COVID-19 vaccine discussion

55 minutes ago, GTX Horn said:

Are the Texas vaccine groups different from the CDC’s groups? My dad falls into 1B from the CDC’s definition (he’s a frontline essential worker, but a few years shy of 65), but it looked like for Texas 1B is only 65+?

Texas 1B definition is:

1. People 65 years of age and older

OR

2. People 16 years of age and older with at least one chronic medical condition that puts them at increased risk for severe illness from the virus that causes COVID-19, such as but not limited to:

• Cancer
• Chronic kidney disease
• COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease)
• Heart conditions, such as heart failure, coronary artery disease or cardiomyopathies
• Solid organ transplantation
• Obesity and severe obesity (body mass index of 30 kg/m2 or higher)
• Pregnancy
• Sickle cell disease
• Type 2 diabetes mellitus

Week 8 TX numbers are out: https://www.dshs.state.tx.us/news/updates/COVIDVaccineAllocation-Week8.pdf

More doses from the feds to Texas, but fuck you Austin, you get the same number of shots (about ~22k) again. 

Meanwhile, Collin county got an extra 25k doses, Denton got an extra 23k doses... what? 

 

I have my Moderna unblinding appt. here in Austin on Monday. One caveat though, I have to do another nasal swab. Bastards! And a blood draw.

I hope I get a vaccine card.  Or a free t-shirt.

3 minutes ago, Message Board User said:

 

Correlation doesn’t mean causation. IMO too early for vaccine effect. This drop is because families started finally behaving because they didn’t have to go see grandma in January. I think we will still continue to see some decent spread in unimmunized populations for a while but I am hoping the hospitalization and death numbers will drop precipitously and that would be partially from the vaccines.

8 minutes ago, texhorn said:

Week 8 TX numbers are out: https://www.dshs.state.tx.us/news/updates/COVIDVaccineAllocation-Week8.pdf

More doses from the feds to Texas, but fuck you Austin, you get the same number of shots (about ~22k) again. 

Meanwhile, Collin county got an extra 25k doses, Denton got an extra 23k doses... what? 

Well that’s underwhelming once again for ATX. 

Managed to book an appointment to get the first jab of Moderna on Monday.

Well that’s underwhelming once again for ATX. 

No kidding. It’s pathetic...

Who makes the call on how much gets to each place? DSHS? Does Abbott have say?

Obv. DSHS is based in Austin...some motherfucker w/authorization (or not) needs to get in there and adjust numbers so we're not languishing here forever.

Edited January 30, 2021 by ChuckNorrisActionJeans

I wonder if the fact that Austin is a very healthy community hurts their allotment?

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Collin and Denton County are behind pace for their size...plus the Metroplex is kind of fungible so people from the other two main counties may take advantage as well as some of the other outlying counties.  

56 minutes ago, Borachio said:

I have my Moderna unblinding appt. here in Austin on Monday. One caveat though, I have to do another nasal swab. Bastards! And a blood draw.

I hope I get a vaccine card.  Or a free t-shirt.

Fellow Cove bro. I posted a few pages back about my unblinding this past Monday. Do you think you got the shot or the placebo? 

41 minutes ago, ChuckNorrisActionJeans said:

Who makes the call on how much gets to each place? DSHS? Does Abbott have say?

Obv. DSHS is based in Austin...some motherfucker w/authorization (or not) needs to get in there and adjust numbers so we're not languishing here forever.

How efficient has Austin been getting through their doses?  I think that is supposed to be part of the analysis. If you are sitting on doses at the end of the week you aren't getting more the next week.

7 minutes ago, Skipper said:

How efficient has Austin been getting through their doses?  I think that is supposed to be part of the analysis. If you are sitting on doses at the end of the week you aren't getting more the next week.

The Wilco FHS hub has been going through their entire allotment in 2-3 days for the past 2 weeks they've gotten shots. I haven't been following APH's numbers as closely but they appear to be moving a tad slower. Might be due to their ridiculous internal prioritization policies. 

This is good news:

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/01/29/moderna-asks-fda-to-allow-more-doses-in-each-covid-19-vaccine-vial.html

Moderna is seeking approval to put more dosage in the same vials because the manufacturing process to fill them is a bottleneck. Ups from 10 to 15 doses. 

