Tips and considerations during this time of National Emergency

The DOD has authorized, not required, state National Guard Adjutant Generals to vaccinate anyone that is eligible for Tri-Care. Worth checking in your state if you are eligible.

wkoppa said:

I found it interesting that, from a NPR broadcast, the most successful state in the U.S. on administering vaccinations is West Virginia.

Their Adjutant General is running the program and in the interview he said that if they were a country they would be number 3 after Israel and the UAE.

It seems that they do not have very good internet availability so their cutting edge tool is a telephone Hot Line.

Call on the phone for appointments. What a concept.

When asked how it was working he said they had problems - some people have to wait up to 6 minutes so they are adding operators.

It made me wonder how counterproductive it is promoting vaccinations to an audience, of an age (65 and above in our state), that may not be one with the internet.



Wayne Koppa
Grayling, MI
#71,449

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One of the things they did right away was use their many small local pharmacies. That got vaccine doses to most every locale in the hands of folks qualified to administer the shots.

Montana's daily covid cases over time.

Texas apparently doesn't have any Covid anymore. Governor Abbott just announced he is lifting all restrictions including his mask mandate (that about 70% of people ignored anyway) and all businesses can reopen at 100% of capacity. I don't know whether I should laugh or cry. Yesterday new cases were 7701 and new deaths were 204.

I saw that Paul and just shake my head. Think of how all of the frontline medical personnel feel after battling this pandemic since the onset only to have the powers that be throw everything they've accomplished into the wind. All of their sacrifices and the loss of life for nothing.

PGlaves said:

Texas apparently doesn't have any Covid anymore. Governor Abbott just announced he is lifting all restrictions including his mask mandate (that about 70% of people ignored anyway) and all businesses can reopen at 100% of capacity. I don't know whether I should laugh or cry. Yesterday new cases were 7701 and new deaths were 204.

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It will be interesting with this Texas decision going in to effect next Wednesday, March 10 if there will be a rapid increase in tourism especially with spring break, prime travel time in Texas temperature wise and BlueBonnet flower season. Many in the northern states have been cooped up indoors over the winter so for some it will seem a perfect reason to travel to Texas or Mississippi (also fully opening) as everything will be open.

darrell said:

It will be interesting with this Texas decision going in to effect next Wednesday, March 10 if there will be a rapid increase in tourism especially with spring break, prime travel time in Texas temperature wise and BlueBonnet flower season. Many in the northern states have been cooped up indoors over the winter so for some it will seem a perfect reason to travel to Texas or Mississippi (also fully opening) as everything will be open.

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Looks like Texas and the other southern states won't be seeing my pasty white legs this year. A nuclear tanning booth might be safer.

Most people that have gone through this, those touched by the disease and those that lost their livelihoods will be shaking their heads.

It will be a year, at least, before we can relax enough to be able to smile at someone and then I can always tell them how I lost my teeth trying to catch a puck like a funny dog video.

Haven't needed to get my crown fixed because, just like a scruffy beard, nobody sees it.

PGlaves said:

Texas apparently doesn't have any Covid anymore. Governor Abbott just announced he is lifting all restrictions including his mask mandate (that about 70% of people ignored anyway) and all businesses can reopen at 100% of capacity. I don't know whether I should laugh or cry. Yesterday new cases were 7701 and new deaths were 204.

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I feel the same way. Most people in Walmart would mask up, but from the occasionally take out we would get, restaurants were still packed. Folks in most gas station/convenience stores didn't wear masks.

Nacogdoches county has had 150 deaths since April 1st; that is 19 years worth of flu deaths in 11 months. We have had 50 people die in our county in 2021, it isn't slowing down. I still have friends (who ride BMWs) who say it's no worse than the flu. This is a year of recovery, not the year we get back to normal.

I was very fortunate yesterday that my wife and I got dose one of the Moderna vaccine. Our daughter tipped us off that a medical office had the vaccine and gave us contact information. I sent an email requesting vaccinations for my wife and I. Both of us are 65+ and she has diabetes. I got a phone call Monday asking if we were interested in getting the vaccine the next day, yesterday, and of course I agreed.

