I wonder if the increase in vaccinations is due to people hearing more in the news and from friends and family about the nasty outcomes of long COVID. Being vaccinated gives me a sense of protection from major illness but as an 81-yr-old healthy person I’m driven to wear a mask in indoor gathering places in addition to getting my vaccinations for fear of long COVID.
Yes, and working with those who are disabled on my city Commission for Disabilities, and in state disability orgs, we are seeing more folks coming to our groups disabled by Long COVID with needs. Our stats orgs for disability are also seeing increases.
I have no answers. I got vaccinated in late October and plan to get another vaccine in January (before Jan 20th). I am 68 and immunocompromised. I am worried all Covid vaccines will be pulled from the market post Jan 20th.
I doubt they will do that. I do think they will message things differently, but I would be gobsmacked if they deny it to people in your situation. Of course, nothing realllllly shocks me anymore.
If anything, I would have thought that rates would be lower right now as more people try to time their shots for maximum coverage during the winter surge. I know I was planning to get my shot in November, but because of low levels right now and my personal lack of Thanksgiving plans, I've pushed it to December.
It will be interesting to see if more people end up being motivated to actually follow through and get the vaccine before Jan 20, given the public health uncertainties that are coming after that. Maybe the higher rates you are seeing are due to vaccines being a current topic of discussion in the political sphere, therefore pushing them to the top of people's minds.
There was a lot of messaging at the time of the fall rollout about "go get it now" because we had that late summer wave. This is a point June made above and it's a really good one. The problem is that the timing was actually pretty terrible. By the time the vaccines were being rolled out, the wave was subsiding. Literally worst timing.
I noticed that this year's vaccinations were released as the country was experiencing a surge in Covid infections. I wonder if this motivated more people to get vaccinated "now" since it was top of mind for them, rather then holding off until "later"?
That's a good point. The irony is that most people got the dose at the tail end of the wave....so that made it less useful! (This was a point I made at that time)
Thank you for protecting your high-risk patients! I hope you use an N95 too :) The 3M aura is super comfy (I take no money from them, or anyone; just my opinion)
I got this message from the3M website: how do you buy them or can you get them just because of your occupation status?
For industrial/occupational use only. Not for consumer sale or use.
3M industrial and occupational products are intended, labeled, and packaged for sale to trained industrial and occupational customers for workplace use. Unless specifically stated otherwise on the applicable product packaging or literature, these products are not intended, labeled, or packaged for sale to or use by consumers (e.g., for home, personal, primary or secondary school, recreational/sporting, or other uses not described in the applicable product packaging or literature), and must be selected and used in compliance with applicable health and safety regulations and standards (e.g., U.S. OSHA, ANSI), as well as all product literature, user instructions, warnings, and other limitations, and the user must take any action required under any recall, field action, or other product use notice. Misuse of 3M industrial and occupational products may result in injury, sickness, death, or property damage. For help with product selection and use, consult your on-site safety professional, industrial hygienist, or other subject matter expert. If this product is being purchased for use in firefighting duties, please review this Notice Regarding Fluorinated Organic Compounds.
I got my first 3 Covid shots in 2020-2021 (lucky to be in an early wave as a health care worker). I would probably have gotten a booster in 2022 but contracted Covid in August so I relied on that. In 2023, I opted not to get a booster because I felt the small amount of added protection wasn’t worth the certainty of needing to take a whole day off from work and life due to aftereffects of the vaccine.
This year the updated Novavax is available so I got that 2 weeks ago in advance of seeing a lot of family (some higher risk) for Thanksgiving. I wonder if the option of Novavax is changing uptake for anyone else. (It worked out and I had minimal if any reaction.)
Novavax was a boon for me- at 71 I’ve been punctilious about getting every vaccine available, and got Novavax in October before a bunch of public facing events and some travel. Virtually no side effects, unlike the earlier MRNA vaccines. I am grateful for that! I also routinely mask in crowded spaces. I’m sure that has a benefit in avoiding viruses generally, so why not?
