Information on COVID-19 Vaccine distribution for Mayo Clinic patients

I urge everyone to remember that we are the very beginning of vaccine distribution, and the road to completion is a very long one. Most of us will probably not be scheduled to receive one until Spring, those not "at risk" will may not be vaccinated until Summer or Fall, and under current protocols young children will not be vaccinated at all.

Roughly 2 million of the needed 600 million plus doses of vaccine have been given up to now. With the Covid sanitation protocols and need to watch closely for allergic reaction, it may be a lot slower than we all hope. Also remember that at 3-4 weeks after the first dose, the vaccinators must circle back and give each person a second dose, further slowing the process. So far the US has only has contracts to purchase for roughly half the doses needed to vaccinate everyone.

Trying to do the math using CDC standards, I estimate that phase 1A - health care providers and congregate living - will take at least 2 months (into February) to complete. Then comes 1B - other essential workers (educators, cashiers, other front line) and those over age 75 - beginning in February if we are fortunate. Then those with chronic health conditions and those between 75 and 74, maybe in March or April...

Another thing to remember is that each state MAY allot its vaccine differently than the CDC recommendations - so people will be vaccinated on differing schedules depending upon where they live.

All that said, the best way to stay safe is to continue all recommended protocols - wear a mask, wash your hands, avoid crowds and remain socially distant - until we reach the "end of the tunnel" where we get the vaccine AND wait the recommended time for antibodies to form.

Sue

Great information, Sue. I also want to remind everyone that we will need 2 doses of the vaccine and that it will take about a month until you are hopefully completely immune. And also, please remember that the vaccines are not 100% effective for the groups that were in trials. And trials are still ongoing and they're including more of the populations.

One of the reasons that this vaccine is a good idea is because we have to achieve herd-immunity for it to work. Vaccines have worked for many years against many different viruses. The greater the number of people who are vaccinated the greater the chance that we'll be able to have our family with us for future celebrations.

Hello @sue6175 and welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. I understand you are interested in the vaccine as soon as it is made available to you, so you have found a good discussion to join to stay close to that topic.

Can I ask if you are a current Mayo Clinic patient and if you have found the information at the start of the discussion to be helpful in understanding what we know today in terms of the vaccine?

@sue6175- Welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. I'm with you on this one. It seems like such a long process, doesn't it? The CDC is doing it's best to get information out to all of us. The process of vaccinating the US population will be long. It takes a lot for things to run smoothly and get a safe and new vaccine out. I think that we are all biding our time waiting. Then we have to wait again for the second shot. But it will be worth it to get this country back on tract and to stop people from dying! Don't you thinks so?

@migizii- This does sound crazy! I believe that the CDC is now including those of us who have underlying conditions in the next couple of months. I'm not sure if we can decide when to get the vaccine. I think that it depends on what schedule your state has set up with CDC recommendations. Many states have different schedules. My PCP can't decide when I get my vaccination but can recommend what group I fit in. I'm sure that there is some formula that is being used to determine this.

Hello, Amanda. I'll answer your questions and add my two cents.....Yes, I've been very pleased with the information Mayo has made available about the Covid vaccine. Through Newsfeed, the Poland Podcasts, the Covid 19 connect group discussions and the regular updates by Colleen Young we've had several avenues to find info. I haven't though been successful finding specifics about if or how or when or from whom I will be able to get the vaccinne, at Mayo. I, like several others in this conversation have multiple Mayo providers, but my PCP is with the Jacksonville Baptist Primary physicians. I keep praying this will change soon so I can have a Mayo PCP. This truly makes it tough for me in several ways. I use both Mayo (wonderful!!!) patient portal and Baptist (awful!!!) patient portal to keep my PCP informed of my progress at Mayo. I send him test results, docs comments and diagnoses and treatments, (he's not rec'd all the records as I requested....or the office isn't aware of them???) I have an excellent medical team. They do share information among themselves and with me. It's amazingly wonderful. I'm getting diagnoses, removing diagnoses, following results and actually going forward in my health and life. Much improved. BUT, I need the Covid 19 vaccine and can't find out how to get it! Baptist docs don't have access. It's run through the hospital system. Since I deal 199% with Mayo, I haven't ck'd w/Baptist yet. Fl/Jacksonville is now offering through the county health dept vaccines to anyone over 65 by appt only given DT at the Convention Center. If I can't get info re Mayo vaccine and me, I'll contact the health dept and get in line. So, while your info is good, the specific help we're looking for we still can't get. No idea if any of my docs will contact me? Which one? Any guess at time-frame? I think we're a bit lost in this, in the middle of 2 systems....in my case, 3 systems. Hope some of this add clarity? Happy New Year and many blessings. Elixabeth

@ess77, it is all very confusing still. Your best way to get answers specific to you would be to post your question about when and where YOU can get the COVID-19 vaccine on Mayo Clinic's patient portal https://onlineservices.mayoclinic.org/content/staticpatient/showpage/patientonline

Colleen, I've sesarched my patient portal trying to find some way to get info from there, or some direction re who to contact.....which provider, etc. On the link you gave me I didn't see any information about these issues. What am I missing??????? To whom should I post a question? Send a message to my care team? Which provider? I haven't found any guidance yet....Thanks so much. You're a doll for following up with me. Appreciate it. Blessings and Happy 2021!!!!

Colleen, I tried to find info at the hospitals. No go. Monday, I can begin to attempt to make an appt with the Duval County Health Dept to get shot at convention center. Yes, I'm frustrated, but very determined. I refuse to get Covid! Thanks again. Elziabeht

Colleen, Found something!!!!! On the link, I went to Covid-19 Guidance for Mayo Clinic....again, for the 10th time....and saw an underlined FLORIDA. Clicked on it. Got a list of questions re Fla Mayo Patients covid vaccine. wonderful. Beginning in early Jan2021, Mayo will begin contacting patients on portal who meet their requirements for getting vaccine. Etc. So, I wait til then. And, there's a nurse call # I'll begin calling next week just to see which doc or whatever....Well. we got somewhere! Tks. This was a struggle to get this info. But,., we did it. Elizabeth