The Vaccine Thread

[Laura Corin]

37 minutes ago, JennyD said:

Good thread discussing new paper about immune response after immunization in people who were previously infected  Also reassuring about the South African/B1351 variant.

Article here about Israeli rollout. Apparently the pace of vaccination has suddenly dropped off as far fewer people want to get vaccinated.  The former head of the FDA has been saying for a while that we should expect the same phenomenon here, and much sooner than most people expect.  I can't even wrap my mind around this, but the vaccine drive in Israel really slowed down in a big way after they got through the older groups.  I think the UK is still vaccinating quickly but they are at about 18% for at at least one dose; Israel is 39% and US is a little below 10%.

Vaccine hesitancy is more pronounced among younger people in the UK, among women and among people from ethnic minorities.  Uptake for vaccines has been over 90% in some of the older cohorts here, but that might not hold with younger groups.  It may help, however, if reported reactions carry on being generally mild and people gain confidence.

[hopeallgoeswell]

Most younger people do fine with fighting off disease quickly and efficiently because their immune systems are better-functioning than the elderly and immune-compromised. I know over 200 people under 50 who tested positive and none of them even had to go to a doctor because it was mild enough to ride out at home (if they even had symptoms).  The people I know will take the virus they can handle well over a vaccine that was only tested for a few weeks and has no long-term safety data. I don't think it is helpful or fair to label a group of people who handle this specific virus well and choose not to get the shot to be vaccine hesitant or anti-vax or any other label that has negative connotations.  Most vaccines only protect the recipient from symptoms and don't prevent transmission to others, so why does it matter if a person sits down with their doctor and makes an informed decision not get a specific medical treatment?  I am beginning to wonder when it happened that in order for people to be an accepted member of society they must all take the same ever-growing list of vaccines pushed and shamed if they decide to opt for a different path for their health.

[mommyoffive]

Dr. Fauci Just Said That Doing This Could Create More Strains of COVID (msn.com)

Delaying your second COVID vaccine shot could create more strains of the virus.

"The other theoretical issue that could be problematic with regard to only a single dose, that if you get a sub-optimum response, the way viruses respond to pressure, you could actually be inadvertently selecting for more mutants," Fauci said during a White House press briefing on Feb. 8. 

[ktgrok]

1 hour ago, hopeallgoeswell said:

Most younger people do fine with fighting off disease quickly and efficiently because their immune systems are better-functioning than the elderly and immune-compromised. I know over 200 people under 50 who tested positive and none of them even had to go to a doctor because it was mild enough to ride out at home (if they even had symptoms).  The people I know will take the virus they can handle well over a vaccine that was only tested for a few weeks and has no long-term safety data.

Ok, but the side effects from the vaccine are also mild enough to ride out at home, if they even have any. And where on earth do you get the idea the vaccine was only tested for a "few weeks"? 

Of course, no, we don't have long term safety data for the vaccine, but we don't have long term safety data for the virus either. So it's not like they are choosing the choice that DOES have data. Or like the vaccine has a higher hospitalization rate than the virus. 

And the idea that the vaccine was tested for "a few weeks" is just wrong. 

[Ausmumof3]

40 minutes ago, ktgrok said:

Ok, but the side effects from the vaccine are also mild enough to ride out at home, if they even have any. And where on earth do you get the idea the vaccine was only tested for a "few weeks"? 

Of course, no, we don't have long term safety data for the vaccine, but we don't have long term safety data for the virus either. So it's not like they are choosing the choice that DOES have data. Or like the vaccine has a higher hospitalization rate than the virus. 

And the idea that the vaccine was tested for "a few weeks" is just wrong. 

I think it depends if you look at all the trials or just the phase 3?  Phase 3 data at this stage does only extend for a month after the second dose as far as I know, though obviously that’s improving all the time as time passes.  I mean the whole testing process is several months but our data only extends a fairly short period after getting the second dose of vaccine.

Edited February 9, 2021 by Ausmumof3

[Ausmumof3]

2 hours ago, hopeallgoeswell said:

Most younger people do fine with fighting off disease quickly and efficiently because their immune systems are better-functioning than the elderly and immune-compromised. I know over 200 people under 50 who tested positive and none of them even had to go to a doctor because it was mild enough to ride out at home (if they even had symptoms).  The people I know will take the virus they can handle well over a vaccine that was only tested for a few weeks and has no long-term safety data. I don't think it is helpful or fair to label a group of people who handle this specific virus well and choose not to get the shot to be vaccine hesitant or anti-vax or any other label that has negative connotations.  Most vaccines only protect the recipient from symptoms and don't prevent transmission to others, so why does it matter if a person sits down with their doctor and makes an informed decision not get a specific medical treatment?  I am beginning to wonder when it happened that in order for people to be an accepted member of society they must all take the same ever-growing list of vaccines pushed and shamed if they decide to opt for a different path for their health.

