COVID-19 treatment and vaccine update thread

[Isgrimnur]

You had to get out of your car?!?

[jztemple2]

Then as soon as I parked, a lady tapped on my passenger side window, asked if I had an appointment, and handed me a flyer with a QR code on it. Asked me to register on the website with the QR code and enter my information and pick the vaccine time closest to my appointment. I noticed that the flyer also had a tinyURL on it for folks who didn't know how to work a QR reader. That was nice. I entered my info, which mostly consisted of asking about my health that day.

I would figure that they had some way to register folks who don't have devices. At our Publix supermarket shots all registrations were with clipboard and pen.

[Daehawk]

I cant use qr codes. ive tried multiple apps but none ever worked. its ok..im old and can claim that on the disabilities

[raydude]

Then as soon as I parked, a lady tapped on my passenger side window, asked if I had an appointment, and handed me a flyer with a QR code on it. Asked me to register on the website with the QR code and enter my information and pick the vaccine time closest to my appointment. I noticed that the flyer also had a tinyURL on it for folks who didn't know how to work a QR reader. That was nice. I entered my info, which mostly consisted of asking about my health that day.

I would figure that they had some way to register folks who don't have devices. At our Publix supermarket shots all registrations were with clipboard and pen.

They probably did. That's what the folks with the laptops were for; they looked up your name and confirmed you were supposed to be there.

[raydude]

I cant use qr codes. ive tried multiple apps but none ever worked. its ok..im old and can claim that on the disabilities

Turns out the QR app that I had was not authorized to use my cellular data. And I couldn't seem to find the app in the iphone settings to turn on cellular access. So I used the tinyURL they ALSO posted on the flyer in my safari web browser and registered that way.

[Holman]

I got my 1st shot of Pfizer today. About an hour later my arm was very sore and my hands were clammy.

I took a nap, and now I feel pretty good. A little tired, that's all.

[Daehawk]

QR apps want too many permissions.

[El Guapo]

Just got the first shot of Pfizer. 2nd dose scheduled for 4/24.

Sent from my SM-G986U using Tapatalk

[Holman]

I was given two appointments four weeks apart, so I was a little surprised to see that I was getting Pfizer (which is typically on a three-week schedule).

May I assume Pfizer is fine at four weeks instead of three, or should I try to reschedule the 2nd shot?

[Smoove_B]

May I assume Pfizer is fine at four weeks instead of three, or should I try to reschedule the 2nd shot?

The minimum is 21 days; 28 days is perfectly acceptable - I think you can actually go up to ~40 days before getting the second shot. I'm guessing they're dealing with surge vaccinations and scheduling and they don't have the ability to churn through the same person in ~21 days.

[Holman]

Thanks!

[Kraken]

I was given two appointments four weeks apart, so I was a little surprised to see that I was getting Pfizer (which is typically on a three-week schedule).

When I saw that our appts are 4 weeks apart I told Wife that we were getting Moderna. I, too, was surprised by Pfizer. Either one would have been fine, but I'd have liked to shorten that waiting period. Now that I've got my first jab I want to fast-forward to immunity.

[dbt1949]

What would happen if you got your second shot too soon?

[Daehawk]

I wanted to wait on shots to go get a hair cut but its really long now and the weather is getting hotter.

[Rumpy]

My Dad had his first shot (Pfizer) on Thursday, and his second is in late July. Reason is that the Ontario government has been trying to stretch out the doses it's had by giving shots in people's arms as fast as possible by delaying the second doses and the company deemed it safe to do so.

[Smoove_B]

What would happen if you got your second shot too soon?

There would be an increased possibility that the vaccination wouldn't work, i.e. your body wouldn't mount the right response and the end result could be a lowered immunity (in comparison to someone that waited the minimum number of days). In short, it might not confer full protection and there would be a increased risk of you getting the virus (or whatever it was you were being vaccinated against) if you were exposed.

[El Guapo]

May I assume Pfizer is fine at four weeks instead of three, or should I try to reschedule the 2nd shot?

The minimum is 21 days; 28 days is perfectly acceptable - I think you can actually go up to ~40 days before getting the second shot. I'm guessing they're dealing with surge vaccinations and scheduling and they don't have the ability to churn through the same person in ~21 days.

So my Pfizer doses will be 20 days apart (4/4 and 4/24). I asked about that, and the woman at the vaccination site said that the minimum was 17 days. Any idea why that is? Should I be concerned?

[LordMortis]

Pfizer dose one complete. My arm started hurting pretty bad within a couple of hours. It's still pretty bad this morning. We'll see what dose 2 does on the 25th (26th, 27th...) I'm five weeks away from being able to game. Seven from my scheduled date.

[Smoove_B]

So my Pfizer doses will be 20 days apart (4/4 and 4/24). I asked about that, and the woman at the vaccination site said that the minimum was 17 days. Any idea why that is? Should I be concerned?

Apparently not. First I'm hearing of it, but it would seem there was guidance provided by the CDC directly to practitioners:

Do not factor in the four-day “grace period” when scheduling your second dose (i.e., receiving the second dose on days 17-20 for Pfizer vaccine and days 24-27 for the Moderna vaccine). The CDC has stated that although giving the vaccine within the grace period is possible, it should be an exception and not standard practice. Data does not exist for second doses given at short intervals.

