My daughter-in-law doctor got her first vaccine today! She’s a 4th year resident in a combined emergency med residency, so I think she will complete the two-shot series before her next ED rotation starts.
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Our biggest local healthcare system calls people with their assigned time slot for vaccination. They have vaccinated their hospital administrators despite the fact that many are working from home, and others do not do patient care. They have vaccinated surgeons, including those who do elective surgery. During the summer, this healthcare system turned one of their 20+ hospitals into a surgery-only, non-Covid facility. Everyone who works there has been vaccinated.
Meanwhile, DH knows pulmonary care specialists and ICU nurses who treat Covid patients and have not been vaccinated. DH is not an employee of this healthcare system—he is in private practice and sees Covid patients in their hospitals. So, he accepts that they haven’t vaccinated him, but the way they have prioritized is wrong. They have vaccinated people who do not even qualify as phase 1a, yet employees in the ICUs are still waiting.
I am frustrated that there is no oversight of who is getting the vaccine. The only way to force these hospital administrators to do things by the book seems to be through the media. I admire the Stanford residents who protested. However, many others are afraid of losing their jobs if they speak up.
I’m trying to stay focussed on my gratitude for the vaccine and how effective it is.
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Both the apparently-corrupt misprioritization and the reaction to it speak volumes about how the US has fallen into a zero-sum competitive mindset, where even good news (effective vaccine available!) becomes a source of conflict.
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My husband is a manager of an essential service. He was to prioritize his employees in an order of how they would receive the vaccine. Forward facing employees are at the front of the line. He is at the bottom because he can do his job from home.
Shame on those administrators for putting themselves at the front. You are not an example to those who are unsure, you are greedy. Let everyone who wants a vaccine be first, then you can be an example.
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The fact that the health system is not following the rules may be because the CEO and our governor have a close relationship, so they are not afraid of getting reprimanded. I feel like maybe the state health department should have more power to enforce the rules, but I know they are underfunded and overwhelmed.
I do not feel good that people like senior Vice Presidents, deans of the medical school, and heads of departments got their first jab, while people who suction lungs and hold the hands of the dying are waiting.
There do seem to be many places in the country where hospitals are following the protocol and actual healthcare workers with the most high-risk patient contact got the vaccine first. I also feel lucky that DH is an infectious disease doc, so he has a lot of practice with infection control, and the PPE he needs.
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Patients are now being protected against surprise out of network bills, at long last, as part of the huge corona relief bill that DT is expected to sign.
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It’s sickening to see how much non-Covid stuff is in the bill TBH. Even when so many people are dying, to provide help for the masses who need it so many required their pet (pork) projects or deductions get included - essentially - buying their votes.
One has to wonder why some people do what they do. Well, I sort of get it, they need to be voted back in, but then again, I don’t get it. At all.
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I agree that there does seem to be a lot of irrelevant/inappropriate stuff in the Covid relief bill – but I think the limitations on out-of-network billing are very pertinent. Given staffing shortages tied to Covid, and the strain on hospitals, I think there is probably a very high likelihood these days that a person who needs to be hospitalized for Covid will run into network issues. I’d note that as hospitals fill up, people are also being redirected or moved to out of network hospitals – if the ICU at hospital A is full, but there is space at hospital B – nobody has time right now to worry about whether Hospital B is in the patient’s network.
The ban on surprise medical bills is positive. It’s a predatory and unethical practice.
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I don’t have a problem with that part at all. Just all the other totally non-related stuff tossed in there knowing the bill would pass. I don’t want to get into politics, but people should be able to google it and see what I’m talking about.
Anything health related or actual help for people affected should be in the bill.
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DH got the Moderna vaccine today! I am so happy! For us, it finally feels like the beginning of the end 
He got it because he knows someone who was upset that the hospital had not called up his group yet, even though they work in the ICU’s every day. Thank you to this person who looked out for them!
The fact that we have an effective vaccine is the best Christmas present ever 
.
Now, we just need to hunker down and stay safe until the rest of our family is vaccinated, and there’s enough for everyone who wants it.
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My daughter’s boyfriend is getting his tomorrow! Thrilled for him, he thought it was going to be the end of January
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Again, I read that the Moderna vaccine’s effects (for example) may run out after three months. So does that mean that by the time I am vaccinated, my elderly mother will again be vulnerable? Will we need to be vaccinated every three months?
It would seem the only way to achieve herd immunity might be for absolutely everyone (which is more than unlikely) to get vaccinated at once during a small increment of time, like one month (also more than unlikely).
Add this to the news of the new variants in the UK and South Africa and I am not feeling as hopeful today. Perhaps info coming out later this week will help.
My mother’s assisted living has 9 cases among residents and 6 staff, with more tests to come. Worse than the spring.
This is another one of those we do not yet know things (how long the vaccine-derived immunity lasts).
Because we do not yet know, some people will assume the most optimistic scenario (lifetime) while others will assume the most pessimistic scenario (about as long as the clinical trials have been since the volunteers have gotten the vaccine).
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Thanks @ucbalumnus. I need to be skeptical of media also: I forget the source where I read 3 months for Moderna. Skepticism all around is best. Trying to stay on the optimistic team!
My 89 year old father who was hospitalized in the spring with COVID (back in April), tested positive again this week in his assisted living. This is the 2nd or 3rd time over several months he does have some negative tests in between. I guess he still has the virus in him (wonder if he will ever get rid of it). Back to 14 days of isolation - again. The assisted living won’t open up more until they have 100% negative tests, don’t think that is happening. Will probably open once they have 100% vaccinated instead.
My mother’s assisted living has 9 residents positive and 8 staff with two more staff exposed. They are seriously understaffed and administrators worked all day yesterday.
No visits, no meals downstairs, no activities. I wish they had stopped indoor visits before this happened , not after, but they followed state guidelines. It may have been staff who brought it in, who knows, or one of the visiting aides or nurses. It doesn’t matter. It was inevitable I think.
All residents and direct care staff were tested because many of the cases were asymptomatic. This is the first time residents and care staff have been tested since this all began. They will be retested tomorrow and tests will continue until all are negative.
One resident has died. This is a worse outbreak than in March/April but death rate is lower.
My mother has what looks like a skin cancer lesion (her 4th squamous cell in months). They grow fast. I cannot get in to evaluate. Staff are too busy to help. Going to the doc is difficult. Tough all around for everyone.
Hoping the vaccine comes soon and that it is not a case of the virus outrunning the vaccine for folks.
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It will be so great if the further research shows that the vaccine prevents shedding of the virus as well as preventing disease. I know so many people that think they can stop with masks and distancing as soon as they get the vaccine. That may be true but that certainly isn’t confirmed yet.
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Another scary after effect people should be aware of - just in case - esp since it hits younger and middle aged people with just mild effects:
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I couldn’t get past the firewall, but ugh, that’s scary. Psychosis is a horrible, horrible thing. We’ve had to call 911 multiple times when our son became psychotic. He’s never been violent at our home, but he did lash out in the hospital. This one symptom alone is enough to convince me to be VERY careful.
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