COVID Vaccine Report-Moderna Vaccine

Thanks, Daniel, this was very helpful!

I wonder why you were asked for insurance information when the vaccine is free?

some Phase 3 Moderna participants are getting a third dose per NYT reporting.

Even if the government is supplying the vaccine for free, whoever is administering it has to get paid for that activity by someone. They need to know whom, but I believe the government will end up paying for administration of the vaccine to folks without insurance.

Daniel,

. . . a Volunteer First Responder for my Neighborhood . . .

Are you talking about being a member of CERT (Community Emergency Response Team)?

Insurance info was asked on my initial call. You are most welcome!

Yes I am a Neighborhood Safety Officer affiliated with CERT.

Congratulations and more thanks for your community service. The description of waiting in the lines, albeit with monitoring for distance, is my concern when it's my turn. Having worked remotely since March 13, with nary a haircut and a lengthy list of all other precautions and broken hearted not seeing my family all this time the irony of a potential exposure while awaiting or receiving the injection freaks me out. The temperature checks? My sister had every Covid symptom and then some, but never a fever. If she had been able to get up (!) she may well have been able to infect 100s of people waiting for a vaccine...
Ditto for her getting on a flight. I assume it will be the new normal to have a vaccination card at check in, and maybe the rapid tests before departure.
My provider did flu shots in 5 minute apts outdoors this year- I hope that happens. I would rather freeze outside than wait in lines indoors!
Thanks for the report- sign of the times for a trip report :)

I got my first Moderna vaccination yesterday, too. I went to a supermarket I didn't even know existed, located in a former market building. It was quite large, and the vaccination area was set up in a corner, but I wasn't totally comfortable with the arrangement.

• I didn't see signs they were disinfecting the pens distributed for filling out the required form (though they may have been). Take your own! (You'll still be handling the clipboard.)

• My appointment was at 2:30 PM, which seemed to be the last or next-to-last appointment slot. Although chairs were set up 6 feet apart for people awaiting vaccination, others began to gather just outside the vaccination area about 2:25, waiting to see whether there'd be any leftover doses to be given out. They were hanging around near the area where people sit for 15 or 30 minutes after being vaccinated. I recommend people avoid those late-in-the-day time slots, especially for the first vaccination, if they are at elevated risk.

I assume there's considerable variation in how the excess doses are handled at the various vaccination sites. In my case, they were authorized to offer them first to employees of the supermarket. As a result, they had just two doses left at the end of the day; they asked whether any of the ten or so waiting people were over 65. Two were, and they got vaccinated.

We are scheduled for our vaccines next week and had a choice of two hospitals and drive by or inside building. We will do a drive by, seems safer. All registered and had to upload photos of Medicare cards so all paperwork is done. They gave us appointments for our second vaccine too. I will report back.

I too saw photos of long lines outside a vaccination site in my home state of Oklahoma, and it struck me too that this seems to be putting people in danger, right at the point they are on the verge of being protected !

Also, depending on the weather whenever each of my parents is able to get their appointment, I worry about them if either has to wait outside for so long in such conditions.

We shall see ! I will just be sooo happy when they are able to get their first shot. And then even happier when they can get their second. And then when I can get mine, sometime this summer, I am guessing.

Take some hand sanitizer with you if you have to use a community pen to fill out forms, or take your own pen.

Got my first dose this week, the line was no socially distanced but was outdoors. I did not wait in line I came back later as they were honoring same day appointments.

Congratulations to West Virginia, which has administered 90 percent of its vaccine supply. Kudos to North Dakota and South Dakota for coming in not behind.

Why? The National Guard.

California, not so great.

We don’t have an appointment yet, under 65, barely. Happy so many people are getting it though. Hoping to see the numbers go down with so many people getting vaccinated. Good news all around.

Kim, I know each county is different but in southern OK, where my mom lives (my home town) they have had both a drive by system and an indoor facility, as well as the different shipments going to care facilities. It seems far better supplied and organized than my county here in west Texas. I am on 2 waiting lists and monitoring a third - all of which have requested vaccine but with no indication of when they will receive any.

As a firefighter in RI I received my first dose of Moderna on Jan 2nd. Registration and appointment making was online with a list of available dates and times to choose from. The location was an elementary school that was no longer being used for classes but had been kept maintained and served 6 towns in the area. There were two check-in stations where temperatures were taken. Masks and distancing were required in all locations near, and throughout, the building. Well distanced vaccination stations were set up in the gym with marked paths and persons were directed to an available station. Some questions were asked by the person giving vaccinations and were recorded on a tablet. No forms were filled out by hand nor were pens used at any point. No one was allowed past the check-in station who had not previously registered and were listed on the master form volunteers were using. After the vaccine persons were directed to class rooms with distanced desks to sit at for the 15 minute waiting period after the vaccine. These opened directly to the outside where persons returned to the cars. Everything moved in a one way direction.

