Oof... I wish her and your whole fam well, Andy... sounds like at the very least it's going to be some hard processing for her, as you said...
I created a separate post for this, but check it out and get involved https://www.mobilize.us/dpgvoterpro...tails&share_medium=copy_link×lot=2615239
If I'm being honest, I've had those same thoughts/feelings - "well, let the 'religious' fruitcakes gather in large numbers, let the anti-vaxxers not get the vaccine, maybe we let darwinism weed out some of the dregs of society". It's a thought process I've struggled against, as I realize it's the same thoughts "they" have towards "us". And more than that, letting them continue with their destructive behavior spreads their destructiveness to others. But if it could be contained to only affect "them"...how would I feel about that?
It's a tough rabbit hole to crawl out of man. I remember watching trump political events this year and just being amazed at how thousands upon thousands of people had no regard whatsoever for the pandemic. Packed in like sardines without masks on. The initial thought is of course "play stupid games, win stupid prizes" but that just isn't the reality. They get sick and spread it EVERYWHERE because they don't stay home and they don't wear masks and they don't wash their hands constantly. So they infect their friends and families and neighbors and walmart cashiers and even the doctors/nurses/ambulance people once they call 9-11 because they can't breathe. Everyone else pays for their poor choices. It's not fair at all but it's reality. Especially when those people get sick first and get treated in a nice comfortable hospital bed yet the waves of infection they cause spread so far and fast that hospitals fill up and now people get turned away at the door.
I live and work in New Jersey, and my company's headquarters is outside of Springfield, Missouri. Months ago, during the first wave, my team would have meetings where the Midwesterners would make little jokes about how those of us in New Jersey and Massachusetts were locked down out here and the danger outside. Nothing mean-spirited, it was all good-natured. They were genuinely concerned for our well-being but I do think that some of them genuinely believe this would never get to their state. Now the virus is hitting Missouri hard. My coworkers there are very scared, and some of them have gotten sick. They're particularly angry at the megachurches out there which have refused to curb any of their activities. They told me there are even stores where if you come in wearing a mask they will ask you to leave. It's really horrifying to hear this, especially when their state saw the rest of the country go through this before they did.
Both my parents have tested positive for it, now me and my entire family have to go get tested since we saw them before they showed any signs. Yay.
I just got notification that I can sign up to receive the vaccine next week. I have mixed feelings about it. Obviously I want it, and will get it. But I feel like there are many other groups of people that should get it before I do - just because I'm employed by a hospital doesn't mean I should get it before grocery store workers, or really any service-industry workers. Or people in prison. Or homeless people. Or all teachers and students. I'm good at staying home, and am lucky to be able to do my job 100% from home (despite what my boss thinks). I want the vaccine, but getting it now - ahead of people who need it more than me - doesn't really help me, or anyone else, in any way whatsoever. I'm also afraid that once vaccinated my boss is going to make me come back to the office. And working from home this year has been the biggest silver lining of C19. My mental health is shot - but being able to be home, rather than commuting to an office, has been just about the only thing that keeps me going. I know - the nerve of me complaining about getting the vaccine, while others are facing actual illness and death. My heart goes out to you all. And what you're dealing with does go hand-in-hand with my complaint - there are SO MANY people who deserve the vaccine ahead of me, and the benefit would be so much more impactful, both to the individual who receives it and society at large.
Fuck the guilt. None of us have any choice about when our turn comes up so the best thing to do is just go get it when the powers that be say it's your turn. If everyone does that everyone will be vaccinated eventually. And you can link your boss to all the science articles that state very clearly how getting the vaccine does not mean you won't get covid and be highly contagious. It just means you yourself probably won't get sick. That doesn't protect anyone else from you. It just protects you. So getting the needle and heading straight back to work is not how this shit works.
I hear ya. The crazy thing is my boss is a Dr. He should know this. But he's been more concerned about WFH than C19. Living with someone who will be unvaccinated for several months renders my vaccination purposeless.
From a few months back: https://www.cnn.com/2020/09/17/asia/indonesia-coronavirus-grave-diggers-intl-hnk-scli/index.html
Side effects of the vaccine are definitely worse than I've experienced with anything else. Though it sounds like I experienced them worse than my coworkers - so it varies from person to person. One thing we all agree on is that the area where it's injected hurts significantly more than a flu shot. In addition to the shoulder soreness I experienced muscle pain throughout my back along with a headache. I rarely get headaches. It was probably 6 hours after the shot that I started feeling side effects, and I'm about 48 hours out now and nearly feeling normal again. The way it has rolled out in Portland has definitely caught some attention, with many people feeling upset that non-essential personnel (such as myself) are receiving the vaccine ahead of essential personnel. Area hospitals are aware but don't seem too concerned - rather taking the position that getting anyone vaccinated is good. It is - for sure. And I understand that trying to target specific populations on the fly would be very difficult. It really is a shame that there's no national leadership to aid with a better roll-out. I still think that only patient-facing personnel should have received the vaccine at hospitals, and that doses should have been directed to schools and prisons. Getting them into the private sector service industry would have been another huge challenge since we don't have nationalized healthcare, but would have been far more beneficial. Good luck and good health to everyone waiting for their vaccine.
Sorry to hear about the side effects. Is this the Pfizer one where you get a second shot or is that it? A state of emergency has been declared for Tokyo again: https://www.npr.org/sections/corona...ate-of-emergency-for-tokyo-as-infections-rise
All in all it wasn't so bad. It made me feel better about laying around the house doing nothing - having the excuse of not feeling well makes it a little less depressing! I was just a bit surprised by the side effects, as someone who has never had issues with other vaccines. I got the Pfizer shot, and it was the first shot. My boss said that side effects on the second may be more intense than the first. We'll see. Oh, another thing I noticed was that I'm pretty sure the vaccine made my pee smell awful! My lower back (I'm guessing kidneys) had been aching, and then a few hours later I was taking a piss and it was...acrid? Anyway - just putting it all out there so yall can know what to expect.
I received my second dose of the Pfizer vaccine yesterday. So far the second dose is much 'milder' than my first. My first go-round I had the expected arm soreness which lasted for a day and a half, along with a headache. Yesterday's arm soreness was to be expected but its almost gone today. I did have a mild headache yesterday but its gone today. Aside from what I experienced there was some experienced fatigue, but nothing that kept people home. We've been moving quickly on vaccine distribution despite the never ending logistical challenges and along with the booster dose for initial recipients, we're starting 65+ after completing 75+ last week.
Oh I totally forgot! That's the best part! I can now dispense and infect others with 5G! It's so strong, I merely have to point at a username and that person is unknowingly infected and a tool of Bill Gates forevermore. I've been going through conservative and antivax reddit pages and infecting everyone. I'm about to create a parlor (purposely misspelled to not attract google hits) account so I can infect all those 4G degenerates.
I got my first shot of the Moderna vaccine yesterday. My arm is sore, the pain isn't any more or less than what I've gotten from flu vaccines, but the effect has been pretty prolonged, over 16 hours so far. I can still type and wash dishes without a problem. I did use ice packs on it as much as I could before I went to sleep. Otherwise, I'm a little tired today but no other side effects as far as I can tell. One thing that definitely felt weird was being in a large building with a couple hundred other people.
In NJ the rollout has been messy. You registered with the state which ultimately did nothing, then you were directed to county level web sites. Not sure what it's like where you are.
Roll out has been an absolute joke, everywhere. Not surprising given how we've handled c19 from the jump. The fact that I got my vax weeks prior to my elderly parents (who are still waiting) is infuriating.