Week 8 TX numbers are out: https://www.dshs.state.tx.us/news/updates/COVIDVaccineAllocation-Week8.pdf
More doses from the feds to Texas, but fuck you Austin, you get the same number of shots (about ~22k) again. 
Meanwhile, Collin county got an extra 25k doses, Denton got an extra 23k doses... what? 

Rural and smaller town Texas has been getting lots of doses. Large urban centers have not, relative to size.

If you think that isn’t political, you must be new to Texas.

37 minutes ago, Skipper said:

How efficient has Austin been getting through their doses?  I think that is supposed to be part of the analysis. If you are sitting on doses at the end of the week you aren't getting more the next week.

Dell Med (UT) is running out by mid-week, they are kicking butt.  Austin Public Health is getting through their allotment by the end of the week, people are having trouble scheduling appointments and their website/scheduling/selection does not appear scalable, but I have heard that the Delco site is pretty well run once you get there.

All of the other 300 or so Travis County possible providers could help if they had vaccine, which they don't.

Edited January 30, 2021 by Texas Jeff

8 minutes ago, Brisketexan said:

Rural and smaller town Texas has been getting lots of doses. Large urban centers have not, relative to size.

If you think that isn’t political, you must be new to Texas.

I thought about this a bit today and ended up on "that makes sense".  Give some more vaccine to the areas that are hard to serve.  Not a ton more, but maybe a little more.

If you get it in a rural area, you are more likely to end up at a crappy hospital.  An outbreak can overrun it pretty quick.  You have to drive farther to get to medical stuff.  Urban areas are a little more flexible.  Hospitals are not as far apart and maybe can lean on each other a bit more.

I don't know, maybe my thinking is flawed.  But maybe it makes sense to try to put out the fire in hard to reach areas quickly and then focus more effort on the cities.  it is a little crazy to think that Austin may be shortchanged now because we have put more effort into masking, resulting in less disease.

I was really hoping Austin would get a 3rd hub this week not under control of the city or the university, but alas there it is....

7 minutes ago, Texas Jeff said:

ended up on "that makes sense".  Give some more vaccine to the areas that are hard to serve.  Not a ton more, but maybe a little more.

Spot on. Treat it like an operation to eradicate the threat posed by that virus. We know what kills. Intervene medically and protect. Glad the vaccine is rolling out. Need to ramp it up and slow down the virus. Keep masking. We end it in 2021. 

Outbreaks kill. Counter the threat.

58 minutes ago, Baboontyme said:

Fellow Cove bro. I posted a few pages back about my unblinding this past Monday. Do you think you got the shot or the placebo? 

I definitely think I got the vaccine.  I had several of the documented symptoms after the second dose.  Light fever, chills, muscle soreness, fatigue.  Back to normal after 24 hours.

Yeah my arm was very sore for a few days after each shot.

47 minutes ago, texhorn said:

This is good news:

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/01/29/moderna-asks-fda-to-allow-more-doses-in-each-covid-19-vaccine-vial.html

Moderna is seeking approval to put more dosage in the same vials because the manufacturing process to fill them is a bottleneck. Ups from 10 to 15 doses. 

It has always been scalable. Do it. The economics (for the bean counters) are sound.  

Rural and smaller town Texas has been getting lots of doses. Large urban centers have not, relative to size.

If you think that isn’t political, you must be new to Texas.

Oh I’m certain it’s political. Just not seeing enough people calling that out.

 

 

I didn’t scroll up, anyone else get a fever and body aches the first night ?

Had a fever of 101.6 last night. Took some Tylenol. I’m back down to 97.5 but damn I feel beat up. 

So are all you fuckers in 1b? Or more like 1b wink wink?

21 minutes ago, tx 3 putt said:

I didn’t scroll up, anyone else get a fever and body aches the first night ?

Had a fever of 101.6 last night. Took some Tylenol. I’m back down to 97.5 but damn I feel beat up. 

Yes. Got my 2nd dose yesterday afternoon and woke up at 3am with both those symptoms.

So are all you fuckers in 1b? Or more like 1b wink wink?

I’m figuring I will get a notification about this time next year.

56 and no comorbidities.

11 minutes ago, horngrad03 said:

Yes. Got my 2nd dose yesterday afternoon and woke up at 3am with both those symptoms.

 
Ill be better prepared the 2nd shot 

27 minutes ago, Neonmoon said:

So are all you fuckers in 1b? Or more like 1b wink wink?

im 1B, checked off multiple boxes 

1 hour ago, Borachio said:

I definitely think I got the vaccine.  I had several of the documented symptoms after the second dose.  Light fever, chills, muscle soreness, fatigue.  Back to normal after 24 hours.