Around here, almost everyone wears masks, but some don't cover their noses, which makes their masks worthless. Restaurants are supposed to be limiting customers eating in, but there is one restaurant I pass in my travels that has a parking lot full every time I go by. I haven't eaten at a restaurant in a year, haven't had a haircut at a barber shop, and haven't been to the Y or the local Moose club in many months. Even with the first dose of the vaccine, I am still hunkering down. I have to wait four weeks for the second dose of the vaccine and will stay in full lockdown until then, and likely for a week or two afterwards. My only exceptions to full lockdown are trips to the grocery store and Walmart for my wife's prescriptions.

COVID might seem to be imaginary when you don't know anyone who has had it, but it is very real and needs to be respected for what it can do to you, family members, friends, and fellow citizens.

Harry

Good for you and your wife Harry!! Just returned from the clinic after receiving the Moderna booster. Now waiting for the aftershock...

Annie are riding out to Fort Harrison in an hour to get our first Moderna injection.

6322 said:

Good for you and your wife Harry!! Just returned from the clinic after receiving the Moderna booster. Now waiting for the aftershock...

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Thanks. I am allergic to aspirin and that seemed to be an issue with COVID vaccinations a while back, but I feel just fine today, there was no reaction yesterday, and my arm isn't even that sore. It seems to have affected the wife a bit, but she will be fine.

Harry

To the recent poster who mentioned what the frontline medical workers think about completely lifting restrictions, I’ll comment on that. I’m tired of getting home exhausted, going to daily COVID meetings, worrying how my staff is holding up, explaining to family members why they can’t be with their loved ones, working in full PPE for entire shifts, wondering when it started that so many of us care so little about each other that they couldn’t put a small piece of material on their face and how health care providers suddenly became the enemy because we were providing.....science based health care. This has definitely moved up my retirement time line. I’ve been an ED medical director for >30 years and I’ve never been more disappointed in my fellow citizens from a health care perspective.

cruisincruzan said:

To the recent poster who mentioned what the frontline medical workers think about completely lifting restrictions, I’ll comment on that. I’m tired of getting home exhausted, going to daily COVID meetings, worrying how my staff is holding up, explaining to family members why they can’t be with their loved ones, working in full PPE for entire shifts, wondering when it started that so many of us care so little about each other that they couldn’t put a small piece of material on their face and how health care providers suddenly became the enemy because we were providing.....science based health care. This has definitely moved up my retirement time line. I’ve been an ED medical director for >30 years and I’ve never been more disappointed in my fellow citizens from a health care perspective.

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Thank you for your service; I sincerely mean that. I'm supposed to get my shot an hour from now. I applaud every frontline worker who is putting in the time and effort to take care of all of us - at no small risk to themselves.

Moderna #2 yesterday. 24 hours later, my shoulder is sore, about the same as after Moderna #1, but I have a general achy feeling and I just don't feel quite up to par. No fever, no chills. Taking it easy today in hopes of a nice ride tomorrow as the temperature will be above 60F both Friday and Saturday!

The whole COVID-19 Vaccination process through the Sturgis Black Hills VA Medical Center was seamless, well organized, and fast.
Looking back on it, that has been my whole general experience with the often criticized and maligned VA Health Care System.

My wife and I received our Pfizer #2 two weeks ago today, so we are now fully vaccine protected. Unlike what we've read and from friends experiences, neither of us had any reaction from the second dose, other than a slightly sore arm the next day. We had read being well hydrated can help, so we made sure to drink plenty of water for a few days prior.

I had my first Moderna shot today at the local hospital.
Pretty easy process. Shot # 2 is scheduled for April fools day.

