Vaccine Megathread No 2 - Read OP before posting

I honestly don't believe we'll rerun this again and targeted boosters for some via a flu' vaccine type programme is more likely.

Ahhh, I can't handle the fight and wait for more vaccines so soon!!! Hard pressed to get the flu ones last winter, waiting and watching for appointments for my vulnerable teen, same again for ourselves. The sqabbling over chemist lists for young people for j&j. And to restart it all for boosters!! Headwrecking.

May I ask, whilst you were waiting for your second vaccination dose, when did you catch Covid. The reason I ask, is this will of put your wait further back I assume, as you get tested to confirm that you are Covid negative for a few weeks after. This may well be case for many people in a similar situation. Decisions taken at the time were based upon changing sequences of events. Very interesting now that real world data confirms that duration of doses for Pfizer gap is lengthened, with 8-9 weeks between doses being the sweet spot, eliciting the bigger share of antibodies. This is one of the things that has been learned thru the pandemic. UK average wait was c10.5 weeks for both AZ or Pfizer. I haven't seen anything published for Ireland average duration wait. I am sorry you feel left in the situation you are in. Certainly, how the pandemic has been handled by every country, including Ireland could have been improved - poor messaging, poor to very poor vaccination processes in the early stages - thankfully improved - this includes not getting MVC set up sooner, no utilisation of local supermarket carparks, for pop up clinic, sports and village halls, community nurses, for elderly/immobile housebound people - this should have been happening immediately. - instead mixed messages from Dr surgeries, lack of information for them to lack of manpower for them to contact their patients. Needed to have got dentist, pharmacy personnel as a collective team - as part of the group with local Doctors vaccinated as smoothly as possible. Instead we were left with various 'good' intention, but squabbles, politicking in some cases, swathes of paperwork for retired or recently medics. This wont help you feel any better in your situation, but the disjoint including cohort groups processes is pretty much the story. What will be a national disgrace is that we a don't learn from this and repeat the same errors.

I'd ring the Dr right now, it could be something that needs to be taken a look at quickly. the neck swelling and fast movement of your head pain needs to be checked out. If no joy getting a Dr to contact you , get yourself to your local hospital. best be safe than sorry. Also, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE update the side effects HSE data. This is exactly the kind of thing that needs to be updated. Hope you feel better soon. - but do not wait to see a Dr. It is wise to get it checked as soon as possible.

I think I read that the son tested positive for Covid within 7 days of getting a vaccination - so not fully protected yet.

They are all looking but politically no plans have been set in place so for now only pharma are talking about it. I also agree with the principle we need to sort out the rest of the world with their shots first before we even consider boosters.

I’m sure everyone is bored of hearing good stories about the MVC, but anyway - went to UCD this morning, appointment at 10:50 but arrived 20 minutes early - they let me in, no queue and I was out in less than 20 minutes, including the 15 minutes of observation.

The observation room was quite full, so I’m sure sure the no queue is more about it extremely well organised than lack of appointments.

Really if I have to complain about anything is that I would have preferred going to the Aviva, much closer to home, and that as someone not familiar with the area it was not 100% clear where exactly the centre was on campus.

Regarding when you get the DCC instead, I wish you would get it immediately after the first dose, as some other countries (Italy, Hungary) are happy to consider you vaccinated for some stuff with a single dose (no matter which vaccine).

As someone else said, the DCC is just a (signed) proof that you got a vaccine (or a test, or recovered from Covid). Enforcing 2 doses, 14 days after the last, etc… needs to be done on the app that shows you a green/red tick.

Has the issue with appointments being cancelled after completing the consent form on the portal been fixed? Or would it be safer if I just don't fill it out?

Why wouldn't there be a critical attitude towards those who are unwilling to contribute to an effort to end a pandemic which has killed millions and caused enormous economic disruption?

For one, it's rarely an effective tactic to criticise people, it doesn't make any effort to establish why this happening, and it does confer a level of self-congratulatory moral superiority on those vaccinated but mostly it ignores what the purpose pf the programme is, to get as many people vaccinated as possible. The question really is how can we persuade more people to get vaccinated. As I said it's the next job for the HSE.

There are really not that many of them, most people who are on the fence are undecided. Nothing wrong with challenging people but it does entrench positions even more and sometimes making them even less likely to consider other opinions.

It also ignores the prize we are aiming for.

Yeah but they still need to be persuaded and the question is figuring out why this is the case.

I had my vaccine at the Aviva about 10 days ago, answered all the questions online beforehand and had no problem at all with the appointment.

They are the kind of people who love the odd house party.