The Vaccine Thread

[TCB]

Does anyone have information about the claims that the AstraZenica vaccine is not very effective in older people? I saw it mentioned on the BBC, but not many details. My pastors wife just posted a link about it but I’m pretty sure it’s from a very partisan publication so wanted to check elsewhere also.

[ScoutTN]

27 minutes ago, BeachGal said:

Moderna is saying they will be able to deliver 100 million doses to the US by end of March.

https://investors.modernatx.com/news-releases/news-release-details/moderna-provides-us-covid-19-vaccine-supply-update/

Johnson & Johnson, if approved (very likely), has stopped producing other pharmaceuticals in one of their factories so they can devote their production to the vaccine. They also built another factory which is expected to eventually triple their supply of vaccines. Initially, they will probably not have as much as we’d like but it should eventually ramp up.

J&J’s is supposed to be a game changer.

Just because it adds to the total amount of vax available? Or because it is qualitatively better somehow? Or because it will reach people the others will not? 

[ScoutTN]

My husband has the virus right now. Flu-like symptoms. His PCP told him not to get the vax until 3 months after he's recovered because it can cause severe reactions in people who have recently had the virus. Anyone know about this?

 

Dh has a chronic, sometimes life-threatening, neuro-vascular condition. Brain bleeds, seizure etc. 

[TCB]

2 minutes ago, ScoutTN said:

My husband has the virus right now. Flu-like symptoms. His PCP told him not to get the vax until 3 months after he's recovered because it can cause severe reactions in people who have recently had the virus. Anyone know about this?

 

Dh has a chronic, sometimes life-threatening, neuro-vascular condition. Brain bleeds, seizure etc. 

He should definitely do what his dr tells him.

I work with a number of younger, relatively healthy people, who have had Covid, some fairly recently, who have also had the vaccine. Some of them had reactions to it, some were stronger reactions than others, but they were all manageable and didn’t last too long.

I don’t know anyone with serious health problems who has done so, but I may just not know that they have.

[Laura Corin]

6 minutes ago, ScoutTN said:

My husband has the virus right now. Flu-like symptoms. His PCP told him not to get the vax until 3 months after he's recovered because it can cause severe reactions in people who have recently had the virus. Anyone know about this?

 

Dh has a chronic, sometimes life-threatening, neuro-vascular condition. Brain bleeds, seizure etc. 

The Covid Zoe  survey are seeing more reactions in people who have had the virus. I don't know about severity.

The video has lots of good information on reactions and time to effectiveness. 

[vonfirmath]

1 hour ago, ScoutTN said:

Just because it adds to the total amount of vax available? Or because it is qualitatively better somehow? Or because it will reach people the others will not? 

Single dose.

Easier to administer.

https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/25/health/johnson-and-johnson-vaccine-covid-19-next-steps/index.html

 

A single dose vaccine would be much easier to administer through places like CVS/Walgreens/HEB -- no need tot rack people down to get a second dose at the appropriate time.

Edited January 26, 2021 by vonfirmath

[BeachGal]

1 hour ago, ScoutTN said:

Just because it adds to the total amount of vax available? Or because it is qualitatively better somehow? Or because it will reach people the others will not? 

More available doses for everyone. They should be able to churn out a lot eventually.

One dose might be good enough. One month after the vaccine, about 90% of participants had antibodies and after 57 days, 100% had antibodies. J&J will be releasing more data very soon, possibly within days to a few weeks. Fauci is very optimistic about it.

Much easier to store and transport. Could be given from mobile clinics.

My guess is that Pfizer, Moderna and Novavax (DNA vaccine) will be given to the elderly and J&J will be given to under 50s. 

So crossing fingers that it’s approved soon.

 

[mommyoffive]

CovidActNow is tracking vaccination now

[mommyoffive]

Pfizer Inc. will be able to supply the U.S. with 200 million Covid-19 vaccine doses by the end of May, two months sooner than previously expected, according to its top executive.

Pfizer to Deliver U.S. Covid Vaccine Doses Faster Than Expected - Bloomberg

[JennyD]

3 hours ago, ScoutTN said:

My husband has the virus right now. Flu-like symptoms. His PCP told him not to get the vax until 3 months after he's recovered because it can cause severe reactions in people who have recently had the virus. Anyone know about this?