Yeah my arm was very sore for a few days after each shot.

You definitely got it. The nurse told me basically everyone knows based off of what they experienced/didn't. Sounds like very few Moderna folks are side effect free after the second shot. 

 
Ill be better prepared the 2nd shot 

If you had a strong reaction to the first shot, you might not have much on the 2nd. Running theory is you may have been exposed previously and the 1st shot triggers the immune response.

That or the second shot is really going to kick you in the balls.

10 minutes ago, texhorn said:

If you had a strong reaction to the first shot, you might not have much on the 2nd. Running theory is you may have been exposed previously and the 1st shot triggers the immune response.

That or the second shot is really going to kick you in the balls.

I have zero doubts that I had covid in dec 2019 

3 hours ago, Surly Bevo said:

Collin and Denton County are behind pace for their size...plus the Metroplex is kind of fungible so people from the other two main counties may take advantage as well as some of the other outlying counties.  

Man, Collin County has five hubs all working off the same waitlist.  They are getting almost 43,000 doses next week.  Everyone on the waitlist evidently has a number and you can search the waitlist.

They are about a week behind the state average but at this rate they are going to sprint ahead...  Congrats to them...

1 hour ago, Neonmoon said:

So are all you fuckers in 1b? Or more like 1b wink wink?

I was wondering the same.

I have zero doubts that I had covid in dec 2019 

Lulz

So anybody got any tips for new secret places to get the vaccine? You know, drive to Sinton, stop at the gas station and go to the phone booth, wait for further instructions, etc? Anybody? Anybody?

 

That mother fucker should have been shot up with the most lethal strain known.

On 1/11/2021 at 9:55 AM, Shaggybevo said:

I found at least one mistake in that spreadsheet, and it was the only one I looked at.   For DeWitt county, there is no "UT Health Henderson Hospital", and there is no town called "Henderson" in that county.  DeWitt gonna get screwed this week.

I wonder how many more mistakes are in that spreadsheet?

 

Comparison of adjacent rural counties.   DeWitt County still getting fucked....

Karnes County:
Population:  12,394
Doses distributed:  1300

Gonzales County:  
Population:  16,466
Doses distributed:  1600

Lavaca County:
Population:  16,378
Doses distributed: 1900

DeWitt County:
Population:  17,638
Doses distributed:  800 !!

 

you want to talk rural:

 

Crosbyton Clinic Hospital 710 W Main St Crosbyton CROSBY - 200 

my 89 year old dad will be getting one of these Sunday morning at 11:00 A.M.

he put his name on  the list 4 weeks ago at their satellite clinic in Matador

 

16 hours ago, Texas Jeff said:

Texas 1B definition is:

1. People 65 years of age and older

OR

2. People 16 years of age and older with at least one chronic medical condition that puts them at increased risk for severe illness from the virus that causes COVID-19, such as but not limited to:

• Cancer
• Chronic kidney disease
• COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease)
• Heart conditions, such as heart failure, coronary artery disease or cardiomyopathies
• Solid organ transplantation
• Obesity and severe obesity (body mass index of 30 kg/m2 or higher)
• Pregnancy
• Sickle cell disease
• Type 2 diabetes mellitus

But even the hubs don’t have to allow all 1B at this moment. Meaning a hub can focus on what you list as 1B-1 (65+) and tell group 2 to come back later. Or they could allow current cancer/transplant/other patients to prioritize higher than other conditions.

but if they created new rules outside of 1B, it would seem like they risk losing future vaccines doses.

45 minutes ago, Nice Guy Eddie said:

but if they created new rules outside of 1B, it would seem like they risk losing future vaccines doses.

You mean something like telling people with a job to go fuck themselves?

The J&J vaccine with its apparent lower efficacy rate is going to create some interesting situations. If numbers are accurate, there is relatively no difference in results for the moderna or Pfizer vaccine. Patients should be willing to take whatever is available and not worry about effectiveness.

but J&J’s efficacy results in their US trials were basically 72% versus Pfizer/Moderna’s ~95%.  Note: The numbers get a bit tricky in terms of serious infection and trial location for J&J. However J&J offers some great logistical advantages:  1 dose and simpler storage requirements.

