Covid vaccination status?

[formulanone]

How about needle size? The photos I've seen seem to show really long needles. But I've heard people say the needles with which they were injected were very small.

Does it really matter how long the needle is? That certainly doesn't seem like a reason to not be vaccinated.

Rationally, no. But some people have a fear of needles that may prevent them from wanting to take the shot.

I normally tend to look away at the last second, but since I've never been more enthusiastic about a shot, I watched. It was no more than a flu shot needle (3/4", perhaps). No ill effects, be back for another dose in three weeks.

They didn't check any ID nor anything else - they just went on the honor system if you had an appointment.

[1995hoo]

I got my first Pfizer shot this morning. Straightforward process, barely even felt the needle. No arm pain or soreness so far, but I guess I'll see as the day goes on. I already have the appointment for my second shot, so I spent the 15-minute waiting period reading a book on my Kindle.

[oscar]

Just got my second Pfizer shot half an hour ago. No problems so far.

I felt the needle going in (coward that I am about such things, I looked away), but no pain. The paramedic who jabbed me said my needle was 25 gauge, 1" long. He said vax manufacturers supply their own syringes, so YMMV.

I'm not done with vaccinations just yet, need to schedule a Shingrix booster shot at least two weeks from now, that had been delayed for my Covid vaccine shots.

[cl94]

Don't get too irked just yet–those states are likely to "hit the wall" beyond which people are reluctant or refuse to get vaccinated way sooner than the other states. In fact, I imagine that's why eligibility is so wide in Oklahoma at the moment–they simply ran out of people in the higher-priority groups that were willing to get vaccinated.

That's the thing: states with narrower eligibility tend to have a higher acceptance rate. Connecticut has consistently been among the leaders in terms of vaccination rate and they were moving slower to open to additional people than many nearby states. Places that are bluer and whiter are more likely to be willing to get vaccinated now.

[JayhawkCO]

That's the thing: states with narrower eligibility tend to have a higher acceptance rate. Connecticut has consistently been among the leaders in terms of vaccination rate and they were moving slower to open to additional people than many nearby states. Places that are bluer and whiter are more likely to be willing to get vaccinated now.

The same people that didn't give a damn about wearing masks and in turn had higher infection rates are also the people not bothering to get vaccinated.  It's kind of maddening.  Fortunately there are a couple of outliers like New Mexico that got crushed with Covid but they're leading the U.S. in highest vaccination percentages.

Chris

[SectorZ]

That's the thing: states with narrower eligibility tend to have a higher acceptance rate. Connecticut has consistently been among the leaders in terms of vaccination rate and they were moving slower to open to additional people than many nearby states. Places that are bluer and whiter are more likely to be willing to get vaccinated now.

The same people that didn't give a damn about wearing masks and in turn had higher infection rates are also the people not bothering to get vaccinated.  It's kind of maddening.  Fortunately there are a couple of outliers like New Mexico that got crushed with Covid but they're leading the U.S. in highest vaccination percentages.

Chris

Not at all the case. I know plenty of people that never shut up about masks and staying home who won't get vaccinated, and plenty of people not fans of masks that are/want to get vaccinated ASAP. Those things aren't mutually exclusive.

[JayhawkCO]

That's the thing: states with narrower eligibility tend to have a higher acceptance rate. Connecticut has consistently been among the leaders in terms of vaccination rate and they were moving slower to open to additional people than many nearby states. Places that are bluer and whiter are more likely to be willing to get vaccinated now.

The same people that didn't give a damn about wearing masks and in turn had higher infection rates are also the people not bothering to get vaccinated.  It's kind of maddening.  Fortunately there are a couple of outliers like New Mexico that got crushed with Covid but they're leading the U.S. in highest vaccination percentages.

Chris

Not at all the case. I know plenty of people that never shut up about masks and staying home who won't get vaccinated, and plenty of people not fans of masks that are/want to get vaccinated ASAP. Those things aren't mutually exclusive.

I'm guessing the Venn diagram overlaps quite a bit though.



Also, good news for the New Yorkers on here.  As of 4/6/21, anyone over 16 can get vaccinated.

Chris

[hotdogPi]

That's the thing: states with narrower eligibility tend to have a higher acceptance rate. Connecticut has consistently been among the leaders in terms of vaccination rate and they were moving slower to open to additional people than many nearby states. Places that are bluer and whiter are more likely to be willing to get vaccinated now.

