On the day this 75-year-old man gets his second Covid vaccination,

[MineralMan]

The Governor of Minnesota, my adopted state, opened up vaccinations to everyone 16 years of age and over, beginning on March 30.

Bravo to him!

Although vaccinations started rather slowly in MN, they have accelerated rapidly, thanks to sensible, doable strategies that began shortly after President Biden took office.

Now, the vaccine supply has increased. Now, 85% of 65+ Minnesotans have received at least one shot, along with teachers, health-care workers, and those with co-morbidities. Now, everyone who is at least 16 years of age can schedule their vaccination appointments.

My sincere thanks go to to Governor Walz and President Joe Biden!

[catbyte]

1. I hope it works out better for Minnesota than it has in Michigan. We're spiking here since

Governor Whitmer loosened restrictions in the state. It's completely logical that the areas spiking the most are GQP strongholds where they think Covid is either an overblown hoax or the vaccine is a plot by Bill Gates and the Democrats to track and mindfuck us all.

Good luck and congratulations! I'm waiting until next week to ease up my self-quarantine. Next week will be two weeks after my second Pfizer vaccine so my immune system should be percolating nicely by then. But I'm still going to be super cautious.

[MineralMan]

4. Mass vaccination will be the answer to turning this around.

It's the only path that will work. I hope every Minnesotan lines up for a shot, ASAP.

[Siwsan]

8. They are holding a mass vaccination clinic for homeless, transient population in Flint, today

No appointment necessary - from 9 to 3, drive through or walk up.

[catbyte]

18. That's great! I hope folks take advantage of it. There are so many willfully ignorant people

walking around. Is it the Johnson Johnson vaccine? I would imagine that the single-dose would be better for a transient population than trying to followup with a second dose.

[Siwsan]

21. I'm guessing it's the J&J because that makes the most sense.

I know they are using it, here, because that's what a friend of mine received.

As you know, it's an unfortunately miserable day, weather wise, in Michigan. Hopefully the rain will subside long enough for people to get to the clinic.

[catbyte]

23. The rain stopped here about 90 minutes ago, so it should stop where you are soon.

It's supposed to get up to 51F today, but I don't think it's gonna make it. It's only 37 now.

[Siwsan]

24. I bundled up to go out and cut some Daffodils

I'm glad they are really hardy flowers. Fortunately, tomorrow should be nicer but we're in for a real roller coaster of weather, over the next 10 days, or so.

[catbyte]

25. I hope it stays cool for a while. I remember back in 2012 we had such a warm March/early April

that all of the fruit trees started budding out. Then we got a cold snap and the crop was devastated.

[jmbar2]

2. And another esteemed DUer joins the herd

Congratulations

[justhanginon]

3. Congrats! Same here. This 84 yearold gets his second Pfizer jab

at 1:30. Then the two week countdown begins. Unfortunately nothing much will change except that with care I can now visit my kids and friends. I Will still masking and avoiding crowds for the foreseeable future.

[MineralMan]

5. Excellent! Mine is Moderna.

Doesn't matter. They're all effective.

[justhanginon]

6. Modern medicine at it's best.

[MineralMan]

7. Yes. The relatively new vaccine technology used for COVID-19

is going to open new doors to a new generation of vaccines for many things, including cancer.

It's ground-breaking and should be a cause for hope in many areas.

Hurrah for Science!

[Politicalgolfer]

9. This 75 yr old broad got the 2nd 2 weeks ago and....

had a strange reaction.....no side effects but made me feel like I was 20 years younger!!! Go figure! No usual aches or pains and full of energy. Would like a weekly shot of that stuff😋

[Aristus]

10. I'm happy for you, MineralMan.

Be prepared for some serious fatigue tomorrow. Hit me like a southbound freight train. Rest, drink plenty of water, and you'll feel 100% by Sunday.

[MineralMan]

11. No worries.

A little Tylenol and taking it easy should do it.

