There will always be a small percentage of the population who can’t get certain vaccines due to allergies or other medical conditions (things like Guillain-Barre syndrome). This is true of all vaccines, nothing special here for the COVID vaccine.
Having multiple different vaccines is an advantage for people with specific allergies. For example, influenza vaccine is commonly produced in eggs, so those with egg allergies cannot get egg-based influenza vaccine. However, there are now non-egg-based influenza vaccines that are readily available and do not cost more, so those with egg allergies can get those kinds of influenza vaccines.
So if someone is allergic to a component in the Pfizer / BioNTech vaccine, but that component is not used in the other vaccines, they could get one of the other vaccines instead. (But then some other people may be allergic to a component in one of the other vaccines, but not the Pfizer / BioNTech one.)
Our hospital is just like what your son described. We have tents set up and they are full. I will be getting the Pfizer vaccine on Dec 17th ( I am a nurse practitioner working for med school and do hospital rounds.
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Thank you for posting this article. I would love to read it but the new design of this sight keeps kicking me back to the top. This response also took multiple attempts. I have a newer iPhone and this site is nearly impossible to navigate now. I may not be back but wanted to thank all that have shared such amazing information on this a d other threads.
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Please report back with your experience getting the vaccine. Where are you getting the vaccine-set up by employer?/well-organized?/any personal side effects?/when do you need to get 2nd dose?
My sister has cystic fibrosis and my son has ulcerative colitis and immune compromised due to medication he takes every 8 weeks. I know they would not be as early on the list as health care providers, but I think they would be earlier than the rest of my family and wondering if they would need to get some instruction/authorization from the doctor to get the vaccine. I think based on the CDC guidelines (which isn’t necessarily what individual states are required to go by) they might be group 1c.
Commentary on today’s FDA Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine hearing:
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I will report to this thread the side effects of the vaccine. It is the hospital that is giving employees the vaccine. I hope your sister and son can get the vaccine too.
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If someone is on an immune suppressant, will the vaccine even work? I thought that was a problem.
Also what are the side effects/risks for those with autoimmune disorders? Stoking the immune system as vaccines do, also stokes the autoimmune attack on the body.
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I will definitely consult with my son”a Gastroenterologist before he gets vaccine. I know he is to supposed to get live vaccines.
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My daughter who works for a medical facility got an email today. They are encouraging all employees to get the vaccine but not requiring it. They said they will vaccine all employees who want it. Priority (following their state guidelines) will be those onsite who work with patients. (Daughter is wfh, not sure when her turn will come).
@1lotus with the live vaccine I think the danger is catching a virus from a live vaccine if the immune system is suppressed. But if it is not a live vaccine I would think, but don’t know, that the danger is that the vaccine would not be effective because they work by stoking the immune system, and with an immune suppressant, that might be a problem. But the immune system is complicated and medications generally don’t suppress all facets of immunity so I am wondering.
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Be careful if you “opt” to have a serious medical issue in my county. There are only 2 ICU beds left.
There’s always the next county over. They have 19 available. That doesn’t seem like a lot when I see 44 Covid patients are already in ICU there - and 224 are in the hospital with Covid.
Note that if ACA gets struck down in the Supreme Court, having a serious medical issue could become a pre-existing condition that will result in being unable to get individual medical insurance in the future (until one reaches socialized medical insurance age to get Medicare).
And now our county and one next to us are out of ICU beds. Another next door county is down to 16 left. All three have a lot more Covid positive folks hospitalized. If they decline or people get into a car wreck/have heart attacks/strokes/whatever, one wonders what, exactly, will happen.
@compmom this is my worry too. I am on an immuno suppressant but I am concerned that adding this virus to my body will possibly put my immune system on overload. Having one auto immune disease is not as common as having multiple from what I have seen. I have had very bad reactions to the flu shot in the past (as has my son) and my husband, who can handle the flu shot, had a bad reaction to a pneumonia shot several years back (whereas I did fine with mine).
I worry about complacency once the shot becomes mainstream. Dr. Fauci said that even though the shot gives you immunity from the virus you can still carry it and pass it on to others. I worry that people will just go willy nilly around once they get the shot with the feeling that it’s fine to not wear a mask now and that those that don’t get the shot will do the same because they feel like others cannot spread it. I realize this is still much better than not having a vaccine of course but we are a long way from life as we used to know it.
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@millermomm I agree that those who have been vaccinated may go around without a mask, and not worry about others who are not yet vaccinated. This mirrors the issues with mask-wearing in general: since masks do more to protect others, there are many who don’t wear them.
I agree on the multiple autoimmune disorders. Time will tell I guess! Good luck to you and your family.
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Wasn’t it more something like “it is possible that vaccinated people could be carriers/spreaders of the virus without getting sick themselves, but we do not really know whether and how much that is the case, because the (Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna) vaccine trials have not been testing for that”?
Obviously, at least until whether this is known, and/or everyone who wants a vaccine can get one, vaccinated people should still exercise caution to protect others. Of course, some people may not care enough about others, but such people are probably already more likely to be anti-mask and anti-(in general)-vaccine to begin with.
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D is a doctor at a major medical center. She gets the Pfizer vaccine next week. Due to the potential for side effects, doctors are staggering the days they get the shots so that there won’t be a staff shortage due to the side effects (fatigue, fever, muscle aches, etc.). These last up to 48 hours. No one is being forced to be vaccinated. It is strongly recommended.
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It won’t matter if someone is vaccinated or not with the way the rules are now in most states. Can’t go into stores, gyms, etc., without a mask. For a while longer (who knows how long), those rules are the rules and people who know they were vaccinated will still have to follow them. That is part of this that I don’t really get - who is going to decide when we don’t wear masks in stores? In class? At work? How will that even be decided?
Masks are already optional here - even though it’s state law and there’s a sign on the door saying everyone must be masked. No one enforces it.
Fortunately most comply at places I go to. I (and others) definitely judge those who don’t. We also won’t go to places where a significant number don’t wear masks.
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