September Covid @Content

[curbsideprophet]

Sept 18, 2023 20:39:32 GMT -5 chickadee77 said:

Question: I think my H and I may have had covid last week-ish. We tested several times at home; no positives. We are traveling next month and want to get updated prior. Is it considered safe to get the new vaccine prior to the recommended three month wait? What are the possible repercussions?

Did you get a PCR test? I would consider getting one to try and confirm.

[timorousbeastie]

Sept 18, 2023 20:03:16 GMT -5 kiminky said:

Someone local to me posted on Twitter that 4 of the 5 people (including them) they were scheduled with at the pharmacy to get their Covid vaccine today weren't able to get it because health insurance companies had not added it to their coverage. Anyone else seeing this?

I just saw an article that talks about this.

“According to both CVS and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the new vaccines have a new billing code for insurances – which has not been updated in all insurance plans, leading to the erroneous charge for people seeking out a vaccine in this first week.”
www.cbsnews.com/boston/news/patients-charged-hundreds-new-covid-19-shots/

[wanderingback]

Ugh how infuriating but not surprising. I feel bad for pharmacists.

Has anyone walked in to a chain and gotten vaccinated without an appointment?

I made myself an appointment near my job for this evening. My mom and partner decided they wanted it this week too (we leave for vacation on Fri), but seems like no options till next week. Our doh website hasn’t updated as to which community health centers have it. I think they’re going to try to walk in at cvs or another place to see what happens.

[fortnightlily]

Sept 18, 2023 20:39:32 GMT -5 chickadee77 said:

Question: I think my H and I may have had covid last week-ish. We tested several times at home; no positives. We are traveling next month and want to get updated prior. Is it considered safe to get the new vaccine prior to the recommended three month wait? What are the possible repercussions?

It's not a question of safety, but efficacy and spreading your protection further in a 12 month window. After an infection you've got new antibodies already so you're fairly well protected for a few months. The vaccine isn't giving you much added benefit. By waiting 3+ months you'll be buffing up your immune system again for another few months as that burst from the recent infection wanes.

[StrawberryBlondie]

Sept 19, 2023 6:49:59 GMT -5 curbsideprophet said:

Sept 18, 2023 20:03:16 GMT -5 kiminky said:

Someone local to me posted on Twitter that 4 of the 5 people (including them) they were scheduled with at the pharmacy to get their Covid vaccine today weren't able to get it because health insurance companies had not added it to their coverage. Anyone else seeing this?

I am seeing various people talk about this on Twitter.

Happened to my DH.

My appointment isn't for a couple weeks so I hope they get their shit together before then.

[hermione]

I had two staff members get both the COVID and FLU shots last night. One has mildly sore arms, the other is down with a fever and chills.

[seeyalater52]

Sept 19, 2023 7:52:33 GMT -5 timorousbeastie said:

Sept 18, 2023 20:03:16 GMT -5 kiminky said:

Someone local to me posted on Twitter that 4 of the 5 people (including them) they were scheduled with at the pharmacy to get their Covid vaccine today weren't able to get it because health insurance companies had not added it to their coverage. Anyone else seeing this?

I just saw an article that talks about this.

“According to both CVS and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the new vaccines have a new billing code for insurances – which has not been updated in all insurance plans, leading to the erroneous charge for people seeking out a vaccine in this first week.”
www.cbsnews.com/boston/news/patients-charged-hundreds-new-covid-19-shots/

This is COMPLETELY ridiculous. I’m sure that isn’t news to you or anybody here, but the privatization of this updated vaccine has been planned for like 3/4 of a year. There is literally NO reason why The billing code update could not have been handled sooner to avoid this VERY OBVIOUS AND PREDICTABLE scenario. They should have worked with insurers to make sure this was ready to go when they announced the launch of the updated vaccine.

[wanderingback]

It seems like January 2021 again!
Reporting back that my partner tried to go to CVS and they said they’re all booked up until next month.

[jaylea]

Faaaaaaaaaaack covid.

I had it a few weeks ago, from a required work meeting. More than 10 of us got sick.

Then I came home and somehow managed to not infect my family (I got sick once home).

I tested negative a week and a half ago.

@@@

And now my DS has covid, presumably from school. DD is in a walking boot due to an injury so doesn’t want to catch it as she’ll miss her follow up and more of soccer season. And DH wants to get it and just get it over with as he’s tired of what we just dealt with.

I wish we had a separate hangout area, or at least an extra bedroom for someone who is sick to hide out in!

[wanderingback]

So my partner was able to get an appointment in our city with our house cause he needs to check on it anyway. It seems like they have a lot of appointments there. So wildly different than here!

But I’m glad people are getting vaccinated!

[aurora]

Sounds like I'm "lucky" I got COVID last month -- maybe the insurance and appointment scheduling issues will be worked out by the time I'm due for my vaccine!

(I really don't think anyone is lucky to get COVID. Just finding a silver lining.)