 

Dh has a chronic, sometimes life-threatening, neuro-vascular condition. Brain bleeds, seizure etc. 

I have a relative who tested positive in between her first and second doses of the Pfizer vaccine and was told not to get the second shot until after 90 days  Another relative, who is high-risk (transplant recipient), also just got through covid and was told not to get vaccinated for at least 60 days. 

From what i can gather the concern was not so much potential side effects but rather that the vaccine would not be as effective immediately after recovery.  This is all third-hand, though.

(Separately, glad your DH finally called his doc!)

[Corraleno]

18 minutes ago, Dreamergal said:

Heard through the family grapevine about a distant cousin and family living in Dubai getting the vaccine. It is a Chinese vaccine. I again heard through second hand information that Dubai has had success vaccinating a large part of the population. My cousin and his family do not belong to the health care industry and are among the last to be vaccinated, so I think safe to say it is valid information about the large part of the population including expat vaccinated.

 

If it’s the Sinovac vaccine, that one is not nearly as effective as Pfizer or Moderna.  The Chinese claimed 78% efficacy, but the Brazilian trial only achieved 50%. 

[Frances]

A neat story in my state about not wasting any vaccine.

https://www.oregonlive.com/coronavirus/2021/01/6-motorists-stranded-in-oregon-snowstorm-receive-covid-vaccine-in-impromptu-clinic.html

 

Health officials in southern Oregon said staff gave out six doses of the coronavirus vaccine to motorists at an “impromptu vaccine clinic” along a roadside in a snowstorm.

Josephine County Public Health said on Facebook that about 20 personnel became stranded Tuesday on U.S. Highway 199 near Hayes Hill on their way to Grants Pass after staffing a nearby vaccination event.

The vaccines were getting close to expiring so officials decided to offer them to other stranded motorists, officials said.

[Shoeless]

On 1/26/2021 at 12:52 PM, BeachGal said:

More available doses for everyone. They should be able to churn out a lot eventually.

One dose might be good enough. One month after the vaccine, about 90% of participants had antibodies and after 57 days, 100% had antibodies. J&J will be releasing more data very soon, possibly within days to a few weeks. Fauci is very optimistic about it.

Much easier to store and transport. Could be given from mobile clinics.

My guess is that Pfizer, Moderna and Novavax (DNA vaccine) will be given to the elderly and J&J will be given to under 50s. 

So crossing fingers that it’s approved soon.

 

J&J sounds like a potentially great option for kids. 

[BeachGal]

2 hours ago, MissLemon said:

J&J sounds like a potentially great option for kids. 

It does! And J&J will be able to make A LOT. It might not get immediate approval, though. I don't know why.

Did you get your shot yet, @MissLemon?

Chicago is starting to give out vaccines at Walmart, Walgreen’s and a grocery/drugstore chain. They’re moving into the next phase. Yay!

[Shoeless]

1 minute ago, BeachGal said:

It does! And J&J will be able to make A LOT. It might not get immediate approval, though. I don't know why.

Did you get your shot yet, @MissLemon?

Chicago is starting to give out vaccines at Walmart, Walgreen’s and a grocery/drugstore chain. They’re moving into the next phase. Yay!

No, no shot for me yet.  😞  My county is being very rural Texas about the vaccine. I typed out a whole, frustrated vent about that, but deleted it. Just...ugh. I'm so frustrated. At the rate this is going, I will be fortunate to be vaccinated by July.  I just want to get the dang shots so we can list the house and move!    

I am glad that Chicago is vaccinating more people. Maybe my dad and sister can get vaccinated soon since they are in the Chicago suburbs.  My BIL is fully vaxxed now, and my other sister and other BIL have had shot #1.  

[Acorn]

Ohio is one of a handful of states that are not including preschool teachers in the next phase of vaccines which will open for K-12 teachers. Preschool teachers have very close contact with bodily fluids. 

[Tenaj]

9 minutes ago, Acorn said:

Ohio is one of a handful of states that are not including preschool teachers in the next phase of vaccines which will open for K-12 teachers. Preschool teachers have very close contact with bodily fluids. 

I'm assuming that's because of the limited amount of vaccine available.  