I think there’s some recent evidence that Astra Zeneca reduces transmission as well as symptomatic virus so hopefully that continues to prove true.  

[ktgrok]

6 minutes ago, Ausmumof3 said:

I think it depends if you look at all the trials or just the phase 3?  Phase 3 data at this stage does only extend for a month after the second dose as far as I know, though obviously that’s improving all the time as time passes.  I mean the whole testing process is several months but our data only extends a fairly short period after getting the second dose of vaccine.

I'm pretty sure we have data from well before that. Phase 2/3 trials began back in July last year for the current ones, from what I was reading. And as far as safety goes, that starts with th phase 1 trials, which started almost a full year ago in some cases. 

[Roadrunner]

1 hour ago, mommyoffive said:

Dr. Fauci Just Said That Doing This Could Create More Strains of COVID (msn.com)

Delaying your second COVID vaccine shot could create more strains of the virus.

"The other theoretical issue that could be problematic with regard to only a single dose, that if you get a sub-optimum response, the way viruses respond to pressure, you could actually be inadvertently selecting for more mutants," Fauci said during a White House press briefing on Feb. 8. 

This makes sense to me. And this makes me also wonder why J&J vaccine, which produces sub-optimum results (I read worse than one dose of Pfizer or Moderna) isn’t a concern. 
 

 

yes, young people feel invincible. 😞 

[Corraleno]

20 minutes ago, Roadrunner said:

yes, young people feel invincible. 😞 

Not just young people. 😕 

"Since I don't personally know anyone who had a bad case of covid, the fact that nearly half a million Americans have died, millions have been hospitalized, and an untold number have experienced long-term and possibly permanent damage, is totally irrelevant to me...." 

[Not_a_Number]

3 hours ago, hopeallgoeswell said:

I know over 200 people under 50 who tested positive and none of them even had to go to a doctor because it was mild enough to ride out at home (if they even had symptoms)

Over 200? Personally? Or are there over 200 stories you've heard? 

A lot of the people I know who've had COVID are on this forum. A lot of the under 50s did fine. Some really didn't. Just following forum friends and their nuclear families, I'm aware of cases that sound like a sickness I don't want to get. 

DH has a coworker in her 30s who's now had COVID twice. Apparently, the second time was really awful and unpleasant, and the first was easy. 

Our babysitter, who is in her 20s, had COVID. She was fine but described being really ill for a week. 

From what I've heard, the vaccine is considerably less unpleasant than the mild to moderate cases of COVID I've heard about. 

[Gobblygook]

My mom, brother and I all got our first shots today - didn’t plan it that way, but that’s how it worked out. My mom and I had Pfizer, my brother had Moderna. My sister-in-law got her second Moderna shot and isn’t feeling the best today. My brother has pretty bad asthma, and nearly died of an asthma attack two years ago, so I’m relieved that he got his shot. 

The clinic where I went was very busy, but appropriately spaced — it made me happy to see so many people getting vaccinated. I feel like there might be a light at the end of tunnel. 

Edited February 9, 2021 by Gobblygook

[Corraleno]

2 minutes ago, Gobblygook said:

My mom, brother and I all got our first shots today - didn’t plan it that way, but that’s how it worked out. My mom and I had Pfizer, my brother had Moderna. My sister-in-law got her second Moderna shot and isn’t feeling the best today. The clinic where I went was very busy, but appropriately spaced — it made me happy to see so many people getting vaccinated. I feel like there might be a light at the end of tunnel. 

Were you and your brother at different clinics, or did the same clinic choose to give different vaccines based on certain criteria?

Edited February 9, 2021 by Corraleno

[Gobblygook]

14 minutes ago, Corraleno said:

Were you and your brother at different clinics, or did the same clinic choose to give different vaccines based on certain criteria?

We are all in the same state, but spread out throughout the state, so different clinics/vaccination sites. 

[Roadrunner]

1 hour ago, Corraleno said:

Not just young people. 😕 

"Since I don't personally know anyone who had a bad case of covid, the fact that nearly half a million Americans have died, millions have been hospitalized, and an untold number have experienced long-term and possibly permanent damage, is totally irrelevant to me...." 

I know doctors who feel this way. Couple of them basically said the dangers were real for only certain population groups and absolutely overblown for healthy adults. They also believe death tolls are overblown because they count too many people who were already on the death beds and something about states giving money for Covid deaths. Don’t ask me about the last one. I am not sure about it. 
 

Personally I face number of risks, so for me it’s unimaginable not to want vaccine protection. I can’t wait for my turn. 

[Not_a_Number]

3 minutes ago, Roadrunner said:

I know doctors who feel this way. Couple of them basically said the dangers were real for only certain population groups and absolutely overblown for healthy adults. They also believe death tolls are overblown because they count too many people who were already on the death beds and something about states giving money for Covid deaths. Don’t ask me about the last one. I am not sure about it. 

