Covid vaccination status?

[Brandon]

One J&J and done.

[cl94]

I feel like we'll reach a certain point where everyone who is willing to get a vaccination will have been able to get a vaccination. At that point masks and social distancing can go away, and anyone who chooses not to get vaccinated will get to live with the consequences of that decision.

Around here, the mayor was begging people to get vaccinated, because they have more appointment slots than people wanting to take them.  The day you're imagining will quickly arrive.

That day has already arrived in rural parts of New York. The four largest metro areas are booked solid into late May, but you can get next-day (or even same-day) appointments in some rural areas if you're willing to drive. A lot of people are driving to Plattsburgh or Potsdam for their vaccines because the state vaccination sites up there have been wide open. I'm actually doing that myself, because I will then be fully vaccinated several weeks before I have a shot at getting in locally.

[Scott5114]

Plexiglass dividers – I expect the existing ones to stay up, but I doubt they'll be common in new construction.

I don't think it's too much of a stretch. It used to be common for teller windows at banks to have a wrought iron or glass shield over the top with a small gap underneath to pass currency through–which is exactly what ended up getting installed at the casino I worked at after we reopened from the pandemic (but with plexiglas, of course). Box offices at theaters are still often enclosed in glass for no practical reason (it'd work just as well to have a ticket counter inside, like at an airport, but we expect a theater to have a glass box office outside so the practice persists for cultural reasons).

Time off – I actually wonder if the opposite will be true at some places:  employers expecting their employees to work from home instead.

I'm more concerned with jobs that can't be done from home–retail clerks, bank tellers, budtenders, cooks, factory workers. Unfortunately, in these sorts of businesses, there's a cultural norm in the US to pinch a nickel so hard the buffalo shits on the employee, by scheduling exactly the number of employees they need to get things done–no more, no less. So if someone gets sick, there's no slack, and the employer has to try to scrounge up an employee to replace them and pay them overtime, or avoid the situation by guilting the sick employee into coming into work.

[hotdogPi]

Unfortunately, in these sorts of businesses, there's a cultural norm in the US to pinch a nickel so hard the buffalo shits on the employee

You still see those nickels in circulation?

[Mapmikey]

Unfortunately, in these sorts of businesses, there's a cultural norm in the US to pinch a nickel so hard the buffalo shits on the employee

You still see those nickels in circulation?

Almost 940 million buffalo nickels were minted in 2005 as part of a special series of nickels.

[hbelkins]

Time off – I actually wonder if the opposite will be true at some places:  employers expecting their employees to work from home instead.

I guess that depends on the nature of the illness or the reason for the sick day -- do you not feel well or are you going to a doctor's appointment?

For the first time, I finally have a decent bank of leave time built up, and I can attribute that to working from home. There are a lot of days that ordinarily, I would not have felt like going to work, so I'd either go in late or take the whole day off. I've been able to mitigate that by working from home, so I can still do something even if I don't feel like getting up and getting ready and driving 30 miles/45 minutes to the office. The only sick days I've taken since last March are for scheduled doctor's appointments. I can just take a few hours to go to the local doctor since I only live about 15 minutes from his office, but appointments in Lexington pretty much require me to take the whole day off. I've only taken one annual day (vacation) the past 12 months, and that was because of an emergency that required some errands to be done one day.

I have more than five weeks' worth of vacation time, two weeks' of sick leave, and seven days' of comp time accumulated.

We already had an inclement weather policy in place that allowed you to make up time if the roads were bad, but I look for that to be supplanted with telecommuting for those who are able to do so. Much like I expect snow days to become extremely rare for schools.

[jmacswimmer]

I feel like we'll reach a certain point where everyone who is willing to get a vaccination will have been able to get a vaccination. At that point masks and social distancing can go away, and anyone who chooses not to get vaccinated will get to live with the consequences of that decision.

Around here, the mayor was begging people to get vaccinated, because they have more appointment slots than people wanting to take them.  The day you're imagining will quickly arrive.

That day has already arrived in rural parts of New York. The four largest metro areas are booked solid into late May, but you can get next-day (or even same-day) appointments in some rural areas if you're willing to drive. A lot of people are driving to Plattsburgh or Potsdam for their vaccines because the state vaccination sites up there have been wide open. I'm actually doing that myself, because I will then be fully vaccinated several weeks before I have a shot at getting in locally.

This is exactly how I got my 1st shot in MD (with my 2nd this coming Sunday) - I drove an hour and a half to Waldorf (southeast and still well within commuting distance of DC, but quieter compared to, say, Northern Virginia or Montgomery County).

[US71]

I am now scheduled for "one and done" on Saturday...IF they don't run out (again).

