Vaccination nation

[spork]

No offense taken, I have a similar opinion of most economists.

[ciao_yall]

All of this brings me to my own dilemma: should I get vaccinated? I qualify in my state because I am obese (BMI: 33.4) and a former smoker, both of which are listed as co-morbidities by the CDC that  put me at higher risk for COVID complications. And yes, I do realize these are both result of life style choices. I wouldn't just get a vaccine  because I can, but here is why I am even contemplating it.

I am  an immigrant (no family in the US), 48 year old,  with a 7 year old daughter, who attends school in person twice a week. My husband, who is 56, is also a  former smoker (a very heavy one at that; 2 packs a day for 30 years...). Had it been just us, with no child in school, I would not even contemplate a vaccination at this point: we work from home and can socially distance. My neighbors who work in supermarkets, hospitals and schools need the shot more than I do. However, just the thought of my daughter bringing COVID to one or both of us and one of us -- or, the unthinkable, both of us --  dying, horrifies me. (Keeping her home is not an option for her; she developed some serious mental health issues in the spring, as 6 year old who lived in isolation for 6 months before her school partially reopened last fall).

I know  that I am not the only one in this position, but what would you do if you were me -- obese former middle aged smoker with a young child? If your state allowed it, would you get the vaccine now or wait for it to be available to everyone first? I really do not know (and my intense anxiety around health/death and leaving a young child behind is not helping me make the right decision...)

Trust the process the experts have in place. If you are eligible, get the vaccine. They have figured out how to get it out to the people who need it most. You aren't taking it from anyone.

[Cheerful]

They have figured out how to get it out to the people who need it most.

With all due respect and nothing to do with the post to which you replied, the quoted sentence is 100% false.

[Caracal]

They have figured out how to get it out to the people who need it most.

With all due respect and nothing to do with the post to which you replied, the quoted sentence is 100% false.

The whole thing is a mess, as it was always going to be. And it reflects all kinds of inequalities and injustices. However, these aren't things you can fix by not getting a shot. Some things just can't be addressed with personal actions. I'm not teaching in person this semester, but I got an email from my state school that all faculty and staff are classified as essential workers and are now eligible for the vaccine. I now have an appointment later this week. I have no idea if this is good policy or not and I lack the information to figure it out. We need to do more to expand access to people who are underserved, but I don't really think that me not getting a vaccine is going to help do that.

[Charlotte]

I got my second shot! Very hopeful that Biden achieves his goal of a vaccine for every adult by the end of May. I saw a map estimating when other countries will be fully covered and some were not estimated until early 2023. (https://www.bbc.com/news/world-56025355)

[apl68]

I got my second shot! Very hopeful that Biden achieves his goal of a vaccine for every adult by the end of May. I saw a map estimating when other countries will be fully covered and some were not estimated until early 2023. (https://www.bbc.com/news/world-56025355)

That's a terribly long time for these other nations to continue to have to deal with this pandemic.  For some of them the worst may still be ahead.

[apl68]

The number of known active cases in our county is down to 20.  Here's hoping that complacency and fair weather don't balloon those numbers again in the weeks to come.

[ciao_yall]

They have figured out how to get it out to the people who need it most.

With all due respect and nothing to do with the post to which you replied, the quoted sentence is 100% false.

Yes, and...

On the one hand, it's someone else's job, not the OP's to figure out how to get it to those people. Whether or not they are entirely successful is another conversation, still, there are real efforts in place.

And, even if they are not successful, the OP not getting a shot will not suddenly turn things around for those who are not getting shots who need them.

[pink_]

They have figured out how to get it out to the people who need it most.

With all due respect and nothing to do with the post to which you replied, the quoted sentence is 100% false.

In my state, it's the Hunger Games, but with needles. Some areas have a shortage of vaccine while others have plenty. I know a ton of people who have gotten their shots before being eligible by calling around to pharmacies and being willing to come in at the drop of a hat so that the left overs don't get thrown out. I know a lot of others who volunteered at one of the clinics for an 8 hour shift to get a shot at the end of the day.