[BeachGal]

7 hours ago, MissLemon said:

No, no shot for me yet.  😞  My county is being very rural Texas about the vaccine. I typed out a whole, frustrated vent about that, but deleted it. Just...ugh. I'm so frustrated. At the rate this is going, I will be fortunate to be vaccinated by July.  I just want to get the dang shots so we can list the house and move!    

I am glad that Chicago is vaccinating more people. Maybe my dad and sister can get vaccinated soon since they are in the Chicago suburbs.  My BIL is fully vaxxed now, and my other sister and other BIL have had shot #1.  

Ugh is right. The rollout sure has been frustrating.

I’m in Evanston, just north of Chicago, and heard we recently received a big batch of vaccines. Not sure exactly how many, though. I do know people in the burbs have been calling around and finding spots here and there for their elderly parents. It means driving all over to different towns but if that’s what it takes.

I hope you, your dad and sister can get vaccinated soon. Crossing fingers for you.

 

[Pam in CT]

re ~1.1M vaccines into arms pace of deployment

On 1/25/2021 at 3:10 PM, mommyoffive said:

Email from Kiplingers today

 

Despite many problems, vaccination is proceeding in the U.S. Roughly 5.6% of the population has received at least one dose of vaccine. New people are receiving their first dose at the rate of 1.1 million per day. A steady rate over 1 million is required to achieve herd immunity by the end of summer.

 

The states that are vaccinating the fastest: Alaska and West Virginia have given first doses to 10% of their populations. Connecticut, New Mexico, North and South Dakota and Oklahoma are above 7.0%. Many of these fast-vaccination states also have had a high number of infections, and thus should reach herd immunity soonest. The laggards are Idaho, Missouri and Nevada at about 4%.

Merck’s (MRK) COVID-19 vaccines failed their Phase 1 trial because they didn’t produce enough of an immune response. Merck will switch its focus to developing its COVID therapy drugs instead.

Recognizing the potential threat of the South African COVID-19 variant, E484K, Moderna (MRNA) will develop a booster shot to its COVID-19 vaccine to counter E484K’s greater antibody resistance.

Kiplingers is right that the pace needs to be "more" than 1.1M a day to get to herd immunity by end-summer... but that language understates the issue IMO -- with a 2-dose regimen we have to pretty much DOUBLE that pace:

Days until "end-summer" = about 210 (7 months x ~30 days to end-August)

Number of doses reguired to get to herd immunity = about 550M (330M population x "herd level estimate" range from ~80-90% x 2 doses per person)

Number of doses that have actually gotten into arms as of yesterday = 25M

So with a 2-dose regimen, we've done 25M and need to get to 550M > we need to do 525M more over just 210 days > that means we have to ramp up to doing something like 2.5M a day -- well more than twice what we've been doing over the last two weeks (and it was even slower before -- we're keeping a running daily tally over on the Politics board).

The one-dose J&J shot would indeed be a game-changer, since it's not just supply but also sheer logistics that is impeding deployment.

(That same link also shows the state-by-state metrics that the Kiplingers cited, updated daily, for folks curious about how well your state is doing on actually deploying the vaccine that has been distributed to your area.  Alaska and West Virginia continue to lead the pack.  There was a good article in the New York Times a few days ago about what WVa has done differently: the headline was that they have NOT established statewide partnerships with big box chains like CVS and Walgreens (as many states, including mine, have done), but rather painstakingly paired local independent providers with particular nursing homes and congregant care facilities; and they made use of their National Guard on both logistics and actually delivering the shots from the outset.)

[Shoeless]

46 minutes ago, BeachGal said:

Ugh is right. The rollout sure has been frustrating.

I’m in Evanston, just north of Chicago, and heard we recently received a big batch of vaccines. Not sure exactly how many, though. I do know people in the burbs have been calling around and finding spots here and there for their elderly parents. It means driving all over to different towns but if that’s what it takes.

I hope you, your dad and sister can get vaccinated soon. Crossing fingers for you.

 

Oh, nice! I used to live in Des Plaines and work in Skokie, so you aren't far from where I was. 🙂

 

[JennyD]

Well, this is ....not fabulous news about the Novavax vaccine.  89% effectiveness in the UK trial but only 50% in South Africa. 

Still a whole lot better than nothing, of course, but it is sure looking like these variants are going to be a serious challenge.

