The FDA and CDC advisory committees better start clearing their schedules, because they are going to be very busy. They still have to meet re the Moderna and J&J vaccines.
I am in the current category of those for whom a Pfizer booster is recommendedâŠI just made an appt. at CVS and got my booster shot. Easy Peasy. Side effects were the same as my second shotâŠsore arm and tiredness/achiness for a couple of days.
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I predict zero âchaosâ. Vaccines are plentiful. And if folks are that stressed about being first in line, they can easily jump the line today by just completing the online pharmacy form and checking âimmunocompromisedâ. Most pharmacies donât care.
btw: U-Colorado health system is already âboostingâ those 70+.
Youâre probably right about that. The last places that got Covid vaccine to administer, were the MDâs offices - which was totally wrong. We would have had many, many more hesitant people become immunized if it had been in the doctorsâ offices all along. Doctors would have been able to convince and administer quickly in the setting of follow-up visits for the various risk factors. Meanwhile, it takes extra skill and time to administer vaccines to children (not that the reimbursement reflects that), so I am sure that the pharmacies will not want to deal with immunizing little kids. So I guess that the vaccine will have to be sent out to the pediatriciansâ offices. Hope itâs soon! Then they can give Covid and flu shots at the same visit.
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The trouble with using pediatricians office is waste. Once a vaccine is thawed, it must be used in xx time, or be tossed.
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Pediatriciansâ offices know how to deal with this, have dealt with this for many years with the incredibly expensive RSV antibody treatment. We schedule people to come in and plan accordingly. Plus, thawed vials of Pfizer are stable in the fridge for up to a month! Certainly, much more likelihood of vaccines being administered before expiration in a doctorâs office than in a pharmacy. Primary care doctorsâ offices are usually seeing about 30 patients/doctor/day of people who are there to seek medical care, rather than buy dental floss and pick up medications.
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Do primary care physician offices generally have the super-freezers needed for the Pfizer vaccine? Or is it only the ones that are part of large multispecialty practices that have them?
They donât need superfreezers anymore. As above, can be thawed in a regular refrigerator for a month.
Folks I am not concerned about supply.
Iâve been trying to follow the booster issue closely in the news, yet am still confused. How are folks getting a third shot of Moderna? I thought that hadnât been approved yet. My mother and step-father, both in their 80s, got Moderna, and Iâm eager for them to be as protected as possible.
At this point, anyone who wants a Pfizer booster, whether itâs medically indicated or not, will be able to get one. Eligibility â advanced age, immunocompromised, or âat risk for serious illnessâ â will all be self-attested. Also, full approval of Pfizer means doctors can prescribe a third dose off label at their discretion.
Meanwhile, the very elderly who got Moderna must wait for more evidence. Isnât it also a scientific principle that sometimes, in a health emergency, we must act based on incomplete information if the act is unlikely to cause harm and the consequences of not acting are catastrophic?
If you care deeply which brand you get, tell the pharmacy
I donât understand your comment. The FDA is about to authorize a third dose of Pfizer for people who got two doses of Pfizer. The authorization is not for a dose of Pfizer for people who got two doses of Moderna. And, there is no authorization, yet, for a third dose of Moderna for people who got two doses of Moderna. Thatâs my understanding anyway.
It is true that, with full approval of Pfizer, people vaccinated with Moderna could ask their doctor for an off-label shot of Pfizer. However, mixing vaccines hasnât really been accepted in the American medical community, so Iâm skeptical my parentsâ doctors would go for that. They could ask, of course.
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For the third shot, it doesnât matter which you take. Right now (could change later after more research in the matter) it is recommended to take the same manufacturer as the first 2, but if that is not available, itâs ok to get the other.
Thatâs why some people are not waiting for the recommendation and are seeking out a third dose on their own. I know it is unethical to lie, but if someone is taking action to protect themselves and the community at large, I have no problem with lying. The only thing is - would there be any harm to oneâs self to get the third dose early? So far, no.
So many people are getting the third dose on their own that we are unable to track and have valid data now. I wish they would just make it available to everyone, especially since we have the supply, it appears to be safe, and waiting increases the possibility of a mutation developing in someone who might have otherwise received the dose.
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There are no mass vaccinations sites. How exactly are all these doses going to be administered, if open to the general public?
Doing vaccines in phases the first time around made sense- and there were mass vaccination sites then. Doing things in phases now also makes sense, especially what the phases of the first shots generally mean those people come in the first phase now as well, both because of eligibility and timing.
People are lying, and it would seem to be some sort of panic mentality. Why not wait? If you are not eligible for the proposed first phase, your vaccine is probably still relatively effective.
We still have mass vaxx sites open. Those vaxxed early on are 9 or 10 months into their immunity. Depending upon community spread, they may be at high risk now.
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Probably because of risk assessment. Donât want to get sick because hospitals are full so you may not get a bed if needed. Monoclonal antibodies are now being rationed, so, again, if you get sick, that back-up may not be available. People are probably trying to do as much as they possibly can to protect themselves since other treatments are not guaranteed.
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We donât have mass vax sites anymmore. And today I found out no outdoor drive through testing sites in our area either. We are supposed to go to the MD office along with many others seeking testing in one small room throughout the day.
anyone can self-attest for a third dose of Moderna too. (not saying that you should, but only that you could.)
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Is this your opinion or has this come out as part of a study?
Also as a general question, is there actually a shortage of monoclonal antibody treatments? Seems like doses should go where theyâre needed not just divided up by some formula. Does that mean there are doses sitting around unused while there are patients who need doses but canât get them?
And some pharmacies/healthcare sites donât even ask, so no need to lie. We have had some posters on this thread say they were never asked if they were in one of specified groups recommended to get boosters.
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