I have a friend who got the 2-step vaccine, but now wants to get a "one and done" to be safe.

[NWI_Irish96]

I have a friend who got the 2-step vaccine, but now wants to get a "one and done" to be safe.

Wait. What? First of all, both of the "2-step" vaccines are more effective than the "one and done"
Secondly, unless he lies about already being vaccinated, nobody is going to give it to him.

[vdeane]

I feel like we'll reach a certain point where everyone who is willing to get a vaccination will have been able to get a vaccination. At that point masks and social distancing can go away, and anyone who chooses not to get vaccinated will get to live with the consequences of that decision.

Around here, the mayor was begging people to get vaccinated, because they have more appointment slots than people wanting to take them.  The day you're imagining will quickly arrive.

That day has already arrived in rural parts of New York. The four largest metro areas are booked solid into late May, but you can get next-day (or even same-day) appointments in some rural areas if you're willing to drive. A lot of people are driving to Plattsburgh or Potsdam for their vaccines because the state vaccination sites up there have been wide open. I'm actually doing that myself, because I will then be fully vaccinated several weeks before I have a shot at getting in locally.

It will be interesting to see how this evolves.  Definitely more booked than the last wave (where the Dome Arena and SUNY Oneonta still had appointments - they don't, this time), but a bunch of appointments opened up last Friday (that's how I was able to move mine from April 27 at SUNY Oneonta to April 9 at SUNY Albany), so that might happen again.

[cl94]

I feel like we'll reach a certain point where everyone who is willing to get a vaccination will have been able to get a vaccination. At that point masks and social distancing can go away, and anyone who chooses not to get vaccinated will get to live with the consequences of that decision.

Around here, the mayor was begging people to get vaccinated, because they have more appointment slots than people wanting to take them.  The day you're imagining will quickly arrive.

That day has already arrived in rural parts of New York. The four largest metro areas are booked solid into late May, but you can get next-day (or even same-day) appointments in some rural areas if you're willing to drive. A lot of people are driving to Plattsburgh or Potsdam for their vaccines because the state vaccination sites up there have been wide open. I'm actually doing that myself, because I will then be fully vaccinated several weeks before I have a shot at getting in locally.

It will be interesting to see how this evolves.  Definitely more booked than the last wave (where the Dome Arena and SUNY Oneonta still had appointments - they don't, this time), but a bunch of appointments opened up last Friday (that's how I was able to move mine from April 27 at SUNY Oneonta to April 9 at SUNY Albany), so that might happen again.

Rensselaer County opened up a few thousand appointments at Hudson Valley Community College Wednesday-Saturday of this week for anyone eligible in New York a few hours ago. Those haven't booked solid yet. I'm maintaining my Plattsburgh appointment because I want an excuse to drive up there, but if I didn't actively want to make the drive, I could easily move it to something local. A lot of those HVCC appointments seem to be going to students at the area colleges.

[noelbotevera]

Zilch on my end, although I did get a case of COVID at the start of this year (in my case, a fever/headache for a day, then a cold for about a week - nothing too scary but I'd hate to catch the variants). Since I'm 16 - going on 17 - I'll have to get the Pfizer vaccine. Since PA is also slow as molasses with vaccinations, I might look for clinics in Martinsburg, WV. Don't want to go too far.

Of course, there's a decent chance they'll ask for residency - if so, I'm thinking of waiting until the 19th where it's a free-for-all to book appointments. Hopefully they'll set up mass vaccination sites in Harrisburg or something.

[Rothman]

Given how quickly appointments change on the NY state sites, it is hard to make an objective assessment of the state of things in NY.  My bet is that even in the cities that with a little patience and refreshing, slots can be had.

[kphoger]

Unfortunately, in these sorts of businesses, there's a cultural norm in the US to pinch a nickel so hard the buffalo shits on the employee

You still see those nickels in circulation?

If I remember right, |Scott5114| has seen more rare currency in the last nine years than most of us will see in a lifetime, by virtue of his having worked in a casino.

[interstatefan990]

Anyone else a little nervous about all these variants spreading? I'm fearful that one of them already does or will in the future render vaccines much less effective or even useless. Worst case scenario, we'd have to start from scratch. I've been watching the news closely about the variants but I'm getting a lot of mixed information. Some say the vaccines work against them, and some say they make them less effective. I really want to feel like I don't have to worry about COVID as much anymore, but if a version of the virus is spreading that my vaccine won't protect me from, then I'll just have to go back to my pre-vaccine levels of caution I guess.

[J N Winkler]

Variants are the main reason I suspect we may need more than one round of vaccination and that a plausible safe endpoint for mask wearing is not imminent.