Don, that sounds like a brilliant approach. Unused school gyms would be great vaccination venues.

Kim, when Dad and I went a week and a half ago to get our first shots, there were 50 people scheduled for the same appointment. We had to wait outside the building until 3:00. It was cold and rainy, so everyone huddled under the portico of the church that was the POD. When the folks inside realized what was going on, they sent word that we would have to wait another 10 minutes... then another 5... then another 10... It turns out they were trying to set up a safe space for us to wait inside. Evidently the cold wind and rain were a surprise.

There was no attempt to police the line; about 20 or 30 people pushed in ahead of me and my 92-year old father. Grrrr. When we got into the inside waiting room, the volunteer who was herding us said for everyone to choose a socially distanced seat, but most people formed a line, instead. Those of us who stayed back ended up even further back in line. I will say though, that a couple of people offered to let Dad cut in line. He said no, at first, but later accepted an offer. (He was easily the oldest person there.)

We did finally get our injections, but we were there almost 2 hours total.

I will say that the following week when Stan and I walked past the vaccination point, a much better job was being done of keeping order.

I'm hoping by the time Dad and I get our second shots, two weeks from now, or even when Stan gets his first (next week? maybe?) they'll have this all figured out.

Daniel, I appreciate your detailed report, and the opportunity for others to give theirs. You mentioned that since you arrived early, you got vaccinated and released early. They must’ve given shots to those present. But with them running behind, does that mean pretty much everybody else got there early, too? Otherwise, who would’ve still been waiting in line ahead of you, had you shown up at your appointed time?

We picked up curbside groceries this afternoon, as scheduled. Another car, which arrived before us, was still there after we’d had our groceries loaded into our trunk. The delivery person said the other car had gotten there 2 hours early, and was just waiting while their order was being processed, in sequence with when it was placed. The early bird may get the shot, and it sounds like a couple of unscheduled late birds did, too, from what acraven saw, but food’s another matter.

Jane, it’s great that you and your dad got your shots, albeit after such a wait and with so many people cutting in line. But with 50 people scheduled for 3:00, when was the next appointment time, I wonder? We’re those 50 supposed to be done in a short amount of time, with another 50 right on their heels?

Daniel, if Rick Steves was in Colorado, he’d be waiting for a while. Travel is hinging on people getting their shots! Here, those over 70 are on the agenda (along with any unvaccinated medical providers), with the governor’s stated goal of 70% of those over 70 vaccinated by Feb. 28. Nice catchy 70/70 slogan, but the 65-69 crowd will still be waiting a while. And Barbara mentioned not quite being 65 ... without other mitigating factors, anyone 64 might as well be 24.

What sort of "Proof of Vaccination" did you get?

If my experience is typical, any of the online appointment registration methods here are, (....umm, how to put it kindly, ... nothing comes to mind, ) as useful as a screen door on a submarine.

Got appointment because was at MD office for routine care and told them of the problem.
Presto.. staff fixed us up.

When you're vaccinated you are supposed to receive a small white (paper) card that has your name, the type of vaccine you received and the date. The card is a bit larger than a credit card.

Cyn, we were the last group of the day. An attendant told us they were running 50 people every 30 minutes, but they only had about 3 appointment times set up. This was the first public vaccine event in our county. Evidently, they are getting better at it now.

Except they keep changing the time the new slots are released: first it was Friday morning, then Thursday afternoon, then Wednesday afternoon..... So I was going to get Stan booked when the new slots were released tonight. Unfortunately, they were evidently released 24 hours early, and I was in a place with no computer access when the announcement was made.

My husband got his first shot this morning(he supervises a laboratory). The venue was a concert venue with plenty of room for the car line.No appts, first come basis. He got there at 5:30 and was #25-he sat in his car for 3 hours until they called his number. Good plan to avoid Covid risk in line and the cold, rainy weather.

I wonder why you were asked for insurance information when the vaccine is free?

The vaccine is free, but the vaccinator is allowed to charge an insurance carrier a fee for the service of giving the injection

According to the CDC, vaccine doses purchased with taxpayer dollars will be given at no cost. However, vaccination providers will be able to charge an administration fee for giving the shot to someone. These providers, such as clinics, pharmacies and hospitals, can get this fee reimbursed by a patient’s public or private insurance company or, for uninsured patients, by the Health Resources and Services Administration’s Provider Relief Fund. ( https://www.uwmedicine.org/coronavirus/vaccine)

Just got my second shot of Moderna! My husband got his first shot last week; he's due for the second in three weeks.

