Have you gotten your vaccine shot?

If anyone has friends with "vaccine hesitancy" (or is suffering from it themselves) then the Australian Government has created a web site with the answers to a lot of "Is it safe?" type questions. These won't convince the hard core anti-vaxxers in all our communities but it has already allayed the fears (about infertility) of a relative of friends of ours.

The web address is https://www.health.gov.au/initiatives-and-programs/covid-19-vaccines/is-it-true
 
Got it a week ago, first dose, Pfizer version. Painless, quick, easy. No side effect(s) either. Two more weeks, I get the other dose.
 
second shot of AZ tomorrow, its been a long wait , finally my kids got vaccinated as they were too young to do so before , they have pfizer, so far no extreme reactions by anyone.
 
I’m one of those humans from New England (specifically CT), and I got my 2nd shot… in May. So I should be okay. It’s great to know that most people have already gotten the shot, too.
 
Getting my 2nd Pfizer-BioNTech shot today - it was delayed by the Delta variant outbreak (and subsequent lockdown) here in NZ.
That will complete the vaccinations for my entire family, so our 'bubble' should be a little safer in a couple of weeks time as we continue to build up our antibody protection against SARSCovid-19.
All residents in New Zealand who are 12 years old and over are now eligible for free Pfizer vaccinations and there is currently quite rapid uptake - no doubt spurred on by the unexpected and frightening community outbreak in Auckland last month.
Edit update: Now had my second shot - No noticeable side-effects so far (12 hours) - not even a sore arm. Let's see what tomorrow brings.
 
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With all the talk here in the States about natural immunity vs immunity via the shots, I decided to have my antibodies checked. It is a simple finger prick test and you get the results after about a 15 minute wait. Interestingly, it appears that I have a high enough level to suggest that I had SARS 2 (Covid) at some point in time. The only time that I remember feeling under the weather was way back in January 2020. At that time I thought that I was coming down with a cold since I had all the normal symptoms. I hit it hard with Zicam as I normally do and felt better in a couple of days. Long story short is getting this additional information has increased my peace of mind quite a bit. I had it done at the local CVS drug store and it was $38.

William
 
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wreeder said:
With all the talk here in the States about natural immunity vs immunity via the shots, I decided to have my antibodies checked.
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"Natural Immunity" only works if you have been exposed to that particular virus before and it did not kill you. Normal colds and flu are caused by different strains of the different virus each time you come down with the symptoms so your immune system has to learn how to fight off each new virus. That takes time and for some viruses and for people with compromised immune systems, it may give the virus enough time to do a lot of damage, even fatal damage. That is why I have annual flu shots and did not rely on my "natural immunity" to fight the new and novel Covid-19 virus.

wreeder said:
I had it done at the local CVS drug store and it was $38.
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I don't know about the covid vaccine program in Alabama, but here it is free so I would have saved $38 as well.
 
Ah, I'm not commenting on the debate here in the States, just pointing out that there is an ongoing debate. To comment would be to take this thread into a political area.

The vaccine is free here in Alabama as it is in the entire USA. However, the antibody test is not paid for by the government at this time. It might be covered by some private insurance coverage plans but not the one I have at the moment. But I did feel it was worth the cost as the point of my post was that it gave me greater peace of mind knowing that I have both the antibodies produced by the vaccine shot that I had in April and from recovering from a mild case of SARS 2 (aka Covid 19).

William
 
I think that is a great idea, wreeder. My wife and I just got our pfizer "boosters", but we have tickets to James Taylor and Jackson Browne coming up, and we aren't that thrilled about a coliseum packed with 12000+ people even so. We will be wearing our masks, but that is still a lot of hollering people, and I am sure a lot of masks will come off once people are in the door. We have not gone to any of the local college games, and I have heard no data on how many post-game cases can be attributed to the games, but cases, and deaths, are way up in our area. Tempted to just eat the cost and stay home, crank up the stereo and play their CDs!
 
wreeder said:
Ah, I'm not commenting on the debate here in the States, just pointing out that there is an ongoing debate. To comment would be to take this thread into a political area.