[dirty ethel rackham]

I got my first dose on Tuesday.  It was the Pfizer vaccine.  I felt fine the first day, just a little bit of arm soreness.  I went to clinicals the next day and was really tired.  I was also really irritable and had to work hard not to let it show to anyone.  I ended up leaving halfway into my shift.  I was dead on my feet and was afraid that I would not be able to filter my reactions ... either getting snippy or crying (2 things that you can't do at clinicals, which are basically a long job interview.)  

I went home and slept for nearly 3 hours and I rarely nap during the day.  I'm feeling better today, but a little more tired than usual.  I think I'll plan my next dose for when I don't have to go anywhere.

[mommyoffive]

Just now, JennyD said:

Well, this is ....not fabulous news about the Novavax vaccine.  89% effectiveness in the UK trial but only 50% in South Africa. 

Still a whole lot better than nothing, of course, but it is sure looking like these variants are going to be a serious challenge.

Hopefully the booster that they are working on now will give more protection.  But yeah these new strains suck.  I feel like we finally  had light at the end of the tunnel with the vaccine rollout and now it doesn't seem so bright. 

 

I heard this morning on the Today show that there was a trial in the UK for 5 year olds and up for the Astazeneca vaccine.  I can't find anything about it when I search.  Has anyone heard anything on this? 

[JennyD]

So this is a slightly more optimistic take on the Novavax interim results -- efficacy was 60% in the HIV-negative SA participants, and it is a vaccine that can be produced at enormous scale.  

 

Edited January 28, 2021 by JennyD

[catz]

1 hour ago, JennyD said:

So this is a slightly more optimistic take on the Novavax interim results -- efficacy was 60% in the HIV-negative SA participants, and it is a vaccine that can be produced at enormous scale.  

 

I'm also really curious if those who got covid in the vax study group got milder versions?  Crossing fingers.  Seems logical. 

Let's get vaccines in arms so it won't have so many chances to mutate!

[BeachGal]

10 hours ago, MissLemon said:

Oh, nice! I used to live in Des Plaines and work in Skokie, so you aren't far from where I was. 🙂

 

Des Plaines to me is ... Boston Fish Market. :: heavens part, angels sing:: I hope you have eaten there. Dang they're good! Now I’m going to have to get me some fish. 😄

[mommyoffive]

Saw this on the news.

Health Workers Stuck in Snow Give Expiring Vaccine Doses to Drivers | PEOPLE.com

[mommyoffive]

We hit 1.7 million today

More Than 86.4 Million Shots Given: Covid-19 Vaccine Tracker (bloomberg.com)

[Corraleno]

The selfishness and arrogance of these people is just breathtaking:

"A millionaire Canadian couple who secretly travelled to a remote community to receive a coronavirus vaccine meant for vulnerable and elderly Indigenous residents may now face jail sentences for breaking public health rules.

Casino executive Rodney Baker and his wife, Ekaterina Baker, an actor, were widely condemned after it emerged that they had chartered a plane to a remote community in the Yukon territory, where they posed as local motel employees to receive the vaccine.

They were fined C$2,300 (US$1,800) for violating Yukon’s Civil Emergency Measures Act, but community leaders argued that the penalty would be insignificant for the wealthy couple: Baker resigned from his position as a casino executive on Sunday but records show he made a C$45.9m profit on stock options over the past 13 months.

Amid growing outrage, the Yukon community services minister announced on Wednesday that the couple’s tickets had been stayed and they had been served with a notice to appear in court. If convicted, they could serve up to six months in jail.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jan/28/canada-couple-covid-vaccine-indigenous-people-jail-time

[Shoeless]

7 hours ago, BeachGal said:

Des Plaines to me is ... Boston Fish Market. :: heavens part, angels sing:: I hope you have eaten there. Dang they're good! Now I’m going to have to get me some fish. 😄

Yes, we have eaten there!  I used to live in the downtown Des Plaines area, a block or two behind from the McDonald's museum.  

*sigh* I'm homesick now. 😕  

[Laura Corin]

Johnson and Johnson vaccine works, but less well in South Africa 

Johnson & Johnson’s Vaccine Offers Strong Protection but Fuels Concern About Variants https://nyti.ms/3takfh6

[ieta_cassiopeia]

I'm happy the J&J one works reasonably well - that's the single-dose version that a number of countries are counting on (in some cases alongside OxfordAstrazeneca) to be able to vaccinate their people. It's also particularly good for people who may not be able to take for granted an ability to access dose #2.

