COVID vaccinations! Have you gotten yours?

[Zanza]

Do you think that the risk of getting Covid from May to October or the risk of vaccination side effects is higher? Depends on your personal circumstances and environment. Also there may soon be more restrictions on non-vaccinated persons than on vaccinated persons...

Does it really depend on it?  Are the highest risks of the vaccine in any way comparable to the lowest risk of Covid?

That's the argument why several countries limited AZ. Especially for  young women, the risk to get this rare, dangerous thrombosis in the brain from the vaccine seems to have a likelihood in a similar ballpark as having a severe Covid case (much lower than the pill though). The likelihood to get Covid depends on the time you are potentially exposed and how big exposure to risks is, so the question when Liep could get vaccinated with something else and the fact he lives in low Covid Denmark matters.

I had the chance to get Astrazeneca and took it, because for my personal circumstances it was a simple consideration of the risk versus benefit.

[Tamas]

So my sister and her boyfriend who are several years younger than me and have no health issues have had theirs. Seems they're a lot more freely available in Wales.

It can be a bit weird at times, last week officially they were still talking about the over-45s getting it but I am 41 and I got it a month ago, days after they were done with the 50-somethings.

[Sheilbh]

So it seems they'll offer the AZ vaccine on a first come first serve basis at the end of May. Should I try and get it or wait for the September/Octoberish Pfizer jab? I'm leaning heavily towards the sooner the better.

My take is the best vaccine around is whichever one you can get now. Especially given the emerging evidence that all the authorised vaccines so far do cut transmission which means they really are doing what we'd hoped in terms of not just protecting ourselves but others around us.

There are extremely rare possible side effects. I think it's still around the 4 in a million risk. Of course the actual risk of covid (ignoring onward transmission to others) is really linked with age and if there's low transmission so you're not likely to get it then it's also probably pretty low.

FWIW I got it as soon as I could, which was March because while I'm young enough to not really be at risk I take some medication that affects my immune system so apparently slightly higher risk than age alone.

[Sheilbh]

So my sister and her boyfriend who are several years younger than me and have no health issues have had theirs. Seems they're a lot more freely available in Wales.

It can be a bit weird at times, last week officially they were still talking about the over-45s getting it but I am 41 and I got it a month ago, days after they were done with the 50-somethings.

Wales has been ahead of the rest of the UK for a while and is doing really well. I think in particular at the minute they're doing dual-track vaccinations - so they're still rolling out by age predominately with AZ but also offering younger people the chance to get it and because they get to choose they're getting more Pfizer.

I think the other nations are actually just building up a stockpile of Pfizer for younger people.

Plus I think local areas will be going at different paces - but because the JCVI have basically said just do it by age cohort it's probably quite easy to work out who's next if you're ahead of schedule. I know that Hancock announced everyone over 40/41 could get their vaccine last week (which is why he got his) - but I assume that's England-wide so the announcement is probably based on the slowest local authority?

[Josephus]

Bit of confusion reigning in Canada right now. After a couple months of the Health dep't saying "take any shot you're given", they're now saying..."all shots good, Pfizer, Moderna better."

[crazy canuck]

Bit of confusion reigning in Canada right now. After a couple months of the Health dep't saying "take any shot you're given", they're now saying..."all shots good, Pfizer, Moderna better."

Yeah, a messaging disaster from the Feds - I really wish they would just STFU and leave the important work to the provinces.

[Grey Fox]

NACI is not the Feds. It's an independent group of experts. Dr. Quach, NACI president, explained the committees logic behind the recommendation.

1) mRNAs are more effective 2) In some population (the 45 & under) risk of Blood clot is higher than the risk of ICU covid 3) Low risk individuals vs high risk individuals.

[The Brain]

Dr. Quach

For real?

[Grey Fox]

Yes. She's ethnic vietnamese.

[crazy canuck]

NACI is not the Feds. It's an independent group of experts. Dr. Quach, NACI president, explained the committees logic behind the recommendation.

1) mRNAs are more effective 2) In some population (the 45 & under) risk of Blood clot is higher than the risk of ICU covid 3) Low risk individuals vs high risk individuals.

The name is maybe what threw you off.  It is part of the Public Health Agency, which is itself part of the Federal Government.  It is not independent of government.  It is appointed by government.

[Legbiter]

After this week about 45% of the Icelandic population will have had at least one jab. My wife just got her second Pfizer jab yesterday.

[Grey Fox]

NACI is not the Feds. It's an independent group of experts. Dr. Quach, NACI president, explained the committees logic behind the recommendation.

1) mRNAs are more effective 2) In some population (the 45 & under) risk of Blood clot is higher than the risk of ICU covid 3) Low risk individuals vs high risk individuals.

The name is maybe what threw you off.  It is part of the Public Health Agency, which is itself part of the Federal Government.  It is not independent of government.  It is appointed by government.

That's dumb.

[crazy canuck]

NACI is not the Feds. It's an independent group of experts. Dr. Quach, NACI president, explained the committees logic behind the recommendation.

1) mRNAs are more effective 2) In some population (the 45 & under) risk of Blood clot is higher than the risk of ICU covid 3) Low risk individuals vs high risk individuals.

The name is maybe what threw you off.  It is part of the Public Health Agency, which is itself part of the Federal Government.  It is not independent of government.  It is appointed by government.

That's dumb.

It is a good idea to have a specialized group of experts advising the Public Health Agency about a topic within their specialized knowledge.  What I agree is dumb is having them engage in something beyond their expertise - communicating with the public.

[HisMajestyBOB]

Got my second Pfizer shot yesterday. So far I feel a bit blah, but not too bad. Also my arm is sore, like with the first shot.

[Syt]

Vienna is starting to vaccinate the general population aged 60+ (besides people working critical jobs etc.).