When having these discussions, it is important to remember that each state seems to handle vaccinations and record-keeping differently. I believe all the comments upthread are sharing truthful/accurate anecdotal information; however, as the posters must be in different states the experience varies wildly.
I received my first covid vacc at a pop up clinic over an hour from home. I was asked for my ID. I guess I could have refused, but never considered that so I don’t know if that would have been a factor in receiving the vacc. My vacc information was entered in the state database as part of the checkout when I received my vaccination card. I was able to see the screen and my vaccination records going back to 1971. I received my second vacc at a pharmacy near home and they were able to see the first vaccination. I believe the reason for checking was to confirm Pfizer vs Moderna to make sure I was getting the correct second dose.
I agree with @HImom and will consult our healthcare provider when considering the booster (until the booster is recommended under EUA or FDA approval). There are too many unknowns to make that decision as a layperson. Besides, since our state does have a database I doubt I could get a booster if I tried.
Thanks, everyone, for sharing articles and anecdotal data. It is very interesting hearing from those of you in the healthcare community and learning how different parts of the country handle the vaccines.
It would be very nice to have an accurate Vax database. But that isn’t the primary goal of public health authorities right now, which is to flatten the curve and stop covid transmission thru shots. To do that, ID and insurance requirements are waived. Although the readership of CC likely has no problems with either, apparently millions do, and that can seriously inhibit vaccination. There is a reason our highway signs now read “free shot/no ID at XYZ stadium”. It works.
The issue is Delta variant for Israel, and now for us. Also, immunity is highest shortly after the second dose. So when UK delayed the second dose, their population was less protected with only one dose for months, but that second dose for them has been given more recently, hence higher antibody titers, and higher protection against Delta now.
Thank you so much for this information. My mom had an episode of ITP that lead to hospitalization/many transfusions several years ago. I will make sure she mentions this to her doctor.
FWIW I’m not aware of any central database in MA. My primary care doctor has my vaccinations in their system but I don’t know how they got them. The hospital group that I also have a patient relationship with does not have my vaccinations in their system and keeps sending me emails to sign up and get one. I have given the two systems permission to talk to each other and they do for lab results but they haven’t transferred the vaccination information. Bottom line, I think it would be pretty easy to just walk in and get one in MA, if I was so inclined.
If she didn’t have an episode triggered by Covid vaccine already, she probably wouldn’t from a subsequent shot, but there’s always a chance. The episodes I’ve heard of have been triggered by Moderna, but that doesn’t mean that the others cannot. It’s very rare, however. Also, there’s the issue of what triggered her previous episode(s) of ITP, in terms of risk of a vaccine triggering ITP recurrence.
I very much appreciate your discussing the issues around ITP.
I have a D whose father has very difficult to manage ITP for much of his adult life (splenectomy didn’t really help) and in the past my D’s bloodwork has been flagged for low platelets on blood tests and she has had episodes of petechiae. Both sides of her family have an autoimmune history. She also has high autoantibodies related to clotting in addition to other high autoantibody levels.
She was sick last fall with a virus and very slow with recovery and is still not quite the same. She did a self administered covid test at a pharmacy at the time which was negative but the pulmonologist who did her lung function tests thinks she may have had covid with a false negative test because it fits her illness at the time and the long haul type symptoms she’s had.
I appreciate all information regarding the best way to handle this situation. She is an adult who lives far from home in a rural area. She is registered with a primary but only gets to see a PA and it doesn’t always seem like she is getting the best guidance. She makes her own decisions but I like to be prepared if she asks for advice.
I do not doubt their good intentions or work ethic. The problem for me (and thousands of others) is that they may not complete their research before my immunity wanes.
Nope. The theory is that the immune response triggered by anything slops over into re-triggering the body’s proclivity to manufacture antibodies to platelets. The specific vaccine I’ve heard of has been Moderna, but theoretically, any vaccine (or infectious illness) could trigger it. This is why I say that the risk/benefit ratio may still favor immunization, even for those who have a history of ITP, because if they don’t get vaccinated, they’re likely to contract Covid at some time, and aside from Covid’s other symptoms, it could trigger for them a severe ITP episode.
Or before their honored provider, who is just eagerly sitting by the phone waiting to return all those phone calls from his/her thousands of patients to discuss in detail with each and every one of them the advisability of a 3rd dose, calls them back!
The reality is that no one’s primary care providers knows jack… about this issue, unless they are uniquely positioned to obsessively follow the research and reports regarding this matter (as I unfortunately am). When the calls start pouring in about 3rd doses, the provider will tell the receptionist to just tell people that the provider doesn’t know yet, and that everyone should wait for CDC direction. Meanwhile, some people with waning immunity will contract Delta variant and suffer the consequences, as they wait for direction from our CDC, that STILL won’t mandate universal masking in public places (although they had no hesitancy to freeze up the housing market by nationalizing our nation’s rental housing without compensation), and that seems to be about three months behind on every aspect of this still rapidly evolving pandemc.
Germany too will offer booster shots next month to the older or vulnerable population, and to those who received AZ or JJ shots. No word on exact age, tho likely either 50 or 60.
Can’t blame you. It seems a lot of people with JNJ are doing that. My daughter who was in ISrael all summer had people on her program with JNJ that had breakthrough cases there.
One of my MDs admitted he’s going to try to sneak in a 3rd dose somehow. I didn’t ask for details but he has a lot of exposure in the ER/ICU. He also got vaccinated early as a healthcare worker.
Wish I could get me, H and mom a booster but I guess we will wait. My fav pharmacist said no place is authorized to give anyone a 3rd shot yet.
If efficacy wears off in a certain number of months, I do hope that health care workers, SCF residents, and first responders will be getting vaccines sooner than later. Health care folks in this family were fully vaccinated by the start of January. That’s 7 months ago. With a spike in cases in many places, I would hate to see these folks get sick.