We were vaccinated in the fall and plan to get another dose in January (pre-inauguration) just in case it is our last opportunity to do so for the foreseeable future. We never stopped masking, and I highly encourage folks to start again. It is never too late to do the right thing.
Sad to think that we have to consider concerns like this. I don't think the vaccines will be pulled from the market but it's unfortunate that it's even something we have to think about
I wish I shared your optimism. They may not be pulled outright, but those nominated to be in charge of recommendations and further research may choose not to recommend them (which will affect insurance coverage) and/or not fund further development to keep up with the constantly evolving strains. Demand is already shamefully low due to the mainstreaming of dis/misinformation, and if insurance companies (and Medicare/Medicaid/ACA) stop covering them, supply/availability is likely to contract.
My PCP is a COVID-truther and already advises all of his patients not to vaccinate for COVID and blames the vaccines for all of the illness and death caused by COVID. He prescribed Vitamin D to help me with my COVID anxiety (since I continue to mask with an N-95). "Doctors" like him will be further emboldened to harm their patients. We already have a provider shortage so I'm stuck with a quack. Darker days ahead.
I got the latest shot in late September. I am more concerned with an international trip in mid March than the November-December holidays and wanted to get another shot in late February. Now, though, I am worried that I won’t be able to get that shot because I will be just shy of the new 6 month time between shots, when it used to be four months for 65+. I am 78 with asthma but not immunocompromised. It is really hard to time these when the rules keep shifting.
Yes. When I was in Scotland in August 2023. It is a long messy story, but in the end my only option was to mask up and continue my trip. I did have Paxlovid thanks to a friend. My doctor won’t prescribe it “just in case”. I would really prefer not to repeat that experience, especially since this time I will be on a boat, which was why I was so carefully timing these shots for maximum protection from infection.
This is interesting info. I will share that I considered waiting until later in the fall, but locally levels were high in fall and with kids/teens in school that was a high risk time for us. Really we need a better vaccine b/c it is not so easy to balance timing and being able to get an appointment at a pharmacy when you want it. On the topic of access, I will share that at most medical facilities here you can get a flu shot at any appointment (in fact they ask and encourage it at every appointment). 3 of the 6 people in our family received a flu shot this way the last few weeks and it was awesome. It was both normalizing and convenient. If Covid could be done the same way it would reach A LOT of people.
Dr. Faust, Arizona has a large snowbird population that travel from other states in the fall. They likely get their vaccines before the leave. I know I would.
My wife and I had flu/covid vax mid October 10days before flying to Florida Disney World where I contracted covid and subsequently gave it to her. Masked traveling down and back but not in the parks. Our traveling companions were also vax’d and didn’t get sick. We will both be vaccinated again as soon as we are eligible.
"high-risk people (not counting immunocompromised folks who can get doses as often as every 2 months if needed)"
The differing treatment of the immunocompromised and "high risk people continues to infuriate me! I don't see any reason why an older person with (or without for that matter) possible comorbidities can't get the vaccine every two months as well if they so choose. They are "highER risk" too, because of the general weakening of the immune system. There is no vaccine shortage that I've heard of. It seems more "of a piece" with the CDC et al trying to eliminate "confusion" and improve "messaging" by equating the value of getting annual flu shots with those of covid shots - despite the huge difference in death tolls from the two illnesses. What do you think about the continuing efforts to conflate flu with COVID. Is there something real problem that I'm missing?
After getting COVID on Christmas morning last year for the 1st time that took me down for a month, I decided to get the updated vaccine this month rather than in October which I did last year. Fingers crossed that getting it a little later will get me through the next few months. Good to see more getting it this year than last year and maybe we will have a less serious season if more get the vaccine.
As an added note, I went to Walgreens for my shot and they use a prick needle. First time I've had that and didn't feel anything which left me wondering if it was actually in my system. The tech assured me it was. Didn't feel the soreness until the next day in my arm which made me realize it was working.
