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Post by Rasaiu on May 14, 2021 5:16:15 GMT -5
Government finally had enough with people who should be vaccinated but didn't want to be. They decided to open vaccination for everyone who wants it. But before that, they still gave a week long chance for priority groups to apply and get their shot. And it turned out that my professional field suddenly became a priority group, just 3 days before everyone can get their vaccine. Of course, I applied - close to my home, on the 1st day of 4 days long holidays, in the morning. It was perfect to get the shot and spend all holidays at home in case if I felt any symptoms.
The perfect appointment, perfect plan, everything collapsed the minute I arrived to get my shot. There was a long, a very long line of people waiting for their shot, despite having a specific appointment. It turned out that because of technical issues the appointments were ~30 min late, at least that's what they said. The person in charge went through the line and picked seniors with whom they made another line. I stood in the main line, made a little calculations of how long it will take me to get my vaccine. I concluded that in the best scenario an hour. I went online and cancelled my appointment 5 min before my time. And went home.
On the media they tell that ''we have so many free spots, come and get your vaccine'' and ''why no one applies for vaccines?''. And I look up - yeah, there are free spots, weeks away. I've talked with my friends, colleagues and they have stories about their acquaintances who called to some mystical phone number and made an appointment and got their shot in next day. Do they make multiple lines? I just can't...
Anyway, I'm still checking available times but most likely I won't apply for a time which is weeks away. Though, I prefer staying at home, avoiding people and shopping online.
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Post by Geo 🇺🇦 🌻 on May 14, 2021 17:48:18 GMT -5
My employer sent updated guidance that basically says follow CDC guidance on masks. So when we go back to the office, vaccinated people won’t have to wear a mask. Based on out of office notices sent to my calendar, my team is fully vaccinated.
I realize that an issue will be someone who may be dishonest and pretend they are vaccinated. There will always be someone like that I feel. Other issues may be people who aren’t comfortable taking the mask off quite yet but might feel peer pressured or might be looked at as someone who hasn’t been vaccinated.
This is a more complicated social issue, but at the same time, I understand the CDC’s desire to create an incentive to get vaccinated given that vaccination rates have stalled in the US. Hopefully the majority of the people will do the right thing, even though there will be a handful that don’t.
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Post by Allison on May 14, 2021 20:16:13 GMT -5
I am two weeks post vaccine 2 today!! Just in time for the relaxed CDC guidelines, and just in time for "everyone in the office, full time, no remote work" order that starts on Monday, thanks to my governor.
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Post by Huntress on May 17, 2021 11:43:27 GMT -5
Well, this has been a most exciting and harrowing experience of my life.
Our vaccine situation is, unsurprisingly, A Great Big Ball of Heck. You'd think that jabbing a mere million people give-or-take-some-antivaxxers wouldn't be difficult or take very long. You'd think wrong. We've spent a few months waiting behind the elderly age group, who simply aren't signing up any more, then a few weeks ago they finally opened up the 50+ age group. Then the 40+ age group.
Then the news came that the vaccines would be opened up for everyone today. Very Excite. Two days ago, sudden news also came through that the 30+ age group would be released first. Yaaaay. Let's see what we can-
okay, so this is how our system works. We have the digital health platform, Digilugu. A pretty nifty system where you log in with your ID card and instantly see everything to do with your health, medical history, X-rays, referrals, bills-that-you-don't-actually-pay-but-the-state-discloses-for-your-reference. This is also where you sign up for the vaccine. Log in, pick your preferred shot because everyone is a connoisseur all of a sudden, see available times and dates.
There were times and dates available, but only at the other end of the country. Take your pick of a five-hour roadtrip in a given direction. Which we could do if it came down to that, but experience has shown that the times run out and then more get added a while later, so I elected to wait.
Today, the vaccination times were meant to open up for the 16+ age segment at 7 PM, so at around 5:30 I decided to go take a look again - logically speaking, there have to be new vaccines available for that new segment so I might be able to snag a time as a ripe old 30+ before the stampede starts.
Now, the important thing with Digilugu is that in order to avoid complete system overload, they implemented a system where they keep you waiting in line and let people log in a bit at a time. So when I showed up, there were around 5,000 people in line before me and the waiting time was some half an hour. Okay, sure, can do.
The waiting time kept pushing itself forward. 6 PM, then 6:10, then 6:30. Odds were that younger people were also piling up into the line by then, since the hallowed 7 PM was approaching. Aaany minute now.
6:40, the line got suspended. Aughaghagh.
Checked the line in another browser.
