Getting the Covid Vaccine

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

First Pfizer shot eighteen hours ago, left arm pretty dang sore, no other issues. My wife had some lightheaded dizziness for a few hours post-shot, but she also has very low blood pressure. Might be unrelated to the shot.

[Tripping William]

Mrs. Tripping with Pfizer #2 yesterday. Sore arm but that’s it, so far.

[acdevil]

First Pfizer shot eighteen hours ago, left arm pretty dang sore, no other issues. My wife had some lightheaded dizziness for a few hours post-shot, but she also has very low blood pressure. Might be unrelated to the shot.

Exactly the same. Pfizer shot yesterday and arm is very sore. Made it tough to sleep last night. Otherwise fine.

[devil84]

My better half, son-in-law, and I got Moderna yesterday afternoon. So far, just sore arms.

We're the last ones in my extended family over age 16 to get the vaccine (lots of health care workers, front-line workers, and older relatives in the family, along with health conditions). All of my children, their significant others, my siblings and siblings-in-law and their spouses, and parents-in-law now all have at least the first dose. We will be able to visit this summer!

[fidel]

Pharmacist friend: If you have had covid, first shot will have the reaction. If you have not had covid, second shot is the reaction. Not sure if this matches what you are seeing, but I thought that was interesting.

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

Pharmacist friend: If you have had covid, first shot will have the reaction. If you have not had covid, second shot is the reaction. Not sure if this matches what you are seeing, but I thought that was interesting.

Huh! Any truth to this, my esteemed doctor friends?

[rsvman]

Huh! Any truth to this, my esteemed doctor friends?

Probably. We don't have data, but anecdotally that's what a lot of people are seeing. Makes sense, if you think about it.

For those who have never had Covid, the first shot is a primer, so that when the second shot comes around your immune system is ready to pounce, which is likely why you have an exaggerated reaction.

But if you had Covid already, your immune system is already primed. So the first shot functions a lot like the second shot does for others.

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

Probably. We don't have data, but anecdotally that's what a lot of people are seeing. Makes sense, if you think about it.

For those who have never had Covid, the first shot is a primer, so that when the second shot comes around your immune system is ready to pounce, which is likely why you have an exaggerated reaction.

But if you had Covid already, your immune system is already primed. So the first shot functions a lot like the second shot does for others.

Interesting. I say this as someone who is achy and sore after shot number one.

[rsvman]

Interesting. I say this as someone who is achy and sore after shot number one.

Achy and sore is one thing. People who have had it before are generally having more of a reaction than that. Some combination of achy and sore plus fever, chills, headaches, gastrointestinal distress, brain fog, extreme fatigue/sleepiness, etc.

[camion]

Probably. We don't have data, but anecdotally that's what a lot of people are seeing. Makes sense, if you think about it.

For those who have never had Covid, the first shot is a primer, so that when the second shot comes around your immune system is ready to pounce, which is likely why you have an exaggerated reaction.

But if you had Covid already, your immune system is already primed. So the first shot functions a lot like the second shot does for others.

What might one expect on the second shot for someone whose immune system was primed by Covid and pounced on the first shot?

Asking for an acquaintance, not really a friend.

[YmoBeThere]

What might one expect on the second shot for someone whose immune system was primed by Covid and pounced on the first shot?

Asking for an acquaintance, not really a friend.

Since it is just an acquaintance:

[MChambers]

My wife and I joined the Johnson & Johnson two dose trial in February. We got our shots on February 26, but did not know whether we got the placebo or the real thing. My wife was convinced she got the placebo; I was pretty sure I had gotten the real thing, because I didn't feel quite right the night after I got the shot.

Johnson & Johnson got emergency use authorization from the FDA the day after we got our shots, February 27. When we got our shots, we were told that Johnson & Johnson would "unblind" all the participants shortly, probably in about two weeks after the EUA was issued.

As the availability of vaccines has increased, my wife and I have been trying to sign up for appointments, because we are in our early 60s and thus at somewhat higher risk. I also have a mild case of hypertension, although it is pretty well controlled by medication, which theoretically also puts me at higher risk.

Two weeks ago, I was able to get an appointment in DC for March 14, based on my hypertension. I called the research group that is conducting the Johnson & Johnson trial in the area. I was told that they still hadn't heard from Johnson & Johnson, meaning that if I chose to be unblinded, I wouldn't get a second shot of the real thing (assuming I had gotten the real thing in the first place). I agonized over it, and then decided to be unblinded, but when I spoke with the doctor in charge of the research group, he told me he really thought that they would be calling people in the next week or so (that is, by March 19 ) to let them know whether they had gotten a placebo or not and scheduling vaccine appointments for those who got placebos. Based on that, I canceled my DC appointment. And then we heard nothing from the research group.

