The COVID Vaccination Thread (1 Viewer)

[Malcolm R]

Watching some of these vaccinations on TV, it looks like they use a ridiculously long needle. I wonder why that's necessary? It seems longer than a standard syringe used for other vaccines.

 

[ChristopherG]

Now I know why arm hurt so bad...I refuse to look a needle in the eye when its out for business so had no idea what its length was.

 

[Carlo_M]

IME, as someone who has taken a fair number of shots and also whose friend is a phlebotomist...it's often much less about the needle length (or width) and more about how tense you are during the shot. It's an intramuscular shot so if you're tense at all, it's going to result in more after-shot pain. You may think you're tense, but sometimes if you're anticipating the shot, you tense up subconsciously. I used to do that all the time and my post flu-shot arm pain would be noticeable (but nowhere near debilitating). Now that I'm old hat at it and I can truly relax my mind, my post-flu (and other vaccination) shots go by relatively painless in terms of muscular pain. I anticipate when I get my COVID vaccine (when my number comes up) the muscular pain won't be significantly worse (the videos I've seen seem to have comparable needle lengths to other shots I've received) but any pain/discomfort in the following hours and days will be due to my immune system reacting.

 

[bujaki]

Yes, the needle is long, but I don't look at it as it's about to plunge in, and as Carlo states, you must relax your arm. After I received the second shot, I asked the man administering it: "Are you done"? I hadn't felt a thing. Uncanny, quite uncanny. My friend sitting next to me in the car had the same experience and asked the same question.

 

[bujaki]

I have a 90-year-old friend in NYC who is currently in a rehab center recovering from COVID. He had received the first shot and the doctors believe that the shot probably saved his life. He was waiting for the second shot when he contracted the virus.

 

[Tommy R]

IME, as someone who has taken a fair number of shots and also whose friend is a phlebotomist...it's often much less about the needle length (or width) and more about how tense you are during the shot. It's an intramuscular shot so if you're tense at all, it's going to result in more after-shot pain. You may think you're tense, but sometimes if you're anticipating the shot, you tense up subconsciously. I used to do that all the time and my post flu-shot arm pain would be noticeable (but nowhere near debilitating).

This is something that took me forever to get down. When I was younger I would feel tense at the idea of shots, but the last couple I’ve had were easy and I think my mind set helps and to do my best to keep my arm limp and just try to get my mind to go zen until it’s over.

 

[Dennis Nicholls]

You guys worry about the size of the needle? Give me a break. I had a pericardiocentesis in 2018. That's where they stick a large needle through your ribcage to drain excess fluid from a pericardial effusion. I had that needle in my ribs for four days in the ICU.

 

[Dave Upton]

Finally got my vaccine scheduled. I was able to find one local this afternoon, and am heading to get it shortly.

 

[NorgeRunner]

Has anyone gotten a shot at Walmart? On their confirmation page it says bring ID and "proof of eligibility"?? What is PoE?

 

[Josh Steinberg]

Proof of eligibility varies from state to state and possibly county to county; check your local health department’s website for more information.

In NY, there are different categories for eligibility so proof varies depending on what category you’re in. If you’re eligible because of your profession, you’re asked to bring proof of employment. If you’re eligible because of your age, you’re asked to bring proof of age. If you’re eligible because of a preexisting medical condition, you’re asked to bring documentation of that condition.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

I am now eligible but due to a complex web of guidelines, I cannot yet get it. Given that I’m not really leaving the house, I’m not the person in most urgent need of getting it immediately so I’m keeping my expectations in check. But if you’ll indulge me in an eye-rolling recap:

-When the pandemic began, I lived in New York City county and my doctors were all there.

-I am now living in Nassau County about an hour from the city but kept my doctors in NYC because my current living situation is temporary - didn’t make sense for me to change doctors when I could either be back in the city next year or somewhere else entirely.

-My doctor has alerted me that I am eligible for the vaccine based on the latest New York State guidelines and has provided appropriate documentation.

-My doctor’s practice has been giving out the shot. However, New York State regulation states that people may only be vaccinated in the county in which they live. Since my doctor is in NYC and I am in now in Nassau, my doctor is not allowed to give it to me as she is a NYC practitioner and I am no longer a NYC resident.

-In Nassau County, there is plenty of availability at local pharmacies. However, state regulations require that pharmacies only give the vaccine to eligible patients over the age of 65. I am an eligible patient but I am not over the age of 65.

