If your over 65 you may want to wait to get vaccinated?

Pete said:
I'm just wondering why when we have the TV networks on every newscast reporting on the Pfizer vaccine, (which is only 93.7% effective for people 56 and up), we do not hear word one about the 100% effectiveness of the Moderna vaccine for people 65 and older.
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No clue. When Kaiser Permanente offers me the vaccine it won't occur to me (or matter) which drug company produced it.

93.7% vs 100% we're talking a statistical spread of 6.3% which has some margin for error. Who knows?
 
My doctor agrees with you, Pete. She said all flu shots are less effective for seniors over 65, and that if I want the Moderna vaccine, she'll see about getting it for me.
 

I doubt that I'll have much choice in which vaccine I'll be given, and demand will be great for even the less effective one. At any rate, I've taken flu vaccines in the past rated at about 65% effective, figuring that any edge was better than none at all...
 
I also don't expect to get a choice of which vaccine. I just wish I knew when I would be able to get vaccinated. And if they are less effective for people over 65 can we get a third dose (I'll be 65 in less than 4 months, maybe if vaccinated before that I'll have a good immune response?)? Can we get a test to see if we've made enough antibodies from the initial two doses? I put a deposit down on a Safari before Covid struck, but I have to use the deposit by August to not lose the money. I'm afraid to make a new reservation for a specific Safari and get plane tickets until I know I will be vaccinated, but OTOH I'm worried that the prime Safari dates will get used up if I delay making a reservation. And I don't even know if the airlines know their schedules for flights for August or if they only have limited flights (I haven't paid much attention but I thought the news this past summer said airlines had reduced the number of flights).
 
Pete said:
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I'm just wondering why when we have the TV networks on every newscast reporting on the Pfizer vaccine, (which is only 93.7% effective for people 56 and up), we do not hear word one about the 100% effectiveness of the Moderna vaccine for people 65 and older.​
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*******Once again the media have lulled me into believing that they know what they are writing about but as usual not true! In an article today 12/19 in Science magazine the effectiveness of the Moderna vaccine for people over 65 actually drops to 86.4%..... Now the problem becomes which article can one trust?
 
I was wondering what allergies someone has that would prevent them from getting the vaccine. My husband is allergic to Penicillin and I wonder if the vaccine should be given to him. I've been looking for a sight to get information about that and can't find one.
 
Pete said:
*******Once again the media have lulled me into believing that they know what they are writing about but as usual not true! In an article today 12/19 in Science magazine the effectiveness of the Moderna vaccine for people over 65 actually drops to 86.4%..... Now the problem becomes which article can one trust?
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I haven't read that the Moderna one is 100% effective. And has anything been written about whether or not the Pfizer one is less effective in older people? Since they are both based on the same principle, the MrDNA thing, maybe it would be about the same for both?

In any event, I think 86.4% effective beats the heck out of no protection at all, so I'll get the vaccine.
 
I'm having second thoughts.... I don't see how the numbers will show 70% herd immunity by summer even with the vaccines.... And there are 40 mutations at least now. They are giving the first shots to health care workers.... all who say, they will still continue to wear masks and social distance. So.... what is the purpose of the vaccine to health care workers if we are going to wear masks and social distance for the rest of our lives. I don't have confidence in the vaccines and apparently neither do the health care workers. I was told they will continue to follow CDC guidelines for hospitals which calls for masks all the time.... so I guess, the CDC doesn't have a high confidence factor either. I think I will wait....
 
Butterfly said:
Sassycakes said:
I was wondering what allergies someone has that would prevent them from getting the vaccine. My husband is allergic to Penicillin and I wonder if the vaccine should be given to him. I've been looking for a sight to get information about that and can't find one.
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I am allergic to penicillin also, but I can take other antibiotics except those that are closely related to penicillin. I think penicillin allergies are pretty specific and so unless there's penicillin in the vaccine, which there isn't according to ingredients posted online, I'll take the vaccine unless my doctor tells me not to.
 
