The Booster

[RSteve]

In Minnesota, the Covid hospitalized numbers are now the highest since last April. Almost all hospitalized are not vaccinated. A booster shot for the immune impaired and elderly is recommended for those who are vaccinated but whose last injection was 6+ months ago. That's me and I was fortunate to get an appointment for a booster on Sunday at a CVS pharmacy. (I have no idea why this is in bold.)​

"1 million Minnesotans eligible for Pfizer booster shot​

New Pfizer shot urged for seniors, others
By Glenn Howatt Star Tribune, SEPTEMBER 24, 2021 — 5:06PM

Minnesotans seeking Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine booster shots might get them quicker at pharmacies than at large health care systems, state health officials said Friday.
Up to 1 million Minnesotans are expected to become eligible for the Pfizer booster once six months have passed since they received their second dose."

Added later: I just saw this in Saturday's Mpls Star Tribune:

COVID-19 surge forcing St. Cloud Hospital to expand ICU, delay other care​

"Our hospital is full because of unvaccinated COVID-related patients."

• School-linked COVID-19 outbreaks triple in Minnesota

 

[RSteve]

I did get my booster on Sunday at a CVS pharmacy. I went through the whole process of registering on-line, getting an appointment, etc. While I was there, there were a couple of walk-ins who asked the pharmacist if he could give them vaccinations. He said that he could after he gave me my booster.​

 

[Brewdude]

I got my booster at a Walgreens as a walk-in since they didn't appear to take appointments. I had to fill out a form and then it was just a short wait for the ***. Being as I'm immune-compromised this was important to me.


Cheers,

RR

 

[ftrplt]

Had mine on 7 Sept at my Drs. office. I just asked for it! Bam! Done!! FTRPLT

 

[Zeno Marx]

I didn't get a booster (yet), but the Walgreens in town don't take reservations anymore. The people wanting the vaccine has been down to a trickle for a few months now. It's such a hassle for them to go through their system that they prefer you just walk in. I have to say that the paperwork on being vaccinated is disturbingly not uniform or consistent. Some printed. Some hand-written. Some with stickers applied to them. I'm paranoid that if I decide to travel or go to an event, they'll look at mine and think a child made it on their tablet. I'm not sure if I would even believe it. Makes me think whoever is working the event or flight is going to need to take a class just to read the vaccine cards. Or maybe they don't actually look at them and just go through the act to satisfy their bosses. More scrutiny goes into buying a bottle of wine than into something serious like this.

 

[Carlos]

A week or so for me.

 

[RSteve]

After each of the first two injections, I had no injection site reactions. The pharmacist who gave me the booster must have it a nerve, because my arm is still sore. After the second injection, about a week later, I felt exhausted for 3, 4 days. This time the exhaustion hit sooner, plus the day after the booster I ran a modest fever. It's 3 days post booster and I may have to take a nap.

 

[RSteve]

This time the exhaustion hit sooner, plus the day after the booster I ran a modest fever. It's 3 days post booster and I may have to take a nap.

I'm still dealing with intermittent feelings of exhaustion. Yesterday, before noon, I felt pretty energized, then later in the afternoon, exhausted. Today, I'm glad I have no plans and I'll rest.

 

[RSteve]

From Today's MSN News: In Minnesota an estimated 427,600 adults, or 10.1%, say they will likely refuse the Covid vaccine. Of all adults in the state, 6.4% say they will refuse because they do not trust the COVID-19 vaccine, 4.5% because they still do not think COVID-19 is a major health threat, and 7.2% because they distrust the government.

 

[Blackhorse]

Got my Pfizer booster today and very glad I could. While there a guy who said he was a Funeral Director came in for a flu shot. Said he was just barely keeoing up with Covid deaths but in Southern and Eastern Oregon they were having to bring in refrigerator semi trailers to store the dead…mostly Covid. In Oregon 85% of current Covid deaths are from unvaccinated people…all ages. He also said that in the last 2 months he’s taken care of more Covid deaths than in all the prior months combined. Made me sick.

 

[Zeno Marx]

In Oregon 85% of current Covid deaths are from unvaccinated people…all ages.

I haven't been following. Just makes me frustrated and negative. But that's a 10% rise in vaccinated deaths, up from 5%, if the math can be that simple. Is this due to new variants or what? The last time I was paying attention, only 5% of deaths were vaccinated.

 

[Blackhorse]

There are more stats out there than germs…almost. Monthly, weekly, daily, unvaccinated, vaccinated breakthrough, by age, by county. By hospital…yadda, yadda, yadda. Bottom line is it’s not good to be 80 y.o. and a breakthrough case…it’s absolutely crazy to be unvaccinated.

But it looks like things are VERY slightly getting better…given that things are totally terrible anyway. It’s like if you’re 1000 steps into hell then 5 steps back doesn’t mean a whole lot in the real world.

 

[RSteve]

I haven't been following. Just makes me frustrated and negative. But that's a 10% rise in vaccinated deaths, up from 5%, if the math can be that simple. Is this due to new variants or what? The last time I was paying attention, only 5% of deaths were vaccinated.

The vaccine functions by having the vaccinated person's body produce antibodies. Not everyone will produce sufficient antibodies to fend off the disease. Undoubtedly, some who are vaccinated will not produce antibodies at all.

As a kid, when I had chickenpox (zoster virus) I was told that, by having the disease, my body would produce immunity, so I'd never get it again. A couple of years after the first bout of chickenpox, I had it again.

 

[RSteve]

... a guy who said he was a Funeral Director said he was just barely keeping up with Covid deaths but in Southern and Eastern Oregon they were having to bring in refrigerator semi trailers to store the dead…mostly Covid.

Locally, it was reported that there's been a problem getting grave diggers for older cemeteries where graves are close together and mechanized digging equipment can't be used.

 

[Zeno Marx]

The vaccine functions by having the vaccinated person's body produce antibodies. Not everyone will produce sufficient antibodies to fend off the disease. Undoubtedly, some who are vaccinated will not produce antibodies at all.

That doesn't readily explain the 10% uptick. Maybe the variants are getting more hostile? Maybe the original two shots are losing their strength?

 

[Blackhorse]

Yes to both. I’ve read that the effectiveness especially in older people wanes after time and the booster brings it back up again with the goal being to prevent very serious courses of the disease. In other words the idea is to reduce the diseases attack on you so if you catch it the likelihood of needing hospital care is greatly reduced. And yes the new variants (Delta) are much better at infecting people and harder to stop when they do.

 

[RSteve]

I'm still feeling the effects of the booster. While the injection spot soreness was gone in a couple of days, I'm still hit by waves of total exhaustion, with the added effect of stomach distress.

 

[Blackhorse]

Likely it’s something else. You should check in with your MD, if you have one. With me, when I’m feeling lousy and I’m sure it’s one thing, I get it checked out and ut turns outbto be something else and easily fixed.

 

[RSteve]

Likely it’s something else. You should check in with your MD, if you have one. With me, when I’m feeling lousy and I’m sure it’s one thing, I get it checked out and it turns out to be something else and easily fixed.

I'm pretty sure it's the booster. After the second injection, a week passed feeling wonderful, then the exhaustion hit. I checked with my nephew MD and he said that it's common. "Your body is hard at work building antibodies. You're an old fart and it doesn't really take much to wear you down. It will pass."

 

[Corncobcon]

Waiting for the mederna booster. Haven't heard yet. I don't think it's a good idea to mix different brands.