-In Nassau County, there are county board of health run vaccine sites with available appointments, but they are only giving the vaccine to people who are eligible because of their employment status and not based on other criteria. I am not an essential worker, so I cannot get the vaccine there.

-The remaining avenue is state run mass vaccination sites, and there are three of those in my county. They are not accepting appointments at all, and are no longer allowing people to sign up for a wait list.

So essentially, I’m eligible, but the regulations leave me in a no man’s land where the providers who do have vaccine have other guidelines that don’t allow them to give it to all eligible patients.

I’m all for setting aside vaccines for essential workers and the elderly. I’m all for waiting until it’s my turn. I don’t understand the logic of telling me I’m allowed to have it, while simultaneously telling the people who could give it to me that they’re not allowed to, while available appointments are going unfilled.

 

[Kevin Hewell]

Sorry, replied to the wrong poster.

 

[Kevin Hewell]

You guys worry about the size of the needle? Give me a break. I had a pericardiocentesis in 2018. That's where they stick a large needle through your ribcage to drain excess fluid from a pericardial effusion. I had that needle in my ribs for four days in the ICU.

Eeek!!

I can't even imagine.

 

[Malcolm R]

All three of my 70+ parentals have now had their first shot, so some relief is creeping in on that front. Second shots begin on 3/16. I'll be eligible to schedule my first shot starting on 3/15.

For those that need some kind of proof of a special condition for eligibility, I'm not clear on how that is provided? Is a doctor's note required, or is something like a post-doctor's visit summary listing your condition acceptable? Or a prescription bottle showing your medication for a certain condition? It doesn't seem like doctor's offices are going to want to write a bunch of letters.

I haven't heard that my state requires such, but it seems like you would need something more than a person's word considering the world we live in these days where the "honor system" is frequently violated (like on the news where those young women were dressing as old ladies to try and get shots).

 

[Josh Steinberg]

I haven’t been able to get the appointment yet, but my doctor did write a letter for me - the practice she belongs to is placing them in the digital patient portal for anyone who has an eligible condition. So it does seem, from my little corner of the world at least, that the doctors are expecting to write notes.

 

[TravisR]

I haven't heard that my state requires such, but it seems like you would need something more than a person's word considering the world we live in these days where the "honor system" is frequently violated (like on the news where those young women were dressing as old ladies to try and get shots).

I was curious about that too. In Pennsylvania, it looks like groups such as grocery store workers, teachers, and USPS workers are in the second group to be vaccinated so what do they do to prove that they work at those places? It's somewhat moot for me because I live in a shitty and inept state where my senior citizen parents don't even have an estimate on when they can register for the vaccine so unless I quickly become a mailman, I expect to get the vaccine around March 2037.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

In NY, if you’re eligible because of your job, you’re asked to bring proof of employment, which can be (among other things) a paystub, a W2 or a letter from your employers confirming current employment.

 

[Tony Bensley]

I was curious about that too. In Pennsylvania, it looks like groups such as grocery store workers, teachers, and USPS workers are in the second group to be vaccinated so what do they do to prove that they work at those places? It's somewhat moot for me because I live in a shitty and inept state where my senior citizen parents don't even have an estimate on when they can register for the vaccine so unless I quickly become a mailman, I expect to get the vaccine around March 2037.

WOW, I'm so sorry your vaccine roll out is in such a horrid state! I thought things were bad in our province! That is so unacceptable!!

While Ontario's COVID-19 Vaccine booking portal is slated to open March 15, our local London/Middlesex Health Unit has recently been booking 80+ and hospital staff, so we appear to be slightly ahead of the curve provincially. That said, it's looking like it'll be well into the summer before the Mrs and I can get booked, when we get lumped into the everyone else who's under 60 crowd!

 

[HawksFord]

I haven’t been able to get the appointment yet, but my doctor did write a letter for me

My wife got her first dose of the Pfizer vaccine this week in NY, and a letter from the doctor was how she proved eligibility.

 

[Carlo_M]

March 13 for dose 1, Apr 3 for dose 2, Pfizer. I have to drive 2 hours to get it because no other CVS/RiteAid/Walgreen in the highly urban parts of LA where I live had open appointments. However further east, where let's just say the population is more inclined to believe Bill Gates is trying to microchip 'em via the vaccine, seemed to have plenty of appointments. I do work in education (and we're being asked to come back to reopen buildings soon) so I am in the prioritized group, but supply is so far below demand I couldn't wait on my workplace to get their batch.