Wow Janet was that your 1st time with Covid? I had it (first time) in June and it was much worse than I thought (just was sicker for longer than I anticipated) but it was definitely not a month for me. Yikes!!!!
It's possible that I had a cold virus too with COVID that prolonged the healing. Had every symptom listed for COVID except for nausea. Lots of congestion & fatigue. Did recover but hope I never have that experience again. I went to a theater performance the day before Christmas Eve. Wore my mask but did take it down to drink some water. Tried to avoid the crowd during intermission. So suspect I might of gotten COVID at the play.
Also, I have an IgA deficient antibody (tested at 12) that I recently found out. Could explain all the viruses I've had throughout my 69 years of life. Good to know so I was able to pass that information along to my son since I found out it's genetic.
I think some time ago - but not that long ago - you wrote a piece about what precautions you take now with regard to avoiding being exposed to COVID. If I remember correctly you said that you don't eat indoors in restaurants or something very similar to that. Would you mind telling me how to find your article?
I noticed that Substack actually allows to search for e.g. "restaurant", in Dr. Faust's posts; hope that helps. Actually it would be great if Dr. Faust could post periodic updates to help us in the difficult task of deciding what precautions/risks to take.
Perhaps people were worried that the new administration would limit insurance for vaccines come January?
Possibly, yeah, though it preceded the election so...
I wonder if the increase in vaccinations is due to people hearing more in the news and from friends and family about the nasty outcomes of long COVID. Being vaccinated gives me a sense of protection from major illness but as an 81-yr-old healthy person I’m driven to wear a mask in indoor gathering places in addition to getting my vaccinations for fear of long COVID.
Yeah and I also think it's being seen as a more routine part of care
Yes, and working with those who are disabled on my city Commission for Disabilities, and in state disability orgs, we are seeing more folks coming to our groups disabled by Long COVID with needs. Our stats orgs for disability are also seeing increases.
I have no answers. I got vaccinated in late October and plan to get another vaccine in January (before Jan 20th). I am 68 and immunocompromised. I am worried all Covid vaccines will be pulled from the market post Jan 20th.
I doubt they will do that. I do think they will message things differently, but I would be gobsmacked if they deny it to people in your situation. Of course, nothing realllllly shocks me anymore.
If anything, I would have thought that rates would be lower right now as more people try to time their shots for maximum coverage during the winter surge. I know I was planning to get my shot in November, but because of low levels right now and my personal lack of Thanksgiving plans, I've pushed it to December.
It will be interesting to see if more people end up being motivated to actually follow through and get the vaccine before Jan 20, given the public health uncertainties that are coming after that. Maybe the higher rates you are seeing are due to vaccines being a current topic of discussion in the political sphere, therefore pushing them to the top of people's minds.
There was a lot of messaging at the time of the fall rollout about "go get it now" because we had that late summer wave. This is a point June made above and it's a really good one. The problem is that the timing was actually pretty terrible. By the time the vaccines were being rolled out, the wave was subsiding. Literally worst timing.
I noticed that this year's vaccinations were released as the country was experiencing a surge in Covid infections. I wonder if this motivated more people to get vaccinated "now" since it was top of mind for them, rather then holding off until "later"?
But that vaccination rate in AZ? Tell me more!
That's a good point. The irony is that most people got the dose at the tail end of the wave....so that made it less useful! (This was a point I made at that time)
Got my covid vaccine in mid October. Had every recommended one so far. I’m 61 with asthma and a full time dialysis RN.
Thank you for protecting your high-risk patients! I hope you use an N95 too :) The 3M aura is super comfy (I take no money from them, or anyone; just my opinion)
I got this message from the3M website: how do you buy them or can you get them just because of your occupation status?
For industrial/occupational use only. Not for consumer sale or use.