I got my first shot yesterday through a version of the waste-list plan, but that worked out because I took several hours on a few different days to work the phone. Otherwise I would still be waiting around while my governor walks back the few restrictions that we have had.

[pgher]

Today I shared this column by Eugene Robinson on Facebook. An old high school friend replied, among other things, "Health comes from the inside out, not the outside artificial route." So far, I have chosen not to respond. I don't even know where to begin.

Yet another data point supporting the "we're all doomed" narrative.

[Economizer]

UPDATING  A FAMOUS QUOTE, "ASK NOT WHAT YOUR COUNTRY CAN DO FOR YOU BUT WHAT YOU CAN DO FOR YOUR COUNTRY", JFK. Further SUGGESTIONS, WEAR A MASK AND SOCIAL DISTANCE!!!

[histchick]

They have figured out how to get it out to the people who need it most.

With all due respect and nothing to do with the post to which you replied, the quoted sentence is 100% false.

In my state, it's the Hunger Games, but with needles. Some areas have a shortage of vaccine while others have plenty. I know a ton of people who have gotten their shots before being eligible by calling around to pharmacies and being willing to come in at the drop of a hat so that the left overs don't get thrown out. I know a lot of others who volunteered at one of the clinics for an 8 hour shift to get a shot at the end of the day.

I got my first shot yesterday through a version of the waste-list plan, but that worked out because I took several hours on a few different days to work the phone. Otherwise I would still be waiting around while my governor walks back the few restrictions that we have had.

I wish we had the waste-list plan in my state.  Instead, our governor opened up eligibility for K-12 faculty and staff to get vaccinated starting next week, and specifically excluded college/university faculty and staff.  The state is pretty much eliminating phases, and we've yet to vaccinate anyone under 65 who is at high risk (or even many essential workers).  Our dean has been given us directions on her social media page to cross state lines, where they are vaccinating college and university faculty and staff.  My husband and I decided that we will wait our turn here, though we understand why many of our colleagues are going out-of-state. 

Waste-list plan?  We know nothing of that here.  Hell, we've been told that the eligibility phases are pretty much being eliminated, and we're still making people wait to even try to get a vaccine. 

On a good note, we hear that we might be able to compete for a slot as early as the end of this month. 

[Caracal]

Today I shared this column by Eugene Robinson on Facebook. An old high school friend replied, among other things, "Health comes from the inside out, not the outside artificial route." So far, I have chosen not to respond. I don't even know where to begin.

Yet another data point supporting the "we're all doomed" narrative.

Its so strange to me that people with these attitudes are particularly suspicious of vaccines, which basically just show a picture of a pathogen to the immune system. After that, they work because our immune systems are really good at learning how to kill pathogens. If you compare vaccines to antibiotics, they are incredibly non-invasive.

[Puget]

Today I shared this column by Eugene Robinson on Facebook. An old high school friend replied, among other things, "Health comes from the inside out, not the outside artificial route." So far, I have chosen not to respond. I don't even know where to begin.

Yet another data point supporting the "we're all doomed" narrative.

Its so strange to me that people with these attitudes are particularly suspicious of vaccines, which basically just show a picture of a pathogen to the immune system. After that, they work because our immune systems are really good at learning how to kill pathogens. If you compare vaccines to antibiotics, they are incredibly non-invasive.

This captures that attitude perfectly, with a twist: https://xkcd.com/2397/
And this actually does a really good job of explaining things: https://xkcd.com/2425/

[lightning]

Today I shared this column by Eugene Robinson on Facebook. An old high school friend replied, among other things, "Health comes from the inside out, not the outside artificial route." So far, I have chosen not to respond. I don't even know where to begin.

Yet another data point supporting the "we're all doomed" narrative.

It's always the old high school friend.