*sigh* Let's just say no one wanted to teach the pre-med students math in my experience. They weren't the strong math students. 

Anyway, I don't trust the average doctor on statistics. You probably shouldn't ask me to diagnose your disease. And you should also not ask an average doctor to assess risks 😉 . 

ETA: this obviously doesn't go for everyone. Just that I don't tend to think that being a doctor means you're good at stats. Obviously, SOME doctors are good at it, and I know a few.  

Edited February 9, 2021 by Not_a_Number

[Wheres Toto]

On 2/8/2021 at 4:17 PM, Ausmumof3 said:

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/08/health/immune-thrombocytopenia-covid-vaccine-blood.html#click=https://t.co/hrVVQYSvJe
 

A few people have developed a blood disorder after receiving the vaccine.  It doesn’t seem to be at higher than background rates.  Experts in the blood disorder do thing there’s a possible link as it has occurred after other vaccines as well. 
 

edited to add its worth reading the whole article rather than my summary - it is a very rare thing.

My mother has had idiopathic thrombocytopenia for years.  I wonder if this effects whether she should get the vaccine or not.  

[Drama Llama]

4 minutes ago, kand said:

Oh, also wanted to share this that I read this article earlier that gives reasons to have optimism that the vaccine will be at least partially protective against transmission (we already know the AZ vaccine is). We won’t know for sure until we have the data, but this encouraged me today:

https://www.covid-datascience.com/post/why-it-is-nearly-certain-the-sars-cov-2-vaccines-are-protecting-against-infection-and-transmission

I think it's pretty clear that the vaccine is partially protective against transmission.  I worry that as people get vaccinated, if they start making other choices that increase their risk, the Rt won't go down the way we need it to.  I hear people saying that when they're vaccinated they're going to go on vacation, or stop wearing a mask, or that when teachers are vaccinated schools should open with social distancing.  I also worry that if the vaccine cuts the transmission rate by 3/4, but variants increase the transmission rates, we could be back where we were.  

So, while in theory reducing transmission by 3/4 or something like that seems like it would be enough to bring Rt down to where levels fall quickly, I worry that it won't.  

[ScoutTN]

5 hours ago, hopeallgoeswell said:

 why does it matter if a person sits down with their doctor and makes an informed decision not get a specific medical treatment?  I am beginning to wonder when it happened that in order for people to be an accepted member of society they must all take the same ever-growing list of vaccines pushed and shamed if they decide to opt for a different path for their health.

I am sure there are some who fit the description in the bold type.

However, the bolded does not describe what I see happening. 100% of the people I know who have refused or will refuse to get the vax have not discussed their choice with a doctor. They are reacting politically, with little to no understanding of the actual science.  They are most influenced by social media, not by reliable news sources. They have little to no accurate information about the vaccines. They are reacting to propaganda. 

They are mostly young and so less at risk, but they seem oblivious to the fact that they are putting others at risk and possibly prolonging lock-downs and other extreme restrictions which endanger jobs, education, and normal life in general. 

Edited February 10, 2021 by ScoutTN

[Roadrunner]

We have a very strong anti vaccination movement locally. I could see homeschooling numbers grow tremendously if they mandate Covid vaccines in schools. I don’t really understand homeschool exceptions. Sure those kids aren’t in the classroom, but they are in dance and gymnastics and orchestra....  they aren’t isolated. 

[Not_a_Number]

Just now, Roadrunner said:

We have a very strong anti vaccination movement locally. I could see homeschooling numbers grow tremendously if they mandate Covid vaccines in schools. I don’t really understand homeschool exceptions. Sure those kids aren’t in the classroom, but they are in dance and gymnastics and orchestra....  they aren’t isolated. 

Ugh. 

By the way, didn't you use to have a picture? You've become a blue R! 

[Ausmumof3]

1 hour ago, Wheres Toto said:

My mother has had idiopathic thrombocytopenia for years.  I wonder if this effects whether she should get the vaccine or not.  

“A few of the patients had previously had platelet disorders or other autoimmune conditions that might have made them vulnerable, Dr. Bussel (pronounced Bew-SELL) said. People can have low platelets without symptoms, and it is possible that in some, a vaccine reaction could drop the level further, to a point where it becomes apparent by causing bruises or bleeding, Dr. Bussel said.

He has been a paid consultant to Pfizer, not on vaccines but for a drug for the platelet disorder.”

This would make me tend to think it was more risky potentially given some of the people had had platelet disorders previously.   I think it would be best to discuss with her doctor though for sure.

[Roadrunner]

55 minutes ago, Not_a_Number said:

Ugh. 

By the way, didn't you use to have a picture? You've become a blue R! 