3M industrial and occupational products are intended, labeled, and packaged for sale to trained industrial and occupational customers for workplace use. Unless specifically stated otherwise on the applicable product packaging or literature, these products are not intended, labeled, or packaged for sale to or use by consumers (e.g., for home, personal, primary or secondary school, recreational/sporting, or other uses not described in the applicable product packaging or literature), and must be selected and used in compliance with applicable health and safety regulations and standards (e.g., U.S. OSHA, ANSI), as well as all product literature, user instructions, warnings, and other limitations, and the user must take any action required under any recall, field action, or other product use notice. Misuse of 3M industrial and occupational products may result in injury, sickness, death, or property damage. For help with product selection and use, consult your on-site safety professional, industrial hygienist, or other subject matter expert. If this product is being purchased for use in firefighting duties, please review this Notice Regarding Fluorinated Organic Compounds.
Love the 3M aura!
Thank you. I will try that one.
I got my first 3 Covid shots in 2020-2021 (lucky to be in an early wave as a health care worker). I would probably have gotten a booster in 2022 but contracted Covid in August so I relied on that. In 2023, I opted not to get a booster because I felt the small amount of added protection wasn’t worth the certainty of needing to take a whole day off from work and life due to aftereffects of the vaccine.
This year the updated Novavax is available so I got that 2 weeks ago in advance of seeing a lot of family (some higher risk) for Thanksgiving. I wonder if the option of Novavax is changing uptake for anyone else. (It worked out and I had minimal if any reaction.)
There's a number of people who seem to prefer it, so that could be!
Novavax was a boon for me- at 71 I’ve been punctilious about getting every vaccine available, and got Novavax in October before a bunch of public facing events and some travel. Virtually no side effects, unlike the earlier MRNA vaccines. I am grateful for that! I also routinely mask in crowded spaces. I’m sure that has a benefit in avoiding viruses generally, so why not?
Very good to hear that it had fewer side effects for you!
I had 2 Novavax jabs: last October and this past April. Got Covid right after in May. I went with Moderna this time.
Would you feel comfortable sharing if you had any difference on side effects, Donna? I know it's purely anecdotal, but just curious!
We were vaccinated in the fall and plan to get another dose in January (pre-inauguration) just in case it is our last opportunity to do so for the foreseeable future. We never stopped masking, and I highly encourage folks to start again. It is never too late to do the right thing.
Sad to think that we have to consider concerns like this. I don't think the vaccines will be pulled from the market but it's unfortunate that it's even something we have to think about
I wish I shared your optimism. They may not be pulled outright, but those nominated to be in charge of recommendations and further research may choose not to recommend them (which will affect insurance coverage) and/or not fund further development to keep up with the constantly evolving strains. Demand is already shamefully low due to the mainstreaming of dis/misinformation, and if insurance companies (and Medicare/Medicaid/ACA) stop covering them, supply/availability is likely to contract.
My PCP is a COVID-truther and already advises all of his patients not to vaccinate for COVID and blames the vaccines for all of the illness and death caused by COVID. He prescribed Vitamin D to help me with my COVID anxiety (since I continue to mask with an N-95). "Doctors" like him will be further emboldened to harm their patients. We already have a provider shortage so I'm stuck with a quack. Darker days ahead.
Your worries seem entirely justified to me. I am just wondering why you don't try to find a more Intelligent, sensible doctor
Provider shortage. I’m also in Florida where there aren’t many sensible doctors left.
How can you get another vaccine before 6 months has elapsed? And would Medicare cover it?
Don’t you have to wait six months to get another vaccine dose?
I got the latest shot in late September. I am more concerned with an international trip in mid March than the November-December holidays and wanted to get another shot in late February. Now, though, I am worried that I won’t be able to get that shot because I will be just shy of the new 6 month time between shots, when it used to be four months for 65+. I am 78 with asthma but not immunocompromised. It is really hard to time these when the rules keep shifting.
Frustrating. Sorry! Have you had covid before?
Yes. When I was in Scotland in August 2023. It is a long messy story, but in the end my only option was to mask up and continue my trip. I did have Paxlovid thanks to a friend. My doctor won’t prescribe it “just in case”. I would really prefer not to repeat that experience, especially since this time I will be on a boat, which was why I was so carefully timing these shots for maximum protection from infection.
