How are you dealing with life now with the Covid-19 virus situation? (1 Viewer)

[Malcolm R]

Fortunately for him the virus also takes time off for the holidays.

Oh, wait ....

My parents are all 70+ with high-risk health conditions, so they should be among the first in line of the general citizenry once we reach that point. I'm under 50, but also have some health conditions, so I'm not sure what my status is. Our state says they'll announce additional criteria soon, and it will be on the "honor system" (yeah, 'cuz that always works) with regard to people claiming they have underlying issues and need to be vaccinated before others. I would think they would leave it up to doctor's offices, who know which of their patients have what conditions.

If I haven't heard anything by my next check-up in Feb/March, I figure I'll just ask the doctor then.

 

[Clinton McClure]

It’s my understanding that drug stores like Walgreens and CVS will be giving the vaccinations. Will they have to have a nurse present? That would be a lot of nurses and extra expense.

Malcolm nailed it in a previous post. Pharmacists in most or all retail pharmacies (at least the big national chains) have obtained certification to administer injections and they have Epi pens on hand. I have gotten my annual flu jab from a pharmacist at either CVS or Walgreens since I was in my mid-20s. The only thing they normally don’t do is make you wait for 15 minutes after the injection. They tell you you need to stay in the store for that amount of time but it’s mostly on the honor system and most people leave immediately after getting their shot.

 

[DaveF]

I deleted a dark-humor joke by a new member. For their benefit: This thread is unique for HTF and actively moderated. Basically, if it's not "How are you dealing with life now with the Covid-19 virus situation", it doesn't belong here.

https://www.hometheaterforum.com/community/threads/how-are-you-dealing-with-life-now-with-the-covid-19-virus-situation.366087/page-67#post-4923801

 

[John Dirk]

Malcolm nailed it in a previous post. Pharmacists in most or all retail pharmacies (at least the big national chains) have obtained certification to administer injections and they have Epi pens on hand. I have gotten my annual flu jab from a pharmacist at either CVS or Walgreens since I was in my mid-20s. The only thing they normally don’t do is make you wait for 15 minutes after the injection. They tell you you need to stay in the store for that amount of time but it’s mostly on the honor system and most people leave immediately after getting their shot.

While I understand the intent, I think this is a potentially bad idea. Places like these are simply not equipped to deal with potential side effects and both of the vaccines were released under an FDA Emergency Use Authorization [EUA] which means they are not yet fully understood or approved.

 

[Malcolm R]

I'm not sure if there's a choice, though, if we want this done with any speed. You just cannot rely on doctor's offices or hospitals to do this. They have other things to do, and other patients with other issues, and cannot devote their days to non-stop vaccination.

If someone has an allergic reaction at a pharmacy, they should be able to handle it. If it's serious, they can administer an epi-pen and call an ambulance.

I think I've only heard of one instance so far, out of a few million vaccinations, that required significant medical attention.

 

[JohnRice]

In our area, the County Health Department will be administering vaccines in addition to other places. I get the impression that the vast majority of ordinary people who aren't in priority groups will get them through the County.

Currently, our County has a sign-up form to be notified when a vaccine is available for the specific individual.

 

[TonyD]

I’d be happy to get it right now but being 56 I guess I can’t.
I also don’t know if I could get it right now because I don’t see where this info would be made public.

As a food delivery driver I go into restaurants and see people sometimes as many as 50 sitting in close quarters and I feel for these people working in the restaurants.

I think people like them and like myself should be getting quick access to the vaccine too.
It’s a little scary when I go in for the food and people come to their door and take it from me not wearing a mask.

 

[John Dirk]

I'm not sure if there's a choice, though, if we want this done with any speed. You just cannot rely on doctor's offices or hospitals to do this. They have other things to do, and other patients with other issues, and cannot devote their days to non-stop vaccination.

I agree but there's still room for contingency planning. We deliver our vaccinations in tents setup outside of the main buildings. In this way Docs and other staff are readily available if needed and undisturbed otherwise.