Congrats on being an exception? For reference, when I try to find the CDC page, it was an interim page released in January; it's now gone.

I would guess they're against the clock and trying to hit a magic number of people vaccinated - changing your appointment by one day might help them somehow and you're still within the (secret) window.

[Zaxxon]

I managed to snag a 2nd-dose appointment in Colorado (remember, I got my 1st in MO from a cancellation list), shaving my potential road-trip distance from 800 miles to 100 miles. Still working to get an appointment actually in my home area, but this is a big improvement. Still have just under two weeks to slim down that distance some more.

[FishPants]

I cant use qr codes. ive tried multiple apps but none ever worked. its ok..im old and can claim that on the disabilities

Turns out the QR app that I had was not authorized to use my cellular data. And I couldn't seem to find the app in the iphone settings to turn on cellular access. So I used the tinyURL they ALSO posted on the flyer in my safari web browser and registered that way.

For what it's worth on Apple devices you just need to use the camera, put the QR code into focus and it will prompt you to open the page embedded in the code.

[El Guapo]

So my Pfizer doses will be 20 days apart (4/4 and 4/24). I asked about that, and the woman at the vaccination site said that the minimum was 17 days. Any idea why that is? Should I be concerned?

Apparently not. First I'm hearing of it, but it would seem there was guidance provided by the CDC directly to practitioners:

Do not factor in the four-day “grace period” when scheduling your second dose (i.e., receiving the second dose on days 17-20 for Pfizer vaccine and days 24-27 for the Moderna vaccine). The CDC has stated that although giving the vaccine within the grace period is possible, it should be an exception and not standard practice. Data does not exist for second doses given at short intervals.

Congrats on being an exception? For reference, when I try to find the CDC page, it was an interim page released in January; it's now gone.

I would guess they're against the clock and trying to hit a magic number of people vaccinated - changing your appointment by one day might help them somehow and you're still within the (secret) window.

Should I ask about pushing it back a little bit? I'm inclined to think that going from 20 days to 21 days shouldn't make a big difference, right?

[Smoove_B]

Should I ask about pushing it back a little bit? I'm inclined to think that going from 20 days to 21 days shouldn't make a big difference, right?

I'd be amazed if they're going to let you reschedule. If they're within parameters, then you're good to go. I did find a rather meAty study that was published a few weeks ago,though I wouldn't expect many (most?) to read and digest it.

I'd say (in my capacity to provide an opinion) that the greater risk is waiting too long for your second dose (40+ days between shots) than receiving it within the (apparent) acceptable window (21 days +/- 4 days). To clarify, for this study, the official recommended spacing is 21 days for Pfizer, but for the actual study they used 17-25 days as their acceptable range.

Unofficially, I'm not happy about what they are doing because it really clouds the message and causes confusion. I mean, I'm glad that providing the vaccinations does have flexibility (backed by studies) to go earlier, but in terms of how that affects what we're trying to communicate publicly it's not helpful.

[Kraken]

I cant use qr codes. ive tried multiple apps but none ever worked. its ok..im old and can claim that on the disabilities

Turns out the QR app that I had was not authorized to use my cellular data. And I couldn't seem to find the app in the iphone settings to turn on cellular access. So I used the tinyURL they ALSO posted on the flyer in my safari web browser and registered that way.

For what it's worth on Apple devices you just need to use the camera, put the QR code into focus and it will prompt you to open the page embedded in the code.

Same in Android/Samsung. The camera recognizes that it's looking at a QR code and knows what to do. No separate app needed.

[El Guapo]

FWIW my vaccination experience yesterday was great. It was at a convention center (Hynes Convention Center) in Boston. There were certainly plenty of people there, but in a large (convention hall) space, wearing masks, and spaced out (they had a dot every 6+ feet in the lines). Waited in line for maybe 10 minutes total, then one minute for the vaccine dose to arrive once I got to a table. Then 15 minutes in a spaced out "observation area", then I was out maybe half an hour or so after I walked in. Very smooth overall.

No real side effects yet, except maybe some mild arm soreness that I'm not sure I would notice if I wasn't focused on it.

[naednek]

Yeah, it's probably the Pfizer. That's awesome to hear; my understanding is that he Morris County site is being run much, much better than a month ago. I hope all goes well for you all.

Mission accomplished. It was Pfizer. You were correct that the site was in fact very well run, at least on the inside. This is what it was like when we were lined up outside:


The sheriffs did a good job of herding cats and sorted incoming people into the correct lines as best they could.

Inside the Sears there were volunteers and National Guard soldiers doing an excellent job of routing everyone through check-in, registration, vaccination, and observing you for 15-30 minutes afterwards. I liked it so much I'm going back again on April 19.

Oh, and as I was leaving the lady at the observation area told me "drink lots of fluids and stay away from alcohol for 24 hours".

Sears hasn't seen so many customers in years!

