Good for you, Katie. I had Pfizer, and I'll be interested to learn your experience with Moderna.

It found it to be an emotional moment, as well. After month of wondering if this would ever happen, everybody I dealt with in the process handled their tasks efficiently, and were extremely caring. I was initially scheduled for yesterday, a day later than my wheel-chair bound partner, and when I asked if the registrar could confirm my appointment time, they went above and beyond and scheduled us both for the same time slot. The whole operation was very well organized. Impresssive.

How long do you wait for your 2nd vaccination? Ours is 3 weeks, and it'll be a drive-thru operation.

The whole thing's had a horrible Hunger Games vibe to it here in PA, where your ability to get an appointment depends on having a computer and the available time to just sit there hitting 'refresh' hour after hour on the various sites that offer slots. I estimate that I spent over 20 hours total at the computer before I found spots at a site that had just added some for this week. Within six minutes the entire week's slots, which run in fifteen minute increments from 8 am to 8 pm, were filled. I was very lucky, (This will improve in the next few weeks with more vaccine available; the fault here is complicated, but it does not belong to the people actually trying to schedule the shots).


It sure highlights the concept of privilege. I've been getting our elderly rural neighbors scheduled on our computer when possible. (At least, the ones who don't think there's a microchip in the vaccine. sigh.) I am not sure what would happen to them otherwise. They've all been waiting, assuming that someone will just call them out of the blue and tell them it's their turn. (Most do not have a private doctor, or good insurance. I'm not sure who the 'someone' is they think will be calling.)

Anyway. Four weeks until the second shot. They confirmed the date and said they'd send the actual time via text / email. This makes sense. As they are hitting the rhythm, they're learning more about exactly how much time to schedule. Presumably second shots will go even faster, as there would be less explaining to do, and people would know exactly what line to stand in. Plus, we were given paperwork to fill out before our next shot, so there will be less standing around at the site.

We're also working around a lot of weather issues here. Some days, some locations close completely, or delay all the shots by two hours in the morning. I can see why they'd wait to work out an exact time schedule until closer to the date.

The four women involved at our site - they're also running the small drugstore's pharmacy at the same time - had not had a bathroom break for hours when we got there. Even though they very specifically ask you to remain in the parking lot until five minutes before your shot is scheduled, they were very happy to process my husband and me simultaneously, because that meant they were able to make a quick dash to the restroom. It makes sense; the recommendation to wait in your car helps ensure that people from different households are not in close proximity.

The actual shot was painless, on a scale of 1 being 'didn't notice' and 10 being 'tetanus shot', this was definitely a 1. We have both noticed tenderness at the injection site if we poke or bump our upper arm, and my husband felt vaguely tired for about 24 hours, but otherwise, nothing. We're aware the reaction to the second shot can be a little more intense and will plan ahead for light prepared meals and no obligations right after it.

Nobody's safe until we're all safe, and I'm well aware that we need to follow all of the protocols for the foreseeable future. But it's an almost overwhelming feeling to know that we've taken this small step forward at least.

Same in NJ! Totally UNimpressive and disappointing. Zero consideration for the eldest amongst us who are not computer savvy. There are also indications that more affluent counties have vaccines and are vaccinating people with less need than many of us who wait for non-existent appointments.

Main problem here is lack of adequate supply which i am hoping changes in March or by April.

I still see fear and anti-vax sentiments on Facebook, but for the most part it seems ironic as originally it seemed the main problem was not enough people wanting it to help us reach 70% and now the demand is far outweighing supply in most of the nation from what i can see and I think that's a good thing because I believe supply WILL catch up.

For myself, I have to wait until March -- 90 days since I was dx with COVID. My primary said I could have it now, but CDC says to wait 90 days and that is what i plan to do since getting an appt. now is a challenge and I have been isolating anyhow. i do NOT go shopping at all. I buy everything I need online. I only go out to go to drs and limit that by not going to annual checkups such as derm and eye doc. When I do go out, I double mask.

I pray for the day this is all behind us and somehow cannot even imagine that day. Next summer?? Who knows as new mutations and strains are still appearing....

Canada hasn't had a shipment of vaccines for weeks. Trudeau screwed the pooch on this one.

My sister managed to get my 91 year old mom a Moderna shot in her rehab hospital. She was a lawyer in Alberta Health Services and called in a lot of favours. Meanwhile my 90 year old MIL had the shot and now has COVID, no clue where she got it, her LTC is in lock down, every other person, staff and residents have tested negative. Maybe a false positive?