My wife has seen on Reddit that research groups in at least two other areas have been notifying their participants, so she has been going ballistic about this. This morning, she managed to get herself an appointment in Northern Virginia and then managed to get me an appointment in Winchester, about a 90 minute drive from here. She called the research group and spoke with the doctor and asked to be unblinded and was told that she had gotten the placebo. I then called and spoke with the doctor (and told him I was very frustrated with the lack of information from Johnson & Johnson – he said "tell me about it"). I confirmed that I wanted to be unblinded and found out that I had gotten the real thing back on February 26. Guess that means that I am in very good shape, in terms of immunity.

Have to say that I am not at all impressed by the way Johnson & Johnson has handled this, however. I don't really think they're going to have many people stay in the trial as more more vaccine appointments become available, unless they start communicating with the trial participants.

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

Interesting. I say this as someone who is achy and sore after shot number one.

All's well day two. Some slight soreness at the site of the injection.

[rsvman]

What might one expect on the second shot for someone whose immune system was primed by Covid and pounced on the first shot?

Asking for an acquaintance, not really a friend.

<shrug emoji> Don't really know.

[rasputin]

My wife and I are both diabetic, and she's over 65 (I'm not). And I'm a part-time teacher. But in Missouri, if you live in an urban/suburban area, you still have to drive to Spittle County to get the shot. We're scheduled for the Spittle Shuttle (shot 1) on Wednesday.

[OldPhiKap]

Help me understand this please:

For the Moderna vaccine, “A vaccine effectiveness of 50.8 percent was found up to 14 days after the first dose. Vaccine effectiveness was 92.1 percent beyond the first 14 days.”

What exactly is this measuring? A fortnight after my first dose, am I 50% less likely to contract COVID? Or will the virus only be at 50% strength? Or 50% less prevalent in my body?

Dumb question I am sure, but I am confused at to what this means in practical terms.

[Skydog]

Help me understand this please:

For the Moderna vaccine, “A vaccine effectiveness of 50.8 percent was found up to 14 days after the first dose. Vaccine effectiveness was 92.1 percent beyond the first 14 days.”

What exactly is this measuring? A fortnight after my first dose, am I 50% less likely to contract COVID? Or will the virus only be at 50% strength? Or 50% less prevalent in my body?

Dumb question I am sure, but I am confused at to what this means in practical terms.

IANAD but I think it means you are 50% less likely to get symptomatic (at any level) covid because that was their target outcome. I could be wrong about that though. That also implies that if you get the virus it will likely be less prevalent in your body (or otherwise you would get symptoms) due to your body being primed by the vaccine to fight it. But get a docs take on this.

[DU82]

Finally able to get through on somebody’s system and scheduled my first poke on Monday at Walgreen’s. Got lucky I just happened to check AGAIN this morning.

Since they scheduled my second shot four weeks later, I assume it’s the Modera vaccine.

Three and a half hours since getting the first Moderna shot, no side effects that I can tell.

Pretty easy at Walgreen's. About five others ahead of me (I was ~20 minutes early, five ahead of their requested arrival.) Quick in/out, then sit for 15 minutes, tell the pharmacist you were OK, then leave and get a Chick-Fil-A sandwich for lunch.

[acdevil]

All's well day two. Some slight soreness at the site of the injection.

I was very sore at injection site yesterday (the day after injection). Completely fine this morning.

[Bluedog]

Help me understand this please:

For the Moderna vaccine, “A vaccine effectiveness of 50.8 percent was found up to 14 days after the first dose. Vaccine effectiveness was 92.1 percent beyond the first 14 days.”

What exactly is this measuring? A fortnight after my first dose, am I 50% less likely to contract COVID? Or will the virus only be at 50% strength? Or 50% less prevalent in my body?

Dumb question I am sure, but I am confused at to what this means in practical terms.

IANAD but I think it means you are 50% less likely to get symptomatic (at any level) covid because that was their target outcome. I could be wrong about that though. That also implies that if you get the virus it will likely be less prevalent in your body (or otherwise you would get symptoms) due to your body being primed by the vaccine to fight it. But get a docs take on this.

I am not a doctor either, but it's not like at 14 days it's 50.8% effective and at 15 days it's 92.1% effective. Nothing magical happens on Day 14 for effectiveness to jump 41%. Rather, it's saying that BETWEEN days 0-14 there was a 50% reduction in symptomatic cases. Given the incubation period is 5-6 days, some people get infected, then vaccinated, then show symptoms. Or get infected very early after vaccine before immune response/antibody defense has fully taken effect. Then AFTER Day 14 until the second dose, there was a 92.1% reduction in symptomatic cases compared to those receiving the placebo. Certainly, AT Day 14, it's higher than 50% (and AT Day 15 it's lower than 92.1%), but they don't look at exact efficacy on a day-by-day period. At least, I think...