If someone has an allergic reaction at a pharmacy, they should be able to handle it. If it's serious, they can administer an epi-pen and call an ambulance.

I doubt this would be true at most retail pharmacies. The potential liabilities would make it bad business to even attempt to do so.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

I think you’re underestimating pharmacies, or perhaps they’re different from where I am to where you are.

At my local CVS, I can get a flu shot, a tetanus shot, the MMR vaccine, and a range of other shots. Each shift seems to have a designated person who has been trained in the administration of said vaccines. Epi-pens are available and they generally ask you to stick around for 15 minutes after, which is usually more than the length of time it would take for a severe allergic reaction to set in. My pharmacy is also closer to the hospital and several urgent care centers than my doctor’s office is. In theory, if I had a bad reaction to anything, I’m gonna get to the hospital faster leaving from CVS than I will from the doctor’s office. Pharmacies like CVS also have the infrastructure in place for vaccines and medicines that need cold storage, something my doctor’s office doesn’t have. Many pharmacy locations here operate 24/7, so the infrastructure is there to vaccinate people around the clock; my doctor’s office doesn’t have that capability. I don’t think the building the doctor is in would even allow the practice to be open after hours even if they wanted to be and could staff up

I would personally have zero hesitation getting it at the local pharmacy and hope that’s what they do. In NY at least, they’ve already fallen far behind where they expected to be one month in and that’s just using hospitals and urgent care centers and the like. Someone - probably lots of someones - are going to have to step in to lend a hand.

 

[Carlo_M]

What's ironic about the discussion of CVS/pharmacies and whether they're suitable to treat post-shot allergies...

I get my shot from my local nationally ranked hospital (due to where I work) with some of the top healthcare professionals in the world. And I've never been asked to stay 15 minutes after my flu shot, which I get every year. Time to knock some stars off of their Yelp review...

 

[TonyD]

And I've never been asked to stay 15 minutes after my flu shot,

Unless you’re being facetious I don’t think anyone was ever doing that for a flu shot.
At least not in a long time that I’m aware of.

 

[JohnRice]

Unless you’re being facetious I don’t think anyone was ever doing that for a flu shot.
At least not in a long time that I’m aware of.

I was when I got my flu shot at the pharmacy of the local grocery store (Safeway) in August. He told me to come back after 15 minutes, but I could have just left.

 

[DaveF]

I agree but there's still room for contingency planning. We deliver our vaccinations in tents setup outside of the main buildings. In this way Docs and other staff are readily available if needed and undisturbed otherwise.


I doubt this would be true at most retail pharmacies. The potential liabilities would make it bad business to even attempt to do so.

CVS, etc will certainly be distributing the vaccine later this year. I was listening to an interview a couple of weeks ago with CVS’s chief medical officer (IIRC) about their ongoing planning for this.

 

[John Dirk]

I think you’re underestimating pharmacies, or perhaps they’re different from where I am to where you are.

At my local CVS, I can get a flu shot, a tetanus shot, the MMR vaccine, and a range of other shots. Each shift seems to have a designated person who has been trained in the administration of said vaccines. Epi-pens are available and they generally ask you to stick around for 15 minutes after, which is usually more than the length of time it would take for a severe allergic reaction to set in. My pharmacy is also closer to the hospital and several urgent care centers than my doctor’s office is. In theory, if I had a bad reaction to anything, I’m gonna get to the hospital faster leaving from CVS than I will from the doctor’s office. Pharmacies like CVS also have the infrastructure in place for vaccines and medicines that need cold storage, something my doctor’s office doesn’t have. Many pharmacy locations here operate 24/7, so the infrastructure is there to vaccinate people around the clock; my doctor’s office doesn’t have that capability. I don’t think the building the doctor is in would even allow the practice to be open after hours even if they wanted to be and could staff up

I would personally have zero hesitation getting it at the local pharmacy and hope that’s what they do. In NY at least, they’ve already fallen far behind where they expected to be one month in and that’s just using hospitals and urgent care centers and the like. Someone - probably lots of someones - are going to have to step in to lend a hand.

