Would you take a Coronavirus Vaccine

[frase]

Nope - will wait and see who mutates first. Once after a year or so - then I may. Till then boomsticks @ the ready.
I find it odd as to how a vaccine can be passed as "safe" so soon. Normally it takes a year or more for trials etc. I see the haste in getting it out there, but nah I am not a labrat.

 

[Sky-Knight]

The ignorance...

FYI, the mRNA vaccine isn't "new", we've been studying this technique for almost 30 years, and it's been deployed to fight cancer several times.

In the case of the Biontech / Moderna vaccine, it's also not new, but was developed to fight the original SARS 10 years ago. But if that still bugs you, fine... just go get the Johnson and Johnson shot, which is based on utterly different tech and uses technology similar to the flu shot.

And yes, the mRNA vaccine is "safe", it's the safest vaccine technology we've ever invented as a species. But I understand the ignorance, because unless you've got a chronic illness in the house that forces you to stay up on this junk you'd never know any of this. I know about it because mRNA therapies are one of the most promising angles being explored to end type 1 Diabetes, the chronic illness I have the joy to deal with. But it's also being used to fight cancer on a level that's near miraculous too.

But again, the only reason these mRNA tools have made it to the shelf so soon isn't the emergency authorization. It's because they have been tested and trialed over the last DECADE not the last year. Otherwise the FDA one of the most conservative medical bodies on the planet never would have authorized them. Not when Johnson and Johnson with more normal technology was days away too.

But please do talk to your doctor, because the one risk the mRNA vaccines have is an anaphylactic reaction, that mirrors what happens to people allergic to peanut oil. If you have another oil based allergy of any kind, I'd be using the J&J shot! But talk to your doctor, because there's no sense in just getting one at random, you've got a choice of an entire cocktail of options now.

 

[NETWizz]

For those who are wondering, I took the Phizer at 9:35 AM today. I have had no serious reactions, and it was painless. By the time I got home, I had to check to verify they actually gave me a shot because this one is painless.

No arm pain, which I am told is normal, but about two hours after taking it I started having some chills. Not real bad but annoying. A thermometer basically read as high as 99.4 F, so I guess that means it is working,

I started feeling more normal after a hot shower, but I feel a slight bit cold now again, so we will see. I will keep you posted,

 

[Mick]

Well - had my first shot yesterday, Pfizer. Fingers crossed...so far, so good. V slick operation, too. I wish the army ran a few more things around here...

 

[britechguy]

. . . because there's no sense in just getting one at random, . . .

Sorry, but I do have to disagree with this one, unless you know of some specific reason to be picky.

The nature of the supply chains for the various vaccines means that only certain ones have been available in certain regions, and that looks like it will continue being the case for some time to come.

If you have the option of getting vaccinated, and have no history of allergic reactions related to vaccinations or some component in a specific one, then, for your own safety and that of the community around you, take whatever one you're offered.

[Note the important proviso about having no history of allergic reactions. If you do, then that will, of course, change the calculations for that individual. But if not . . .]

 

[Markverhyden]

Well - had my first shot yesterday, Pfizer. Fingers crossed...so far, so good. V slick operation, too. I wish the army ran a few more things around here...

Be careful what you wish for. In these parts that could mean SOS for breakfast, lunch AND dinner.....

 

[Sky-Knight]

@britechguy I didn't mean to imply what you were correcting. If you have no history of allergies, specifically with oils there's no reason to fear Pfizer / Biontec, or the Moderna mRNA vaccines. I think the J&J vaccine I think triggers on the egg allergies... but I don't know as much about that one.

If you've got no allergies yes just get what you can get, even only a 50% shot would be better than nothing here. But if you do have any of the above conditions, talk to your doctor first.

Anyone else that got the Pfizer / Biontec shot, if you're going to have an issue, it's going to be on the 2nd shot from what I've heard. The first shot is known for being very mild in reactions, the 2nd hits harder. In both cases you should be over the fever / general body aches they cause in 24 hours.

But that poor lady up in AK that went into anaphylaxis over the Pizer shot didn't have any sort of oil allergy in advance... But you'll know if this is going to be you inside of 15min. Which is why they're supposed to be watching you for that duration. Anaphylaxis hits hard, and hits fast... so trust me you'll know and be dialing 911 to get that fixed. It's apparently routine to fix it if they know specifically what's up now. But given the numbers of doses given, and the fact that this has only happened a handful of times I'm not sure how much of a risk it really is. It's a scary one, but extremely unlikely.