And yes, I've been warned that the side effects of the second dose can be considerably more unpleasant than those of the first. https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2021/02/second-vaccine-side-effects/617892/?utm_campaign=the-atlantic&utm_content=edit-promo&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook&utm_term=2021-02-02T13%3A00%3A59&fbclid=IwAR2paEWocdPS8B8_KrD1duSjdvOTNHsiZxAsx-YVKrMHvtlR0V3XyjtS6rQ

Thanks so much for linking that article, Jane. My 1st dose appointment is for 2/25, so I guess I won't be surprised by potential side effects 4 weeks later when I get the 2nd dose.

I finally got that 1st dose appointment just today. It's for one of the drive-through vaccination locations here in Tucson. It's run by Banner University Health and does the Moderna vaccine at the place I'll be going.

I got the appointment through our county health Covid-19 website, as the available appointments were being loaded this morning. I was a little surprised later to see that the appointment showed up on My Banner, the online portal for Banner University (of AZ) Health patients.

Apparently, when I filled out the online (the only way to do it for the Banner vaccination sites) paperwork through the county system, I was recognized as an "established patient."

Reading through others' experiences and hearing from friends and family, it's fascinating that there are so many different ways that this is happening. I really don't care about how it's happening, just that it does happen for people all over the world.

My altruistic side wants it for their safety and well-being. My selfish side wants it so I can make that 2020 missed trip to Ireland in October. 😉

Jane - Your vaccination story makes me so sad. Even though I am a native Texan, I did grow up in OKC, and the fact that 20-30 Oklahomans would push ahead of you and your 92 year old father is an embarrassment to the state.

For us, the line at the Delco Center Austin could have been a Rick Steves tour group multiplied by a hundred or so - older white people in pretty good shape. There was a separate line for people who were either in wheelchairs or weren't up to standing in line. Everybody I saw in the wheelchair line clearly needed to be there.

EP, I went for my second shot yesterday, and everything went much more smoothly. They've had a month to figure things out, so the line was orderly, with several volunteers (including 2 uniformed police officers) monitoring the line that formed outside the building.

Getting scheduled for the 2nd dose has become a nightmare. We are due for it tomorrow. I too was at the Delco Center back in January for my 1st dose. I'm a bit annoyed the goal post keeps changing, when the vaccine was first announced it was said a 4 day grace period was acceptable in between 1st and 2nd doses. Now that 4 days has turned into 42 days!!! Not happy with that. Trying to find another place to get my 2nd dose in case.

the fact that 20-30 Oklahomans would push ahead of you

Upholding tradition and the nickname "Sooners" it seems

Down here is one of the neatest and most orderly procedures imaginable. Thousands walk through with barely a wait. Way to go UHS and SA. And my next appointment is precisely 21 days after the first jab.

33-year-old daughter (police, so she's a first responder) reported that second shot had more side effects -- chills, fever, headache -- but she was back to normal after Tylenol and 24 hours.

I had a textbook less than great reaction to the first jab.

Colorado update: The next group, 65-69 year olds, and teachers/school staff, became eligible Monday of this week, Feb. 8. Apparently 30% of people in some places here are holding off, or refusing, getting vaccinated. Maybe that’ll speed up the process for everybody else, but if vanquishing the virus requires 85% participation ..,

The governor is also pushing to get vaccinations to growing ranks of homeless people, especially in the Denver Metro area. With the single-dose indications of the potential Johnson & Johnson vaccine, it’s suggested that that would be the ideal approach for those individuals. There’s also been a huge outbreak in Colorado prisons over the past year, and although inmates likely won’t be doing any international travel any time soon, it’s suggested that they also need priority vaccination attention. Putting incarcerated people in front of non-offenders hasn’t been a popular idea, so that remains to be seen if and how that will happen.

Getting my 2nd shot this coming Tuesday - bracing for more severe reaction than the first one. Husband probably has another month or more wait for shot #1. Fingers crossed for that Italy/England trip this fall!

I, too, had a more severe reaction to the second shot, but it wasn't horrible. I couldn't raise my left arm higher than chest or shoulder; that lasted about 24 hours or so. I also had a number of symptoms that taken together sound like the flu - headache, weakness, fatigue, achy everything, shortness of breath after mild exertion. Aspirin and rest took care of all that; I felt better after about 30 hours, and back to my normal self in 2 days.

Don't fear the side effects! Get your shots.

So, it's like a typical hang over .... I'm use to that. For a while there I was worried.

James E, LOL! Actually, that was the way I described it to myself the morning after the shot! But then it got worse, so I switched my description to the flu.

OK, guys. I'll be getting the second shot tomorrow. I've never had a hangover, and I've never had the flu. I guess it will be a new experience for me.

acraven, in 2025 or 2026 when Europe Opens to Americans, meet me in Budva and I will introduce you to a hangover.

Thanks, but no. There are more interesting things to do in Montenegro than make myself sick!

I'm still hoping to get to Europe this year, but it's hard to predict what countries will be open that I'll be comfortable visiting this year, vaccinated though I will soon be. I do like Montenegro a lot.