The vaccine is free here in Alabama as it is in the entire USA. However, the antibody test is not paid for by the government at this time. It might be covered by some private insurance coverage plans but not the one I have at the moment. But I did feel it was worth the cost as the point of my post was that it gave me greater peace of mind knowing that I have both the antibodies produced by the vaccine shot that I had in April and from recovering from a mild case of SARS 2 (aka Covid 19).

William
Click to expand...


I got my antibody test done in Alabama too. Same result as yours and I did get the Covid virus back in December of 2019, before the general public knew what it was. My doc didn't even know at time, but I had all the symptoms. I got over it in a couple weeks, just as I would with bronchitis, and my lungs checked out fine afterward.
My doc now suggested to me to get a clear plastic full face shield, which is what she wears. About 1/2 of their nursing staff use the face shields and are not vaccinated. They aren't allowed to share their opinions on it. The face shields are Easy to clean, six bucks for a package of them, and prevents any virus from going in or out. I'm not looking for a political debate on this either, but I have the right to make the choice. I don't get out much, as I'm out in the sticks, but when I do go to some indoor public place, I'll wear the face shield.
 
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Personal protection is very important, for both yourself and others who share your space.

Some interesting figures have come out of one country, Iran, which seem to suggest that 100% of the population has now been infected with the virus, but only 23% have had the vaccination. Iran was the second country, after China, to be hit by the virus and has had a very ineffective vaccination program. Interestingly, it seems that many people have been infected twice (probably two different strains) and some people even a third time.

Having had the virus once does not protect you against getting it a second (or even a third) time, especially when you are relying on natural immunity alone.

I am fully vaccinated but still take the necessary precautions (hand washing, social distancing, wearing a mask when indoors except at home, etc). I can still get the virus again but the vaccination offers greater protection against suffering its debilitating effects and reduces the chances of passing it on to others.
 
I tried to get my booster, but apparently I'm not eligible for it. It's maddening to me that we're struggling to get people to come and get the vaccine, and at the same time telling people who want to get it that they can't.
 
PerRock, just heard an announcement that J&J and Moderna boosters have been approved in the US, and so has mix-and-match. They actually say you get more antibodies from mix-and-match, but they can't say if it gives more protection.
 
I'm 67 in Round Rock Tx. Got my first Moderna shot 7/2 Sore arm afterwards. 2nd shot 7/30. Felt like I was run over by a lorry for a couple of days after. Got them both at the Wal Mart pharmacy on a walk in basis. No appointment needed.

Jacob
 
RE Natural immunity, if you have had covid its worth getting antibody tested as apparently up to 36% of people who have had it may not produce antibodies. Natural immunity may well wane over time too , after a year they recommend a booster, I think we're stuck with having a yearly booster to combat new strains, just like the flu.
Since i'll be 70 in feb I'll definitely get my booster it will be around christmas i think as it will be six moths since we had our second shots and AZ doesn't give as good an immune response of the other vaccines.
 
dangavel said:
AZ doesn't give as good an immune response of the other vaccines.
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The latest data from studies indicates that Pfizer gives a much higher level of initial protection but falls off to the same level as the AZ after a just a few months (4 months if I can remember correctly) and continues to fall, while AZs protection level does decline it still gives better protection than Pfizer after (4) months. But you are right, it is possible that Covid boosters could become part of the annual "flu shot" package.
 
Waiting to get my booster jab - supposed to be 6 months after the second jab, but now some discussion about whether it'll be brought forward to 5 months (Government panicking as UK infection rates are now so high.) We'll see what happens!

Paul
 
Hopefully get my booster around mid November, that's six months after my second jab. UK government is always in a state of panic, especially with Boris the Buffoon in charge!

Rob.
 
The UK is not alone when it comes to politics interfering in what should be a straightforward medical/scientific issue. Some politicians see short term issues such as popularity and maintaining their positions of power as more important than peoples lives and health.
 
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