Covid Vaccine Distribution

[Chuckanut]

My county is really moving forward at warp speed. They now are "in preparation and planning" and have an online survey for people who qualify for Phase 1b (over 65 and essential workers) to fill out if they are interested to get the vaccine.

I filled it out, but have no idea if, when, how, or where Phase 1b will be implemented.

Warp Speed, Huh? My state and county remind me of the USS Excelsior in ST III - The Search for Spock after it's trans warp drive sputtered and failed (with some help from Scotty). Right now we are sputtering. Short term failure is an option. There is hope, but it is just now coming over the horizon. Hang on.

 

[fh2000]

CDC website has not updated their new 65 year old guideline:

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/index.html

"WHO SHOULD GET VACCINATED FIRST
CDC recommends giving COVID-19 vaccine in phases, which may overlap:

1a: Healthcare personnel and Long-term care facility residents
1b: Frontline essential workers and People age 75 years and older
1c: People aged 65 through 74 years and People aged 16 through 64 years with underlying medical conditions and Other essential workers"

 

[Gumby]

Here in CT, we are staying at 75+ for 1b(1), which is occurring now. Frontline essential workers are 1b(2) and will probably start in a few weeks. I don't think they have finalized the order after that, but people in congregate settings and with medical health risk factors will likely be close behind. So far, things appear to be going well.

 

[MuirWannabe]

CDC website has not updated their new 65 year old guideline:



https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/index.html



"WHO SHOULD GET VACCINATED FIRST

CDC recommends giving COVID-19 vaccine in phases, which may overlap:



1a: Healthcare personnel and Long-term care facility residents

1b: Frontline essential workers and People age 75 years and older

1c: People aged 65 through 74 years and People aged 16 through 64 years with underlying medical conditions and Other essential workers"

Lists like this make me laugh a bit. Gotta be nice to everyone and put them in group 1. Therefore, the real list becomes alphabetical. I’m so important I’m sure to be in group 1z. That sounds so much better than being in group 26.

 

[JoeWras]

Lists like this make me laugh a bit. Gotta be nice to everyone and put them in group 1. Therefore, the real list becomes alphabetical. I’m so important I’m sure to be in group 1z. That sounds so much better than being in group 26.

Reminds me of a bug fix in programming. Add another code block to the same subroutine.

Originally, they had groups 1, 2, 3 and 4. The someone complained, and you add the subgroups. Bug fix.

 

[RetireBy90]

Press said that Fairfax Va would start accepting signup for over 65 and 14-64 with conditions. I’m 64 and have smoked so I fit into the “conditions” part. Web site says they are still in 1b but it allowed me to signup as 64 with “conditions”. The process is they will call, email, or text with an appointment at so me time, no indication of when to be alert for the call. The automated phone call shows as spam in caller ID so it went to VM but I got text and VM on cell just to confirm I had registered.
At least I’m on a list.

 

[skipro33]

Lists like this make me laugh a bit. Gotta be nice to everyone and put them in group 1. Therefore, the real list becomes alphabetical. I’m so important I’m sure to be in group 1z. That sounds so much better than being in group 26.

I find it disturbing governments around the world are choosing to rank their populations based on their essentiality. I've taken ethics courses in college that warn of such things. Perhaps if the ranking was based solely on mortality risk, and not how essential one is to society, I would feel better about where I rank.

Wasn't lock down rationalized to protect the most vulnerable, the most likely to die, not just catch the disease? Then wouldn't it make sense the vaccine be administered under the same basis?

 

[MrsHaloFIRE]

Skipro. Wellsaid

 

[Gumby]

I am quite comfortable with the conclusion that I am not the least bit essential.

 

[skipro33]

I am quite comfortable with the conclusion that I am not the least bit essential.

I agree. (about me, not you ) I first learned of my government's opinion of my necessity when I enlisted. However, my grand kids are another matter. I wonder what kind of world they'll grow up in, being ranked for medical supplies based on their essentiality when they are in limited supply.