[ieta_cassiopeia]

16 hours ago, mommyoffive said:

Hopefully the booster that they are working on now will give more protection.  But yeah these new strains suck.  I feel like we finally  had light at the end of the tunnel with the vaccine rollout and now it doesn't seem so bright. 

 

I heard this morning on the Today show that there was a trial in the UK for 5 year olds and up for the Astazeneca vaccine.  I can't find anything about it when I search.  Has anyone heard anything on this? 

I'd heard in November that the trial was going to happen "in the next few weeks".  At least one Kansas hospital was enrolling children for the trial as of 9 days ago, so presumably this is part of that. No idea when we'll have results though.

 

In other news, there have been some problems giving out vaccines this week in parts of the UK due to weather. In some cases, doses intended to go to vulnerable people ended up in the arms of whoever could get to a given GP's office on 30 minutes' notice due to weather-related cancellations from the intended recipients. (Those people who cancelled will receive their doses when possible).

Edited January 29, 2021 by ieta_cassiopeia

[vonfirmath]

36 minutes ago, ieta_cassiopeia said:

I'd heard in November that the trial was going to happen "in the next few weeks".  At least one Kansas hospital was enrolling children for the trial as of 9 days ago, so presumably this is part of that. No idea when we'll have results though.

 

In other news, there have been some problems giving out vaccines this week in parts of the UK due to weather. In some cases, doses intended to go to vulnerable people ended up in the arms of whoever could get to a given GP's office on 30 minutes' notice due to weather-related cancellations from the intended recipients. (Those people who cancelled will receive their doses when possible).

With these volatile vaccines, there really needs to be a plan for the extra doses, yes.  SO nothing is wasted. Emergencies happen even without weather.

 

[mommyoffive]

U.S. likely to start COVID-19 vaccination in children by late spring or early summer - Fauci (msn.com)

U.S. likely to start COVID-19 vaccination in children by late spring or early summer - Fauci

 

I am so excited!!!  I thought this was going to take a lot longer.  

Edited January 29, 2021 by mommyoffive

[Shoeless]

I have an appointment for my covid vax tomorrow. (!!!)

 

[Not_a_Number]

1 minute ago, MissLemon said:

I have an appointment for my covid vax tomorrow. (!!!)

YAY!!! How did this happen? 😄 

[Shoeless]

Just now, Not_a_Number said:

YAY!!! How did this happen? 😄 

I got lucky! San Antonio released a bunch of appointments for tomorrow at the Alamo Dome.  I happened to check at the right time. 

 

[BeachGal]

Did you ever think you’d be so thrilled to get vaccinated for something? 😁

[Shoeless]

Just now, BeachGal said:

Did you ever think you’d be so thrilled to get vaccinated for something? 😁

I feel like Charlie finding the Golden Ticket, lol

 

[Not_a_Number]

5 minutes ago, MissLemon said:

I got lucky! San Antonio released a bunch of appointments for tomorrow at the Alamo Dome.  I happened to check at the right time. 

Yay!!! So exciting. 

[vonfirmath]

1 minute ago, MissLemon said:

I feel like Charlie finding the Golden Ticket, lol

 

 

Yes. Exactly. I hadn't thought of that. But yes

[vonfirmath]

Freezer breaks in Seattle and an emergency overnight vaccine clinic makes sure nothing is lost.

 

Mad scramble ensues to vaccinate hundreds after freezer breaks in Seattle (nbcnews.com)

[Ausmumof3]

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-vaccine-novavax-idUSKBN29Y2WP
 

Novovax hope to produce 150 million doses a month by May.

[Laura Corin]

We need some good news

Vaccine Rollout Gives U.K. a Rare Win in Battling Pandemic https://nyti.ms/3r4Mj3E

 

[Pam in CT]

re just getting lucky

2 hours ago, MissLemon said:

I feel like Charlie finding the Golden Ticket, lol

 

My area has been doing once-a-week mobile clinics at fire departments / municipal halls / visiting nurse association facilities etc .  We're still on essential workers and 75+ year olds, so no one in our family has yet even tried to go onto the appointment portal.