Yes. I got bored with it. 🙂 

[Not_a_Number]

7 minutes ago, Roadrunner said:

Yes. I got bored with it. 🙂 

Ah, OK. I'll have to get used to this! 

[mom2scouts]

Yay! My parents finally got their first vaccine today! They are in the 80 year old range and one of them is very high risk. They don't use the internet/computers/smart phones at all and the only way to get a vaccine around here is by signing up online. My sister, DIL, and I have all been trying for weeks to get them appointments. We kept getting "no appointments available within 50 miles" of their location. We finally got an appointment scheduled for one of them and it was cancelled due to an error in the pharmacy's computer system that mistakenly allowed people to register for slots that didn't exist. My sister works for a hospital and her boss told her she could add them to their list, one appointment was available, and when someone cancelled they were both able to get it.

[Drama Llama]

4 minutes ago, mom2scouts said:

Yay! My parents finally got their first vaccine today! They are in the 80 year old range and one of them is very high risk. They don't use the internet/computers/smart phones at all and the only way to get a vaccine around here is by signing up online. My sister, DIL, and I have all been trying for weeks to get them appointments. We kept getting "no appointments available within 50 miles" of their location. We finally got an appointment scheduled for one of them and it was cancelled due to an error in the pharmacy's computer system that mistakenly allowed people to register for slots that didn't exist. My sister works for a hospital and her boss told her she could add them to their list, one appointment was available, and when someone cancelled they were both able to get it.

That's great!

I have not been able to get an appointment for my 90 year old GFIL.  My DH got dose 2 today, because of his work, and he took his grandfather and had him sit outside, because he's heard that sometimes you can ask for a dose for someone you brought, but he failed, maybe because it was a work specific vaccine site.  

It's very frustrating, and scary. 

[Laura Corin]

Interesting strategy 

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/all-over-70s-must-have-covid-vaccine-says-boris-johnson-hzklnbq6x

 

[mommyoffive]

Fauci just said on the news that in April the vaccine would be open for everyone.  

 

 

How to find a vaccine or what is open for people for in all states

Plan Your Vaccine (nbcnews.com)

[Gobblygook]

18 minutes ago, mommyoffive said:

Fauci just said on the news that in April the vaccine would be open for everyone.  

 

 

How to find a vaccine or what is open for people for in all states

Plan Your Vaccine (nbcnews.com)

Meaning adults, right? Or at least those 16 and over for the Pfizer vaccine? 

[mommyoffive]

2 minutes ago, Gobblygook said:

Meaning adults, right? Or at least those 16 and over for the Pfizer vaccine? 

Everyone

Dr. Fauci: It will be ‘open season’ by April for everyone to receive vaccines - Bing video

 

Dr. Fauci predicts ‘open season’ for COVID-19 vaccines by April - Daily Press

 

Dr. Anthony Fauci predicts by April it will be “open season” for vaccinations in the U.S., as supply boosts allow most people to get shots to protect against COVID-19.

 

He says, “by the time we get to April,” it will be “open season, namely virtually everybody and anybody in any category could start to get vaccinated.”

He cautioned it will take “several more months” to logistically deliver injections to adult Americans but predicted herd immunity could be achieved by late summer.

[Pam in CT]

re relationship between fact-based decisionmaking, vaccination, and Return to Normalcy

On 2/9/2021 at 7:24 PM, ScoutTN said:

I am sure there are some who fit the description in the bold type.

However, the bolded does not describe what I see happening. 100% of the people I know who have refused or will refuse to get the vax have not discussed their choice with a doctor. They are reacting politically, with little to no understanding of the actual science.  They are most influenced by social media, not by reliable news sources. They have little to no accurate information about the vaccines. They are reacting to propaganda. 

They are mostly young and so less at risk, but they seem oblivious to the fact that they are putting others at risk and possibly prolonging lock-downs and other extreme restrictions which endanger jobs, education, and normal life in general. 

This is the most essential point.

Two weeks in his public remarks after the quarterly FOMC meeting, Fed Reserve chairman Jerome Powell (Republican, hand-picked by former President Trump, business-friendly orientation, not generally disposed to big government solutions) said that the single most important factor to economic recovery will be the pace and coverage of COVID vaccination. As summarized by Fox:

Quote

“There’s nothing more important to the economy now than people getting vaccinated,” Powell said during a press conference capping off a two-day FOMC meeting. “If you think about the places where the economy is weak – I mentioned bars and restaurants … that’s all because of the spread of the pandemic.”

Powell said that given the current pace of vaccinations – at about 1 million per day – it will take “quite a while” to reach the level experts have identified as the threshold for herd immunity.

“It’s going to be a struggle,” he said.

Powell noted that weakness in the economy is concentrated in sectors that have taken the largest hit from the pandemic because of consumers’ hesitancy to re-engage over safety and health concerns.

