My cancer finally did me some good, qualifying me to get vaccinated as soon as things opened up for those under 65. I received the Pfizer vaccine, Lot # EN6207. Here's hoping that was a great lot.
I got the vaccine via Kaiser, which believes in the Disneyland model of handling crowds: put everyone in a short line, and when you're done you turn the corner and there's another short line. I stood in a line to get a clipboard and an information sheet. Then I stood in a line to fill out the sheet and give back the clipboard. Then I went inside and stood in a line to get in the elevator. Then I got in the elevator. Then I stood in a line to get checked in. Then I finally got the vaccination.
It was all very smoothly done, though, and didn't take long at all. Less than an hour altogether. In three weeks I'll get my second dose and I'll be all done.
NOTE TO CRITICS: You can now claim that every opinion I have about the vaccine is only because I've been vaccinated and I no longer care about the rest of you. Have at it!
I had quite a different experience. I’m just over 60.
Appointment was easy to secure on February 25th. Went for a trial run the day before. Kroger.
No line. Lady said let me see if you in scheduled. I was. She asked if was ready now. I was.
And done. 1st shot of Moderna.
Indiana. And the shot gave me flu like symptoms. Not pleasant at all.
Uh oh. If the first shot gave you sympthoms you are going to be in hell after #2.
I had flu like symptoms after my first Moderna vaccination, and about the same after the second. Not pleasant, but they only lasted 24 hours and were eminetly treatable with over the counter flu meds.
I got my second dose of the Pfizer vaccine the first week of February. It was incredibly easy- and the only good news I've had in a while. I live in a non-profit 62+ apartment building (I'm 67) and I assume that NJ treated it as akin to a nursing facility (which it emphatically is not). In early January, a notice was posted to sign up for the vaccine (which required a short application), and Walgreen's came to the building to administer each dose. It was done by floors (16-story building) and I was done in just under an hour each time.
Félicitations ! My experience was was a bit more frenetic. Phone call, yeah of course I still want it, ok, I'm there. They had me on a list. They had thawed and prepared some vials but had no more arms. My first shot was in the middle of December on an unplanned day with nobody in line and just a sore shoulder. Second shot brought some blahs, but that's it. Hope you have as a pleasant experience.
Again congratulations!
I am getting JJ next week. No more masks for me!!!
Ahem. You are still supposed to wear a mask.
Whatever else you choose to do, you need to follow the same protocols (including mask wearing) for at least the next two weeks after you are vaccinated.
Mask still required.
Congrats! I got my first shot last Thursday. Moderna.
Your waiting experience doesn't sound too efficient though? I got mine at a Duane Reade (or Walgreen's as you country folk call it.) I had made an appointment on-line the day before for 2:15 p.m.
Went to the store as instructed 15 minutes before that time. There were a few people who had also signed up for around that time period. At 2:15, the pharmacy assistant asked if I was one of them. She took my already filled-out vaccination form they was on the sign-up site, checked my driver's license, and I got the shot at about 2:20.
I was asked to wait for 15 minutes to make sure no side effects, and was then told I was good to go. Picked up a Cadbury's Creme Egg on the way out of the store.
Othena is Orange County, CA's official vaccination coordinator, and I signed up with them back in Februrary. Heard nothing until an email arrived Saturday, March 6.
One click to the website. One click to log in. One click to choose making an appointment. One click to accept the first and only date shown, Monday, March 8. One click to select the time (12:45). Maybe another to confirm.
Arrived half an hour early at Anaheim Convention Center, down two flights of stairs to the ground, walk around to the entrance, all the while surrounded by workers waving hands. "Moderna" read the signs. Temperature check, proof of appointment. Just kept walking, paused for a few seconds until a table opened up, brief questionnaire verbally administered, age verified, dose administered.
Off to waiting area. There should have been a t-shirt stand; I would have bought one. Got out when I was scheduled to arrive. Score one for precrastination.
Arm was a bit tender, was still tender the next day; Sunday night I had a fever of 102˚, didn't return to normal until yesterday.