A little reminder in case there's another person like me who has brain fade from time to time
Don't get any other vaccines for a few weeks before you get the COVID vaccine.
During my yearly doctor visit I was telling my Dr I was scheduled for a COVID shot the next day and visited about the registration process.
At the end of the checkup he tells me to go across the hall to get a Shingles and Pneumonia Vaccine.
Normally I don't bother with vaccines but I did that day.
On the way home I remember hearing you should not get a vaccine around the time you get a COVID vaccine and went back to ask the nurse.
Her eyes got big when I told her I was scheduled the next day for a COVID vaccine and the Dr had me get a couple vaccines.
She said she would cancel my COVID shot and get me rescheduled.

It all worked out for the good. We have friends in their mid 80s and the wife has really been fretting about getting the shots.
Around 30 minutes after my talk with the nurse the husband texted me that they got a call saying there was a cancellation and asked them to come in the next day for their shot.

Lee said:

I had my first Moderna shot today at the local hospital.
Pretty easy process. Shot # 2 is scheduled for April fools day.

A little reminder in case there's another person like me who has brain fade from time to time
Don't get any other vaccines for a few weeks before you get the COVID vaccine.
During my yearly doctor visit I was telling my Dr I was scheduled for a COVID shot the next day and visited about the registration process.
At the end of the checkup he tells me to go across the hall to get a Shingles and Pneumonia Vaccine.
Normally I don't bother with vaccines but I did that day.
On the way home I remember hearing you should not get a vaccine around the time you get a COVID vaccine and went back to ask the nurse.
Her eyes got big when I told her I was scheduled the next day for a COVID vaccine and the Dr had me get a couple vaccines.
She said she would cancel my COVID shot and get me rescheduled.

It all worked out for the good. We have friends in their mid 80s and the wife has really been fretting about getting the shots.
Around 30 minutes after my talk with the nurse the husband texted me that they got a call saying there was a cancellation and asked them to come in the next day for their shot.

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My better half & I got our Moderna #1 today also, and #2 is on April fools day. We went to the county expo center where there were dozens of volunteers, and all the seniors in the Nursing program at our local university volunteered to give the shots.

Lee said:

I had my first Moderna shot today at the local hospital.
Pretty easy process. Shot # 2 is scheduled for April fools day.

A little reminder in case there's another person like me who has brain fade from time to time
Don't get any other vaccines for a few weeks before you get the COVID vaccine.
During my yearly doctor visit I was telling my Dr I was scheduled for a COVID shot the next day and visited about the registration process.
At the end of the checkup he tells me to go across the hall to get a Shingles and Pneumonia Vaccine.
Normally I don't bother with vaccines but I did that day.
On the way home I remember hearing you should not get a vaccine around the time you get a COVID vaccine and went back to ask the nurse.
Her eyes got big when I told her I was scheduled the next day for a COVID vaccine and the Dr had me get a couple vaccines.
She said she would cancel my COVID shot and get me rescheduled.

It all worked out for the good. We have friends in their mid 80s and the wife has really been fretting about getting the shots.
Around 30 minutes after my talk with the nurse the husband texted me that they got a call saying there was a cancellation and asked them to come in the next day for their shot.

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...Read what you've stated above again please.
It seems to me somebody there didn't listen to you.
Isn't getting that COVID Vaccine ASAP... way more important than the other two ordered?
It is for most senior citizens.
My doc has me waiting 6 weeks from jab 2 of Pfizer... before getting poke #2 of the shingles.
And nobody seems too worried about pneumonia because of the reduced flu spread this winter.

flyhi2cfar said:

...Read what you've stated above again please.
It seems to me somebody there didn't listen to you.

And nobody seems too worried about pneumonia because of the reduced flu spread this winter.

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After a Doctor's appointment the hospital sends out a questionnaire.
When asked to rate 0 to 10 on how well the Doctor listened I selected 0.
I also explained what happened in the comment section.
Both of us screwed up that day.

Right now I would think it standard policy for Doctors to hold off ordering any vaccines until the patient had the COVID shot.

He did mention to not bother with a flu vaccine because their have been very few flu cases this year due to masks and social distancing.