Meanwhile, I still can't get the shot, because our chief medical officer says no. I wasn't nervous when I was on Plaquenil, but I had to go off because of the side effects, especially the insomnia and stomach aches got so bad. I should phone my rheumatologist to get his opinion.

Did any of you who had had the vaccine go off your RA meds? I think that is the answer, but I don't think I could take the pain. Just going off Plaquenil has bumped me up on the pain scale a couple of notches.

Marlene, my rheumatologist said to stay on my daily / weekly meds (meloxicam and methotrexate), but she did reschedule my three month Stelara shot, which would have originally been a few days before my second Covid vaccine. Her preference was to wait a full two weeks after the immunization before I get the Stelara. She said there's no hard evidence that this is necessary, but that's largely because this is still all so new that all the data isn't available yet, and there was no particular downside to waiting a few weeks for the Stelara this one time.

That's good to know. I think the big worry, from what I have read, is that our meds will interfere with the efficacy of the vaccine. Glad you were able to get your shots. I don't know why our CMO is so overly paranoid.

My son coaches a junior hockey team. They have yet to play a game. All the other provinces and leagues are playing, from minor hockey to the NHL. Minor hockey never stopped here, and the kids are not getting sick but she won't let the Canucks play, nor the WHL or BCHL play. The only teams shut out of playing in Canada. And we have a lot less cases than other province.

I'm pretty fed up with this pandemic, all in all!

I finally talked to my rheumatologist, he said to get any vaccine as soon as I can, and don't go off my meds, unless I want to hold Cimzia. We are still doing 85 and over in BC.
My 46 year old son is getting it this week in the North West Territories. For some reason, being up there is urgent, even though they've had 5 cases of COVID in the whole territory.

Wish me luck.

I'm getting a Maderna vaccine tomorrow. So a friend of mine who's a nervous nelly sent me some shit about the vaccines weren't test on sufficient number of people with autoimmune disease to tell for sure the results. !

Also, Rheumy wants me off Ronvoq for a week which kinda worries me more. I do NOT want to take pred. And going off my meds is often what ends it...

I had Moderna yesterday. Docs didn't take me off Rinvoq, Plaquenil, MTX or prednisone. My arm is sore, I'm tired and have a slight headache... and some tummy trouble, but otherwise ok.

I had Moderna today. Doc wants me of Rinvoq for a week. Why?

Am I the only one told to go off meds for a week?

Sore arm and fever started second day after shot...and the FLARE. had to resort to medrol. UGH! And I'll have to do it all over again next month. My biggest fear is that gong off Rinvoq for a week this month and next will end it's ability to work. That's happened to me before.

I'm tempted to go against dr's orders...yet afraid.

UPDATE: She said I don't have to go off it next time!

Not sleeping . . . Damn prednisone. I HATE THAT STUFF! Tomorrow night: Benadryl.

Well, I finally have an appointment booked, next Wednesday, April 15. I don't get AstraZeneca, either Moderna or Pfizer.

After waiting so long, they opened up 2 weeks later to everyone. My husband should get his vaccine appointment tomorrow.

There is a catch, Trudeau and friends have decided to hold off the second shot for 4 months, against Health Canada and the manufacturers'recommendations. Everyone is saying he wants everyone to have had one shot when he calls an election in June. He never had my vote and never will.

Katie - Are you in the Boyertown area by any chance? BTW - I just got J&J last Wednesday at a GIANT pharmacy only because I had inside intel that they were receiving more on Tuesday and I jumped right on the site.

I know Florida is getting a ton of bad press with the handling of the shot, but it really has gone well. The state went in to nursing homes first. Then to 65 and older. They sent the county to the home of people who were not ambulatory or couldn't get a ride. People helped older people get booked online. Senior groups helped. Churches booked shots for the elderly. The news will tell you it was awful, but honestly, it went very smoothly down here. Some predominantly black churches have been vaccination sites, but some of the vax is going unused there. I think South Florida needs more than they have been allocated. I got mine at the much maligned Publix. My roommate went to a FEMA site. Both went well. Both of us are fine. I get my second dose of Moderna on Monday. He gets his second Pfizer April 21st. After that, my close circle will all be vaccinated except for one who is an anti-vaxxer. She has lupus and won't take the meds. She is treating her autoimmune disease holistically and watching her get worse is very upsetting since she is like a sister to me. Sorry... tangent.

I get mine tomorrow and I am terrified. People I haven't talked in months, are sending me videos and articles about how bad vaccines are. I'm sure it will be ok, considering you have all had it and survived.,