40 000 people.
Well, ha, by that point I was 600th in line and it was close to 7 PM so the odds were looking very good. Only now I had to keep an eye on the line. The system gives you 10 minutes to log in and 20 to stay logged in so I couldn't stray very far.
aaaaany minute now.
aaaaaaaaany minute.
seven people before me!
then HAPPY JINGLING NOISES! I got to log in, the glory!
Pick your vaccine! Search for available times! There's one in Tallinn! Saturday the 29th! Saturday means I don't have to worry about babyhandling - any side effects can be sorted over the weekend - okay this can be done - click BOOK.
"This time is already booked by someone else."
PANIK.
Okay, there were more times further down for the same site. Scroll down, click another timeslot. KALM.
This one's booked too. PANIK.
Okay, scroll all the way down to the list of timeslots and pick the very last one.
AGHAGH YESSS IT IS DONE.
I mean, odds are very good that there'll be oodles of available times to pick from in a few weeks and politicians will be begging for anyone at all to come get their shots, but hey, the stampede excitement is at least something to tell the grandkids. Right now it's 7:40 and there are 48,000 people in line.
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Post by Celestial on May 18, 2021 7:54:59 GMT -5
Still waiting for first dose vaccine appointment for my mum.
See blue envelope from the NHS in the mail. Get excited.
It's for me. It's my second dose. The one I got due to a technical error.
I...I mean, sure, I'll take it, but I just...can my mum please have her first dose like 70% of all 40-49 year olds in Scotland? She is not at risk but she is 48 and it would be nice to get her done. The official guidance still says that if you've not gotten your appointment, you should keep waiting, but blah. She is getting jerked around by the system and I'm not a fan of it. Especially because I do still feel some guilt at skipping the queue, albeit not by choice.
On the other hand, yay second dose, going to be fully vaxxed. \o/ Going to be interesting getting AstraZeneca now that it is disallowed for my age group, but the guidance is that if your second dose was AZ and you were fine, you should get that. Which I was.
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Post by Thorn on May 18, 2021 16:28:31 GMT -5
Ugh that's frustrating, Celes. Hope your mother can get her first dose soon.
My mother has had the first and is booked for her second. My first should have been in June or July, but now they're saying things will likely be delayed further for me and most of the population. And it's a bit scary, given the borders are slowly opening back up.
On the bright side, I'm getting my flu shot tomorrow, so at least I'll get that out of the way with plenty of time for when I am eventually offered my first covid shot.
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Post by Ginz ❤ on May 19, 2021 16:43:44 GMT -5
My sister got her vaccine today because she works on education. She got the CanSino, which is only one dose \o/ Not only that, but she came over to have lunch with us afterwards, and it was such a wonderful surprise! <3
They've also just announced that my age range will be getting vaccines on July/August, so that's great news! Only a couple more months... it'll be my turn soon! Gotta be patient.
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Post by Thorn on May 19, 2021 17:59:13 GMT -5
Congrats to your sister Ginz! And glad you had such a lovely day with her.
The vaccination centre in my city is in the mall I work in. I found out today that one of my colleagues, who is the same age as me and has no COVID risk factors, got his first shot. Because if you hang around in the mall's food court near the end of the day, the nurses come out and ask if anyone wants a jab, if people missed their appointments that day.
I might try hanging around and see if I have any luck (after a few weeks of course, because I just got my flu shot today.)
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Post by Geo 🇺🇦 🌻 on May 20, 2021 11:05:57 GMT -5
*sigh*
Now people here are going about this magical "HIPPA" (it's actually spelled HIPAA) law that doesn't apply to the public. They're claiming that asking someone about their vaccination status is a HIPAA violation. It's really not because HIPAA only covers "Covered Entities" which would be like medical providers and their "Business Associates" such as insurance companies. Definitely does not cover the person on the street that just wants to protect themselves or that business that just wants to protect their customers.
To make things worse, others are talking about other laws meant for those with disabilities, civil rights laws, etc, saying that asking about vaccination status is a violation of a plethora of rights that don't actually exist.
Misinformation is a "gift" that keeps on "giving" it seems. Maybe I should live-stream my HIPAA training next time I have to do it xD.
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Post by Celestial on May 24, 2021 10:42:17 GMT -5
I am now fully stabbed. They gave me a full rundown of the clotting side effect of AZ and told me to call if I experience any of the symptoms, even if I am unsure. But given that I was fine with my first dose, I should be fine with this one.
Arm is super numb. Let's see if I get gross and cold and feverish like last time.
