Vaccine Megathread No 2 - Read OP before posting

Send to who though. You phone the HSE vaccine helpline and you typically get someone with a pretty basic grasp of English who is probably on some some low wage telecentre contract. Anything other than scheduling an appointment is above their pay grade.

You've stated in various threads that you had one dose of AZ but didn't want to take the second, that you would prefer to take mRNA vaccines because they offer most protection, that you'd rather take no vaccines but you'll do it for the common good, and most recently that you're not now in favour of getting the mRNA vaccines.

At this stage the only way of satisfying your ever changing and mutually exclusive requirements is for the HSE to provide you with a time machine. Then you'd probably bitch about how it wasn't the best time machine and that you ought to be given a choice, or that you want a different one for the return trip.

On vaccines, I wonder what the plan is for Janssen recipients in the medium term? I never know how vulnerable to feel with that one dose.....if I could take a second dose of Janssen or a shot of am mRNA dose I would take it all day long. However, I do feel Janssen recipients have been a bit neglected so might have to just make do......

Viral vector vaccine makers were not alienated, they just couldn't produce them in any mass quantity compared to mRNA.

The best vaccine is still the first one offered to you.

We actually have enough of the initial order of AZ to use for boosters if needed, why order more just to go to waste to prevent other countries placing orders.

AZ still haven't fulfilled the initial 300 million EU order yet.

mRNA going forward, yes a vaccine which can be tweaked (if needed) and can be given to all age groups and can deliver and upscale as required. So yes it makes sense to stick to a reliable supplier.

There's no many countries worldwide where you can pick and choose what vaccine you would like.

And yes we are past the point of the best vaccine is the first one offered as all 12+ have been offered one.

When I said reliable, I meant supply and delivery. What you're taking about is vaccine efficacy waning, which AZ also does.

Seeing as how Pfizer have delivered more initially, if there's any waning, it will be seen in Pfizer first.

The UK have shown AZ waning also.

Pfizer goes from 90% to 78% after 90 days

AZ goes from 69% to 61% after 90 days.

It's crude, but give you an idea maybe 12 months after you're fully vaccinated with Pfizer it will be the same as AZ.

Anyway that debate is for another time, boosters are not as simple as they sound, not everyone need them.

I though you could clearly see that it's Excel that drew it.

Ok, so what is the MRNA efficancy vs Delta and break it down via efficancy (symptomatic and asymptotic infection) vs hospitalization and death.

I was trying to highlight the waining effect, but you obviously know the details of what it should be and will share it?

The UK has not even officially announced it's booster program, but from what I've seen it's mRNA booster possible for everyone and AZ only recommended for those with AZ first and second doses, are you going by a twitter screenshot saying it's AZ for everyone?. If you have a link to the results of the booster trial, I'd love to see (7 different vaccines, of which only 4 are approved and the vast majority have only received 2, meaning the superior trial has it's limits, or more accurately, the results are limited, you cant be giving novavax as a first jab when nearly all the population is fully vaccinated, nor can you give them it as a booster as it's not approved.)

Trying to get vaccines to Irish citizens who have decided to live in other countries would be one of the most bizarre waste of resources I've heard of in quite a while. Up there with Expats wanting to vote in Irish elections levels of delusional self-importance

I was in a similar situation to you - waiting for approval of Pfizer as 2nd dose in Ireland having got an AZ furst dose at the end of April.

Last Thursday week I spotted a statement on the web from HSE which said that they were now mixing vaccines and anyone who wanted one could go and get it in a walk-in centre. The next day I headed up to UCD and told they didn't know too much about it and staff had not been trained so they couldn't give it to me. Seemingly, I wasn't the only one who had turned up on the Friday to them. They took my details and told me they would make an appointment for me (by text that evening), which they did on the following Tuesday in UCD. I got AZ jab at end of April and they didn't seem to have a problem with that. Since getting the Pfizer jab last Tuesday, they have sent me a Covid Cert saying that I'm fully vaccinated. The only difference in our cases is that you had covid, so maybe that has got something to do with it rather than the timespan between doses.

By the way, I think its effective as I was wrecked for a couple of days after it!

if registering now does anyone know how long the wait is likely to be for 1st jab appointment ?

That's interesting - response seems to vary then according to local personnel. Your first dose of AZ was a little before mine and I was definitely told that the reason they wanted me to re register and start again was because my May dose was too long ago. As above, the left hand doesn't seem to know what the right is doing.

Whatever about the issue you are having and the resultant frustration I do wish you would stop having a pop at the staff and the system .

It appears from reading your posts that you are so annoyed about initially being allocated AZ and the delay in doses, and then you unfortunately caught Covid , that you are implacable at this stage . This really is not the fault of the people you are dealing with.

As I said previously your issue falls well outside the norm and maybe if you feel strongly about it you should try going through your GP / or write a strongly worded letter to the HSE or something . Continually giving out here is tiresome.

You have a recovery cert , and you were offered two dose Pfizer. You said you refused this . I think this was a mistake . You could have availed of one dose and when in there discussed with a manager about your concerns about getting a second and whether it was in fact necessary .

I previously posted weeks ago that I understood your frustration as I have many nursing colleagues who were initially in your situation , some of whom would have been infected earlier in the pandemic, btw .

They have since gotten second doses and while it was an anxious time for them, they have moved on and have nothing negative now to say about their vaccination experience .

It was a pain at the time , but they are ok and life goes on .

I know this sounds brusque and I don't mean to be harsh and I hope you get sorted to your satisfaction, but you would be better off accepting the situation or as I said going directly to the top if you feel so angry about it , not complaining here .

Unless of course it makes you feel better to be complaining here ? If so fire away !

The vaccination system clearly has worked well for many but it's not without it's creases and faults. It's perfectly reasonable for members of the public to comment on these deficiencies and draw attention to them. As to having a pop at personnel I don't think I have particularly but at end of the day it is people who deliver the system and individuals are responsible for how it's delivered. Too often in the public service, people hide failings behind the organisation as a whole - we see that often across the board.