COVID-19 vaccine discussion

Has anybody confirmed the time frame for Delco? Don't want to send the inlaws over there if it doesn't start until this afternoon. Can't find anything online

I’m not in Texas but I’m encouraged to see so many getting vaccinated. Georgia didn’t do a horrible job with covid response IMO, but the vaccine has been a different story. Fulton County (Atlanta) seems to be a clusterfuck. But my 73 year old parents outside of Athens get vaccinated this Friday. That will be great peace of mind.

I did the pre registration so we'll see if I can eventually get an appointment. 

I can and probably will. 

Drove by the Delco center. It's a madhouse. Cars lined up back to 183. Line of people standing down the sidewalk, prolly 100. A bunch of signs that said "appointment only". Who know.

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I drove by at around 10 AM. There was a line of people going around the building. The doors were closed. There were signs that said “appointment only”.

This is why we can't have nice things

20 minutes ago, XYZ said:

I drove by at around 10 AM. There was a line of people going around the building. The doors were closed. There were signs that said “appointment only”.

yes, it said that yesterday.  they weren't checking appointments.  I think the set it up at Delco on east side but didn't tell anyone about it.  I talked to about 15 people around me in line and no one(even the older folks in wheelchairs) had an appointment. 

the line was around the building when we showed up and it took about 1.5 hours to get through.

I know drug dealers that can have better supply chain and distribution set up

Just received shot 1 of moderna. Wasn't expecting to get it until March. What a lovely day.

1 hour ago, dcar00 said:

yes, it said that yesterday.  they weren't checking appointments.  I think the set it up at Delco on east side but didn't tell anyone about it.  I talked to about 15 people around me in line and no one(even the older folks in wheelchairs) had an appointment. 

the line was around the building when we showed up and it took about 1.5 hours to get through.

What time did you go?

2 minutes ago, XYZ said:

What time did you go?

yesterday we got there at 4PM. when we got out the line was longer since it was after 5 and people were coming by from work I assume.  

2 hours ago, midtown said:

I know drug dealers that can have better supply chain and distribution set up

I'd venture that all drug dealers have a better supply chain/distribution set up. 

I went ahead and signed up at UT Health in Tyler (got on their online wait list through submission of a form online). Figured if they have any that will go bad, they’ll call. Said I wasn’t 1A or 1B so we’ll see.

Signed up my wife as well.

I think I've figured out why this was such a clusterfuck in austin yesterday with this vaccine location.

https://www.statesman.com/story/news/2021/01/13/austin-public-health-first-covid-19-vaccine-hub/6644345002/

 

Edited January 13, 2021 by dcar00

I'm not worried about side effects, but I know they're real. I had Plague back in November. Come May or whenever I take the Cure, will the remaining antibodies from that infection make side effects less likely? Will I grow hooves?

4 minutes ago, Parliament said:

Will I grow hooves?

Full walking dead zombie.  But better because you'll be controlled by Bill Gates.

Edited January 13, 2021 by midtown

Got punched in Tarrant today, their Hurst site operated with German efficiency.  Staged at Hurst convention center.  You pull up, worker with a tablet gets your name and birthdate and checks records to make sure you are supposed to be there before you even park. Gives you a blue sticker to put on the vacc auth form you are supposed to fill out before you get there. Pull into attached garage walk down to first level through open exit door.  Guy happily waiting there to take your temp and then send you into the next line (there was none) to go up to worker who checks to make sure you have form filled out or completely filled out.  If you don't have it she happily will give somebody one and there are benches to sit at to do your homework(I had it but could see some others that did not). Move into the next line (this was where I did wait about 30 minutes). That line is to get to the true check in station where they ask for ID, form and insurance (if you have it). Probably about 15-20 workers with computers stationed there.  Then it's off to the next line that lead you into the big ballroom where they send you to one of 20 shot stations.  There you get the shot, another worker asks all the relevant questions one last time, asks you if you have any questions for them and then once the Vid is in gives you your card and on the back a sticky with the time you are to depart.  The other half of the ballroom had about 60 folding chairs to then go wait and up on the big video monitor in the room they had a massive digital clock display so the blindest person in the world can see the time.  Had a few fireman/medics circulating just to make sure all were ok.  When your wait time is up you leave the sticky note on the chair (which lets them know to sanitize it) and it's out the door.  

