I am the proverbial COVID-19 lab rat

Nov 20, 2009
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When I was getting my second shot of the COVID-19 vaccine I asked the nurse if there was reason to not get a third shot. This was back in early April and no talk as yet of a booster. She just smiled and offered nothing even when I said I was trying to find out medical and or legal ramifications. Since then I had been to the doctors a couple of times and each time I asked him about it and as with the nurse got nothing from him. During all of this time I searched by Google trying to find legal implications and medical FYI's for not getting a third dose and couldn't find anything. With the medical and legal aspects out of the picture I then turned to the moral aspects. After all, the law of opportunity applies and if I got a third shot then someone else wasn't getting this shot from that little bottle. And so at the start of this week I tried to research shelf life of the vaccines for COVID-19 and was surprised at how short of a period it was (~35 days).

At this point I happen to ask my local grocer's pharmacy that was giving out the shots if they had a lot of takers. "No." I asked if they found themselves disposing of vaccine product. "Oh yeah!" At this point I went out to my healthcare system provider's website, clicked the COVID-19 vaccination page and followed the link to my grocer. On their site I registered an appointment and to my surprise they setup an appointment for me in less than 24-hours. I made it a point to get there an hour early and equally surprised I was the only person at the pharmacy. This is a well known chain grocer down here in the southeast and I asked when the last time they gave someone a COVID-19 shot and she said "early last week." I asked if I was their only appointment for today and she said, "The only appointment so far through the end of the month."

So, while I like to perform social experiments on my Anand-minions from time to time I chose to perform this social-medical experiment and play the proverbial rat. 'One shot, please.' This isn't a booster, although this grocer had just started offering booster shots as well. At this location they only had the Moderna product, but haven read an article last week there apparently is some benefit from mixing between vaccine products. My original shots were Pfizer and this time Moderna. Arm is a little sore at the injection site--more than the Pfizer--but its been twelve hours and I haven't grown a long, hairless tail yet. Okay, criticize we as you will.
 

Muse

Lifer
Jul 11, 2001
37,402
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Good move. They gave you the Moderna booster? The booster is just like the original except it's a 1/2 dose, i.e. 0.25cc instead of 0.50cc.

Sounds like you live where there's a LOT of dummies. People around here are going in droves to get their boosters.

I am Moderna vaxxed and got my Moderna booster 6 days ago. Only reaction was a little arm soreness. That was totally gone ~2 days ago. I figure my immunity is already enhanced but will continue to improve for another week before reaching the highest level it's going to get at this point.
 
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Geekbabe

Moderator Emeritus<br>Elite Member
Oct 16, 1999
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www.theshoppinqueen.com
When I was getting my second shot of the COVID-19 vaccine I asked the nurse if there was reason to not get a third shot. This was back in early April and no talk as yet of a booster. She just smiled and offered nothing even when I said I was trying to find out medical and or legal ramifications. Since then I had been to the doctors a couple of times and each time I asked him about it and as with the nurse got nothing from him. During all of this time I searched by Google trying to find legal implications and medical FYI's for not getting a third dose and couldn't find anything. With the medical and legal aspects out of the picture I then turned to the moral aspects. After all, the law of opportunity applies and if I got a third shot then someone else wasn't getting this shot from that little bottle. And so at the start of this week I tried to research shelf life of the vaccines for COVID-19 and was surprised at how short of a period it was (~35 days).

At this point I happen to ask my local grocer's pharmacy that was giving out the shots if they had a lot of takers. "No." I asked if they found themselves disposing of vaccine product. "Oh yeah!" At this point I went out to my healthcare system provider's website, clicked the COVID-19 vaccination page and followed the link to my grocer. On their site I registered an appointment and to my surprise they setup an appointment for me in less than 24-hours. I made it a point to get there an hour early and equally surprised I was the only person at the pharmacy. This is a well known chain grocer down here in the southeast and I asked when the last time they gave someone a COVID-19 shot and she said "early last week." I asked if I was their only appointment for today and she said, "The only appointment so far through the end of the month."

So, while I like to perform social experiments on my Anand-minions from time to time I chose to perform this social-medical experiment and play the proverbial rat. 'One shot, please.' This isn't a booster, although this grocer had just started offering booster shots as well. At this location they only had the Moderna product, but haven read an article last week there apparently is some benefit from mixing between vaccine products. My original shots were Pfizer and this time Moderna. Arm is a little sore at the injection site--more than the Pfizer--but its been twelve hours and I haven't grown a long, hairless tail yet. Okay, criticize we as you will.
Sounds like you are a smart lab rat. The first week they offered boosters to people with certain conditions I got my Pfizer booster. 8/30. Pfizer was all that had been approved at that point & my first 2 doses were Pfizer so I went for it.

If my immunity wanes I will probably go for Moderna for my 4th round.
 
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lxskllr

No Lifer
Nov 30, 2004
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I'm not due til next year. I'll wait and see what happens then.
 

deadlyapp

Diamond Member
Apr 25, 2004
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Wife got the Pfizer booster a few weeks ago. I'm seeing more and more people that were fully vaccinated earlier in the year but not boosted getting Covid (still mild cases generally). I think the CDC is even saying that being fully vaxed and getting Covid is the best thing that could happen for you. I haven't gotten my booster yet, but not for any shortage of shots. Here in Texas anyone who was going to get a shot already has, and the rest are just going to continue on their merry life without it.
 

