To vaccinate or not to vaccinate? That is the question.

@athenalee @merpreb I just read tonight on Bloomberg that at the current rate of vaccinations it will take seven years to attain herd immunity. That's worldwide, I think in this country it is somewhat less than that. Pretty discouraging overall though.
JK

Agreed. I do feel that if everyone was more consistent with wearing masks, social distancing, and avoiding “out of pod” gatherings, we would be in a lot better place as more people get vaccinated. Of course it also takes employers to be dedicated to ensuring worker protection. I live in Vermont and we have consistently had the lowest incidence rate of Covid in the country. Yes, we’re very rural, but many rural areas have seen very high incidence rates, hospitalizations, and deaths. Our schools have largely remained open. Our governor, who happens to be a Republican, has been out front with mask mandates and quarantine requirements. We are largely a tourist based economy and as things have been opening back up, for the most part ski resorts and other tourist areas have remained safe. I do get discouraged with the ongoing lockdown and fear of catching Covid, but I remain vigilant and hopeful.

Vermont really has done an admirable job, @athenalee. NH does not appear to have done as well but the vast majority of cases and deaths have been in long term care facilities. Granted, that is not good, but those facilities seem to have a problem everywhere. I recently read that a large percentage of workers in these facilities are refusing the vaccine! That is not something I will never understand.

Vermont is very near and dear to us, I was part of a group of singles who rented a ski lodge at Killington for four years and Killington is where I met my husband! We have done a lot of skiing in Vermont and my children learned to ski at Smugglers Notch.
JK

Well, when lockdown goes away come to Southern Vermont for a visit! I’m doing a project with the Lakes Region Planning Commission. I’ve had several over the years...definitely one of my favorite places to visit.

Im a little skeptical about rushing into a vaccine that has "never had a trial" on how the vaccine effects tx patients short or long term. Phizer and Moderna both purposely kept TX and immunocompromised patients OUT of the trials!!-WHY? - Because the results would not have been good for their study!!(just a thought) .Also It has to boost our immune system so will that cause us to reject or require higher doses of immunosupresants?? Does Cellcept or any other drugs interact with this vaccine??These are just a few of the questions I have and NO ONE really knows! Ive heard the J&J vaccine might be the best bet-one shot and effective against new strains! Ill bet Phizer and Moderna Vaccies have low efficacy on the new strain of South African. Funny how nobody has said if their effective or not against new strains and how effective? I can go on and on. Im gonna wait a while and see what happens but my bet is the J&J Vaccine.Always-2 Masks and a bottle of alcohol!! GOOD LUCK

@bosco17, I respect your opinion and understand that many people are confused. I sincerely hope that you have discussed this concern with your transplant doctor because he should be able to talk to you in terms of your transplant treatment and your current health level in relation to the currently available data.

If you are researching on your own, Please go to reliable sites and beware of sites that are in the business of selling something.
You can read more about evaluating information on the Internet from the international HONcode principles: https://www.hon.ch/cgi-bin/HONcode/principles.pl?English

My favorite and first resource is The Mayo Clinic because I trust my life with them and their care due to my transplant at Mayo in 2009.
Mayo Clinic is publishing reliable, evidence-based information as soon as it becomes available. You can find regularly updated information in these places:
– Mayo Clinic COVID website: https://www.mayoclinic.org/coronavirus-covid-19
– Mayo Clinic News Network COVID information https://newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/category/covid-19/
– Mayo Clinic Q&A videos with Mayo experts https://connect.mayoclinic.org/page/podcasts/ You can also submit your questions in the comments.

I got my 1st vaccine yesterday, with the approval of my transplant team who have been following the incoming data since the beginning.

@rosemarya @bosco17. my transplant, as you know was at Mass General, not Mayo, but I too find Mayo to have some of the best info on the internet. There are others I trust like NIH, National Institute of Health, but not only is Mayo’s info reliable but it is understandable for non-medical people like me.

There are other universities and hospitals that publish excellent information but none are as wide-ranging as Mayo’s.
JK

Here is a Feb. 3 podcast that I want to share. I plan to view it this evening, I think it will addresses some of the topics that we are currently discussing here!
-I am feeling 'limp' after my 1st shot yesterday morning and plan to relax a cup of hot cocoa while viewing.

Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast: COVID-19 virus, variants and vaccines update
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/page/podcasts/newsfeed-post/covid-19-virus-variants-and-vaccines-update/

Who wants to join me?

@athenalee that’s a definite possibility if this ever ends!
JK

I've had my transplant for 18 and a half years. In a few months I will be 19 years post transplant.
I'm going to wait it out, that's just me, and my feeling.