COVID-19 vaccine thoughts/concerns

[Punky44]

I am counting down the days until my mom, dad and grandma can get this vaccine* and the second it is available to the general public I will be the first in line!

Am I still a little leery of the unknown potential risks of a brand new vaccine? Yes.

Am I way more leery of all of the documented horrible stuff that has happened to hundreds of thousands of people who got Covid? Way more yes.

I am so thankful to those trial participants who took one for the team and were the real first people in line. Now that it’s looking both safe and effective, I am much less leery and more excited than anything else.

*Moderna or Pfizer

[CRguy]

Hi everyone,
I was wondering what others on this forum are thinking about the COVID-19 vaccine.
Question 1: Are you open to getting the vaccine right away or do you want to wait until more information is published about side effects, safety, etc.?

I would be if I were in the demographic which seems to be currently targeted for it locally : first line health care workers, essential service responders, vulnerable seniors in confined housing. I am not, so I will continue to maintain anti-COVID measures as best I can until such time as I am eligible for the vaccine.

Question 2: Are there any concerns that cancer patients (not currently receiving chemotherapy/radiation/immunotherapy) should have?

I have not heard any so far, BUTT immunocompromised individuals may simply NOT be able to respond adequately to the vaccine and develop protective antibody titers. The vaccines, as noted here, are not modified live / attenuated / or whole virus and would not be expected to pose any inherent risk to that population.

I believe the major consideration for the Pfizer vaccine is logistics, in that its extreme low temperature storage requirements will be a challenge for delivery on a mass scale. There are also supply chain and production bottlenecks which need sorting out.
BTW .... I am NOT anti Pfizer
I own shares !!!!! So I really hope they can work things out for the best.
( Maybe shareholders can get some freebies ?? )

Cheers All
CRguy

[KimT]

No vaccine for me or my family. The vaccine has never been done this way before and the long term effects are unknown.

[utahgal7]

boxhill - I hope you can get the vaccine soon. I had heard that states with larger populations would get vaccine first after the initial distribution to health care workers and those staying in LTC facilities. This may be wrong info.
roadrunner - Wow, thank you for sharing your knowledge about the vaccine. I hope that I am not in the 10-15% that gets the side effects. However, those side effects would be better than having COVID-19 and being on a ventilator.
koreysue - I will have to look at those instagram pages. Thank you for sharing. I, too, am anxious to get the COVID-19 vaccine.
punky44 - Yes, waiting is hard. We've been waiting 8 months for a vaccine....hopefully, it will only be a little while longer.
CRguy - I worry about those of us that are immunocompromised. I hope this population can develop immunity fairly quickly.
Kim - I completely respect your decision. You have to do what you feel is right for you and your family. Stay safe!

[boxhill]

My oncologist told me that people in care facilities are in the same tier as medical staff, although immediately below/after them.

I don't know exactly where us patients fall, or what the criteria are. I am now 67, so maybe that's a factor.

For those who want the vaccine, note that he said that I would receive it **through them**. So if you are a patient at a cancer center, it might be a good idea to ask them about their anticipated protocol. Perhaps they have priority over family practice PCPs.

utahgal7-- Maine has a very small population, only about 1.2 million. I don't know how that factors into distribution. We are also the oldest or one of the oldest states.

[roadrunner]

CRguy: That’s a good cautionary note on the effects of cancer treatment, which can cause immunocompromise, on potential response. My responsive note of what may be cockeyed optimism: The Pfizer and Moderna candidates produced such uniform and consistent responses *even in the elderly* (reported to be in line with the 95%), that I am hopeful that seroconversion will occur in even significantly compromised persons, which would likely provide at least some level of protection (e.g., against the worst outcomes). Otherwise, those folks will be waiting for herd immunity which, given the resistance to vaccines in some quarters, may never come.

[horizon]

Yes and I'm hoping that my status as a cancer survivor puts me into one of the categories that gets it earlier than other people my age. If Dr. Fauci and independent review give it the ok I'm all in.

[ronnieciao]

I will be first in the queue when it becomes available. I'm not that concerned about covid for myself (I am relatively young and people my group usually recover with no issues -although I've seen exceptions first hand) but for my elderly grandparents and all people who are immunosuppressed who I could inadvertently infect.
I honestly wish they made it compulsory for everyone able to get it.

Veronica

[CRguy]

Just bumping this up as we have another thread discussing this issue !!!
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=65140

AND now there is also another variant strain emerging, apparently via South Africa and the U.K. ??

[Melanie67]

I will get the vaccine on January 4th. I work at a long term care facility, I visit my elderly parents daily, and I start back on chemo January 12th. I will be getting the vaccine to protect others and myself. While this vaccine was created and approved quickly it was tested in tens of thousands individuals. Also, the mRNA process is the same process used to create cancer vaccines and has been around for many years. I hope this helps our country get to herd immunity.

[JJH]

Holidaymakers warned of rising coronavirus cases at European destinations
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/jul/06/holidaymakers-warned-of-rising-coronavirus-cases-at-european-destinations
.