 

[britechguy]

Anyone else that got the Pfizer / Biontec shot, if you're going to have an issue, it's going to be on the 2nd shot from what I've heard. The first shot is known for being very mild in reactions, the 2nd hits harder. In both cases you should be over the fever / general body aches they cause in 24 hours.

And even those have been few and very far between as far as even "moderate" issues. The facility my mother lives in used Pfizer for all staff and the residents, and even for the second, there were no serious issues. Mind you, not a statistically significant sample, but way above "a couple of people." I think they did about 150-200 individuals, overall, but I'm not certain about the actual number.

 

[NETWizz]

And even those have been few and very far between as far as even "moderate" issues. The facility my mother lives in used Pfizer for all staff and the residents, and even for the second, there were no serious issues. Mind you, not a statistically significant sample, but way above "a couple of people." I think they did about 150-200 individuals, overall, but I'm not certain about the actual number.

Good to know. I had no serious issues. My chills are mostly gone and less intense, but I did feel freezing for a couple hours after the first dose. Otherwise, I was fine.

Thus far nothing worse for me.

 

[Sky-Knight]

Yeah, the moderate reactions to the Pfizer / Biontech shot has been compared to the Shingles shot. THAT thing, is painful. It's certainly not gentle.

 

[britechguy]

Yeah, the moderate reactions to the Pfizer / Biontech shot has been compared to the Shingles shot. THAT thing, is painful. It's certainly not gentle.

"The shingles shot?"

Serious question: Which one? There were two, and now there are three if memory serves.

I think the latest is Shingrix, which is a 2-shot sequence.

 

[GTP]

Would you take a Coronavirus vaccine if it were offered to you?

As "Coach" would say...Hell naw boy!"
I want to live a zombi apocalypse before I die.
"Ellis" summed it up perfectly with "We livin' in the best shootin' range o' all time...we kickin' more ass than a boot in an ass factory!"
Bring it on...

 

[Sky-Knight]

"The shingles shot?"

Serious question: Which one? There were two, and now there are three if memory serves.

I think the latest is Shingrix, which is a 2-shot sequence.

You know I don't know... it was in a CDC report I was reading months ago and I'm now curious about that. I just remember bad things about the shingles shot, and the doctor was describing the Pfizer shot's impact to himself in those terms.

Also, we have this rather well done YouTube video about mRNA and what it means for our collective medical future:

 

[VISA MC]

I would not. To me it’s a numbers game, and obviously those at higher risk have more incentive to get a vaccine to protect themselves, and I think they should.

As of today there have been 26.3m positive cases in the US, with daily case counts dropping to levels seen in November and December ans trending downward further. While 26.3m is a lot of positive cases, there are 328.2m people in the US as of 2019. Roughly 8% of the country has tested positive. This virus has been with us for nearly 12 months, and has only hit 8%.

As of today, the US reported 442k deaths. That’s only 1.6% of positive reported cases ended in death. Here’s another interesting note: the CDC website says that only 6% of deaths reported, are ONLY from covid. 94% have more than one cause of death listed. Take that for what it’s worth.

I am lucky enough so far to be in the 92% of folks who have not gotten sick, and if I do get sick I have a 98.4% chance of surviving. Those are pretty good odds in my mind. I am lucky enough to not have preexisting conditions that would put me at higher risk.

Combine those stats with the fact that we really have no long term data on these vaccines, I would pass. I understand those who disagree, but it’s not for me. Not yet. We could find out that 10 years down the road these vaccines cause cancer, cause birth defects, cause paralysis, there is just too much unknown for me at this point to protect me from a virus that affects 8% of the country and has a 98.4% survival rate.

 

[britechguy]

I am lucky enough so far to be in the 92% of folks who have not gotten sick, and if I do get sick I have a 98.4% chance of surviving. Those are pretty good odds in my mind. I am lucky enough to not have preexisting conditions that would put me at higher risk.

As am I. But it's not about me, and me alone, but about my community. I am in the demographic where there are lots of asymptomatic or nearly asymptomatic spreaders. I have a duty not to become one of those.

You have every right to make whatever choice you wish. But I have every right to point out that vaccinations, when successful, are not just about protecting the individual, but about creating enough people resistant or immune to a given disease vector that it cannot "spread like wildfire" anywhere.

We've seen what happens when levels of vaccination among the population at large are not high enough in regard to measles. The same thing applies to Covid.