“We’re just not going to be able to get that last group of people back to work – and it’s a big group of people – until we get the pandemic behind us,” Powell explained.

Powell has received his first dose of the vaccine, he said on Wednesday, and expects to receive his second “sometime soon.”

It has never been a choice between public health and  The Economy!!. The two are intertwined; and there will not be a return to normal until COVID is successfully managed.

(you can see the full press conference video, posted on the Federal Reserve site here)

 

 

re prioritizing the most vulnerable population segments

3 hours ago, Laura Corin said:

Interesting strategy 

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/all-over-70s-must-have-covid-vaccine-says-boris-johnson-hzklnbq6x

 

I've been struck by two data points about where US deaths are concentrated:

1. In the US, less than 1% of population lives in long term elder care facilities, but that population segment has accounted for 39% of COVID deaths.  So prioritizing that segment for vaccine will make a big difference in COVID deaths.  And we are prioritizing that segment.
2. Also in the US, COVID death rates for black, Native and Hispanic cohorts are ~1.5x, 1.4x, and 1.3x the death rates for whites. So prioritizing those segments for vaccine would *also* have a disproportionate public health impact... yet we are not making particular outreach efforts to those population segments through either geographically-focused, or community-partnership institutionally-focused, deployment initiatives.

 

[ktgrok]

1 hour ago, mommyoffive said:

Fauci just said on the news that in April the vaccine would be open for everyone.  

 

 

How to find a vaccine or what is open for people for in all states

Plan Your Vaccine (nbcnews.com)

This is....amazing. I mean, it sounds like that is when the lines will open, and it will take a while to actually get an appointment, but that close...makes me want to freaking cry. Actually, I am crying. Dang. 

I want to hug my mommy. It's been over a year since I've even seen her and my dad, and she lives 1 hour away. (her choice, fyi). I cannot freaking wait. She and dad got their second vaccine yesterday, so in a few weeks we will go see them for the first time in ovre a year, and she wants a quick hug with grand kids, but we will still visit outside, be cautious, distance, etc I imagine for a while until the rest of us are vaccinated. (she is SUPER high risk)

I hate that it will be much longer for kids, but this is a huge light at the end of the tunnel. And we will be able to start having them socialize again, I think, with carefully chosen families where the adults are vaccinated and the kids are not exposed elsewhere. 

But the big thing - seeing my parents again - that is huge. So huge. I plan on visiting weekly from now until they pass, once I'm vaccinated. I will never take seeing them for granted again. 

[Pam in CT]

Oh Katie now you've gotten ME crying.

 

 

(I've seen my mother a handful of times since June, but only outside and distanced. And... yeah.)

[frogger]

On 2/9/2021 at 3:00 PM, kand said:

 Wow, you know a lot of people! I think I hardly know 200 people, much less 200 that have had Covid 😂. I know a handful who have had it. The people you know have been fortunate if out of that many, no one has even been hospitalized. It would be expected to have quite a few hospitalizations and likely at least one death out of 200 people under 50 with Covid. Based on the data so far, the risk of serious illness or death is astronomically higher with the disease vs the vaccine.
 

 

I honestly don't expect that. Deaths tend to cluster a lot in certain families, etc. This means my close friend had a friend's family get it and 4 of the 6 who got it died. I know over 47 people if my finger counting is correct (perhaps I should write down names) and only one 90 year old has hospitalized. He had supplemental oxygen for a couple days and then went home. I personally don't know anyone with long term effects either. Most had what amounted to a cold. Some only lost taste and smell but didn't feel sick.

 

It does seem strange to me to not know 200 people either. If I count up my extended family that is close to 100. Homeschool pals and high school pals close to 50. Church family, about another 150. Then there are music teachers, ski coaches, TKD instructors and all the other students, then DH's coworkers that we see at company parties and bbqs and then there are the neighbors. I'm not close to 200 people but I can't imagine not knowing 200 people. 

Most people do have a mild disease. It just sucks if you are someone who gets hit hard and the hospitals get hard and therefore we should be helpful. 

[frogger]

40 minutes ago, Pam in CT said:

 

1. Also in the US, COVID death rates for black, Native and Hispanic cohorts are ~1.5x, 1.4x, and 1.3x the death rates for whites. So prioritizing those segments for vaccine would *also* have a disproportionate public health impact... yet we are not making particular outreach efforts to those population segments through either geographically-focused, or community-partnership institutionally-focused, deployment initiatives.

 

The Indian Health Services (just realized what an outdated name that is) received their own allotment of vaccines separate from the states. I know that doesn't help the other groups and I know that Alaska is doing things different than the lower 48  but I know that younger adults and teens that are Native Alaskans are getting vaccinated early compared to the general population. This article discussed them starting vaccinating in January.