My experience (Kroger) was much the same as jharp. Signed up online a few days prior, showed up five minutes before the appointed time, got the shot, picked up a few groceries during the 15-minute see-if-you're-going-to-go-into-anaphylactic-shock waiting period, and out the door.
I got my first shot of Pfizer on 2/10. I had tried a couple of times to score an appointment through the county health department's online sign up, to no avail. In both cases signups started at noon and were closed by 12:05, it was really a race to get the form filled out which you had to do before you could select a slot. Then out of the blue I got an email from the local hospital group telling me I was in the group being prioritized and to sign up for an appointment on one of two specific dates. Done.
When I got there there was a longish line to wait in. Then you did the check-in process. For some reason I wasn't on the list, so I showed them the email confirming my appointment and I was good to go. Got the shot and the assigned appointment for the second shot at the same time. Then the 15 minute waiting period. All told about 45 minutes.
Second shot was a breeze. Showed up, no line, check in get stabbed, wait. Whole thing took about 25 minutes.
I had tried the Orange County Othena sign-up system a few times, but was never successful with it. Out of the blue, in early February I got an email from UCLA Health (where I get some of my health care) saying that I was eligible to be vaccinated there. Their online signup was easy and took about 1 minute.
On the day of the appointment, there was no paperwork to fill out at all: between the information I provided during signup and my UCLA electronic health record, everything was completed ahead of time. I showed my photo ID to the check-in person and then went straight to a nurse's cubicle for my vaccine. She explained the procedure, answered my questions, and then gave me the shot. I sat for observation in a waiting area for 30 minutes (because I have a history of anaphylaxis from other things). Nothing happened. They gave me a return appointment, and I went home. Had a sore arm for a couple of days.
The return visit about 4 weeks later was handled the same way. I had some generalized malaise and muscle aches for about 36 hours starting the next morning. But since that I have felt fine.
The whole thing was amazingly easy. Really the only hassle was parking the car! I wish all health care were like that.
Unfortunately you won't be done in three weeks when you get your second dose. It will still take some time for it to take full effect after that. The recommendation is 2 weeks and the science backs that up, so please wait 5 weeks before letting your guard down.
I have vaccine envy. Here in Virginia they are still only taking folks over 65, some essential workers and folks at higher risk. Soon they will begin to allow folks from additional classes of essential workers to get in line, not sure if one of the categories pretty far down means me and then May 1st for everybody else. I'm hoping the generic categories listed mean that I'm in the seventh category of the list for 1c, if not I really, really hope they let 50 and up have first crack at doses before the huge honking mass of folks under 50 are allowed to get in line.
There's no loopholes whatsoever to sneak into so it's getting frustrating to see folks in other states where there's plenty of doses versus folks who want them. It's the opposite in Northern VA, far more folks want it than doses.
Kaiser in Northern Virginia is already doing all essential workers under 65. I just got my shot at Tysons and I’m only in my early 40s. I work in transit but not a frontline worker nor do I have any co-morbidities... and yet I somehow qualified. Might want to check with your doctor.
No there's no secret passageway to the conservatory in the VA vaccine game. You deserve to get your shot sooner, you work outside the home in a public facing occupation. Me? I have been working from home since early March 2020, my job can be done entirely remotely. I don't have any of the co-morbidities but I share a home with someone who does
So my housemate is on the wait list and folks who signed up about the time she did are starting to get invited to make appointments. So hopefully they will get an appointment soon.
My concern is that Virginia is moving too slowly to ensure that older folks not in 1b or 1c won't get the shaft when Virginia finally lets all comers make a mad dash to get vaccines come May 1st.
Here in Ohio, the various locations have been ending up with a few extra doses at the end of each day (mostly from people missing appointments), and some of them have waiting lists where you can sign up to be notified, and if you can get there quickly enough, you can get a shot even if you're not yet in an approved group.
They don't advertise this, so you have to poke around.
That’s how my nephew and his wife got vaccinated in Los Angeles. They are in their 30’s with two young children.
In Virginia they handle that tightly. You can only be a standby for leftovers if you are already on that waitlist, so they only contact folks on the waitlist.
