Covid Vaccine Distribution

[audreyh1]

Can anybody in Michigan confirm that Detroit's Mayor won't allow the JnJ vaccine to be administered by city vaccine sites because he believes it is inferior to the other two vaccines? And that 6000 doses were refused by Detroit?

Are you trying to confirm the CNBC story? https://www.cnbc.com/2021/03/05/det...t-saying-pfizer-and-moderna-are-the-best.html

 

[travelover]

Can anybody in Michigan confirm that Detroit's Mayor won't allow the JnJ vaccine to be administered by city vaccine sites because he believes it is inferior to the other two vaccines? And that 6000 doses were refused by Detroit?

Here is a follow up in the Detroit Free Press

 

[cathy63]

You are kidding, right? If not, mine will be heading to the vet ASAP...

No, I'm not kidding about a vaccine for pets. My impression from the news was that development is still in an experimental stage though and it's probably not available at your local vet yet.

 

[sengsational]

The healthy 55+, 4 day pop-up at Darlington Raceway was smooth sailing. Stayed in the car. Snaked through some cones were directed by national guard into various queues to do the different steps. In and out in 1/2 hour, including the 15 minute observation window. They even had people with lab coats at that station!

We got a card that documents this vaccination (Moderna) and they said "come back same time 4 weeks from now". No comments at all about the NC address or NC plate. Beautiful day for a 4 hour round trip. We'll be doing that again on April fool's day

 

[JoeWras]

Has me considering a move to SC.

 

[Gumby]

My experience with the vaccine process

I had my first Pfizer vaccine yesterday evening at the Yale School of Nursing, which is a little over 3 miles from my home. I had made the appointment online last Sunday night, as soon as Connecticut opened up eligibility for people 55+.

When I arrived, there were security guards directing traffic. I parked within 200 feet of the building and walked in. There was a steady stream of people walking in (I would guess about one every 30 seconds) and an equally steady number walking out. There was no line beyond waiting for one person ahead of me to check in.

As soon as I walked in the door, I was asked my appointment time, checked off the list, handed a surgical mask to put over my homemade one and directed about 30 feet down a hallway, where a second person checked my temperature and asked me questions to determine if I had recent exposure and was quarantining, had a positive test or was waiting on test results. Having answered no, I was directed to an area with several check-in stations, where someone checked my ID, verified that I was there for the first dose and gave me a filled out vaccine card. She then directed me to the actual vaccination area.

There were 16 vaccination stations and all were in continuous use, with just a short break to wipe down the table between patients. The nurse confirmed my birthdate and that I was getting the first dose, quickly gave me the shot and put a bandage over it. She signed my vaccine card, attached a yellow sticky with the time written on it and directed me out of the room and down the hall to the waiting area.

In the waiting area were chairs spaced 6 feet apart against the wall. As I arrived, they directed me to a seat and put the yellow sticky on the wall above my head. There were a few nurses walking back and forth in the room looking at the patients for signs of trouble. A young woman with a computer on a rolling cart came along to set up my appointment for the second dose exactly 3 weeks hence. When my 15 minutes was up, someone collected the yellow sticky over my head and told me I could leave. As I walked back out the way I came in, I saw that there was still no line, just a steady stream of people checking in. It was almost exactly 25 minutes between the time I walked in the door and walked back out.

All in all, I'd say it was by far one of the best organized mass events I have ever attended. Whoever designed the system had ensured that the proper number of people were doing each task, and that the appointments were appropriately timed, such that there were no bottlenecks or backups. Also, from what I could see, there were no underutilized people either. Everyone had a job and was working steadily at it. It worked, as they say, like a well-oiled machine.

I didn't think to ask, and I'm not sure I can find out now, but it would not surprise me if that one site is able to vaccinate 1200 people per day, which is one of the reasons Connecticut is making such good progress in vaccination.

And one final observation. That may have been the happiest and most thankful group of people I have seen in a very long time. Everyone was in a good mood, both patients and staff. It was a very positive experience.

 

[camfused]

It will be interesting to see what happens during the flu and cold season in the coming (in the northern hemisphere) winter. If only some of the people are still wearing masks and washing hands at that point, then I suspect we will be back to a normal amount of cases.

I hope that some behavior (as they do in Asia) sticks.

 

[harllee]

Has me considering a move to SC.

Joe, why can't you get vaccinated in NC? Maybe you don't qualify yet? Soon anyone with a preexisting condition will get to be vaccinated in NC, surely you have some sort of preexisting condition, high blood pressure or something.

 

[JoeWras]

Joe, why can't you get vaccinated in NC? Maybe you don't qualify yet? Soon anyone with a preexisting condition will get to be vaccinated in NC, surely you have some sort of preexisting condition, high blood pressure or something.

I do not have conditions and I will not lie or fib. Even my type of volunteer work doesn't qualify, which is BS.

Who is at more risk? A 58 year old without any conditions, or a 23 year old who is mildly overweight? The State has answered that question, and it is not me.