The same people that didn't give a damn about wearing masks and in turn had higher infection rates are also the people not bothering to get vaccinated.  It's kind of maddening.  Fortunately there are a couple of outliers like New Mexico that got crushed with Covid but they're leading the U.S. in highest vaccination percentages.

Chris

Not at all the case. I know plenty of people that never shut up about masks and staying home who won't get vaccinated, and plenty of people not fans of masks that are/want to get vaccinated ASAP. Those things aren't mutually exclusive.

The people who think masks don't help are also the ones who don't want to get vaccinated, especially if conspiracy theories are involved. There are other reasons not to wear a mask in certain situations (personally, I wear it indoors but not outdoors, and for runners, masks make you sweat) or not get the vaccine immediately (someone in their 20s might want to let older people have it first); this correlation doesn't apply to them.

[bandit957]

People who supported vaccines, but opposed lockdowns and masks, are going to end up looking pretty good in the end. Trust me on this.

This is actually in line with the standard pandemic playbook before 2020, which encouraged vaccines, but opposed lockdowns and masks.

[jakeroot]

I know plenty of people that never shut up about masks and staying home who won't get vaccinated, and plenty of people not fans of masks that are/want to get vaccinated ASAP. Those things aren't mutually exclusive.

There does seem to be some correlation between states that either had lax mask mandates (such as local-only) or no longer have a mask mandate, and states with less vaccine interest (easier scheduling and fewer restrictions).

Those who are "not a fan of masks" are likely to get the vaccine sooner specifically to help society get to a point where we no longer need a mask mandate, not because they don't wear them or something. But those who don't wear masks, or avoid any situation that might require a mask, likely aren't first in line for a vaccine as it seems (to me at least) they aren't as worried about the virus.

[JayhawkCO]

People who supported vaccines, but opposed lockdowns and masks, are going to end up looking pretty good in the end. Trust me on this.

This is actually in line with the standard pandemic playbook before 2020, which encouraged vaccines, but opposed lockdowns and masks.

Just as studies have come out saying if we had followed CDC guidelines, hundreds of thousands of lives could have been saved? 

As Sweden tried to only go for herd immunity and now have one of the highest death rates in Europe?

Unfortunately, my trust will be placed elsewhere.

Chris

[jakeroot]

People who supported vaccines

Almost everyone. The more interesting statistic: those who will actually get it.

For example: my idiot uncle would prefer to be part of the group of people who don't get it but don't need to because of herd immunity. But he definitely supports the vaccine. Just not for him. Selfish twit.

[JayhawkCO]

Those who are "not a fan of masks" are likely to get the vaccine sooner specifically to help society get to a point where we no longer needs a mask mandate, not because they don't wear them or something. But those who don't wear masks, or avoid any situation that might require a mask, likely aren't first in line for a vaccine as it seems (to me at least) they aren't as worried about the virus.

I don't know anyone who is a fan of masks.  But it's just what we have to do for the benefits of others.  I'll be vaccinated completely in two more weeks.  I will still wear a mask when in public places after that (until the science says otherwise) because, while I will be incredibly unlikely to get sick, I could still infect others.  Call me crazy, but I don't like having a non-zero percent chance of killing people by avoiding doing something so simple.

Chris

[Max Rockatansky]

Those who are "not a fan of masks" are likely to get the vaccine sooner specifically to help society get to a point where we no longer needs a mask mandate, not because they don't wear them or something. But those who don't wear masks, or avoid any situation that might require a mask, likely aren't first in line for a vaccine as it seems (to me at least) they aren't as worried about the virus.

I don't know anyone who is a fan of masks.  But it's just what we have to do for the benefits of others.  I'll be vaccinated completely in two more weeks.  I will still wear a mask when in public places after that (until the science says otherwise) because, while I will be incredibly unlikely to get sick, I could still infect others.  Call me crazy, but I don't like having a non-zero percent chance of killing people by avoiding doing something so simple.

Chris

Personally I hate wearing a mask and wouldn't if it got the point where I didn't need to.  Hell, I was called "selfish" in the original COVID thread for wearing a mask despite not liking it. 

[CoreySamson]

Selfish twit.

Guess I'm a selfish twit then.

