, is that the state opened up inoculations to “all adults”. My first inoculation took less than 25 minutes but eligibility was limited to essential workers and the elderly at that point (groups 1a and 1b).
Pfizer has been making the suggestion we’ll need to do it again in a year.
Bluffton was also open to all adults. I suspect the relative wait times are due to relative population density and the fact that Bluffton had an entire rec center devoted to it.
The facility was large—it was an old Kmart. Larger than a football field. Everything had been removed and there were just folding chairs and small tables for the people confirming eligibility or giving inoculations.
Chicago has not been prioritizing the elderly. Percent having received at least one dose:
65 and over
Statewide: 73.98%
Chicago: 68.24%
16 to 64
Statewide: 37.22%
Chicago: 40.51%
Since the statewide numbers include Chicago, the disparities are larger. The scandal about black/brown employees at the Trump hotel getting vaccinated because black/brown residents were being prioritized at other locations, resulting in the hospital serving a black majority area losing vaccination privileges is the kind of obsession about the wrong kind of people getting vaccinated that has to have slowed things down.
OTOH: Here there has been no confirmation of eligibility.
Cant tell about Chicago but Illinois is about average in getting its vaccinations done, almost identical to Ohio. South Carolina is not very good. PA a bit above average. (When I have been giving shots we are averaging about 18 minutes from the time they get in line until they leave, including the 15 minute wait.) Alabama, Mississippi,Arkansas and Georgia have pretty consistently been at the bottom of this list with Tennessee, Louisiana and Oklahoma almost always there also.
https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/public-health/states-ranked-by-percentage-of-covid-19-vaccines-administered.html
Steve
There has been a suggestion that a “3rd shot†might be needed, as well as annual follow-up shots. IMO, the model being established is a never-ending cycle of vaccinations.
Since covid-19 is now well-established, it is almost certain that annual shots to cover new mutants will be required forever. Just like the annual flu shot.
It is said that the common cold is really one of several SARS/COVID viruses that have mutated into a benign form. Perhaps covid-19 will join them. The common cold does not have a vaccine because of the difficulty in making one. Perhaps with the success against their cousin, a vaccine for the cold will be made next.
It’s a problem of conflicted priorities. With age expectancy variances being what they are it’s tough to prioritize inoculating the elderly and inoculating blacks. Lower trust in the health care system among blacks (I’ve posted on this in the past) is another complicating factor.
In practice it has been pretty easy to prioritize the elderly but it is not clear that is the correct strategy. There is evidence that the younger groups are the active spreaders. So if you model it you might be more effective vaccinating them rather than the elderly even if they are more likely to die. We decided to do the elderly first since the models don’t give a clear answer and using age set a bright line limit that made scheduling easier.
Steve