Covid Vaccine Distribution

[Popeye]

Yes, consider the source. In my experiences with Russians, they don't see alcohol consumption in quite the same way as most other nationalities do.

"I'll have what the gentleman on the floor is having."

+1. There’s no way a Russian is accepting a vaccine that doesn’t work with vodka!

 

[Octogirl]

In Delaware, one health system is already planning for standby lists of people.

 

[Popeye]

Since up to 50% say they aren't going to get the vaccine, I wonder how they will be able to tell when one group is "done" and the next group can start?

To me, one group is done when the supply is exceeding the demand. Once you don’t see lines to get it, open to the next group. If half the prior group sat back, too bad. Don’t sit on doses waiting for them to come out of the woodwork.

 

[Chuckanut]

I sent my primary care Dr. an email asking about what the process is going to be? His nurse responded that they have no clue. She said they will NOT be giving shots at the office. I guess we'll all just be standing outside CVS or Walgreens...waiting.

Since selling the practice to a local Medical Group and then the local group being sold to a national medical group my Doctor's office no longer likes to give shots, though they still do a few. But, routine stuff like flu shots, Shingrex, and tetanus, they want me to go to a pharmacy. We are slowly becoming like many European countries where the first line of defense for normal small issues is the local pharmacist.

 

[Chuckanut]

Wow! I listened to Michael Osterholm today and he ran off a bunch of statistics including the sudden and drastic drop in US life expectancy. We have lost all gains since 2010!

Don’t tell the RMD committee......

I like Osterholm, but he is rather gloomy at times. Still, the death rate is nothing short of sadly amazing these days. And, Fauci's predictions of what would happen if we let up turned out to be very true. Oh well.... I am doing all I can to protect me and mine.

"What's going to happen is going to happen. Just make sure it doesn't happen to you" - Max Detweiller.

 

[audreyh1]

I like Osterholm, but he is rather gloomy at times. Still, the death rate is nothing short of sadly amazing these days. And, Fauci's predictions of what would happen if we let up turned out to be very true. Oh well.... I am doing all I can to protect me and mine.

"What's going to happen is going to happen. Just make sure it doesn't happen to you" - Max Detweiller.

Osterholm didn't share any data points worse than the specifics you shared. He did go on for a while about how extraordinary it was for the US to lose a year of life expectancy. Plus comparisons to deaths by other causes.

 

[Alan]

Since selling the practice to a local Medical Group and then the local group being sold to a national medical group my Doctor's office no longer likes to give shots, though they still do a few. But, routine stuff like flu shots, Shingrex, and tetanus, they want me to go to a pharmacy. We are slowly becoming like many European countries where the first line of defense for normal small issues is the local pharmacist.

Local Pharmacists here do a lot of vaccinations including flu, shingles, pneumonia etc. and prior to this year I got my annual flu vaccine at our local pharmacy. (We live in a town of 9k folks). For the Pfizer vaccine rollout however they are mostly not well equipped to deal with the storage and distribution logistics since the vaccines come in “pizza” boxes of 975 doses that all have to be used pretty quickly once the box is cooled down and opened.

With the Pfizer vaccine the UK government is not going to be supplying pharmacies because of these logistics issues.

 

[Amethyst]

OK, so our household has people in totally different age categories. How do we know when it's one of our "turns"?

Will it be by public service announcements?

Does one need to nag one's Dr's office? (Ours is terrible about even returning phone calls, so not looking forward to that).

 

[bmcgonig]

Had anyone heard anything about whether you need to be a resident of a state to get the vaccine there? I'll be out of CA until summer(ish) and wondering if I would have to return to get it.

 

[RetireBy90]

I will be listening to local news and in contact with our health care providers to stay abreast of latest plans and when they have a shot ready for me. I have Tricare and they have been good at sending out info and DW has Kaiser which is also good in communication.

 

[cathy63]

Had anyone heard anything about whether you need to be a resident of a state to get the vaccine there? I'll be out of CA until summer(ish) and wondering if I would have to return to get it.

It depends on the state. Each one gets to make its own distribution plan and decide how, or if, to enforce its own rules.

 

[gerntz]

Similar distribution process in England, hospitals only at first because of the refrigeration issues. They are only going to give the first dose for half the quantity they have on hand, reserving the the other half for shot 2. This in case of supply or production problems. A spokesman from the production site in Belgium was on TV yesterday explaining why the production rate is half of what Pfizer initially said it would be. It is complicated to manufacture in bulk and keep within spec.

Groups are as follows:

1) Frontline healthcare workers and Care Home residents. - accounts for 1/3 of deaths in UK to date but is less than 1% of the population.