EDIT: just checked. My BMI is 29. Maybe I'll stuff myself and weigh in enough to BMI 30. I'd qualify with good conscience. Stay tuned.

 

[stepford]

I do not have conditions and I will not lie or fib. Even my type of volunteer work doesn't qualify, which is BS.

Who is at more risk? A 58 year old without any conditions, or a 23 year old who is mildly overweight? The State has answered that question, and it is not me.

I share your frustration in being ineligible as a healthy 60-something, but in fairness the obesity qualification doesn't seem "mild". At least in my State (CA) you'll need to have a BMI of 40+ to get your shot. That BMI would put me right around 300 lbs vs the 165 or so I was at 23. Impatient though I am for my turn, someone with that level of obesity probably does have enough of an elevated risk that they deserve to go first

 

[JoeWras]

I share your frustration in being ineligible as a healthy 60-something, but in fairness the obesity qualification doesn't seem "mild". At least in my State (CA) you'll need to have a BMI of 40+ to get your shot. That BMI would put me right around 300 lbs vs the 165 or so I was at 23. Impatient though I am for my turn, someone with that level of obesity probably does have enough of an elevated risk that they deserve to go first

BMI of 40+? No question, high risk at any age.

I edited my post and probably crossed with your post. I looked and my state has BMI of 30+ to qualify. I'm at 29.5 with clothes and shoes. I can rug up and eat some pie for a few days and qualify. I'm of pretty stocky build (yes, it matters) so nobody calls me obese, or even overweight.

BMIs above 35 seem like no-brainer risk to me.

Regardless, the rules are the rules and I might take advantage of them.

 

[REWahoo]

All in all, I'd say it was by far one of the best organized mass events I have ever attended. Whoever designed the system had ensured that the proper number of people were doing each task, and that the appointments were appropriately timed, such that there were no bottlenecks or backups. Also, from what I could see, there were no underutilized people either. Everyone had a job and was working steadily at it. It worked, as they say, like a well-oiled machine.

Except for a couple of very minor differences in the after vaccination waiting process, what you described is exactly what we experienced when getting our first and second doses. I doubt the similarity is coincidental which makes me think the CDC or some other agency published a recommended mass vaccination process that these sites are following.

 

[harllee]

BMI of 40+? No question, high risk at any age.

I edited my post and probably crossed with your post. I looked and my state has BMI of 30+ to qualify. I'm at 29.5 with clothes and shoes. I can rug up and eat some pie for a few days and qualify. I'm of pretty stocky build (yes, it matters) so nobody calls me obese, or even overweight.

BMIs above 35 seem like no-brainer risk to me.

Regardless, the rules are the rules and I might take advantage of them.

Joe--If it were me I would eat some ice cream or pie or something and get my weight up a couple of pounds and qualify and get the vaccine. Then I would go on a small diet and get back to my normal weight. At age 58 you are at higher risk for the virus because of your age so I would not feel any guilt in getting the vaccine. Right now NC seems to have plenty of vaccine supply.

 

[CardsFan]

Except for a couple of very minor differences in the after vaccination waiting process, what you described is exactly what we experienced when getting our first and second doses. I doubt the similarity is coincidental which makes me think the CDC or some other agency published a recommended mass vaccination process that these sites are following.

Almost exactly the same here in STL, as well. Clearly they are following the same outline of a plan. I think the key also was the number of volunteers to guide you and the number of technicians to give the shots. In and out in less than 30 minutes, including the wait time after the shot.

 

[DektolMan]

Here in CT things are going well with one exception. My wife and I got our 1st Pfizer shots going thru Trinity Health website. While we were there they scheduled our 2nd shot so we are all set.


Our friend scheduled thru our CT VAM's site and got Moderna. After she got her shot they told her she had to go back on the website to schedule her 2nd shot and gave her a time frame to get it. Well there are no appointments available for her so she is stressed out and worried she won't get an appointment.


If they scheduled the 2nd shot when you got the 1st then it would decrease people on the website scrambling to get a 2nd dose. Another friend of mine is having the same problem in NY going thru Walgreens.

 

[harllee]

Here in CT things are going well with one exception. My wife and I got our 1st Pfizer shots going thru Trinity Health website. While we were there they scheduled our 2nd shot so we are all set.


Our friend scheduled thru our CT VAM's site and got Moderna. After she got her shot they told her she had to go back on the website to schedule her 2nd shot and gave her a time frame to get it. Well there are no appointments available for her so she is stressed out and worried she won't get an appointment.


If they scheduled the 2nd shot when you got the 1st then it would decrease people on the website scrambling to get a 2nd dose. Another friend of mine is having the same problem in NY going thru Walgreens.

Here in NC they schedule your 2nd shot when you get your first shot. I think everywhere is doing that including Walgreens.

 

[24601NoMore]

I wish! And I’d love to get the Pfizer vaccine!

