The Lounge Covid Vaccination Discussion Thread

[issybird]

Let’s try this one more time.

This thread is for people to discuss their personal experiences of Covid and vaccination and for news and facts related to same. There will be zero tolerance for political posts and repeat offenders could face warnings and sanctions. Tired of the few ruining it for the many.

So, on that basis:

Another anecdotal sign that the pandemic is deemed over - my local supermarket is tiny and churns its stock pretty regularly as a result. It needs to move stuff to stock the new. This morning there was a colossal amount of cleaning and sanitizing products which had been moved off the shelves and closeout priced to go. Will I regret not laying in a supply of Lysol wipes?

[poohbear_nc]

The pandemic may be over for the public, but not for the medical profession. After being vaccinated, I resumed in-person visits to my doctor this year. The entire office personnel at that time was wearing loosely fitting disposable paper surgical masks. I had a follow-up visit this week. The receptionists and nurses were still wearing the paper masks. However, my doctor was now wearing an N99 mask -- the first one I've seen. I'll keep wearing a mask in public places for now.

[OtinG]

As of Easter Sunday I became fully vaccinated plus two weeks.

Most of the new cases in the Dallas / Fort Worth metro are now the unvaccinated people. I'm still wearing a mask in public because I don't know who I might be near, nor anything about their vaccination history, or lack thereof. I don't have any issue going maskless around people that I know are vaccinated. I know there is a growing concern about the Delta variant, but I don't think they have enough data yet to really determine how that will impact us.

Hopefully this thread will be more civilized. I quit following the previous one due to the lack of same...

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by OtinG

I know there is a growing concern about the Delta variant, but I don't think they have enough data yet to really determine how that will impact us.

It may not impact you, but if you travel to a country with low vaccination rates it may impact them.

The first Delta incursion into the Australian state of NSW originated from a traveller from the US, whose infection was detected in NSW quarantine. The second originated from traveller from Sri Lanka who quarantined in Victoria. The third is probably from the flight crew of a US cargo plane who did a short-stay stopover in Sydney.

I don't know if any of those o'seas acquired cases were vaccinated, but the NSW weekly surveillance reports do indicate that active infections have been detected in quarantine detainees who have been fully vaccinated.

What's interesting is that there was no ongoing transmission, beyond household members, from the first two incursions (BBQ man and Jervis Bay vacation family) even though they were out and about in the community - with negligible mask wearing.

'BBQ Man' - because the local index case went to several BBQ stores across Sydney.

However, the third incursion (Limo Driver) has triggered an outbreak of ~240 cases (with more to come) that has put the 6M inhabitants of Greater Sydney and beyond into Lockdown-Lite.

Another observation: the BBQ man and Limo Driver incursion were into the same community - Sydney's celebrity infested Eastern Suburbs. It makes me wonder of there are Delta sub-sub-variants.

'sub-sub' because Kappa and Delta are sub-variants 1 and 2 of B.1.617.

And it astonishes me that flight crew aren't vaccinated, the current Taiwan outbreak was seeded by aircrew, although Taiwan authorities must take responsibility - they relaxed their rules about aircrew quarantine.

BR

[OtinG]

Originally Posted by BetterRed

It may not impact you, but if you travel to a country with low vaccination rates it may impact them.

We definitely have an impact here in the US too, and many officials are worried. But they don't have enough information yet to know how worried to be, or not to be. They seem to be mostly concerned about the unvaccinated people, but there are cases of various COVID-19 variants even among fully vaccinated people.

I've assumed all along that we will likely need to receive booster shots for variants, and other reasons, for the next few years. Modena claims their vaccine is effective against the Delta variant. Not sure about Pfizer or J&J, I haven't heard anything from them. But regardless of variants, we will likely still need boosters since the vaccine will likely lose effectiveness after a certain period of time, and if we don't reach a certain level of vaccination, then COVID-19 can resurge. I don't think this is going away anytime soon. Too many people are not vaccinated, for whatever reason.

[DiapDealer]

Originally Posted by OtinG

Not sure about Pfizer or J&J, I haven't heard anything from them.

Can't find the link offhand, but I just read an article that said J&J is still holding strong at the 8 month mark, and is proving effective against Delta.

Originally Posted by OtinG

But regardless of variants, we will likely still need boosters since the vaccine will likely lose effectiveness after a certain period of time,

I've always assumed this as as well.

Originally Posted by OtinG

and if we don't reach a certain level of vaccination, then COVID-19 can resurge.

And further mutate. Into something the current vaccines aren't nearly as effective against. Boosters won't only be about renewing efficacy if we don't get to herd immunity.

[Catlady]

The most recent article I read said that the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines may be effective for years.

[SteveEisenberg]

Originally Posted by poohbear_nc

The pandemic may be over for the public, but not for the medical profession.

At my mother’s monthly ophthalmology appointment in May, there was still a COVID guard at the door, and they wouldn’t let me go back with her. At the appointment this week, it was back to normal except for having to be masked.

At another appointment, on, I think, June 7, my distinguished hematologist, who is age 70 or so, took off his mask talking to us. He shouldn’t have done that. But it is getting old.

I’m playing by the rules — right, Issybird?

[Terisa de morgan]

Here, in Spain, we have now a growing number of cases but not because of the Delta variant but the end of course parties and so, the rates are extremely high in the range from 15 to 40 (not vaccinated yet). Hospital and ICU occupation, however, is going down (as a norm, there are exceptions but not a lot). Masks are still mandatories inside and outside if you cannot keep the distance, so not a lot has changed yet.

[OtinG]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

Can't find the link offhand, but I just read an article that said J&J is still holding strong at the 8 month mark, and is proving effective against Delta.


I've always assumed this as as well.


And further mutate. Into something the current vaccines aren't nearly as effective against. Boosters won't only be about renewing efficacy if we don't get to herd immunity.

Definitely, if we don't get herd immunity there will likely be new mutations/variants popping up. Thankfully most people in my metro area are getting vaccinated, but it is a different story in some of the nearby rural areas.

[Sirtel]

I got my second shot of Pfizer yesterday. After the first shot I had a headache for 3 days, but now I'm feeling pretty normal. I was prepared for far worse.

Life is pretty much back to normal here. Some people still wear a mask, but they're a small minority. Most don't. (When masks were mandatory, almost everyone wore them indoors and in public transport).

There are still too many people unvaccinated here, though. Now it's solely because they haven't wanted to, as there are plenty of available vaccination times for every age group, except for children.

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by OtinG

We definitely have an impact here in the US too, and many officials are worried.

I should have written,"travel to anywhere with low vaccination rates".

About an hour ago I listened to a clip (CNN I think) from an interview with a hospital physician from rural Arkansas, where vaccination rates are apparently quite low. He spoke of a surge in admissions of young people with severe illness.

BR

[Greg Anos]

3 months + after the J&J vaccine, no side effects apparent except I felt somewhat tired for the first 48 hours.

[Hemmi]

I'm about 2 months out from my J&J vaccine. I had minimal side effects. Slightly sore arm for a day or two. The first night I had a slight fever.

[timebug]

I am fully vaccinated, and had several side effects from the first dose,and nothing at all from the second! I have one friend who is younger than me, who refuses to have them at all. He claims there is no pamdemic, and the whole thing is a gigantic government plot of some kind. I suggested he get out more and stop reading Internet conspiricy theory websites!