COVID Vaccine

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I just got a communication from my clinic with updated information about vaccine rollout in my state (NC). Have others been getting any useful information from their clinic?
 
Here is the situation in Colorado, where I live.

They expect the wrap up Phase IA by January 15. That will include all medical personnel in high risk positions. To date, just over 100,000 vaccine doses have been administered, presumably to folks in Phase IA.

Next will be Phase IB, which has been expanded to include folks over 70 years old. It also includes the rest of health care workers, first responders, etc. They estimate about 750,000 Coloradans will be eligible for Phase IB. Notably, my county has already started inoculating folks in Phase IB.

After that will be Phase IIA, which they are expecting to start in the "spring". Phase IIA includes all folks from 60 to 70 years old. That will include both my wife and me.

After that will come Phase IIB, which will include other at risk folks from age 16 to 60. They don't expect that to happen until the summer.

I have significant respiratory issues, but that is not enough to move up in priority above Phase IIA. I will qualify by age before I qualify due to health issues.

We have contacted our PCP, and her office has notified us not to contact them about vaccinations.

Steve
 
It looks like I am in the third tier for the VA and, like Steve, will qualify by age before health concerns. First the doctors and medical staff and veterans 85 or older, then veterans 75 or older, then my group of 65 or older. No projection yet on when the third tier will be called. I do know that I will be getting the Moderna variant.
 
In Texas, they have moved into phase 1b. Over 65 at high risk per the governor. High risk is pretty subjective here. Front workers have not all been vaccinated and the rollout is a disaster.
Vaccines sitting shelves here.

I just turned 70. Have had cancer and heart disease. I haven't had any in person contact with my family since this began. By myself. I'll be patient till it's available for me. Looking forward to getting the vaccine! And, some normalcy.
Marty
 
Marty, Texas sounds a lot like Florida. There were 1,000 vaccines given on a first-come, first-served basis in an area where new houses were being built. No requirement, not even residency. People were in lines all night, all ages, some not wearing masks. The vaccines ran out and thousands were turned away.

Florida has no plan. Our Governor did announce, today, that teachers would NOT be given preferential treatment. Many of our health care workers cannot get vaccinated. No plan, no sense.

I call it trickle down stupidity.
 
I heard on CNN this morning that the Moderna vaccine is packaged in groups of 10 doses, such that once they open the package, they need to use all 10 doses that day or else they become ineffective and tossed into the circular file. Total waste and inefficiency. Soooo, people are scouting out pharmacies near closing time to see if they have extra they need get rid of. Some people are just getting lucky and getting the vaccination. They interviewed one such person this morning. Don't know if the Pfizer vaccine works that way.
 
That's crazy Eric. They all need to get on the same page in rolling out this vaccine. It's pandemonium here in Florida no one has their act together. You probably won't see the Pzier vaccine at the local pharmacies, they don't have the freezer capacity. My physician told me that Pzier vaccines would probably go to the hospitals while the Moderna would go to the chain pharmacies.
 
. Moderna is 12 hours in the refrigerator and there are ten doses per vial. They should be thawing on a rolling basis if they are ending up with multiple vials being left at the end of the day but if it is less than 10 doses vaccinating a random person makes total sense. Even if you are booking appointments in multiples of ten you will have no shows even for this ( illness , transport, family emergency) and also an occasional person who will arrive and be disqualified because of a contraindication. You can’t unthaw less than ten doses at a time. It is in one bottle / vial

pfizer apparently is stable longer in the refrigerator 5days as long as you haven’t reconstituted it then it has 6 hours.
 
I suspect some people will be getting impotent vaccines, especially in mismanaged states like Florida. I spoke with a nurse today and she said the doctors in her clinic didn't get theirs yet since they were not affiliated with a hospital.
 
BTW, same for Shingrix -- get that one as conditions permit -- shingles is not something you'd want with ALS.
 
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I just received this from ALSA.

The ALS Association, in collaboration with The National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD), Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and Muscular Dystrophy Association, is hosting a special COVID-19 Vaccine Update webinar on January 15, 2021, at 2 p.m. ET. The webinar, intended for patients, caregivers, advocates and the general public, will address COVID-19 vaccine authorizations and upcoming vaccine candidates, along with other special considerations for rare disease patients. Speakers will include Dr. Stephen Hahn, Commissioner of Food and Drugs, FDA, Dr. Peter Marks, Director, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, FDA.



The webinar will be recorded and a viewing link sent to all registrants for on-demand viewing.



To register: COVID-19 Vaccines Update Webinar Registration - NORD (National Organization for Rare Disorders)
 
Received my first dose on the 14th through Walgreens. I was able to receive as a result of being a home health patient, not due to having ALS. No side effects aside from a little arm soreness. Curiously, Walgreens website is not letting me schedule second dose. Not sure how that will work.
 
Wilson2009-I found the webinar informative and it gave me a little more hope that our state will prioritize ALS in the upcoming phases. It seems that some states are going strictly by the CDC's guidelines on which diseases to prioritize (which they don't specifically mention neuromuscular diseases), even though the CDC did say to use flexibility. Our ALS clinic was not helpful, and told us to call our government officials and ask for ALS to be a priority.

On another note, I am a healthcare worker and received my second dose a week ago. I am also 27 weeks pregnant. It's not the same as ALS, but it is considered an "underlying condition." I had extreme fatigue, headache, and muscle aches for a day and after that was back to normal. No fever. Baby is fine. After my experience I still strongly believe my husband & those with ALS should get the vaccine ASAP.
 
I just found out this morning that I am eligible to get scheduled for my first dose of the vaccine. No one up to this point was able to give me an answer due to I am under 65. From speaking with the scheduling line not only can I get the vaccine, my husband can receive also as my caregiver. All I had to do was have my doctor write a short note stating my condition and why he deemed it necessary for me to receive the vaccine. You can also have them put an order in my chart if you use that. Then you fax it over to the scheduling department and they will issue you a ticket. Of course you will have to wait for the supply.

I'm not sure how this works in every state but that's the process in Florida. Hope this helps everyone.
 
That is great. Not here is Massachusetts. As long as we have adequate breathing we are not considered at increased risk
 
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