We're scheduled to get the Pfizer vacc this Tuesday. I'm inclined to also favor the Pfizer over Moderna just because Pfizer is a MUCH larger company than Moderna (has been around 150 or so years..is one of the "Big 4" drug companies, etc).

Curious..is there anything else that makes you prefer the Pfizer over Moderna?

 

[explanade]

We're scheduled to get the Pfizer vacc this Tuesday. I'm inclined to also favor the Pfizer over Moderna just because Pfizer is a MUCH larger company than Moderna (has been around 150 or so years..is one of the "Big 4" drug companies, etc).

Curious..is there anything else that makes you prefer the Pfizer over Moderna?

Pfizer partnered with a German biotech startup called BioNTech.

So the vaccine was developed by a small startup, not a pharma giant.

Pfizer used its experience to manage the vaccine through the trials and handles the logistics of manufacturing and distribution.

 

[Midpack]

Pfizer partnered with a German biotech startup called BioNTech. [not sure when startup status lapses - founded 2008, 1323 employees]

So the vaccine was developed by a small startup, not a pharma giant. [While BioNTech was the brains behind the mRNA approach, that does not mean Pfizer technical people weren’t involved in development.]

Pfizer used its experience to manage the vaccine through the trials and handles the logistics of manufacturing and distribution.[Unquestionably true]

From what I’ve read...

 

[Koolau]

Well, when I have the shot in my arm, I'll believe it BUT DW and I are both scheduled for our shots TODAY (Sunday) mid afternoon at CVS (we call it Longs Drugs here in the Islands.) We'll have to travel almost 20 miles to the closest one giving the shots. There are Longs all over the place, but only (I think) 4 on Oahu giving the shots. We are in the 70+ group and it JUST opened up. We hopped right on line and got scheduled (they even had the paper work on line - insurance card numbers, allergy questions, etc. etc.) We will be doing a 2 shot series (not sure which of the two company vaccines) and already have our appointment set for 2 weeks hence.

Like I said, I'll believe it when I feel the needle puncturing my skin. YMMV

 

[CardsFan]

Well, when I have the shot in my arm, I'll believe it BUT DW and I are both scheduled for our shots TODAY (Sunday) mid afternoon at CVS (we call it Longs Drugs here in the Islands.) We'll have to travel almost 20 miles to the closest one giving the shots. There are Longs all over the place, but only (I think) 4 on Oahu giving the shots. We are in the 70+ group and it JUST opened up. We hopped right on line and got scheduled (they even had the paper work on line - insurance card numbers, allergy questions, etc. etc.) We will be doing a 2 shot series (not sure which of the two company vaccines) and already have our appointment set for 2 weeks hence.

Like I said, I'll believe it when I feel the needle puncturing my skin. YMMV

Re: the bold above.

We went a mass vaccination sponsored by the county health department. No questions on insurance were ever asked.

I guess for the companies administering the vaccine, this is the way they will get paid for giving the shot?

 

[harllee]

Re: the bold above.

We went a mass vaccination sponsored by the county health department. No questions on insurance were ever asked.

I guess for the companies administering the vaccine, this is the way they will get paid for giving the shot?

Yes, the Health Dept where I got my shot asked for insurance information at the second shot. They said they do not charge the individual but usually that can get a reimbursement from insurance of $20 per shot. When you are giving out thousands of vaccines $20 each adds up.

 

[Calico]

Well, when I have the shot in my arm, I'll believe it BUT DW and I are both scheduled for our shots TODAY (Sunday) mid afternoon at CVS (we call it Longs Drugs here in the Islands.) We'll have to travel almost 20 miles to the closest one giving the shots. There are Longs all over the place, but only (I think) 4 on Oahu giving the shots. We are in the 70+ group and it JUST opened up. We hopped right on line and got scheduled (they even had the paper work on line - insurance card numbers, allergy questions, etc. etc.) We will be doing a 2 shot series (not sure which of the two company vaccines) and already have our appointment set for 2 weeks hence.

Like I said, I'll believe it when I feel the needle puncturing my skin. YMMV

AFAIK, the standard interval between Pfizer Covid vaxx shots is 3 weeks, and for Moderna it's 4 weeks.

Did they really schedule your second vaxx for two weeks after the first?

 

[explanade]

Why are they getting reimbursed?

Fed govt paid for vaccines and the relief bill will allocate tens of billions for vaccine rollout.

If you have high deductible, insurance may make you pay for those reimbursements?

 

[RetireBy90]

Why are they getting reimbursed?

Fed govt paid for vaccines and the relief bill will allocate tens of billions for vaccine rollout.

If you have high deductible, insurance may make you pay for those reimbursements?

From what I heard, the provider is allowed to recover an administrative fee. DW got her first yesterday (no symptoms but sore to the touch arm) and they captured her insurance info but didn’t present a bill or collect any $ at the facility.
For those in northern Va, it was at Inova on Gallows road. They have expanded across the road into old Exxon buildings. Took maybe 25 min including the 15 min wait. Very well run.