[Roadgeekteen]

People who supported vaccines, but opposed lockdowns and masks, are going to end up looking pretty good in the end. Trust me on this.

This is actually in line with the standard pandemic playbook before 2020, which encouraged vaccines, but opposed lockdowns and masks.

Vaccines are great, masks are fine (masks are only an issue when exercising), lockdowns it's more complicated as they hurt the economy while often not reducing cases.

[Rothman]

Selfish twit.

Guess I'm a selfish twit then.

If the shoe fits?

[J N Winkler]

Although our governor had announced late last week that Kansas would be opening vaccination to everybody today, I kept my appointment last Saturday at the Hunter Health Clinic.  Signing up for the shot with them resulted in an invitation to set up an account on their health portal, which I did.  On Friday evening I received a message through it saying that the shots would be given in the main building at Central and Grove and telling me to wear a short-sleeved shirt, arrive five minutes early, and look for a big tent in their parking lot, where there would be forms and information on parking.

When I got there at about 12.30 for a 12.45 appointment, there was a queue of vehicles on Grove waiting to turn left into their driveway, so I just parked at the curb in the neighborhood and walked up.  At the tent they handed me two pages of forms--one for the CDC's VAMS and the other for contraindications--and told me where the back of the line was.  It snaked out of the front door, ran along the east edge of the parking lot and the north side of the building, and (at the time I joined) extended all the way to the next street west.

The process was pretty smooth once I got into the clinic building itself--I had to wait in line for an hour and 35 minutes just to get to the temperature scan inside the front door.  (I was happy I had brought Bob Woodward's Rage with me.  I was 120 pages from the end when I joined the line, and 17 by the time I was all finished.  I was also happy I had worn a sweatshirt over my polo shirt, as the breeze was both cool and stiff.)  At check-in (configured like tellers in a bank lobby), a clerk (one of six, I think) inspected the forms and my driver's license, took down information from my health insurance card, asked me to key in my social security number on a numeric keypad, and asked me to sign on a digital signature pad.  I was signed up for my second shot on April 24.  Then I was handed back the forms, license, and card, and waved to a queue for the vaccination itself, which was being done at multiple stations set up in a corridor.  I took my sweatshirt off while I was waiting.  The vaccinator collected my forms, countersigned them, and handed to a woman who was doing data entry on a laptop.  I just rolled up my left sleeve; the syringe was pencil-thin and I hardly saw the needle or felt it go in.  I was then handed an orange stopwatch preset for fifteen minutes and told to find a place to sit down and wait.

There was a bunch of people in the nearest cross hallway sitting in adjacent chairs and not maintaining social distancing, so I went further into the building and found an empty waiting area.  As I was waiting out my fifteen minutes, someone came with a goodie bag containing a brochure explaining the clinic's services and a small tube of hand sanitizer.  It was a gracious way of checking that I hadn't keeled over dead.  I was in fact feeling a little lightheaded, but this was largely because I hadn't had lunch before I went.

In the two days since, the worst side effect I've had is soreness at the injection site.  It's largely gone now, but yesterday I was really feeling it every time I lifted my left elbow to shoulder height.  I've been able to sleep on that side, however, and haven't had to take any NSAIDs.

The forms I was asked to fill out were prepopulated with information specific to the event (date, lot number for the Moderna vaccine, etc.) and were essentially similar to these:

*  Vaccination Patient Record (just the first page was used)

*  Prevaccination Checklist (just the page with the Yes/No questions was used; on the actual form the questions were the same, but the formatting was less elaborate and more economical with toner)

These PDFs are hosted by Native Americans for Community Action.  Although Hunter Health Clinic is a Federally Qualified Health Center (hence it can access vaccine stocks directly from the federal government without having to follow state criteria) and caters to all medically under-served demographics, it was started in the 1970's as an urban health clinic for Native Americans.

I think I am probably in the CDC's books as a Kansas person that has received covid-19 vaccine, but I don't know if I was simultaneously entered into the state's WebIZ database or if there is a process of reconciliation between the two.

[Ketchup99]

People who supported vaccines, but opposed lockdowns and masks, are going to end up looking pretty good in the end. Trust me on this.

This is actually in line with the standard pandemic playbook before 2020, which encouraged vaccines, but opposed lockdowns and masks.