[pinkpeony08]

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Has anyone had trouble booking appointments for kids at Walgreens or CVS? Both offer appointments when I enter my or my husband's birth date - tons of availability. But when I enter my kids (ages 8 and 11), it says there are no appointments. The websites say they vaccinate ages 3 and up. I was going to call Walgreens and ask, but I wondered if others had the same experience?

[pixy0stix]

Sept 19, 2023 20:37:07 GMT -5 pinkpeony08 said:

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Has anyone had trouble booking appointments for kids at Walgreens or CVS? Both offer appointments when I enter my or my husband's birth date - tons of availability. But when I enter my kids (ages 8 and 11), it says there are no appointments. The websites say they vaccinate ages 3 and up. I was going to call Walgreens and ask, but I wondered if others had the same experience?

This is what I was running into. If your kids were moderna vaccinated, the roll-out doesn't appear to be happening until October.

[mandymay]

Sept 19, 2023 20:37:07 GMT -5 pinkpeony08 said:

@@@

Has anyone had trouble booking appointments for kids at Walgreens or CVS? Both offer appointments when I enter my or my husband's birth date - tons of availability. But when I enter my kids (ages 8 and 11), it says there are no appointments. The websites say they vaccinate ages 3 and up. I was going to call Walgreens and ask, but I wondered if others had the same experience?

When I booked us all at Walgreens, I couldn't get an appointment for my youngest until September 29th.

[goldengirlz]

Appointments here seem to be plentiful, but Walgreens was an absolute mess when I got there yesterday. Maybe it was the insurance issue (although mine did go through), but checking in each person was taking 20 minutes at the window. I’ve never witnessed that much disorganization before, even in 2021. I felt terrible for the check-in people.

Separately, here’s something kinda weird. EVERY time I’ve gotten a covid vaccine (this is my 5th, both Pfizer and Moderna previously), I’ve had symptoms around the 12 hour mark. This time, I felt GREAT all day and thought I was home free. Nope! I started running a fever around 28 hours after my vaccine. I mean, it’s whatever, but I set up my work schedule expecting an entirely different reaction! Hoping I’m better by tomorrow morning.

[kiminky]

This is tangential to Covid vax, but thought I could maybe ask here. My PCP recommended that both of my parents get the RSV vaccine, which unbeknownst to me they already had. She also recommended that I get it because I work in schools and that my 24 y/o DD get it due to her asthma. Has anyone else heard similar recs?

[dancingirl21]

I got both my flu and Covid vaccines at Walgreens on Monday, which was the first day they were taking appointments. It was kind of a disorganized mess and the newish kid helping check me in couldn't get my insurance to approve the Covid shot. The pharmacist came over and told him what to do and it went through. We have United Healthcare, FWIW. My DH was scheduled for yesterday in Phoenix (where he is working right now) and they called in the morning saying they didn't have the vaccines yet. So it seems kind of hit or miss.

I did both flu and Covid at the same time last year too, so I knew what to expect. I get a very sore arm from flu and that happened again. Prior to last year's last Covid shot, I always got the lump under my armpit and no other symptoms (with Pfizer). This time I barely got the lump at all, so that's good.

[seeyalater52]

Sept 19, 2023 21:12:51 GMT -5 mandymay said:

Sept 19, 2023 20:37:07 GMT -5 pinkpeony08 said:

@@@

Has anyone had trouble booking appointments for kids at Walgreens or CVS? Both offer appointments when I enter my or my husband's birth date - tons of availability. But when I enter my kids (ages 8 and 11), it says there are no appointments. The websites say they vaccinate ages 3 and up. I was going to call Walgreens and ask, but I wondered if others had the same experience?

When I booked us all at Walgreens, I couldn't get an appointment for my youngest until September 29th.

Same. I booked the earliest possible appt and it isn’t until the 29th.

[gemini79]

I walked into a Sav on pharmacy yesterday and got flu and covid shots. No lines, no insurance issues at all.

I have felt horrible after the shots before. I feel ok now, but im scared ill suddenly feel bad later (last time I was on a long Run and it hit me and I almost didn't make it back!)

[wanderingback]

I feel really bad for the pharmacy workers. Having to deal with insurance must be a nightmare.

[seeyalater52]

Sept 20, 2023 7:48:28 GMT -5 wanderingback said:

I feel really bad for the pharmacy workers. Having to deal with insurance must be a nightmare.

I do too. They’ve been asked to do the impossible this whole damn pandemic as the federal government and many health care systems basically passed the buck to pharmacies and state/city clinics and the constant changes to the vaccines, to eligibility, and now to this insurance mess is just awful. I dont know much about pharmacy workforce but from the closures and staffing issues I’m seeing in our city it seems like a lot of people have left and the current workers are even more stretched and understaffed than usual.

[formerlyak]

The teen got his last night at Walgreens. All went smooth but we went to a Walgreens where he got a previous dose so he was already set up in their system. Maybe that helped? He has Health Net.

I was able to get the 9 year old an appointment for his next Saturday 9/30 at a CVS.

