Seriously thoughtful The NEW Covid Vaccination Poll

[OtinG]

I checked the "I’m fully vaccinated and it’s been over two weeks" option.

I took the Pfizer vaccine.

First shot I had a small amount of arm pain a few hours after the shot that lasted no more than 2 or 3 hours. No other side effects or reactions.

Second shot my arm was more sore than after the first shot. Day two was a bit rough. I was achy throughout my upper body. I had a very slight temperature of 99.4° F for a few hours. I was a little dizzy and light headed whenever I stood up. I had a VERY slight issue with breathing for a brief time of perhaps 1 or 2 hours. I felt like I was having a very slight case of the flu, but without any congestion. The symptoms only lasted a few hours at most, and according to my doctor's office were quite within the expected reactions some have. By day three I was fine. None of my symptoms were all that bad and if anything they indicated that my body was reacting appropriately to the vaccine and thus creating antibodies.

Like others have stated herein, I think we will likely be taking booster shots for a while until herd immunity is achieved. New variants will likely continue to pop up for some time to come. Some of those might require a special booster shot.

Hopefully enough people will get vaccinated so that we can actually achieve herd immunity in a reasonable time frame. I'm still practicing extreme safety measures by wearing masks and avoiding crowded places, and I will continue to do so until I feel safe enough to return to normal.

[ownedbycats]

Originally Posted by ownedbycats

Alas, the CMA wants to re-allocate my province's share of the vaccines to Ontario. Even though they already have enough unused doses to vaccinate every adult in our province. Meanwhile, the number of cases in N.S. has been rising and two staff members at LTCs have diagnosed positive. I am afraid.

Thankfully:
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-b...ines-1.5993193

Federal intergovernmental affairs minister Dominic LeBlanc says Ottawa will not divert any COVID-19 vaccine doses from Atlantic Canada to Ontario without a clear consensus from provincial premiers.

And he points out it's already obvious that consensus doesn't exist.

this is good, because my province seems teetering on the edge of an outbreak. New cases are highest they've been in months, and multiple exposures, one in a gym running at 100% capacity. Either somebody sharing a household with a positive person (unsure why they're not made to isolate too) or exempt because they're a truck driver or something.

[timebug]

I had every side effect possible after my first dose; so did many people I know.
In about ten minutes, I leave for my second dose;thankfully, most folk I know who have had this one, say they had no ill effects at all! Heres hoping....

[binaryhermit]

Even if you have all the possible side effects (other than anaphylaxis) it's still better than getting severe COVID.

And I strongly suspect the odds of anaphylaxis on a second dose when the first dose did nothing of the sort is way, way lower than the odds of it happening on the first.

[OtinG]

Originally Posted by timebug

I had every side effect possible after my first dose; so did many people I know.
In about ten minutes, I leave for my second dose;thankfully, most folk I know who have had this one, say they had no ill effects at all! Heres hoping....

Which vaccine did you take?

Originally Posted by binaryhermit

Even if you have all the possible side effects (other than anaphylaxis) it's still better than getting severe COVID.

And I strongly suspect the odds of anaphylaxis on a second dose when the first dose did nothing of the sort is way, way lower than the odds of it happening on the first.

My thoughts too. A little discomfort is worth it if it prevents a a serious COVID-19 infection.

It seems like the allergic reactions are very rare, and the blood clots with the J&J vaccine seem even more rare. People who are prone to having allergic reactions are blood clots need to be cautious though.

[binaryhermit]

Regarding the blood clot thing, it wouldn't surprise me if you're more likely to have severe health complications or die from either a traffic collision while going to get the shot or getting COVID while getting the shot than have the blood clot issue that got the J&J shot pulled.

[4691mls]

Originally Posted by binaryhermit

Regarding the blood clot thing, it wouldn't surprise me if you're more likely to have severe health complications or die from either a traffic collision while going to get the shot or getting COVID while getting the shot than have the blood clot issue that got the J&J shot pulled.

Yes, wasn't it something like 6 people out of 7 million who developed this problem? Probably any vaccine has a small risk of some kind. I've already received dose 1 of Moderna but if I hadn't, and J&J were offered to me, I would've taken my chances on it.

[binaryhermit]

There's also only having to get 1 shot and being "fully vaccinated" 3 or 4 weeks sooner.

Also, team pfizer here.

[OtinG]

The J&J blood clot victims have been few in number and last I heard all women. I suspect the CDC will likely put out a statement saying certain people should avoid the J&J vaccine but most people are safe in using it. I agree, 1 in a million is a small sample. They will likely identify what type of people are prone to have clots and advise them to take a different vaccine. I would have taken the J&J if I hadn’t already been vaccinated and it was offered to me.

[ownedbycats]

what strikes me as strange about the whole blood clot issue is that I'm fairly sure that getting COVID has a far greater risk of a blood clot than the vaccines...

[OtinG]

BTW, the AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine has also been linked to blood clots in rare cases. It isn’t available in the USA though. I think the Europeans have already said the J&J vaccine is worth taking since it has such a low risk of blood clots.

[ownedbycats]

AZ is available in Canada. A lot of regions allow people to vaccine-shop, so a lot of them are left rotting in freezers; I've heard (but not confirmed) that the million-some doses that Ontario has unused are AZ.

I'm not sure if J&J has been approved here yet.

[issybird]

I had my first post-vaccine indoor restaurant meal today! It felt simultaneously so odd and so normal.

[poohbear_nc]

Originally Posted by issybird

I had my first post-vaccine indoor restaurant meal today! It felt simultaneously so odd and so normal.

I'm not brave enough for that level of risk .... grocery shopping in person is enough for me ...

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by binaryhermit

Regarding the blood clot thing, it wouldn't surprise me if you're more likely to have severe health complications or die from either a traffic collision while going to get the shot or getting COVID while getting the shot than have the blood clot issue that got the J&J shot pulled.

The problem with that argument is that one doesn't deliberately involve oneself in traffic collisions, in fact one does all one can to avoid them.

Same with getting Covid-19, its not something anyone seeks to acquire wittingly (unless you're a volunteer in a challenge trial). And it's arguably easier to avoid than a traffic accident. Stay out of stuffy crowded indoor spaces, wear a double fitted mask of you can't, stay home as much as possible, in isolation if you can, wash hands frequently, get plenty of outdoor exercise. Get tested if any symptoms, or at an exposure location, isolate while waiting for a result, and then do what Public Health tells you to do.

But getting vaccinated is a deliberate decision.

Most people, right or wrong, do not perceive the known risks inherent in a deliberate act, and the risks inherent in an inadvertent event, which they can take action to mitigate, as being equivalent.

FTR: if it was easy to get vaccinated I'd do so today, with any FDA, EMA, or TGA vaccine on offer. But our federal government has made it so darn inconvenient, that given there is no covid in circulation I can't be bothered. It means calling GPs to find one who will vaccinate people who are not existing patients -- a PITA, see my latest post in the Vent and Rant thread.

BR