I pulled up to tablet man at 11:45 my "departure time" was 12:44.  If we had that op running everywhere we could (obviously needs Moderna for that location) we could punch a hole in shit quick.  Talked to the guy pointing people to second check in, he told me they had 1200 doses to deliver today, but they could probably take twice that many once supply opens up more.  

It was the first truly impressive thing I have seen in this whole shitshow.  

Edited January 14, 2021 by Surly Bevo

Just got my Pfizer 1st shot. The person who got it for me was doing a retirement home and they had extras. The pharmacist said. Try to get the extras in an arm.

Yep - trying to get my mom in (she's 1B) for Delco through APH. After doing the online reg, it says congrats, go sign up for a slot. The only day that shows availability online is Jan 15, with 30 min slots from 9-6. Clicking any of them returns the message 'this slot is full'. 

 

But I kept clicking them and one finally confirmed the registration. 

 

Keep at it. . . 

I know drug dealers that can have better supply chain and distribution set up

Yeah but someone has to check and make sure it’s not oregano

Annnddd the website is down for maintenance.  

2 hours ago, Txzen said:

Yep - trying to get my mom in (she's 1B) for Delco through APH. After doing the online reg, it says congrats, go sign up for a slot. The only day that shows availability online is Jan 15, with 30 min slots from 9-6. Clicking any of them returns the message 'this slot is full'. 

 

But I kept clicking them and one finally confirmed the registration. 

 

Keep at it. . . 

Same here, except eventually after trying to brute force into a slot, Delco is no longer available on Friday.

Same here, except eventually after trying to brute force into a slot, South Austin’s mom just sucked me off.

FIFY

Instead of all this bullshit with registrations, and 1A and 1B, and websites that crash all the time, wouldn’t they be able to give an imperial fuckton more shots if they just vaccinated anybody?

9 minutes ago, XYZ said:

Instead of all this bullshit with registrations, and 1A and 1B, and websites that crash all the time, wouldn’t they be able to give an imperial fuckton more shots if they just vaccinated anybody?

I'm sort of at that point myself. I went a couple rounds with @royiv about making sure that healthcare workers got them before people started trying to skip the line. But at this point I'm pretty confident that every healthcare worker that wanted the shot has the shot. Just get the shit into arms. 

IMO the big distribution centers should be setup like airport security. A precheck line for the olds and people with disability, and a cattle call line for regular people. Precheck skips the line, cattle call line moves as spots open. Still prioritizing the olds and fats, but making sure shots are getting arms as quickly as possible. No appointments. Democratize the shit. The ones that want it the most right away (and probably need it the most) will go stand in line for six hours to get it. Assholes like me who aren't in a risk group will wait a couple of months for the lines to die down.

I should be on the city council.

Edited January 14, 2021 by BradInATX

2 minutes ago, BradInATX said:

IMO the big distribution centers should be setup like airport security. A precheck line for the olds and people with disability, and a cattle call line for regular people. Precheck skips the line, cattle call line moves as spots open. Still prioritizing the olds and fats, but making sure shots are getting arms as quickly as possible.

 

Separate the locations imo to reduce potential for spread among the highest at risk. Different protocols and procedures may be necessary for the high risk pool, but given the much smaller number this can be managed. Geographically distributed vax sites for everyone else with appropriate safety protocols.  All fucking hands on deck to administer shots, spreading out large number of sites as much as possible to prevent mass line gatherings.  Start training some out of work service industry folks to manage site logistics and even do the jabs if you are running short on medical staffing. An IM shot is not fucking rocket science. You can even train aggy to do it.  You just have to get the patient to bark like a dog. 

6 minutes ago, Anastasis said:

Separate the locations imo to reduce potential for spread among the highest at risk. Different protocols and procedures may be necessary for the high risk pool, but given the much smaller number this can be managed. Geographically distributed vax sites for everyone else with appropriate safety protocols.  All fucking hands on deck to administer shots, spreading out large number of sites as much as possible to prevent mass line gatherings.  Start training some out of work service industry folks to manage site logistics and even do the jabs if you are running short on medical staffing. An IM shot is not fucking rocket science. You can even train aggy to do it.  You just have to get the patient to bark like a dog. 

Separation makes sense. The big vax sites like the Alamodome obviously would be really easy, just use different gates. I think you have to combine the pools of people into the same vaccination rooms or whatever, just keep them very socially distanced. The whole point of my plan would be to have everyone present and ready to go so you're at 100% efficiency distributing the shots. 