CVS has a connection with our Anthem (DH, DS 9 and me) insurance where we get a separate CVS card that’s supposed to streamline the experience. Other pharmacies still accept our insurance, but it’s supposed to be easier. DH got his this past weekend at Walgreens and it did take a hot minute for pharmacist to get the insurance system to recognize the vaccine and approve him getting it. I did not have the same issue at CVS.

[wanderingback]

Well spoke too soon, my partner got a call that Walgreens ran out of the covid vaccine. They had tons of appointments available today too! They still have the flu vaccine though.

I’m glad people are getting vaccinated but it def feels like Jan 2021!

Also, the Walgreens I was at had signs all over that said "all immunizations, no appointment needed!!!!!!!" (Literally with that many exclamation marks) And a person walked up and asked about the Shingles vaccine and they said you need to make an appointment :/

[fuckyourcouch]

I had an appt Monday at CVS (moderna) and it was cancelled on Sunday. Soonest reschedule was 2 weeks out. I am limited by chemo scheduling so I really only had one day (and it was technically last Friday).

I rescheduled with Walgreens for Monday. I was able to get it (Pfizer), but it was a cluster and I had to wait over an hour even though I had an appt. I saw 2 people get turned away for insurance refusing to cover it for being “too new” while I was there. My h was able to go Monday evening.

I made my dad a Tuesday morning appt at Walgreens closest to him, and he was turned away because his insurance would only cover Pfizer, not moderna.

Ridiculous. My dad will go back to a different one with Pfizer today. A lot of people wouldn’t try again. Stop making it hard for people trying to do the right thing.

Anecdotes: I had a really sore arm for about 36 hours. Light back pain. My h is acting like he has the flu and came home from work early yesterday. We both oddly had ankle discomfort but it’s resolved.

[icedcoffee]

I had a physical this morning so I got a flu shot, but they didn't have and won't get the COVID vax. They're referring to pharmacy which is annoying (and which I already knew because my H is their sales rep LOL).

@my older kid has an appt with the pedi on monday for flu and I am hoping I can add on the COVID while we are there. And I'm kinda hoping they will do me too. Normally they are pretty good about that kinda of stuff so fingers crossed!

[waverly]

Sept 20, 2023 8:04:57 GMT -5 formerlyak said:

The teen got his last night at Walgreens. All went smooth but we went to a Walgreens where he got a previous dose so he was already set up in their system. Maybe that helped? He has Health Net.

I was able to get the 9 year old an appointment for his next Saturday 9/30 at a CVS.

CVS has a connection with our Anthem (DH, DS 9 and me) insurance where we get a separate CVS card that’s supposed to streamline the experience. Other pharmacies still accept our insurance, but it’s supposed to be easier. DH got his this past weekend at Walgreens and it did take a hot minute for pharmacist to get the insurance system to recognize the vaccine and approve him getting it. I did not have the same issue at CVS.

@ I was under the impression that the newest Covid vaccine was only approved for the 12+ age range.  Walgreens let me schedule DD (10), then called and told me this.  CVS would not let me schedule her.  

Or maybe they haven't shipped the pediatric doses yet? 

[waverly]

I got mine yesterday with Pfizer and feel mostly fine. A sore arm, and a little tired. Far cry from the Moderna symptoms for me which were full misery.

@  DH and DS are scheduled for Friday.

I am not brave enough to do flu at the same time, so we'll wait a week or 2 and then start scheduling the flu shots. I want flu by the first week of October since it hit early last year.

[Susie]

Sept 20, 2023 11:50:44 GMT -5 waverly said:

I got mine yesterday with Pfizer and feel mostly fine. A sore arm, and a little tired. Far cry from the Moderna symptoms for me which were full misery.

That's encouraging, thanks!  I have Pfizer tomorrow, and felt the same after Moderna in the past.

I already booked my flu shot for 1 week later.  Last year I did them together, and no thank you.

[waverly]

Sept 19, 2023 20:37:07 GMT -5 pinkpeony08 said:

@@@

Has anyone had trouble booking appointments for kids at Walgreens or CVS? Both offer appointments when I enter my or my husband's birth date - tons of availability. But when I enter my kids (ages 8 and 11), it says there are no appointments. The websites say they vaccinate ages 3 and up. I was going to call Walgreens and ask, but I wondered if others had the same experience?

@ Walgreens told me that the newest Covid vaccine is approved for 12+.

CVS would not schedule DD.  

ETA- the internet tells me it was approved for everyone, so maybe it's a shipping pediatric doses issue?  

[tacokick]

Two types of COVID-19 vaccines are available for use in the United States:

Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine (2023–2024 Formula) is authorized for children ages 6 months–11 years; SPIKEVAX is the licensed Moderna product for people ages 12 years and older.


Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine (2023–2024 Formula) is authorized for children ages 6 months–11 years; COMIRNATY is the licensed Pfizer-BioNTech product for people ages 12 years and older.


Details:

www.cdc.gov/vaccines/covid-19/clinical-considerations/interim-considerations-us.html