Same problem about "just in case" with my doctor. Wish his name was Faust
I suggest it’s because the Covid vaccination can be bundled with the flu shot and more people are used to getting an annual flu shot.
Yes that is VERY possible
Given how Covid vaccine protection wanes, why shouldn't people get shots more often? Is there a potential downside?
Great question. See my comment above.
This is interesting info. I will share that I considered waiting until later in the fall, but locally levels were high in fall and with kids/teens in school that was a high risk time for us. Really we need a better vaccine b/c it is not so easy to balance timing and being able to get an appointment at a pharmacy when you want it. On the topic of access, I will share that at most medical facilities here you can get a flu shot at any appointment (in fact they ask and encourage it at every appointment). 3 of the 6 people in our family received a flu shot this way the last few weeks and it was awesome. It was both normalizing and convenient. If Covid could be done the same way it would reach A LOT of people.
Maria, Thanks for this. So, it is your experience that it is currently easier to get a flu vaccine than a Covid vaccine?
Dr. Faust, Arizona has a large snowbird population that travel from other states in the fall. They likely get their vaccines before the leave. I know I would.
I was wondering about that. Of course, so does Florida, and rates there are craptastic. But I suppose Florida is a "special case," isn't it...
My wife and I had flu/covid vax mid October 10days before flying to Florida Disney World where I contracted covid and subsequently gave it to her. Masked traveling down and back but not in the parks. Our traveling companions were also vax’d and didn’t get sick. We will both be vaccinated again as soon as we are eligible.
"high-risk people (not counting immunocompromised folks who can get doses as often as every 2 months if needed)"
The differing treatment of the immunocompromised and "high risk people continues to infuriate me! I don't see any reason why an older person with (or without for that matter) possible comorbidities can't get the vaccine every two months as well if they so choose. They are "highER risk" too, because of the general weakening of the immune system. There is no vaccine shortage that I've heard of. It seems more "of a piece" with the CDC et al trying to eliminate "confusion" and improve "messaging" by equating the value of getting annual flu shots with those of covid shots - despite the huge difference in death tolls from the two illnesses. What do you think about the continuing efforts to conflate flu with COVID. Is there something real problem that I'm missing?
After getting COVID on Christmas morning last year for the 1st time that took me down for a month, I decided to get the updated vaccine this month rather than in October which I did last year. Fingers crossed that getting it a little later will get me through the next few months. Good to see more getting it this year than last year and maybe we will have a less serious season if more get the vaccine.
As an added note, I went to Walgreens for my shot and they use a prick needle. First time I've had that and didn't feel anything which left me wondering if it was actually in my system. The tech assured me it was. Didn't feel the soreness until the next day in my arm which made me realize it was working.
Wow Janet was that your 1st time with Covid? I had it (first time) in June and it was much worse than I thought (just was sicker for longer than I anticipated) but it was definitely not a month for me. Yikes!!!!
It's possible that I had a cold virus too with COVID that prolonged the healing. Had every symptom listed for COVID except for nausea. Lots of congestion & fatigue. Did recover but hope I never have that experience again. I went to a theater performance the day before Christmas Eve. Wore my mask but did take it down to drink some water. Tried to avoid the crowd during intermission. So suspect I might of gotten COVID at the play.
Also, I have an IgA deficient antibody (tested at 12) that I recently found out. Could explain all the viruses I've had throughout my 69 years of life. Good to know so I was able to pass that information along to my son since I found out it's genetic.
I think some time ago - but not that long ago - you wrote a piece about what precautions you take now with regard to avoiding being exposed to COVID. If I remember correctly you said that you don't eat indoors in restaurants or something very similar to that. Would you mind telling me how to find your article?
I noticed that Substack actually allows to search for e.g. "restaurant", in Dr. Faust's posts; hope that helps. Actually it would be great if Dr. Faust could post periodic updates to help us in the difficult task of deciding what precautions/risks to take.