2) Over 80's - less than 10% of population and accounts for another 1/3 of deaths to date.

3) Over 75's and medically vulnerable

4) Over 70's

5) Over 65's

6) 18 - 64 year olds

I would have thought that somewhere between 3) & 4), groups such as police, fire personnel, military, and group-setting living including prisons, would have fallen. WSJ article today states "essential workers" would be there.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/pfizer-biontech-covid-19-vaccine-is-authorized-in-the-u-s-11607740101

 

[gerntz]

My Mother, age 88, called me in tears this morning. She had been so hopeful for the vaccine but her doctor has told her she should not take the Pfizer vaccine--she has a history pf anaphlylactic shock to foods and medications.

Who's decision is that - your mentally competent mother's or the doctor's? I.e., can she choose to take it anyway? I'd think it's her choice whatever the reco.

 

[gerntz]

Yes, iwe need to know a bit more before getting vaccinated. Good thing there are other vaccines in development, hopefully your DM will be able to take another, such as the Moderna vaccine.

Some people have to get vaccinated in order to know more.

 

[gerntz]

A couple of medical people who have taken the Pfizer vaccine in the UK have gone into serious allergic shock and they are now saying people who have had serious allergic reactions to medicine should not take this vaccine. I may not be able to take it either since I am allergic to aspirin.

Do you know the definition of "serious" here? I.e., life-threatening or less than that? Does epi-pen correct? Thanks.

 

[gerntz]

I read somewhere last night that the 2 individuals that suffered anaphalaxis had carried their own epipens with them to the vacinnation, telling me they were already at risk and knew it if they carried around epipens.

Also, spoke with a family member and he said his facility which i wont name had vaccines inhouse already under lock and key. This conversation was yesterday with info from the day prior.

Thanks on the Epipen info.

I'd say they need to more than keep these under lock & key, but also guarded against theft & counterfeiting.

 

[gerntz]

In Switzerland--the always cautious nation--the government is turning over the supplies of vaccine to the military for safekeeping in undisclosed locations before distribution.

That's the level of security I think these need at this stage.

 

[gerntz]

Since up to 50% say they aren't going to get the vaccine, I wonder how they will be able to tell when one group is "done" and the next group can start?

Perhaps by the number of people within the current group still trying to get the vaccine?

 

[gerntz]

A trial balloon is out that involves pro athletes going to the front of the line. This would presumably be for "messaging and communication."

Is the trial balloon coming from inside the sports or from the vaccine distributors? Big difference in credibility to me.

 

[gerntz]

That would be great, and if they did it on their own, it would help offset a lot of the bad publicity they've had. It is going to matter most at that time when wide distribution is available.

It is just my theory... but I am thinking this trail balloon was hatched by some powerful people connected with team ownership. The owners want to stop the game shutdown/reschedule chaos going on now in the NFL. The NBA and NHL see that same chaos in their future. I think they want a backdoor way to get to the front.

Just my theory though.

Just your very good theory to me.

 

[Oilcan]

Anyone have any up to date information on where veterans with underlying conditions fall on the priority list?

 

[gerntz]

It is amazing.. and that is after 1 just 1 dose!

Which is why the idea of getting more people one dose quickly than half as many two doses makes total sense to me.

 

[Alan]

I would have thought that somewhere between 3) & 4), groups such as police, fire personnel, military, and group-setting living including prisons, would have fallen. WSJ article today states "essential workers" would be there.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/pfizer-biontech-covid-19-vaccine-is-authorized-in-the-u-s-11607740101

That article is about the USA. My quoted post is about the UK announced sequence. I would expect the USA and other countries to have different priorities. 2/3rds of all UK Covid related deaths have been in the over 80 group, hospitals and care homes hence the focus on those groups. After that they are going for simplicity and speed of rollout.

 

[Aerides]

Which is why the idea of getting more people one dose quickly than half as many two doses makes total sense to me.

but we don't know if the results over time would be diminished from one dose, and thus wasted. So you might get quickly to 75%, but if you had to wait a year for your 2nd, does that fade? I'm sure there's a reason that the makers propose the 3-4 week spacing, and not longer.

 

[Alan]

Do you know the definition of "serious" here? I.e., life-threatening or less than that? Does epi-pen correct? Thanks.

On the day it happened the report was that it wasn’t serious and they were recovering well from the reaction it produced.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-55244122

The two people had a reaction shortly after having the new jab, had treatment and are both fine now.
They are understood to have had an anaphylactoid reaction, which tends to involve a skin rash, breathlessness and sometimes a drop in blood pressure. This is not the same as anaphylaxis which can be fatal.