I can confirm that. I’m below 65 (same age as KD) with diabetes- though nobody asked me for my paperwork which I had. Anyway, it’s well organized with scheduling using the CDC VAMS website. Something like Kevin’s experience for shot #1 on 2/25 with wide open space though- a Nordstrom store opened up into a vaccine facility. They are adding a second floor I heard, so speed might increase.
2nd dose today - also Pfizer - though some interesting twist. Both me and wife went. She apparently was taking up two appts at the same time though it was fine in the VAMS website. After that got straightened out(?!) my turn - she goes can’t find you!! I said what? She figures out that there are four portals one for dose 1, one roe dose 2, a third for JNJ and 4th for third party!!! I was in the dose 2. Anyway, got an experienced band and I had no pain.
What we saw different this time, vaccine runners supply ready needles all ready to the vaccinator, so all they do is to get the bandaid open, pick up, inject and tape and done. Dose 1 took an hour from entry to exit including the 15 min wait. Dose 2 took 40 mins including the 15 min wait.
What we couldn’t figure out was how my wife made it in the list without any comorbidities. While leaving met a flight attendant who was in the same boat, so guessing they are including airline employees now in 1b priority, maybe? Not sure.
Anyway, this is Loudoun, I hear Fairfax - neighboring county is quite different. So who knows??
—r
Ooooooooo, I hear that particular Lot is a really good vintage .... paired with the right type of cheese, of course. Congrats. ... Are the cats acting funny cause you “smell” different?
I'm sure they can detect Bill Gate's microchips.
Here in Contra Costa County, I got vaxxed [Moderna] in a drive thru. Extremely well run by EMT's, Sheriffs, firefighters, and others. I rode my bike. In and out in less than 20 minutes. Plus the 15 they wanted you to wait to see if you had any immediate reaction.
No side effects. My wife got hammered for a day with a fever.
Moderna shots at the auditorium of our Sonoma County senior community, administered by Safeway personnel. Barely any reaction to the first shot. A little pain and a few chills and fatigue lasting ~ 36 hours after the second.
I have been giving a lot of the shots. Our approach has been to give them in smaller settings but more of them. Makes parking easier and things go fast. No one has to drive very far either. I do have a bit of OCD so I time everything. From the time a person gets in line until they leave averages a bit under 20 minutes, 15 of that the wait time. I dont think the walk from parking to any of our vaccination sites is over 5 minutes though at our largest site it could be 7 or 8. Now I need to go time that also.
Steve
But of course, if Kaiser had been T-Mobile, I doubt Kevin would be praising the efficiency of multiple queues to get the vaccine..
Being vaccinated with the Pfizer vaccine allows you to say Pfucking Pfizer! while throwing victory punches at lingering virus traces in the air, as you go about your day, and everyone else who's had the Pfizer who sees this will shout back Yeah, Pfizer! and pump their fist.
Haven't had mine yet, really looking forward to it.
I got both my shots in January through the city health department, and both times it was easy-peasy. My wife was a couple of weeks behind me, and she was also signed up at the health department. But when her turn came up, the location had been changed to the convention center, apparently to accommodate the 10 million people in cars who had "appointments" at the exact same time as the wife. It took MUCH longer at the convention center, but we made it through, and at the end they made an appointment for her second shot four weeks hence.
But a week later the State of California stepped in and took over the process, and now we don't know if we have to make a new appointment or if the appointment we made with the city is still confirmed. The myturn.ca.gov website assumes everyone who logs in is looking for a first shot. There are no options for a second shot, and indeed, unless you click the box declaring that this is your first shot you can't get to the next screen. When I decided to just click the box and power through the application process and make an appointment -- any appointment -- I was shunted off to a variety of drug store corporate websites, none of which allowed me to schedule anything for the time period she needed for her second shot. And don't get me started on using the phone. There is NO ONE to talk to at the state or the city.
So we've decided to wait until the appointed time and just show up at the damn convention center. Maybe our reservation will be honored, maybe not. Maybe the powers that be will take into account that the clock is ticking, since she has already had shot #1, and allow her to have a timely shot #2. Fingers crossed.
How come I'm the only person who can't get a shot?
Dont worry, I'm the last person in America who will qualify. I'll be shocked if I can get it before July.