VirtualLarry

No Lifer
Aug 25, 2001
56,226
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"They" say, your immunity is best, if you've had COVID (and thus natural anti-bodies), as well as the "double-jab". Is a booster recommended for those people, or is it unnecessary?
 

nakedfrog

No Lifer
Apr 3, 2001
58,055
12,245
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I made it a point to get there an hour early and equally surprised I was the only person at the pharmacy. This is a well known chain grocer down here in the southeast and I asked when the last time they gave someone a COVID-19 shot and she said "early last week." I asked if I was their only appointment for today and she said, "The only appointment so far through the end of the month."
I think that may be part of the reason...
 

Jeeebus

Diamond Member
Aug 29, 2006
9,178
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Got my Pfizer booster on Monday. Had zero effect on me for the first 2 shots. This one wrecked my world the day after. Was shivering, felt like i had to puke the whole day, muscles ached, etc. No actual puke, just that uneasy feeling that it's about to come up. We're all lab rats.
 
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Nov 20, 2009
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Clarification time ... I did not get a booster shot. The grocer's pharmacy had started offering the booster two days ago. I went in not for the booster, but to get doubly-vaccinated and this location did the Moderna. And my ratness is still breathing. Take that anti-vaxxers!
 

lxskllr

No Lifer
Nov 30, 2004
57,363
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Oh, so you got the full size dose. I wonder if it's better, worse, or indifferent as compared to the cut down shot?
 

TXHokie

Platinum Member
Nov 16, 1999
2,557
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Got my Pfizer booster on Monday. Had zero effect on me for the first 2 shots. This one wrecked my world the day after. Was shivering, felt like i had to puke the whole day, muscles ached, etc. No actual puke, just that uneasy feeling that it's about to come up. We're all lab rats.

Interesting. Wife and I had same effect. Our first two Pfizer shots and felt nothing. Had booster shot Friday and we both got knocked out all day Saturday - slept in all day. No superpower yet tho.
 
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Paratus

Lifer
Jun 4, 2004
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Wife had J&J then decided to get double Pfizer a few months ago when the J&J was reportedly weak to delta. No issues. Maybe she should get a moderna booster and become the Voltron of Vax.
 
Nov 20, 2009
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From online reading I found three cases in which three different people, including one pharmacist, that were accidentally injected with four times the amount for their first shot. All were fine. The injection site is a little sore, but healing just fine now. Seemingly no side effects--if there are I'm asymptomatic I guess.
 

Muse

Lifer
Jul 11, 2001
37,402
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Oh, so you got the full size dose. I wonder if it's better, worse, or indifferent as compared to the cut down shot?
Probably doesn't make "a rat's ass difference." No, actually, I figure a full dose is fine. A 1/2 dose is what they wanted to give me, I won't argue, it's fine too because I'm "fully vaxxed" already with Moderna. In my case, I think I've got a pretty good immune system. I think a lot depends on how big an exposure you get to the virus, and that's something that's hard to measure. It happens and people don't know what their viral dose was. I'm not feeling cavalier or anything.

Saw a story on TV news last night. 31 YO guy, in good health but overweight, was fine. His mother goes down south, picks up the virus (likely had no idea), comes home and hugs him and he winds up in the hospital for 9 months. In a coma for 8 weeks, intubated. They didn't expect him to survive. His mom gets survivor's guilt, duh. They show him being wheel chaired out of the hospital. He's all grateful to everyone who helped. Has a long recovery ahead, is looking forward to new chapters in his life but I have to wonder what kind of recovery he's going to make. He was basically devastated.

Here's the video:

 
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Red Squirrel

No Lifer
May 24, 2003
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I probably won't bother with a 3rd shot unless it gets mandated, which is probably going to happen eventually but for now I think I'm fine with the 2 shots. If I had a public facing job then I'd probably consider it though even if not mandated.
 
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Nov 20, 2009
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I don't think we should be doing third shot when so much of the world population have not had their first shot yet.
I would agree with this but if there is inventory being tossed out because the local distributors don't have people getting them then why waste it? Believe me, if there had been anyone there are the grocer pharmacy when I got there to get the shot I would have happily stepped aside but the fact they they had already been tossing stock because of lack of public will it made my decision clear, which should be a example for others to consider.
 

sdifox

No Lifer
Sep 30, 2005
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I would agree with this but if there is inventory being tossed out because the local distributors don't have people getting them then why waste it? Believe me, if there had been anyone there are the grocer pharmacy when I got there to get the shot I would have happily stepped aside but the fact they they had already been tossing stock because of lack of public will it made my decision clear, which should be a example for others to consider.

the third world countries are running out of syringes to administer vaccines as well. This thing is not going to slow down until the planet is vaccinated, we really can't afford more variants.
 

brianmanahan

Lifer
Sep 2, 2006
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the third world countries are running out of syringes to administer vaccines as well. This thing is not going to slow down until the planet is vaccinated, we really can't afford more variants.

i think i heard they're trying a pill version somewhere
 
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balloonshark

Diamond Member
Jun 5, 2008
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Our state's DHHR sites shows the number of allocated doses and administered doses. We have over 1 million doses ready to go into arms so I'm not going to feel guilty getting a booster. I also want to do anything I can to stay out of the hospital and free up their resources.
 
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Captante

Lifer
Oct 20, 2003
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Our state's DHHR sites shows the number of allocated doses and administered doses. We have over 1 million doses ready to go into arms so I'm not going to feel guilty getting a booster. I also want to do anything I can to stay out of the hospital and free up their resources.


Got mine earlier today @ CVS. :)

(Moderna)
 
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