From what I have observed even pre-Covid, pharmacies have been chronically understaffed, just as hospitals are with regard to clinical staff. And like hospitals, it’s probably on purpose for cost cutting reasons.
I mean, maybe she just purposely wanted to ruin your day, but I suspect she was just overwhelmed with a lot of people demanding she do their order RIGHT NOW (doctor’s offices calling with new scripts and same doctor’s offices returning her calls for refills that had actually expired, impatient customers in the drive thru line demanding their orders, etc.). So maybe culpability lies more with the store for overscheduling and overwhelming its employees.
I had Dose #3 (Pfizer) on Saturday. I felt okay, with injection site pain for the first 24 hours and then the next 18-24 hours were terrible. I ached from head to toe. BUT I am grateful to the scientists, to the researchers, to all the medical professionals. I am so thankful that I will (most likely) not suffer serious illness / hospitalization from Covid.
I still have to get my flu shot and then my first Shingrix. My 3-D mammogram is complete and clear.
ShawWife got her booster today (6 months and a day after her second Pfizer dose). No reaction thus far. She is not immunocomprised and is less than 65, but she has respiratory issues and her doctor recommended she get the booster. She went online at the drug store chain, picked a day more than 6 months after her second shot, and no one asked her about being immunocompromised.
Very interesting. My major takeaway from that very nice figure: pandemic not over yet, vax not magic against delta variant, stop behaving like it is. That’s quite a drop, though, for Pfizer. Interesting that Moderna’s not really close to that. Will read it thoroughly; thanks for posting.
I have said all along there is a difference between supply and access to appointments. The infrastructure needs to be there.
I am reading articles about pharmacies running out and people going for an appointment to find no boosters avaliable atthat time. I am concerned this will get worse and those of us who have not jumped the line will again have some trouble accessing, but it helps that areas with difficulties are considering having mass vaccination clinics again.
Walmart has a well known logistics infrastructure, which should be far better than any municipality in administering doses, so any shortages should be minimal and brief. The doses given this month were largely manufactured in April, and should expire by the end of October. Earlier recipients got shots largely manufactured in March, or even February. Doses are discarded 6 months from the date of manufacture.
One day later – ShawWife slept terribly as her hip hurt from something else and her shoulder hurt from her shot. Later that day, she began to feel terrible. Feverish. Hot and cold. Went to sleep. Didn’t eat lunch and had chicken soup for dinner. I gave her ibuprofen, Vitamin D and Zinc (the latter two at the suggestion of her New Age sister) after dinner. She felt a little better before going to bed. This morning (48 hours after booster), she felt good enough to go kayaking for a couple of hours on the river with some friends. She’s still kayaking. So, not perfect but good enough.
I have an appointment for my Pfizer booster today and I’m going to see if they will give me my flu shot as well. I had no side effects from the first 2 shots, so I’m crossing my fingers that this one will go okay as well.
I will. The one I saw this morning related to the Bay Area (Walnut Creek was one location) and said that people showed up for appointments but there were no vaccines left. That is actually a separate issue from being able to find an appointment… That same article had a link to an article saying that area of CA might have mass vaccination sites again.
I will post when I see them.
I was curious and went on the CVS site in my area of MA. There is no longer an option for being immunocompromised and getting the shot before the 6 months is up, on their questionnaire. I suppose a person could walk in but wonder if they now want documentation for vaccine before 6 months from 2nd shot.
Also wonder if they now want to see vaccination cards to check date of last shot.
It is not obvious from that page whether the issue described is specific to CVS or has appeared elsewhere. CVS is quoted as saying that “While our stores continue to receive booster dose shipments and there is no widespread shortage of vaccine, the high demand for booster shots in some locations may have exceeded the initial allocation we received from the government.”
I got my booster at CVS last week and the pharmacist wanted to see my vaccination card. I’m not sure if that was to see if I was at least six months out from second shot (which I was) or just so he could write in the date and place that I was receiving the booster (which he did).