You aren't in the correct zip code.
Indeed. I'm in the same boat, I'm locked out from getting a shot right now because I'm not over 65 don't have co-morbidities nor am I in an essential occupation on official list Virginia has.
Meanwhile doses are languishing in Red states because folks don't want to get the vaccine. They really need to think about shipping more doses to the DMV to get more Feds vaccinated - continuity of government surely should be a consideration eventually right?
I don't meet any of the risk qualifications.
But don't worry, children aren't even on the list, so there's that.
"Lot # EN6207". The E is for "experimental". Reliable sources point to a secret government programme to tweak the mRNA with chains from a variety of life-forms, because. Luckily for Kevin, 6207 is from cats not spiders.
I can't get my MicroSoft tracking chip installed until mid-April at the earliest. And that moved back from April 1. At this point I am hoping to get it by mid-May.
Ah yes, Lot #EN6207. An inoculant of minor piquancy, yet amusing in its presumption.
I got in NY. It was as smooth as can be. Go to Big A, park, walk to first cue where there is a National Guardsman- show him you have a appointment, go to 2nd guard show him/her same and up the escalator to last cue. Show another NG your appointment and they send you to a table. He takes your name and relevant info and you move to other side of the table and get your shot. No lines and no hassle. Everyone I know who went was impressed. Took about 10 mins to get the shot and you wait 15 to leave. Whole thing took less then a half hour.
My 25 yo daughter got lit EN 6206 in Manhattan - cross country neighbors!!
—r
Yeah it was pretty easy for me in northern virginia (Fairfax County). Once they got to my cohort in the registrations last Thursday I was offered about 10 different places I could schedule at. The first few had no appointments but a Giant grocery store about a 15 minute drive from my house did and I booked a time Sunday afternoon. Walked up and told them I was there. Wasted about 10 minutes filling out a 3 page form that it would have been easy for me to have done ahead of time if I had known and it might not have been needed if I was already in their system. Then another 5 minutes for my name to be called. 2 minutes for the shot and explanations including that my appointment in 3 weeks would need to be earlier since they close early on Easter Sunday. For the wait time I picked up a few groceries, went next store and got some chinese take-out to take home for the wife and me and then went home. When I looked at my email later that afternoon a reminder notice of the date and time of my appointment was already in my inbox.
Fairfax is running their vaccine program well but the annoyance of it all is that they aren't getting enough doses to compared to the population who needs/want vaccines so they are very stingy in who can get them right now.
Good to hear.
Been annoyed watching younger folks waving their vaccination cards around like they got a hall pass. Especially the supposed "progressives". Meanwhile folks like yourself or more importantly school staff were still waiting.
There is no reason school staff should be waiting. In what state aren't they allowed to sign up now?
Apparently Virginia Kaiser operates a bit differently--as an 80-year old got my second shot on Feb. 14. IIRC got my Kaiser ticket on line, scheduled a time, and did the questionaire, showed up, was directed to one of 6 desks to check my appointment, record my shot, and schedule my second shot, then down the hall to the shot room, no waiting, then to the waiting room for a controlled 15 minute period. Total time about 25 minutes. The second shot was similar, but just a little less controlled.
I assume the absence of information means the absence of side effects, which is tremendous for you.
"My cancer finally did me some good, qualifying me to get vaccinated as soon as things opened up for those under 65."
As soon as things opened-up for those under 65 - with qualifying medical conditions...
Just as well too, because California's current daily death rate (7 day trailing average) at 7.6/million/day is significantly higher than the nation's overall 3.7.
Was it a socially distanced line? Because otherwise they just tried to kill you.
It was Kaiser, so you can bet it was a socially distant line. My first vaccination at Kaiser/WA took 15 minutes, the second (after a snow storm jumbled the schedule) took an hour and a half, with the socially distanced line snaking through the entire building.
Got my second Pfizer (Pfuk yes!) yesterday from Lot #EN6207, same as Kevin, just on opposite coasts! Today feel like a truck ran over me: not a cement truck, just a light pickup truck with oversize tires.
Get number two tomorrow! Excited.