Ellen Marie said:
I'm having second thoughts.... I don't see how the numbers will show 70% herd immunity by summer even with the vaccines.... And there are 40 mutations at least now. They are giving the first shots to health care workers.... all who say, they will still continue to wear masks and social distance. So.... what is the purpose of the vaccine to health care workers if we are going to wear masks and social distance for the rest of our lives. I don't have confidence in the vaccines and apparently neither do the health care workers. I was told they will continue to follow CDC guidelines for hospitals which calls for masks all the time.... so I guess, the CDC doesn't have a high confidence factor either. I think I will wait....
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Do you have a link available for that little "40 mutations" fact? I haven't seen anything about that.

It's not that health care workers don't have faith in the vaccine. The CDC even said just because some of us are getting vaccinated doesn't mean we can stop using our precautions. We have to continue with our precautions until the vaccine has been widely distributed and proven to be affective. You're not just automatically immune the minute the vaccine hits your system. It's purpose is to create the antibodies needed to fight it off if it enters your system.
 
MarciKS said:
Do you have a link available for that little "40 mutations" fact? I haven't seen anything about that.
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I don't remember where I read there were 40 ..... I just went looking and there are many, many articles on the number of mutations.... google it.... I saw that there are 7 major strains.... but thousands of mutations on those strains....

COVID-19 virus mutations 'may not' increase transmissibility (thehealthsite.com)

Like the flu, they are identified by letter and then numeric variation.....
 
MarciKS said:
It's not that health care workers don't have faith in the vaccine. The CDC even said just because some of us are getting vaccinated doesn't mean we can stop using our precautions. We have to continue with our precautions until the vaccine has been widely distributed and proven to be affective. You're not just automatically immune the minute the vaccine hits your system. It's purpose is to create the antibodies needed to fight it off if it enters your system.
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One thing I am not understanding. When I read about building up antibodies when you have covid.... that the immunity seems to last for only 90 days.... then it is back to square one. If that is the case, how long is the vaccine good for? See, we just don't know enough. The covid tests in the opening article, cited numbers of 6 weeks and 2 months after receiving the second vaccine... i think before I get the shots, I want to know how long it is effective. Time will tell.
 
Ellen Marie said:
One thing I am not understanding. When I read about building up antibodies when you have covid.... that the immunity seems to last for only 90 days.... then it is back to square one. If that is the case, how long is the vaccine good for? See, we just don't know enough. The covid tests in the opening article, cited numbers of 6 weeks and 2 months after receiving the second vaccine... i think before I get the shots, I want to know how long it is effective. Time will tell.
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Fauci: Take the vaccine even if you’ve already had COVID-19 | McClatchy Washington Bureau (mcclatchydc.com)

I saw a label somewhere for one of them and I don't recall seeing penicillin listed at all. I highly doubt they would put that in there because some of the covid patients are receiving antibiotic during treatment. I have to get one in the morning. They are making the leftover doses available to those of us in food service and so far we have 4 out from our dept with it so if there's any left in the morning I'm gonna take it and hope for the best.
 
A lot of the claims about the vaccines are based upon very initial obeservations during the testing period. While they are certainly valid points to consider, they are not proven beyond a shadow of a doubt. (What is in science?) I imagine that two - three years from now we will have a much better knowledge of these vaccines and probably better vaccines. This year mankind had the equivalent of a medical moon-shot. This is a great accomplishment. Three cheers for humanity!!!

I will get whatever vaccine is first avialable to me. I will continue to be careful until the number of cases in my town, state, country and world are so low as to be insignificant. And I will go on with life, knowing that I have done all I can to lessen the danger to me from the virus.

Never let the perfect become the enemy of the good.
 
Never let the perfect become the enemy of the good.
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Well put, Brookswood! And a good answer in general to those who want to nitpick every medical advance to death. Sometimes the best decision is the least bad one.
 
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