[NWI_Irish96]

Anyone else a little nervous about all these variants spreading? I'm fearful that one of them already does or will in the future render vaccines much less effective or even useless. Worst case scenario, we'd have to start from scratch. I've been watching the news closely about the variants but I'm getting a lot of mixed information. Some say the vaccines work against them, and some say they make them less effective. I really want to feel like I don't have to worry about COVID as much anymore, but if a version of the virus is spreading that my vaccine won't protect me from, then I'll just have to go back to my pre-vaccine levels of caution I guess.

The main variants identified so far have not shown to be vaccine-resistant. However, every time a new infection occurs, that increases the risk that the virus mutates into a variant that is vaccine-resistant. Thus the need for healthy, young adults to take precautions to avoid infection, even if they are unlikely to suffer serious illness.

[cl94]

So far, all of the vaccines that are being given in the US have been able to prevent severe illness or death by the variants. mRNA vaccines are well-equipped to handle mutations, while the J&J vaccine trials were conducted when B117 and B1351 were circulating. P1 (the Brazilian variant) is a bit more concerning, but still no sign that the vaccines are ineffective against it.

That being said, it is very possible that booster shots may be required, particularly for the single-shot J&J vaccine. But that would likely be more like getting a flu shot (and possibly wrapped into the flu shot).

[kphoger]

That being said, it is very possible that booster shots may be required, particularly for the single-shot J&J vaccine. But that would likely be more like getting a flu shot (and possibly wrapped into the flu shot).

That's what I've heard too.

[JayhawkCO]

That being said, it is very possible that booster shots may be required, particularly for the single-shot J&J vaccine. But that would likely be more like getting a flu shot (and possibly wrapped into the flu shot).

That's what I've heard too.

I'm guessing it will likely be like a flu shot, where you get the shot every year based on what the best guess for mutations is.  Perhaps unlike the flu, it might be only a couple of years of it.

Chris

[snowc]

There's no option for J&J people like me? I got mine prior to Grp 3. PM me if you like the proof.

[snowc]

I feel like we'll reach a certain point where everyone who is willing to get a vaccination will have been able to get a vaccination. At that point masks and social distancing can go away, and anyone who chooses not to get vaccinated will get to live with the consequences of that decision.

Around here, the mayor was begging people to get vaccinated, because they have more appointment slots than people wanting to take them.  The day you're imagining will quickly arrive.

That day has already arrived in rural parts of New York. The four largest metro areas are booked solid into late May, but you can get next-day (or even same-day) appointments in some rural areas if you're willing to drive. A lot of people are driving to Plattsburgh or Potsdam for their vaccines because the state vaccination sites up there have been wide open. I'm actually doing that myself, because I will then be fully vaccinated several weeks before I have a shot at getting in locally.

It will be interesting to see how this evolves.  Definitely more booked than the last wave (where the Dome Arena and SUNY Oneonta still had appointments - they don't, this time), but a bunch of appointments opened up last Friday (that's how I was able to move mine from April 27 at SUNY Oneonta to April 9 at SUNY Albany), so that might happen again.

My cousin rode along with us with her son to the Oncenter. it was the Pfizer and she said it was terrible with chills and tiredness 😂😂😷

[snowc]

Zilch on my end, although I did get a case of COVID at the start of this year (in my case, a fever/headache for a day, then a cold for about a week - nothing too scary but I'd hate to catch the variants). Since I'm 16 - going on 17 - I'll have to get the Pfizer vaccine. Since PA is also slow as molasses with vaccinations, I might look for clinics in Martinsburg, WV. Don't want to go too far.

Of course, there's a decent chance they'll ask for residency - if so, I'm thinking of waiting until the 19th where it's a free-for-all to book appointments. Hopefully they'll set up mass vaccination sites in Harrisburg or something.

Maybe you'll get one at my hotel where I usually stay. Comfort inn aikens center has a site nearby.

[Duke87]

Variants are the main reason I suspect we may need more than one round of vaccination and that a plausible safe endpoint for mask wearing is not imminent.

See, I agree that a plausible safe endpoint for mask wearing is not imminent, but would put forth an entirely different reason why: the percentage of the population in the US that is both able and willing to get vaccinated against covid is insufficient to render it as minor a public health threat as other diseases we don't generally worry much about due to vaccines. Masks in public ceasing to be warranted will thus have to wait for the people who can't and/or won't get vaccinated to gain immunity the hard way.

[US71]

I have a friend who got the 2-step vaccine, but now wants to get a "one and done" to be safe.

Wait. What? First of all, both of the "2-step" vaccines are more effective than the "one and done"
Secondly, unless he lies about already being vaccinated, nobody is going to give it to him.

Well, I didn't give Doc Goodleech the 3rd degree. Being a doctor, I suppose he felt it paying it safe.