 

[overburnz]

Probably yes, but maybe I would like to see if there is any kind of test to see if I have some sort of immunity or not, why? my wife recently tested positive for Covid-19, she only did the test 4 days after losing smell and 6/7 days after first symptoms (very similar to a cold) and my youngest had a minor headache and had a fever at the end of the day, when i contacted the heatlh system hotline in Portugal, and because the symptoms of my son only lasted one day, they dismissed it and, at their advice, we wen't on with our daily live as normal, but as soon as she received the results I did the test that same day and came back negative, so we had 7/8 days wich I could catch the virus and didn't we had no other contact with anyone and I still have no symptoms but I'm takin my precautions... but ultimately I will take the vaccine, I can't be in isolation (who knows how may times) with the risk of catching and pass it on to my wife and kids ... or anyone else for that matter...

 

[overburnz]

As am I. But it's not about me, and me alone, but about my community. I am in the demographic where there are lots of asymptomatic or nearly asymptomatic spreaders. I have a duty not to become one of those.

You have every right to make whatever choice you wish. But I have every right to point out that vaccinations, when successful, are not just about protecting the individual, but about creating enough people resistant or immune to a given disease vector that it cannot "spread like wildfire" anywhere.

We've seen what happens when levels of vaccination among the population at large are not high enough in regard to measles. The same thing applies to Covid.

x2 nicely put!

 

[Sky-Knight]

Yeah, the mask mandates, and the vaccines aren't about protecting ourselves, it's about protecting those around us.

Especially around here, every single one of us that does house calls owes it to our customers to get these shots. Otherwise we're saying that our ignorance is greater than their lives, and if not their lives their productivity. We don't deploy into offices while we're sick for the same reasons.

The mRNA vaccine cannot cause cancer, it simply cannot. Talk to your doctor and find out how it works.
The J&J vaccine based on older tech actually has greater risks in this regard, not that I expect it does. Because you'd be saying the flu shot causes cancer. I'll admit I never placed priority on that shot until my son got sick... but afterword was rather surprised at the general health improvements it seemed to provide.

@overburnz There is no test to prove immunity... It simply doesn't exist. Being T-Cell positive doesn't indicate immunity, it indicates the existence of T-Cells.

 

[britechguy]

There is no test to prove immunity... It simply doesn't exist.

Strictly speaking, you're correct. From a practical standpoint, for virtually any vector we know of, you're not. Antibody testing to determine probable (most probable) immunity for a given vector has been going on for decades.

In the case of vaccines, that sort of testing is virtually never done because the mechanism of action is well known and understood. But, and it's an important but, for novel infectious agents we really don't know how long immunity lasts. We've learned over time that certain things require booster immunizations while many others do not. It will be a while before that's known for Covid, but that's the least of our worries at the moment.

And, by the way, at least for front line workers in health care, even if you tested positive and/or had the signs of Covid-19 as well, the recommendation is that you still get the vaccine. I just had a long conversation with a dear friend I haven't spoken to in a while who's an occupational therapist near Detroit, MI, last night. She had a positive test and symptoms months ago, and was off work throughout, but her employer is requiring even those who fall into that demographic to have the vaccine as a condition of their employ. And you can bet your sweet patootie that's not out of concern for their employees, or even their patients, but for their pocketbooks were they found to have exposed anyone to Covid and not required the vaccine.

 

[Sky-Knight]

@britechguy but the antibody tests aren't accurate themselves. I've seen exactly no virologist report those tests as useful for predicting immune status on anything. We simply don't know. They do however provide a critical data point for scientists to use, but that's not the same as proving immunity.

And yes, anyone that's had COVID needs to get the shot too, because the shot will provide different immunity than your body develops on its own. For the mRNA vaccines this is more true than ever, because the nature of the vaccines is so finely targeted. Natural immunity is likely only good for the specific strain of SARS-COV-2 you had, whereas the mRNA shot grants protection from the entire SARS family of coronaviruses. That's a huge gain in value.

And yes, I expect many companies to require an immunization as a condition of employment. I'm already seeing market pressure for me to prove I've had it before I can show up on site.

So for better or for worse, I think those of us that get the shot will be at a competitive advantage when compared to those that don't. Which means the shot is no longer about protecting yourself or others, but your own wallet too.

P.S. Thus far no one vaccinated has wound up with Long COVID... and THAT is a far greater current risk that some nebulous future cancer. Especially since to my knowledge no vaccine has ever caused cancer... not that we can confirm anyway.