I'm honestly not that concerned that a bunch of people all wearing masks standing in lines outside then going indoors for 10 minutes is a super-spreader risk. I don't believe the "so and so told me that Bill told them that Mary Lou got Covid at the vaccine line" type stuff you hear online. I'm also assuming that they're checking temperature and screening for symptoms.

Edited January 14, 2021 by BradInATX

24 minutes ago, BradInATX said:

Separation makes sense. The big vax sites like the Alamodome obviously would be really easy, just use different gates. I think you have to combine the pools of people into the same vaccination rooms or whatever, just keep them very socially distanced. The whole point of my plan would be to have everyone present and ready to go so you're at 100% efficiency distributing the shots. 

I'm honestly not that concerned that a bunch of people all wearing masks standing in lines outside then going indoors for 10 minutes is a super-spreader risk. I don't believe the "so and so told me that Bill told them that Mary Lou got Covid at the vaccine line" type stuff you hear online. I'm also assuming that they're checking temperature and screening for symptoms.

at the delco location - no temp checks or symptom checks, was inside for about one hour including the 15 minute wait time after.  certainly could be a super spreader event. was put on by APH so apparently they weren't worried.  found that interesting.

You can get the vaccine in your car at the Alamo dome

Meanwhile, in China...

In China, the weaker efficacy data from Brazil could be a setback for the country’s biotech ambitions. It had pinned its hopes on making a Covid-19 vaccine that would burnish its credentials as a global scientific power.

The tepid results could also be problematic for Chinese officials, given that they had touted the efficacy of the vaccines made by Sinovac and Sinopharm. Even though the vaccines had not received regulatory approval, and data from late-stage trials had not been made public, Beijing gave them to thousands of Chinese people under an emergency use policy; it plans to vaccinate 50 million people by the middle of next month.

State media in China played down the news from Brazil. Global Times, a state-owned nationalist tabloid, ran a headline that said the Sinovac vaccine was “100 percent effective in preventing severe cases, could reduce hospitalizations by 80 percent.”

The new data could heighten skepticism among people around the world who are already wary of Chinese-made vaccines, given that the country has a history of vaccine quality scandals. A study from the Chinese University of Hong Kong found that just 37.2 percent of respondents in Hong Kong were willing to be vaccinated.

Scientists had already raised questions about the piecemeal way in which efficacy data about the Chinese vaccines had been released. Indonesia said on Monday that its interim analysis found CoronaVac to have an efficacy rate of 65.3 percent. Last month, Turkey said it had an efficacy rate of 91.25 percent, but that was based on preliminary results from a small clinical trial.

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/13/business/chinese-vaccine-brazil-sinovac.html

20 minutes ago, Anastasis said:

Meanwhile, in China...

In China, the weaker efficacy data from Brazil could be a setback for the country’s biotech ambitions. It had pinned its hopes on making a Covid-19 vaccine that would burnish its credentials as a global scientific power.

The tepid results could also be problematic for Chinese officials, given that they had touted the efficacy of the vaccines made by Sinovac and Sinopharm. Even though the vaccines had not received regulatory approval, and data from late-stage trials had not been made public, Beijing gave them to thousands of Chinese people under an emergency use policy; it plans to vaccinate 50 million people by the middle of next month.

State media in China played down the news from Brazil. Global Times, a state-owned nationalist tabloid, ran a headline that said the Sinovac vaccine was “100 percent effective in preventing severe cases, could reduce hospitalizations by 80 percent.”

The new data could heighten skepticism among people around the world who are already wary of Chinese-made vaccines, given that the country has a history of vaccine quality scandals. A study from the Chinese University of Hong Kong found that just 37.2 percent of respondents in Hong Kong were willing to be vaccinated.

Scientists had already raised questions about the piecemeal way in which efficacy data about the Chinese vaccines had been released. Indonesia said on Monday that its interim analysis found CoronaVac to have an efficacy rate of 65.3 percent. Last month, Turkey said it had an efficacy rate of 91.25 percent, but that was based on preliminary results from a small clinical trial.

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/13/business/chinese-vaccine-brazil-sinovac.html

Even at only 65% efficacy, getting it in to 50 million arms by mid Feb would still be a plus. I hope things speed up here, because at the rate we’re going, 50 million (Starting from Dec) doses is going to be a stretch here by mid feb. 