I mean... lockdowns and masks are radically different things. Lockdowns, except short circuit-breakers when cases surge, are pretty unnecessary - usually. Masks, I don't understand this. Life looks a lot more normal when one can put a mask on and significantly reduce transmission, and it's not much skin off your back to wear one.

The "pandemic playbook" you tout wasn't meant for a virus like Covid. It was meant for pandemic influenza, of the sort we saw in 2009. In other words, a bad flu season. But it also provided exceptions for a more severe flu pandemic. The plan from 2005 held that the government should "provide guidance... including those circumstances where social distancing measures, limitations on gatherings, or quarantine authority may be an appropriate public health intervention." Over time, as we've learned more about the virus, masks have largely replaced or supplemented distancing, which allows for more normal life. These restrictions are unsurprising. The only surprising thing is that we have a coronavirus, and not an influenza virus, but our response is similar.

[Rothman]

When I got my second shot on Sunday, it was like the first:  In and out of the State Fair Expo in less than half an hour and yet with all available tables filled.  Very efficient operation.

Waiting for the side effects to kick in.  Had then with the first shot.  Perhaps I have just been hydrating better than I did the first time around.

[Roadgeekteen]

People who supported vaccines, but opposed lockdowns and masks, are going to end up looking pretty good in the end. Trust me on this.

This is actually in line with the standard pandemic playbook before 2020, which encouraged vaccines, but opposed lockdowns and masks.

I mean... lockdowns and masks are radically different things. Lockdowns, except short circuit-breakers when cases surge, are pretty unnecessary - usually. Masks, I don't understand this. Life looks a lot more normal when one can put a mask on and significantly reduce transmission, and it's not much skin off your back to wear one.

The "pandemic playbook" you tout wasn't meant for a virus like Covid. It was meant for pandemic influenza, of the sort we saw in 2009. In other words, a bad flu season. But it also provided exceptions for a more severe flu pandemic. The plan from 2005 held that the government should "provide guidance... including those circumstances where social distancing measures, limitations on gatherings, or quarantine authority may be an appropriate public health intervention." Over time, as we've learned more about the virus, masks have largely replaced or supplemented distancing, which allows for more normal life. These restrictions are unsurprising. The only surprising thing is that we have a coronavirus, and not an influenza virus, but our response is similar.

Masks are only iffy when restaurants and food are involved.

[Bruce]

My vaccination was hosted by a local clinic and was really smooth: 5 minutes in line for the temperature while filling out forms, walk up the stairs to the lobby to present ID and insurance, then a minute to get into a room for the jab. 15 minutes of waiting (including scheduling a second dose) later and I was home free.

I took my mom to get her vaccination at a county-run site (the local airport) and it took a bit longer and we were stuck in the car for a while, but otherwise it was smooth. They did not provide any helpful paperwork (including the side effects and such), though.

[Roadgeekteen]

I just preregistered! So excited! April 19th can't come soon enough...

[SectorZ]

People who supported vaccines, but opposed lockdowns and masks, are going to end up looking pretty good in the end. Trust me on this.

This is actually in line with the standard pandemic playbook before 2020, which encouraged vaccines, but opposed lockdowns and masks.

Vaccines are great, masks are fine (masks are only an issue when exercising), lockdowns it's more complicated as they hurt the economy while often not reducing cases.

This has been my point for a year or so. The government tied masks and lockdowns together, and therefore people against lockdowns tended to be against masks as well.

If there were no to little lockdowns, the mask thing would not nearly be a big deal as it is.

[kphoger]

Pfizer is now much more common around here.  They basically stopped giving people Moderna because it's easier to store, and they want to send that out to the smaller towns around the state–saving the difficult-to-store one for a larger city that can actually accommodate it better.

I forgot to mention scheduling when I got my first shot last week.  Afterwards, I could either (a) go up to a person and have him or her help me schedule my next appointment, (b) scan a QR code and proceed from there, or (c) just go home and schedule my next shot from the convenience of my home computer.  That's what I'll be doing.  But I haven't done so yet, because I'd rather wait and make sure I don't come down with any COVID symptoms and then have to wait three months or whatever.

The people who think masks don't help are also the ones who don't want to get vaccinated, especially if conspiracy theories are involved.

Really?  The people I know who think masks don't help simply think most masks are ineffective at preventing the spread.