 

https://www.adn.com/alaska-news/2021/01/15/tribal-health-groups-are-already-vaccinating-teens-and-healthy-adults-for-covid-19-a-virus-that-sickens-alaska-native-people-at-disproportionate-rates/

[Pam in CT]

re vaccine allotment specifically to reach Native population segments

2 minutes ago, frogger said:

The Indian Health Services (just realized what an outdated name that is) received their own allotment of vaccines separate from the states. I know that doesn't help the other groups and I know that Alaska is doing things different than the lower 48  but I know that younger adults and teens that are Native Alaskans are getting vaccinated early compared to the general population. This article discussed them starting vaccinating in January.

 

https://www.adn.com/alaska-news/2021/01/15/tribal-health-groups-are-already-vaccinating-teens-and-healthy-adults-for-covid-19-a-virus-that-sickens-alaska-native-people-at-disproportionate-rates/

Thank you -- I am heartened to hear that. And not only is Alaska doing things differently than other states; Alaska is also doing *substantially better* than other states in terms of vaccine deployment, with 22 doses into arms per 100 population compared to 14 doses/100 for the country as a whole.

Is anyone aware of other Native regions/ organizations being granted their own vaccine to deliver?

[frogger]

1 minute ago, Pam in CT said:

re vaccine allotment specifically to reach Native population segments

Thank you -- I am heartened to hear that. And not only is Alaska doing things differently than other states; Alaska is also doing *substantially better* than other states in terms of vaccine deployment, with 22 doses into arms per 100 population compared to 14 doses/100 for the country as a whole.

Is anyone aware of other Native regions/ organizations being granted their own vaccine to deliver?

I may be wrong but looking at this https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#vaccinations

Gives me some indication that Native Americans at least are getting vaccinated faster as many of those rural states have larger native populations such as New Mexico and the Dakota's. 

 

Other hard hit groups don't have a Federal entity to work with though so that would have to be handled differently.

And to be honest, one reason Alaska is doing so well is because we received more vaccines. It looked really like an unfair amount but the military and Native Alaskans had their own allotments and they are just a bigger percentage of our overall population.

[mommyoffive]

Fully vaccinated people can skip Covid quarantines, CDC says - CNN

[catz]

It is nice Fauci think we will all have vaccine availability in April but I will believe it when I see it.  When I follow that NBC link it says in my state I will be able to get vaccinated during the summer.  I also think it is weird my 16 year old potentially will be able to get vaccinated at the same time as my husband and I (in our 50's, both with some history that would give us concerns about covid).  I think there is a difference between getting production up and getting those vaccines in arms on the ground.  I truly hope I am wrong.  

I'm excited that some of the seniors in our life are getting vaccinated though.  My 89 year old FIL got his first pfizer this week and my almost 75 year old mother (turns 75 next week) was contacted by her clinic and should be able to get it this month.  We just found out some of our older neighbors have received theirs too.  Slow but sure.  

[RootAnn]

I think some states and areas are trying to do special outreach to minority groups. 

1 hour ago, Pam in CT said:

Also in the US, COVID death rates for black, Native and Hispanic cohorts are ~1.5x, 1.4x, and 1.3x the death rates for whites. So prioritizing those segments for vaccine would *also* have a disproportionate public health impact... yet we are not making particular outreach efforts to those population segments through either geographically-focused, or community-partnership institutionally-focused, deployment initiatives.

I know my state has planned special vaccination clinics in hard hit minority groups (though likely not out of the goodness of their hearts) in their 1b rollout to essential workers (meatpacking plant employees). 

A big YMCA in a minority neighborhood (with a nearby homeless shelter) in my hometown just announced it will be hosting vaccine clinics multiple times per week now that they have supplies going to some places other than hospitals. I am sure there will be some people who drive there from uptown, but only if they can't get their shot at a neighborhood pharmacy.

I read that New York tried to put a vaccination spot in a minority neighborhood but they didn't anticipate that so many from other neighborhoods would sign up & drive there. There needs to be easier ways to get the non-internet-connected people to get shots. There is awareness (but not universal solutions) that walk-up clinics are necessary in more areas.

I don't think the people driving all over town to get their shot realized they would be frowned upon for stealing minority group slots. The system right now is very every-man-for-themselves.

[Pam in CT]

re current every-person-for-themselves system effectively favoring those who are internet-connected, tech-savvy, able-to-navigate baffling portals, and physically mobile

1 hour ago, RootAnn said:

...A big YMCA in a minority neighborhood (with a nearby homeless shelter) in my hometown just announced it will be hosting vaccine clinics multiple times per week now that they have supplies going to some places other than hospitals. I am sure there will be some people who drive there from uptown, but only if they can't get their shot at a neighborhood pharmacy.

I read that New York tried to put a vaccination spot in a minority neighborhood but they didn't anticipate that so many from other neighborhoods would sign up & drive there. There needs to be easier ways to get the non-internet-connected people to get shots. There is awareness (but not universal solutions) that walk-up clinics are necessary in more areas.