Edited January 14, 2021 by UT_OB1

The syringe I distribute is already backordered until February. I hope that’s an isolated issue. 

1 minute ago, 4th&Five said:

The syringe I distribute is already backordered until February. I hope that’s an isolated issue. 

Can't we just pick up and spritz clean some used, dirty needles from the various drug houses around town?  Reduce, reuse, recycle!

And lemme guess, the syringes and needles are all made in China.

 

Welp, looks like it's hub distribution or bust.  Just got this from ARC.

[

Dear ARC Shot Request Registrants:
First and foremost, we want to thank you for your patience and understanding. We are trying our best to keep everyone updated about a rapidly changing local and nationwide vaccine distribution plan.
The most important message in today’s update is to encourage all of you to use any option to obtain your first dose of vaccine from any approved entity offering it.
Visit the Austin Public Health (APH) and Texas DSHS websites for more information about COVID-19 vaccinations in Central Texas. We are removing the registration form from the ARC website at this time.
Reasons behind this recommendation are listed below. As of Thursday, January 14, 2021, this is what we know.

Texas Governor Abbott announced the new hub system COVID-19 vaccine distribution program on Monday. At this time, we have been notified that healthcare organizations in our area will NOT be designated as hubs.

We expect NO NEW SUPPLIES of COVID-19 vaccine at ARC in the near future.

We do expect to receive 8,000 second doses for the individuals who already received a first dose at ARC. Those individuals have either already been scheduled or if not, will be contacted for scheduling.

ARC will continue to stay in close contact with local and state officials. If this changes and we do receive any additional first doses, we will immediately start vaccinating eligible patients in Groups 1A and 1B as we have explained in our email last week. Click here to read last week’s email.

ARC is very confident in the system we have developed and hope to receive more vaccine to help the city and state quickly and efficiently administer vaccine so more people reach immunity sooner.

 

Greg Abbott is such a dope. Moving to hubs and away from pharmacies is BULLSHIT! I'm already set to do 400 covid shots per day. Why am I getting penalized because CVS and Walgreens suck ass?

5 minutes ago, HRSchenker said:

Greg Abbott is such a dope. Moving to hubs and away from pharmacies is BULLSHIT! I'm already set to do 400 covid shots per day. Why am I getting penalized because CVS and Walgreens suck ass?

But why have a distributed network of pharmacies and clinics to administer shots when you can get a few hundred people to wait outside in a long line at a small number of choke points?

We should be doing all of the above. All hands on fucking deck. 

 

Oh BTW, APH's registration site is glitchy as fuck and doesn't recognize my log in. If APH is the primary hub for ATX region we may have some problems on our hands. 

Edited January 15, 2021 by Anastasis

I don't think APH has the freezers needed for Pfizer.  Sometime soon there is going to be more Pfizer supply, because diversions for nursing homes are going to be completed.

So, there is a chance for another distribution channel in Austin for somebody with the fancy freezers. UT, I am looking at you...

Yeah I got the ARC email. I already registered at Austin for the hub vaccine, but I don’t tick any boxes so I will be down the list 

4 minutes ago, Texas Jeff said:

I don't think APH has the freezers needed for Pfizer.  Sometime soon there is going to be more Pfizer supply, because diversions for nursing homes are going to be completed.

So, there is a chance for another distribution channel in Austin for somebody with the fancy freezers. UT, I am looking at you...

Imagine being one of the local independent pharmacies that invested in the super cold freezers to serve as a channel only to be told that you aren't getting any shots. 

22 minutes ago, HRSchenker said:

Greg Abbott is such a dope. Moving to hubs and away from pharmacies is BULLSHIT! I'm already set to do 400 covid shots per day. Why am I getting penalized because CVS and Walgreens suck ass?

I could tell you why but it would be for another thread.  see the APH clusterfuck at Delco earlier this week.