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Post by Blueysicle on May 25, 2021 12:08:19 GMT -5
Fully vaccinated as of today! (That includes the two weeks after the second shot) My mom got smacked with a bad couple days of side-effects after her second shot, but I got a mild reaction, if anything. It was mostly another round of fatigue; my legs felt like they had weights strapped to them as if I had been exerting myself, even though all I did in the day following my second shot was lay in bed. My arm was sore, of course, and part of the skin below where the needle went was flaming red for about five days or so. (But not around the spot where I actually got the shot, weirdly enough) I think someone mentioned side-effects regarding periods, and on my end: Nothing unusual, really. Apparently the vaccines can cause heavier periods, but my flow's still been what's normal for me. Though I wonder if it would have been different if I had actually been on my period on the day I got my shots? I started mine a few days after the first shot, and about a week and a half after my second. (My cycle has always been slightly erratic...) My state just lifted the mask mandates for those that are fully vaccinated this week, but personally I'm still going to wear mine when in public and indoors for the time being. The way I look at it: I trust science, but I don't trust people. That is to say, I don't trust people to not lie about their vaccination status just so they don't have to be asked to put on a mask. :/
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Post by Ian Wolf-Park on May 29, 2021 16:04:57 GMT -5
Got my 1st does today, which ended being Pzifer. Now I just have to wait until September for my 2nd dose, according to my province's guidelines. Eh, I don't mind the wait because it will be worth it.
EDIT: A couple of hours after receiving the shot, I'm now starting to feeling the soreness in my right arm.
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Post by Kat on May 30, 2021 4:14:46 GMT -5
My mom, grandpa and I got our first doses of Sinovac today. Our city government had two venues - a mall, and our city hall where some people have to wait in a tent outside, and some of you may remember that I've been griping about the summer heat (which sometimes reaches higher than 35C). Since both my mom and grandpa are senior citizens, of course we chose the mall. The process was also more orderly than the long line we saw at the vaccination site in the city hall. At first there was a bit of a snag when the staff were like "no your names aren't here" but we were finally allowed in especially when we said we were with my grandpa.
Our next dose isn't for 28 days and so far the only side effect we're experiencing is some soreness where we were pricked. We're still waiting for an arrangement for my grandma who can't leave the house, and waiting for my dad's company to start rolling out their vaccines.
We have a bit of a conundrum though. My sister is 27 years old and is on the autism spectrum. When she's asked if she would like to get her vaccine, she doesn't answer. She doesn't want to and she's scared of shots. When she was required to get a flu shot (the school where my mom used to work and where she brought my sister at times required both of them to get shots), the only reason she remained quiet was to slowly but surely build up a screaming crescendo. We asked her awhile ago if she wanted to come with us but she stayed home instead. One of the folks at the vaccination center said we had to encourage her to get her shot because some of us come and go from the house so even if she just stays at home, the risk is still there and we're still halfway to completing our doses.
My question is, how do we encourage her to get a vaccine? My dad decided it was better to let her have her way for now instead of forcing her, but we do want her to have her shots as well. Right now we're going to try to convince her by saying we've already had our shots and they're fine, but I don't think we can tell her "no they didn't hurt" knowing that her experience has always been "NO THEY HURT"
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Post by Allison on May 30, 2021 19:35:39 GMT -5
Kat That's a hard one. Would a reward of some sort help? I mean, even as an adult, I reward myself for such things, but rewarding yourself. So maybe suggesting you'll do something fun together after?? That depends on many factors, I suppose. Would the "helping others" aspect work? What does she like, or what motivates her? Could you incorporate that somehow? Is there a one dose option in your country, so she only has to do it (and you only have to convince her) one time?
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Post by Kat on May 30, 2021 19:54:40 GMT -5
Kat That's a hard one. Would a reward of some sort help? I mean, even as an adult, I reward myself for such things, but rewarding yourself. So maybe suggesting you'll do something fun together after?? That depends on many factors, I suppose. Would the "helping others" aspect work? What does she like, or what motivates her? Could you incorporate that somehow? Is there a one dose option in your country, so she only has to do it (and you only have to convince her) one time? I'm thinking of the reward system (maybe a nice snack) as well. Someone also suggested giving her a distraction, like a toy or maybe have her watch something on Youtube while getting her shot. She tends to have this one series she's extremely into at any given time (like presently she constantly has Youtube on for Miraculous Ladybug episodes and other related videos) but there are activities she only likes to do under certain conditions, like a routine. Currently we don't have a one-dose option, I think.
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