I don't think the people driving all over town to get their shot realized they would be frowned upon for stealing minority group slots. The system right now is very every-man-for-themselves.

This is very much a health equity issue, and I contributed to it myself by encouraging my 84 yo aunt and uncle -- who live in NY state, and absolutely could not navigate the patchwork of each-suburban-hospital-had-a-separate-portal for appointments, and all of them kept crashing, to just sign up on NYC's functional, centralized portal of citywide community health clinics and drive to the Bronx. They were *eligible* as NY state residents, but their ability to navigate the complexity and manage the transportation advantaged their ability to *manage* the system.

It shouldn't be that hard.  Between Medicare, Social Security, and tax records, the state and federal government has access to the names, ages and addresses of nearly-all the seniors in the nation. With the will and the resources, we *could* be reaching out proactively to them.

[Not_a_Number]

2 hours ago, frogger said:

I know over 47 people if my finger counting is correct (perhaps I should write down names) and only one 90 year old has hospitalized. He had supplemental oxygen for a couple days and then went home. I personally don't know anyone with long term effects either. Most had what amounted to a cold. Some only lost taste and smell but didn't feel sick.

You know 47 people who had COVID? Whoa. That’s a lot! I definitely don’t know that many. Is that people you know personally?

[mathnerd]

19 minutes ago, Not_a_Number said:

You know 47 people who had COVID? Whoa. That’s a lot! I definitely don’t know that many. Is that people you know personally?

I know some older people who attended large churches (not in my state, where there were restrictions) which were very anti-masking and anti-socialdistancing and those people knew hundreds of acquaintances who got covid. Not all of them were hospitalized, some of them died, some are long haulers.

[frogger]

1 minute ago, Not_a_Number said:

You know 47 people who had COVID? Whoa. That’s a lot! I definitely don’t know that many. Is that people you know personally?

Yes, people I personally know (talk to in person at times) though not all are my best buds. Often the only reason I was told was so I could then quarantine. Sometimes it went out as a prayer request to pray for health but no problems even for older and overweight people.

I think the fact that my state has tested waaaaaay more has allowed us to see more of the mild cases. Last summer we tested boat loads of people or people at seafood processing plants and bussed mostly asymptomatic or mild symptom people off to quarantine. If you compare Alaska's number of cases to the number of deaths and then look at South Dakota's (the opposite extreme) cases compared to deaths, you will see we were catching way more people and that case load doesn't mean much without standardized testing.

Actually, I just remembered two more. The parents of my DH's best friend's wife. I have known them since getting married and we have stayed at their cabin. I'm getting to the point I don't worry at all and forget. 😳 But I am cognizant that medical staff who see ALL the worst cases and few mild have a very different view and I don't want to make things harder for them. 

[mathnerd]

2 hours ago, FuzzyCatz said:

It is nice Fauci think we will all have vaccine availability in April but I will believe it when I see it.  When I follow that NBC link it says in my state I will be able to get vaccinated during the summer.  I also think it is weird my 16 year old potentially will be able to get vaccinated at the same time as my husband and I (in our 50's, both with some history that would give us concerns about covid).  I think there is a difference between getting production up and getting those vaccines in arms on the ground.  I truly hope I am wrong.  

I'm excited that some of the seniors in our life are getting vaccinated though.  My 89 year old FIL got his first pfizer this week and my almost 75 year old mother (turns 75 next week) was contacted by her clinic and should be able to get it this month.  We just found out some of our older neighbors have received theirs too.  Slow but sure.  

I agree with you 100%. I will believe that I can get a vaccine when I actually am standing in line to get it. I am considered low priority, there are a ton of mutated variants of the virus and many vaccine companies are working on a third dose of the vaccine, so I am not holding my breath.

My husband's employer (big company with lots of employees and their HR checks with government departments often) updated them that realistically it is possible to get a vaccine for all in the Summer.

I am very glad that the seniors in my life will get it soon, though. Some of them are terrified to go to doctor's appointments (one of them is on weekly dialysis and is constantly worried about exposure).

[Not_a_Number]

3 hours ago, frogger said:

Yes, people I personally know (talk to in person at times) though not all are my best buds. Often the only reason I was told was so I could then quarantine. Sometimes it went out as a prayer request to pray for health but no problems even for older and overweight people.

Interesting. NY actually tests a lot nowadays and hasn’t been a hotspot for a while, either, but my personal sample has been decidedly more mixed.

So your 47 people are selected strictly from people you talk to? How are you selecting? I take it you’re ruling out friends of friends?

[frogger]

55 minutes ago, Not_a_Number said:

Interesting. NY actually tests a lot nowadays and hasn’t been a hotspot for a while, either, but my personal sample has been decidedly more mixed.

So your 47 people are selected strictly from people you talk to? How are you selecting? I take it you’re ruling out friends of friends?