Welp, looks like it's hub distribution or bust.  Just got this from ARC.
[
Dear ARC Shot Request Registrants:
First and foremost, we want to thank you for your patience and understanding. We are trying our best to keep everyone updated about a rapidly changing local and nationwide vaccine distribution plan.
The most important message in today’s update is to encourage all of you to use any option to obtain your first dose of vaccine from any approved entity offering it.
Visit the Austin Public Health (APH) and Texas DSHS websites for more information about COVID-19 vaccinations in Central Texas. We are removing the registration form from the ARC website at this time.
Reasons behind this recommendation are listed below. As of Thursday, January 14, 2021, this is what we know.
Texas Governor Abbott announced the new hub system COVID-19 vaccine distribution program on Monday. At this time, we have been notified that healthcare organizations in our area will NOT be designated as hubs.
We expect NO NEW SUPPLIES of COVID-19 vaccine at ARC in the near future.
We do expect to receive 8,000 second doses for the individuals who already received a first dose at ARC. Those individuals have either already been scheduled or if not, will be contacted for scheduling.
ARC will continue to stay in close contact with local and state officials. If this changes and we do receive any additional first doses, we will immediately start vaccinating eligible patients in Groups 1A and 1B as we have explained in our email last week. Click here to read last week’s email.
ARC is very confident in the system we have developed and hope to receive more vaccine to help the city and state quickly and efficiently administer vaccine so more people reach immunity sooner.
 

Lol!

This article has some really absurd shot related to the Bell County distribution.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.kcentv.com/amp/article/news/health/coronavirus/clarification-bell-county-to-only-vaccinate-1a1b-recipients-at-this-time/500-43bec60a-118b-439d-adbd-5aaf509391eb

Bell County had sent an email to individuals on a waitlist for the vaccine Tuesday that contained a link to a registration site. The eligibility requirements were mentioned in the email but not on the registration site itself.

Bell County did not intend for the site to be accessed by other members of the community until Thursday morning. The registration site's web address was leaked online Tuesday and many central Texans started booking appointments in Bell County while thinking the service was open to the general public.

McLennan County local Rae Snyder helped 6 News look into the confusion after she had been able to sign up on the site without answering any questions about what vaccination phase she was eligible for.

"It asked for my address, name, phone number, and email, that was it," Snyder said.

Bell County Spokesman James Stafford told 6 News Wednesday the Bell County Vaccine registration site was only meant to serve individuals who fit into phase 1A and phase 1B of the vaccine rollout, and that the eligibility requirements still needed to be added.

Stafford asked that anyone who has made an appointment but does not fit into those categories, cancel their appointment immediately to open the time slot back up. He said the county does not have any plans to delete appointments from the site at this point but hopes the public will help them correct the situation.

"As for appointments that have already been made we hope that people, if they are not eligible, that they can cancel those appointments to free up space for other people," Stafford said.

1 minute ago, Anastasis said:

Imagine being one of the local independent pharmacies that invested in the super cold freezers to serve as a channel only to be told that you aren't getting any shots. 

And this is why lawyers in contract law will always have work 

1 minute ago, Anastasis said:

Imagine being one of the local independent pharmacies that invested in the super cold freezers to serve as a channel only to be told that you aren't getting any shots. 

Yeah, like you said it should be all hands on deck...  Texas as a whole has now passed 4% first shot but Travis Co is trailing the state averages.

Does anyone know if it is possible to get a vaccine in Texas if you are long-term visiting from another state and 1b qualified under our policy?

So my MIL is set for Saturday afternoon and my parents were set for 9am Sunday morning one week later.  Today Methodist sends each of my parents a text saying they've been moved up a day to Saturday.  Very odd, and very easy to miss if you're a 70+ non-phone-addicted elder.  Wonder what caused it?

We liked the idea that early on a Sunday crowds would be thin as it looks like there's a fair amount of indoor line standing involved - not optimal AFAIC.  Now we think it might be worse because Saturday vs. Sunday, and it might be that Saturday has just been "doubled up" so the line will be even longer  We shall see.

15 minutes ago, Anastasis said:

Imagine being one of the local independent pharmacies that invested in the super cold freezers to serve as a channel only to be told that you aren't getting any shots. 

I know Rannon down at Tarrytown. He has got to be pissed right now. 

4 minutes ago, HookEm said:

Does anyone know if it is possible to get a vaccine in Texas if you are long-term visiting from another state and 1b qualified under our policy?

I think anyone can get a vaccine if you can get an appointment.  I have seen other states accepting out of state residents.  When I signed up for APH they only asked for a name and an email address.  That led to a form asking for an address, phone number and other info, but nothing about residency or citizenship.

3 minutes ago, HRSchenker said:

I know Rannon down at Tarrytown. He has got to be pissed right now. 

I went to school with and know some of their people as well. That was the pharmacy I had in mind when I posted that. 

Edited January 15, 2021 by Anastasis