 

[MichaelB]

I am quite comfortable with the conclusion that I am not the least bit essential.

Nor am I. Essential or not, we all benefit individually with every vaccine administered.

 

[Alan]

The UK is keeping it simple, focusing on the most vulnerable. 88% of all deaths in the UK have been in the top 4 groups. Group 4 has started today because some areas in the UK have completed all the over 80 year olds.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-55045639

Vaccines are being given to the most vulnerable first. A list of nine high-priority groups - which covers about 32 million people including 90-99% of those most at risk of dying - is being followed:
1. Residents in care homes for older adults and their carers
2. 80-year-olds and over and frontline health and social care workers
3. 75-year-olds and over
4. 70-year-olds and over and clinically extremely vulnerable individuals
5. 65-year-olds and over
6. 16- to 64-year-olds with serious underlying health conditions
7. 60-year-olds and over
8. 55-year-olds and over
9. 50-year-olds and over


All four nations of the UK follow these priorities, but decisions on the roll-out vary between England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
NHS frontline staff, care home residents and workers, and the over 80s have been the first priority. Nearly half of over-80s in the UK have been vaccinated.

 

[audreyh1]

For those who haven't read the full bloomberg piece, I think it's important to note these deaths occurred in patients considered to be very elderly with severe health issues:

Some key points it makes:

All the reported deaths related to “elderly people with serious basic disorders,”
This does not mean that there is a causal link between vaccination and death.
The findings have prompted Norway to suggest that Covid-19 vaccines may be too risky for the very old and terminally ill.

I know some elderly folks - late 80s - who got the Pfizer vaccine and they were fine. But they were in good health too, for their ages.

DH and I were quite relieved that they were already vaccinated.

 

[audreyh1]

Wasn't lock down rationalized to protect the most vulnerable, the most likely to die, not just catch the disease? Then wouldn't it make sense the vaccine be administered under the same basis?

Yes, most likely to due and most likely to use up a lot of precious hospital resources on the way there. I think that the lock downs were ultimately about protecting hospital resources so that those who needed emergency or critical medical care still had access to it.

I think TX doesn’t have essential workers listed high other than medical/LTC workers and first and last responders who are in group 1a. https://www.dshs.state.tx.us/coronavirus/immunize/vaccine.aspx

 

[Chuckanut]

Nor am I. Essential or not, we all benefit individually with every vaccine administered.

There is great truth to that.

I think the big issue for many of us is simply not knowing. We get a daily bombardment of ads, experts, celebrities and politicians telling us how safe and effective the vaccine is, and how important it is that we 'roll up our sleeves'. But, when and where do we get the vaccine? Nobody seems to know.

 

[cathy63]

Nor am I. Essential or not, we all benefit individually with every vaccine administered.

Yep, this is pretty much the conclusion I came to when I ran a couple of those "when will you be able to get the vaccine" tools. One of them placed me in the group they called "Everyone Else" and the other one said I'm behind ~2.6M people in my county of ~3.3M.

Since we will most likely reach herd immunity quite a while before it's my turn to be vaccinated, I have decided to focus my efforts on making that happen as fast as possible. Over the weekend I filled out the forms to be a volunteer at the nearest mass vaccination site. I'm not qualified to give shots, but I can direct traffic, check IDs, watch for allergic reactions, etc. Haven't heard back yet, but I hope to be of use soon.

 

[Ronstar]

Nor am I. Essential or not, we all benefit individually with every vaccine administered.

Yep. - maybe exponentially. Experts say that an infected person can infect up to 8 others. If the vaccines are as effective as experts claim, the 8 to 1 ratio could be in reverse. Maybe 8 people can be saved from getting sick from the vaccination of a single person.

 

[Involuntary Retiree]

Yep, this is pretty much the conclusion I came to when I ran a couple of those "when will you be able to get the vaccine" tools. One of them placed me in the group they called "Everyone Else" and the other one said I'm behind ~2.6M people in my county of ~3.3M.