But a friend of mine just happened to be walking around near the VNA office last week, when all of a sudden a throng of health care workers came running out to the sidewalks at 5p. They were about to close up shop, but had ~25 doses from the 6th dose in the Pfizer vaccine and were dragging anyone off the sidewalk who was willing to do the paperwork and take it, rather than let the doses go to waste.  They all got 2nd dose appointments as well even though they wouldn't otherwise be eligible yet.  Yes please, here is my arm.

She *definitely* felt like Charlie with the ticket!

[vonfirmath]

11 minutes ago, Pam in CT said:

re just getting lucky

My area has been doing once-a-week mobile clinics at fire departments / municipal halls / visiting nurse association facilities etc .  We're still on essential workers and 75+ year olds, so no one in our family has yet even tried to go onto the appointment portal.

But a friend of mine just happened to be walking around near the VNA office last week, when all of a sudden a throng of health care workers came running out to the sidewalks at 5p. They were about to close up shop, but had ~25 doses from the 6th dose in the Pfizer vaccine and were dragging anyone off the sidewalk who was willing to do the paperwork and take it, rather than let the doses go to waste.  They all got 2nd dose appointments as well even though they wouldn't otherwise be eligible yet.  Yes please, here is my arm.

She *definitely* felt like Charlie with the ticket!

This is pretty much how I got my vaccine. My second dose is scheduled for Tuesday morning.

[Shoeless]

23 minutes ago, Pam in CT said:

re just getting lucky

My area has been doing once-a-week mobile clinics at fire departments / municipal halls / visiting nurse association facilities etc .  We're still on essential workers and 75+ year olds, so no one in our family has yet even tried to go onto the appointment portal.

But a friend of mine just happened to be walking around near the VNA office last week, when all of a sudden a throng of health care workers came running out to the sidewalks at 5p. They were about to close up shop, but had ~25 doses from the 6th dose in the Pfizer vaccine and were dragging anyone off the sidewalk who was willing to do the paperwork and take it, rather than let the doses go to waste.  They all got 2nd dose appointments as well even though they wouldn't otherwise be eligible yet.  Yes please, here is my arm.

She *definitely* felt like Charlie with the ticket!

Texas opened up vaccines to 1B people, which was good news for me. My county, however, is handling vaccine rollout the way they handled testing: like this whole pandemic thingy isn't really their problem. They keep passing the buck and telling people to ask their doctor or check the state dhs website. My county only *just this week* put together a plan to have a mass vaccination clinic "in the future". This is week 7 of vaccine rollout, and county emergency management only just asked for vaccines now. Which explains why only the hospital and ems have received vaccines, and only every other week. Nobody's been ordering them. 😕

 

[BeachGal]

1 hour ago, Pam in CT said:

re just getting lucky

My area has been doing once-a-week mobile clinics at fire departments / municipal halls / visiting nurse association facilities etc .  We're still on essential workers and 75+ year olds, so no one in our family has yet even tried to go onto the appointment portal.

But a friend of mine just happened to be walking around near the VNA office last week, when all of a sudden a throng of health care workers came running out to the sidewalks at 5p. They were about to close up shop, but had ~25 doses from the 6th dose in the Pfizer vaccine and were dragging anyone off the sidewalk who was willing to do the paperwork and take it, rather than let the doses go to waste.  They all got 2nd dose appointments as well even though they wouldn't otherwise be eligible yet.  Yes please, here is my arm.

She *definitely* felt like Charlie with the ticket!

I shall be walking around our local hospital every day now around dinnertime. Just in case I get lucky, I will also have cookies to entice the vaccine givers over to me.

[Lanny]

The web site of the largest newspaper in Cali, Colombia (El Pais) has an article this morning 30 January 2021. They will begin vaccinating people in Colombia on 20

February 2021. They have purchased vaccines from 6 different companies. Of those 6, if I need to get vaccinated the one from Jansen (spelling?) which is a Johnson and Johnson company is the only one that only requires one injection. That would be my first choice. The one from Pfizer requires storage at -70 or -80 Celcius which I see as a logictical problem and the one from Astra/Zeneca (UK company) apparently has serious production issues and the EU is suing Astra/Zaneca for non-compliance.  If there is only one injection with the Jansen vaccination that will save time and discomfort and possibly one adverse reacttion and not 2.