Vaccine reluctance & General COVID Discussion

[momofboiler1]

Friends here are reporting they were able to get their kids appointments for next week.

[MaineLonghorn]

It must vary by region. I bet appointments will show up soon.

[Marilyn]

Just opened the CVS web site and it says :

Select CVS Pharmacy® locations will be offering the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for ages 5 to 11 starting Sunday, November 7. [Schedule nowSchedule a vaccine now]

Site know I’m in San Diego.

[mathKids]

Children require different dosage and therefore cannot use the standard vaccines. It may simply be waiting for the supply of pediatric vaccines.

How to Get a Covid Shot for Your Kid (Published 2021)

But parents rushing to make vaccine appointments are likely to discover they can’t get the shot as quickly as they might have hoped. In the past, shots for older children or booster shots for adults immediately became available a day or two after the committee vote. But that’s because the vaccines for children 12 and older are identical to those given to adults. The shots created just for younger children are still being distributed around the country.

Younger children will receive one-third of the dose authorized for those 12 and older, delivered with smaller needles and stored in smaller vials to avoid mix-ups with adult doses.

[deb922]

The news said this morning to allow the chain pharmacies 24 hours to get their software updated.

[mathKids]

Here is a bit more regarding the pediatric vaccine availability.

Some of us anticipated the vaccine, but were thrown a wrench. The 12+ year Pfizer vaccine (30 mcg of RNA) is a purple cap that we’ve been using since December 2020. It’s been known for several months that the dose for children would be 10 mcg. So, many pediatricians (including me) ordered extra purple caps in October in anticipation of pediatric authorization. We can easily measure out 10 mcg from the purple cap vials.

But, on October 14th, it was announced that the Pfizer 5-11 vaccine would be a different size vial with a different buffer. This vaccine will have an orange cap. Pediatricians and administrators are not allowed to give 5-11 year olds doses from purple cap vials. So, the pediatricians who thought they were prepared were caught off guard with the new formulation.

This comes from the latest post by Your Local Epidemiologist (Facebook). One of my favorite COVID resources.
You may also find it at

Your Local Epidemiologist | Katelyn Jetelina | Substack

[Nrdsb4]

Got my flu shot today. Will wait a few weeks, then will start my Shingrex series.

Rather than vaccine reluctant, I’m turning into a vaccine junky.

[garland]

I feel the same way! Booster last week, flu the week before, and am contemplating when to fit in the Shingrex which I meant to do years ago.

[twoinanddone]

I got shingrex and flu on the same day. No problem.

[CTTC]

This also describes the burden placed upon pediatric practices to administer the pediatric covid vaccine to kids: https://www.medpagetoday.com/opinion/second-opinions/95340?xid=nl_secondopinion_2021-11-02&eun=g1828535d0r&fbclid=IwAR2Rcj16qdguuBydVuufwlI-u--PLb4Hau78jE0PDrgvv9SuvJOfvpDQv0I

[CTTC]

@twoinanddone

I got shingrex and flu on the same day. No problem.

So did I (last year). My Shingrix arm was definitely sorer, and I think I was tired the next day, but it didn’t bother me.

My H, however, breezed through 3 Pfizer doses with nothing more than a sore arm. The second Shingrix shot knocked him back a bit, though (not administered with any other immunization).

[Vineyarder]

I’ve been trying to figure out when to do Shingrix. Did flu already, not due for a Covid booster until January. I’ve been trying to time Shingrix ahead of a weekend so I don’t miss (or suffer through) work, but the time never seems to be right.

[Creekland]

We’re trying when to fit in our boosters. Neither H nor I had any problems with Pfizer 1 or 2, other than a sore arm, but I want to allow for time if Moderna gives us issues. We’ve got FIL, Holidays, his trying to actually get some work in, and my getting a young pony schooled in the basics for a Christmas sale to work in.

Fortunately, we did Shingrix a year or two ago and had our flu shots a couple of weeks ago. It’s just the booster we need to work in, and we want it at least 2 weeks before Holiday travel so it really needs to fit in next week somewhere. We’ll get home Monday or Tuesday, so I guess it’ll be Tuesday or Wednesday and we’ll just deal with whatever side effects we have to deal with.

[thumper1]

Maybe they don’t have the reduced dosage Pfizer vaccines near you @MaineLonghorn . That would explain appointment availability for folks who are older and are receiving the full dosage shots.

[roycroftmom]

Testing kits will be in very short supply soon as OSHA just released requirements for larger companies that need to have vaxxed or tested employees. Off to find 2500 kits this week…

[bluebayou]

I raised these same issues over a year ago on ‘the other thread’ (and was shot down by the masses).

[roycroftmom]

In further absurdity, federal contractors no longer need to fire unvaxxed employees by the deadline, but are supposed to offer education and counseling. This is not our job, our HR has no idea how to implement, and our unvaxxed employees are not going to amenable. We provide avionic software, not health care education.

[eyemgh]

@MaineLonghorn

I just checked, and parents can’t sign their kids up for vaccinations at CVS or Walgreens in our area.

I’d be surprised if CVS or Walgreens offer Pfizer at all. My pharmacy doesn’t. The Pfizer mRNA vaccine requires special refrigeration equipment that most pharmacies and PCPs don’t have. Moderna can just be stored in a regular refrigerator.

[Singswimsew]

My local CVS had only Pfizer on offer for boosters. No Moderna. At least on the day I went.

[mathKids]

@eyemgh

I’d be surprised if CVS or Walgreens offer Pfizer at all. My pharmacy doesn’t. The Pfizer mRNA vaccine requires special refrigeration equipment that most pharmacies and PCPs don’t have. Moderna can just be stored in a regular refrigerator.

That’s never been an issue around here. Many people got Pfizer in CVS and other pharmacies. It’s actually Moderna that’s hard to find around here.