Some (many?) patients don’t care if a vaccine takes 2 doses. And patients definitely don’t care about vaccine storage. But 72% vs 95% (or 94) isn’t the same. Will people reject J&J and hold out for Pfizer/Moderna?

Do we need to prioritize Pfizer and moderna for high risk, and J&J for low risk patients?

Just now, Anastasis said:

You mean something like telling people with a job to go fuck themselves?

I’ve read that here about Austin and don’t understand it. Travis county is unique from other large counties in that the other counties have more local hospitals as vaccine hubs. Why didn’t the Austin area hospitals join the vaccine hub program? Did they not want to, or did Travis county somehow prevent them? 

1 minute ago, Nice Guy Eddie said:

Do we need to prioritize Pfizer and moderna for high risk, and J&J for low risk patients?

I don’t think that we have enough data yet, just a press release. Need to see the real data and all the cuts, esp high risk 65+. Really hard to make straight up comparisons given the issues you raise in prior post. Gonna be interesting to see it shake out. The logistics of administration are going to fall strongly in JNJs favor. And they still have a two shot regimen in testing. 

Just looked up their two dose study. It gives the second dose 57 days later. That adds some flexibility if they can really ramp up the supply. 

11 hours ago, tx 3 putt said:

I didn’t scroll up, anyone else get a fever and body aches the first night ?

Had a fever of 101.6 last night. Took some Tylenol. I’m back down to 97.5 but damn I feel beat up. 

Yeah, that second shot sucked. I felt fine the first day. Later that night I had chills, splitting headache, joint pain, etc. Even my balls frickin' hurt. The next day, I had a full schedule of patients and felt terrible. After having toughed through it, I would recommend to others to just plan on taking the day off. I went to bed at 7:00 and I woke up a few times during the night still not feeling great. By morning, though, I felt fine with just a slight headache.

8 minutes ago, Nice Guy Eddie said:

I’ve read that here about Austin and don’t understand it. Travis county is unique from other large counties in that the other counties have more local hospitals as vaccine hubs. Why didn’t the Austin area hospitals join the vaccine hub program? Did they not want to, or did Travis county somehow prevent them? 

Travis prevented it. From ARC (BTW, I still can't believe you told your mom tough luck in getting vaccinated and then figured out a way to get it yourself).

http://mediacdn.espssl.com/1889/Shared/ARC/ARC-logo-horizontal-750x95.png     Dear Patients: We have received your calls, emails, and MyChart messages. First and foremost, we want to thank you for your 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. Reasons behind this recommendation are listed below. As of Thursday, January 14, 2021, this is what we know.   1.      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. 2.      We expect NO NEW SUPPLIES of COVID-19 vaccine at ARC in the near future. 3.      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. 4.      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 that email. 5.      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.   If you have underlying health conditions, you can visit the Austin Public Health (APH) and Texas DSHS websites for more information about COVID-19 vaccinations for specific population groups in our area. ARC has served Central Texas for over 40 years and we remain committed to overcoming the challenges of this pandemic and meeting all your health care needs now and in the future. We will keep you updated by email and web announcements as we get more information. We thank you for your continued patience and wish you good health.   http://mediacdn.espssl.com/1889/Shared/ARC/COVID/we're_here_for_you_instagram.gif   http://mailmedia.vertex.com/1889/Shared/ARC/ARC%20SM%20Icons_FB.png   http://mailmedia.vertex.com/1889/Shared/ARC/ARC%20SM%20Icons_TW.png   http://mailmedia.vertex.com/1889/Shared/ARC/ARC-SM-Icons_instagram.png   http://mailmedia.vertex.com/1889/Shared/ARC/ARC%20SM%20Icons_YouTube.png

13 minutes ago, Anastasis said:

I don’t think that we have enough data yet, just a press release. Need to see the real data and all the cuts, esp high risk 65+. Really hard to make straight up comparisons given the issues you raise in prior post. Gonna be interesting to see it shake out. The logistics of administration are going to fall strongly in JNJs favor. And they still have a two shot regimen in testing. 

Maybe I'm just a hard-ass but if I were king I would put the J & J vaccine in the cue and the people get what they're gonna get.  What is lost in a little effectiveness is more than made up for in convenience, IMO.

To be fair and for the sake of transparency, I think people should be told what vaccine they are getting and if they want to pass on the J & J vaccine they are more than welcome to do so and get to the back of the line.  Doing it any other way is going to cause a logistical nightmare when we're trying to vaccinate hundreds of millions of people in the country and billions across the globe.