Since we will most likely reach herd immunity quite a while before it's my turn to be vaccinated, I have decided to focus my efforts on making that happen as fast as possible. Over the weekend I filled out the forms to be a volunteer at the nearest mass vaccination site. I'm not qualified to give shots, but I can direct traffic, check IDs, watch for allergic reactions, etc. Haven't heard back yet, but I hope to be of use soon.

The above is what I've been doing. Although I'm not medical and can't stick people, I am doing many other helpful things as a volunteer at my state's mass vaccination sites. The rewards for my volunteerism are (1) a free real, medical-grade fitted N95 mask, and (2) a round of vaccinations, assuming there are leftover doses at the end of the day. I just received my first dose of the Moderna vaccine and am scheduled for a second in a month or so.

 

[Philliefan33]

I got shot #1 of Moderna yesterday, as part of a group appointment for the fire company at our lake house. That rural area seems to be moving through the 1a/1b etc. list faster than the more populous county of our main house.

I had a very sore arm for ~24 hours (about the same as the shingles shot) but no other side effects.

I haven't seen a call for volunteers to help with administering the vaccines, but I will volunteer if needed/asked. I'm good at directing traffic and filling out forms, and I would even learn to stick a needle in an arm if they would let me.

 

[REWahoo]

I just found out my lucky number is 1,410.

That's the number of times I tried calling to get an appointment for the vaccine over the past three days. Call #1,410 was the first time I actually got through. I got a recording confirming I'd reached the vaccination reservation number, and then immediately placed on hold. After holding a little more than an hour and a half, I was connected to a live person who took our names, addresses, DOB and phone number, then given an appointment for DW and I to get the Moderna vaccine on Saturday morning.

I feel extremely fortunate that I was able to get through through as the site is reporting literally millions of phone call attempts each day. Also, they have scheduled to give out the 9,000 doses they received over a 6 day period, with Saturday being the final day, so it looks like we also managed to get through just before all the slots were filled.

We never buy lottery tickets, but I'm tempted...

 

[MuirWannabe]

I just found out my lucky number is 1,410.



That's the number of times I tried calling to get an appointment for the vaccine over the past three days. Call #1,410 was the first time I actually got through. I got a recording confirming I'd reached the vaccination reservation number, and then immediately placed on hold. After holding a little more than an hour and a half, I was connected to a live person who took our names, addresses, DOB and phone number, then given an appointment for DW and I to get the Moderna vaccine on Saturday morning.



I feel extremely fortunate that I was able to get through through as the site is reporting literally millions of phone call attempts each day. Also, they have scheduled to give out the 9,000 doses they received over a 6 day period, with Saturday being the final day, so it looks like we also managed to get through just before all the slots were filled.



We never buy lottery tickets, but I'm tempted...

If you buy lottery tickets, I guess you should purchase 1410 of them.

 

[Ronstar]

I hope REWahoo’s 1410 number is a typo. He must have meant 10. 10 phone calls to get through still sounds extreme IMO.

But congrats on getting through!

 

[REWahoo]

I hope REWahoo’s 1410 number is a typo. He must have meant 10. 10 phone calls to get through still sounds extreme IMO.

You are correct, it is a typo. The correct number is 1510.

I called 659 times on Saturday and 430 times Sunday with no luck. Got through today on my 421st attempt.

 

[Boho]

In my day, calling 1510 times meant pressing 7 numbers then pressing redial 1509 times. How do the kids redial these days with their apps and whatnot? REWahoo was probably turning his face into a cat and playing Minecraft the whole time, until his phone alerted him with his favorite song.

 

[audreyh1]

You are correct, it is a typo. The correct number is 1510.

I called 659 times on Saturday and 430 times Sunday with no luck. Got through today on my 421st attempt.

Numbers is hard!