They are people I personally know but some of them I haven't talked to in awhile. Like a couple military families that had it early on. They used to live close and we all homeschooled and did stuff together but they moved away. I know because we were chatting about it on Facebook. I did not include my friend's friends. Although, I did include my sister in law's father. I've only been around him a few times for larger family gatherings like weddings so maybe I shouldn't include him even though I've been around him in person. ?

 

Many people are ones I have consistent contact with such as at church or homeschool things. Sometimes I only know because I was a contact, even if I don't know the family well and so I had to quarantine though we never tested positive. In a couple cases (only two cases) it was whole families so that adds to the numbers quickly. 

 

ETA I didn't count people who appeared to have false positives.

Edited February 11, 2021 by frogger

[Not_a_Number]

2 minutes ago, frogger said:

They are people I personally know but some of them I haven't talked to in awhile. Like a couple military families that had it early on. They used to live close and we all homeschooled and did stuff together but they moved away. I know because we were chatting about it on Facebook. I did not include my friend's friends. Although, I did include my sister in law's father. I've only been around him a few times for larger family gatherings like weddings so maybe I shouldn't include him even though I've been around him in person. ?

My biggest sample is probably the people on this forum. If I just do members and their immediate families, I get a fairly large group, and the selection is uniform (not skewing towards either mild or severe cases.) 

I'm not sure how many people I'd get if I put together all the people on this forum and their immediate families who had COVID. It's probably a fairly large group. I wonder if I should start a thread for sampling purposes or not...

I'm always worried about my selection process. As you say, the people in states who don't test much definitely skew towards severe cases. On the other hand, with people I don't know super well, I can't even say very much about their long-term effects or anything else. So then that skews towards downplaying severity. 

In terms of people we know in real life, we know that our babysitter had it, and it was worse than a cold but she's fine. (She wasn't tested, but it was in NY at the height of the pandemic.) A great-uncle of my husband's died from it. Some of his coworkers had had it, but there my sample skews towards the people who are more severe, since they'd be likelier to know. 

Anyway, good statistics are hard to come by 😕 . It makes me nervous. 

[mommyoffive]

Just saw this on the news!!!!!!

Fauci: Vaccines for kids as young as first-graders could be authorized by September (dailyherald.com)

Fauci: Vaccines for kids as young as first-graders could be authorized by September

Children as young as first graders may be able to get the coronavirus vaccine by the time school starts in September, presuming trials are successful in those age groups, Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said in an interview with ProPublica.

[frogger]

8 minutes ago, Not_a_Number said:

My biggest sample is probably the people on this forum. If I just do members and their immediate families, I get a fairly large group, and the selection is uniform (not skewing towards either mild or severe cases.) 

I'm not sure how many people I'd get if I put together all the people on this forum and their immediate families who had COVID. It's probably a fairly large group. I wonder if I should start a thread for sampling purposes or not...

I'm always worried about my selection process. As you say, the people in states who don't test much definitely skew towards severe cases. On the other hand, with people I don't know super well, I can't even say very much about their long-term effects or anything else. So then that skews towards downplaying severity. 

In terms of people we know in real life, we know that our babysitter had it, and it was worse than a cold but she's fine. (She wasn't tested, but it was in NY at the height of the pandemic.) A great-uncle of my husband's died from it. Some of his coworkers had had it, but there my sample skews towards the people who are more severe, since they'd be likelier to know. 

Anyway, good statistics are hard to come by 😕 . It makes me nervous. 

I tried to edit before you saw it but I didn't include a couple of what appeared to be false positives or they were asymptomatic and didn't give it to anyone. 

I also didn't include any sick people who didn't test. We have had family members who were ill but refused to test. My in laws and parents for example.  My little brother has been ill without being tested for example but he is under my parents guardianship. 

I also forgot my little sister in law's mother. I have 3 brothers and 2 sisters so I probably have a bigger sample than most. 😁

Edited February 11, 2021 by frogger
Phone messing things up with autocorrect

[Not_a_Number]

1 minute ago, frogger said:

I tried to edit before you saw it but I didn't include a couple of what appeared to be false positives or they were asymptomatic and didn't give it to anyone. 

I also didn't include any sick people who didn't test. We have had family members who were ill but refused to test. My in laws and parents for example.  My little brother has been ill without being tested for example but he is under my parents guardianship. 

I also forgot my little sister in law's mother. I have 3 brothers and 2 sisters so I probably have a bigger sample than most. 😁

Yeah, it's kind of hard to know who to include! 

Do you and your husband not know anyone who had an unpleasant case that's worse than a cold? I know that out of the people DH talks to for work, there were quite a lot of unpleasant cases. No deaths other than his 90 year old great-uncle, but definitely long-term effects. 

Might be an effect of viral load or something? I'm really not sure.