[Alefroth]

I cant use qr codes. ive tried multiple apps but none ever worked. its ok..im old and can claim that on the disabilities

Turns out the QR app that I had was not authorized to use my cellular data. And I couldn't seem to find the app in the iphone settings to turn on cellular access. So I used the tinyURL they ALSO posted on the flyer in my safari web browser and registered that way.

For what it's worth on Apple devices you just need to use the camera, put the QR code into focus and it will prompt you to open the page embedded in the code.

Same in Android/Samsung. The camera recognizes that it's looking at a QR code and knows what to do. No separate app needed.

If you allow the permissions.

QR apps want too many permissions.

[coopasonic]

iphone camera app doesn't need any additional permissions to read QR codes. A QR reader app would need camera permissions but the camera app already has those.

[LawBeefaroni]

iphone camera app doesn't need any additional permissions to read QR codes. A QR reader app would need camera permissions but the camera app already has those.

That's assuming you allow the camera app access to the camera and files. Personally I feel that if you allow that it's a slippery slope to granting Russian hackers assess to your bank account. Why does the camera app even need access to my camera?

[FishPants]

Looks like there is a link between AZ and blood clots. Granted it's not a huge number of cases, but I'm still not interested in rolling the dice on that one; not that there's any hope in hell of me getting one here before July anyways.

[Max Peck]

In the middle of the press release announcing that Ontario is shifting to Phase 2 of its vaccination plan, they include some hard numbers on vaccine supply.

In March, Ontario received 1,454,310 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, the first shipment of 323,200 doses of the Moderna vaccine (225,600 doses delayed until April 3) and 194,500 doses of the AstraZeneca/COVISHIELD vaccine. An additional 583,400 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine were received on April 1. In April, the province is expecting to receive 1,584,180 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, 751,500 doses of the Moderna vaccine and 122,900 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine.

Given the concern over the AstraZeneca vaccine, it is perhaps noteworthy that the vast majority of doses being administered are Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna. Given the relatively small number of AZ doses coming in this month (roughly 5% of the total number of doses expected), it wouldn't surprise me if it is all allocated to the pharmacy distribution sites, which are supposed to scale up from about 700 to 1500 sites over the month. From a practical point of view, that would mean that only people who are 55+ and voluntarily request it will receive AZ instead of one of the mRNA vaccines.

[Lassr]

Round 1 of Pfizer is done! No side effects yet, although I expect a sore arm tomorrow from everyone else's feedback.

I barely had any soreness, unless I touched near the injection site.

It's sore today, especially when I lift my arm, but it's not bad. I barely notice it, so no pain meds needed.

Monday, almost a week after getting the shot, I could barely use my arm. Any pulling motion would cause a LOT of pain! I have a feeling that taking my 100lb dog to the vet Friday and having him tug on the leash in my left hand (which caused some pain) aggravated something that manifested itself by Monday. It's much much better today...woohoo looking forward to that second dose now....

[dbt1949]

I'm a little confused as to how many people have died from complications with AstraZeneca. Most of what I've read tells the number of people and not the percentage.
All of Europe just about stopped using it. If it's like 8 people out of 3,000.000 doses I don't see that as a problem. The percentage is so small. But if it's like 6-8% then there's a problem.


Edit: I just read the numbers....169 cases of CVST from the 34 million.

[FishPants]

I'm a little confused as to how many people have died from complications with AstraZeneca. Most of what I've read tells the number of people and not the percentage.
All of Europe just about stopped using it. If it's like 8 people out of 3,000.000 doses I don't see that as a problem. The percentage is so small. But if it's like 6-8% then there's a problem.


Edit: I just read the numbers....169 cases of CVST from the 34 million.

I'd feel better if they knew why, just that there is a direct correlation and a shrug. I think that makes people uneasy; especially with the track record of AZ fucking up the trial dose, making news releases that were based on old/outdated data and generally appearing to not have a clue what's going on. It's weird, but it seems like they had their B team on this one -- maybe because it's the only not for profit vaccine?

[Moat_Man]

I'm a little confused as to how many people have died from complications with AstraZeneca. Most of what I've read tells the number of people and not the percentage.
All of Europe just about stopped using it. If it's like 8 people out of 3,000.000 doses I don't see that as a problem. The percentage is so small. But if it's like 6-8% then there's a problem.


Edit: I just read the numbers....169 cases of CVST from the 34 million.

From the article FishPants linked:
The regulator has consistently said the benefits outweigh the risks as it investigates 44 reports of an extremely rare brain clotting ailment known as cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST) out of 9.2 million people in the European Economic Area who have received the AstraZeneca vaccine.

So that's 0.000004783%. Seems like a pretty low chance.

[Isgrimnur]

2nd shot acquired.

[gilraen]

Got our 1st shots of Pfizer yesterday. Other than some sore shoulder muscle today, no side effects so far.

[gbasden]

I got my second shot on Wednesday. I definitely had some soreness and fatigue, but nothing too horrid.

[Jaymann]

Over a week since my second Phizer shot and no ill effects.

[hepcat]

I got my first Pfizer shot yesterday and the only side effect so far is that I can understand what dogs are saying.