It's likely the latter. I think New York City is somewhat unique in the way you describe. ATL is in no way the same. Nothing is "close" to anything else here unless you're downtown and even then traffic mostly negates any proximity advantage. Anyone having a severe reaction at a retail pharmacy here might very well require a Medivac. It makes sense that the topology should dictate the delivery strategy in a given area, so I'm sure the appropriate choices will be made.

 

[John Dirk]

I was when I got my flu shot at the pharmacy of the local grocery store (Safeway) in August. He told me to come back after 15 minutes, but I could have just left.

For a flu shot this is an abundance of precaution. For an unapproved vaccine being administered under an FDA Emergency Use Authorization it should be standard practice.

 

[JohnRice]

For a flu shot this is an abundance of precaution. For an unapproved vaccine being administered under an FDA Emergency Use Authorization it should be standard practice.

I agree. I suspect the only reason I was asked to come back is because they asked when was the last time I had a flu shot, and it had been 20 years.

 

[Malcolm R]

I agree. I suspect the only reason I was asked to come back is because they asked when was the last time I had a flu shot, and it had been 20 years.

I believe that's probably it. If you get a flu shot every year and have no issues, they're likely not going to be too concerned if you leave right away. If this was your first ever shot, or the first in a significant time span, they are more likely to request that you stick around for a few minutes.

As far as liability, I believe everyone signs a waiver of sorts before the shot is given (for any vaccine). I'd imagine this offers some liability protection to those administering the shots and clearly states that you're assuming certain risks by allowing them to give you the shot. I'd imagine the release form for the COVID vaccine is a little more in-depth than for others that have been around for years.

 

[ManW_TheUncool]

It's likely the latter. I think New York City is somewhat unique in the way you describe. ATL is in no way the same. Nothing is "close" to anything else here unless you're downtown and even then traffic mostly negates any proximity advantage. Anyone having a severe reaction at a retail pharmacy here might very well require a Medivac. It makes sense that the topology should dictate the delivery strategy in a given area, so I'm sure the appropriate choices will be made.

I don't doubt that one bit.

Living almost anywhere else in this country generally requires some degree of driving, but in NYC, you can easily remain a complete non-driver... like me (as a virtually native NYer)...

Many transplants end up ditching their cars and just rent on occasion (mainly to leave town).

And I'm guessing the vast majority of NYC residents (even outside Manhattan) live w/in 2 miles of their nearest hospital and probably walkable (<=15-20min) distance to nearest CVS-style/size pharmacy. I actually live maybe 6-min walk from my nearest hospital not far (some 20-25min walk) from downtown Brooklyn, which actually has another different hospital. There are definitely some more remote areas, but they're also not nearly as densely (and/or at least legally) populated or new hospitals would likely sprout near/in them...

_Man_

 

[John Dirk]

As far as liability, I believe everyone signs a waiver of sorts before the shot is given (for any vaccine). I'd imagine this offers some liability protection to those administering the shots and clearly states that you're assuming certain risks by allowing them to give you the shot. I'd imagine the release form for the COVID vaccine is a little more in-depth than for others that have been around for years.

This sort of thing can get tricky though. In most states, liability cannot be dismissed outright by a simple disclaimer if it goes against applicable state law. That said, I agree the need outweighs the risk in this very unusual situation we find ourselves in and appropriate accommodations will be made to administer the vaccinations as safely as possible.

When I was vaccinated I received a 3-page "Fact Sheet" explaining what the vaccination was, who should or should not take it based on pre-existing risk factors, what the common side effects were/what to do should they occur and the basics of what an FDA Emergency Approval Authorization was. I didn't sign anything, nor was I asked to.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

I should mention that I’m out on Long Island now rather than NYC, so I’m speaking of my suburban pharmacy. Gosh, I’m in the suburbs.