[retread]

33. After my 2nd Moderna I did the taking it easy. I dislike taking Tylenol or even aspirin

after immunizations. I have a mental picture of placing borders on my immune response. I am retired and had I been working after my first and second shots, my response to the vaccines would have been lost among the hectic, crazy shit that was daily work. Being retired I was able to "contemplate my navel" and noticed symptoms.

On the other hand, I do take a combo of acetaminophen and ibuprofen before each dental visit.

[DinahMoeHum]

20. That happened with me after my first shot (Pfizer)

plus the usual soreness in the upper arm for a few days.

[BSdetect]

12. We need to get tested after the vaccines for antibodies. Not 100% effective?

Am I wrong about this?

[ananda]

13. Not wrong exactly, but...

a doctor on one of cable news channels addressed this
possibility saying that different vaccines work in different
ways, and that an antibody test might test for the wrong
thing in a vaccine which could end up falsely showing no
antibodies.

She said that if you get the vaccine, you will be properly
vaccinated and not to worry.

[MineralMan]

14. Probably that is not necessary, actually.

More effective would be to track COVID-19 cases in vaccinated people and compare those with unvaccinated people. That will provide a better way to look at effectiveness, I think.

[luvtheGWN]

17. Been doing some research on this.

Some studies are showing that the elderly (75+) are slower at developing antibodies, which perhaps accounts for fewer symptoms post-shot than younger folks. Because we don't yet have manufacturing facilities up here in the GWN, we're dependent on external vaccine supplies. Because Pfizer and Moderna have been slower at delivering than predicted/promised, people receiving those vaccines are waiting 4 months for second shot as a precaution against scarcity of supply.

So, it's imperative that a reliable antibody test be available to everyone -- especially the older folks.

In Ontario, all long-term care residents, healthcare workers, first responders, indigenous peoples,
plus those 80+ have been vaccinated first. In my region, this week it was 75+; next week (fingers crossed) it's 70+!

However, in some areas (i.e. ) the Astra Zeneca vaccine is available to those 60+.

I'm holding out for Pfizer or Moderna!

[BannonsLiver]

26. Yes.

[DenaliDemocrat]

35. No!

You have to be careful which antibodies are tested as some are INFECTION specific.

Plus there are other cellular pathways involved in immune response, not just antibodies.

If you receive the vaccines, you are protected! You may STILL catch COVID-19,but you will not die. ALl are 100% effective in preventing death!

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

15. I get my J&J shot later today.

I rather like one and done, but I'd have been happy with any of them.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

16. Congratulations

My youngest got her second Moderna vaccine yesterday

[DinahMoeHum]

19. I get Round 2 of the Pfizer later today.

, , ,getting ready to join the herd of immunity.

[sarge43]

22. Same here in New Hampshire

Starting next week all Graniteheads 16 and older can have the Covid vaxx.

Deepest thanks to all who made this happen.

Getting my second shot 7 April.

[Kaleva]

27. This 62 y/o Upper Michigan man is getting his 2nd shot tomorrow at the VA clinic.

[BobTheSubgenius]

28. Noice!

Congratulations to everyone! It really is a win for all Minnesotans.

We here in BC, as the rest of Canada, are still slogging along at a relative snail's pace. The government is celebrating an impending shipment of vaccine that is sufficient for just over 5% of the total population.

We, sadly, are envious.

[MineralMan]

29. So, how widespread is the pandemic where you are?

[BobTheSubgenius]

34. Not terribly bad, but people have really pitched in, and we had superb leadership on the issue.

Dr. Bonnie Henry, our Provincial Health Officer did such a great job early on that she got a feature article in the NYT. Pretty big deal for a bureaucrat in a small market like Vancouver Island.

I think I'm right when I say that the highest active case count in our area (South Island) has been well under 300, and maybe under 200, in a population of about 350,000. Currently, we have 118 active cases, and have had about 870, all told.

Not exactly a dire pandemic, but it would be hard to convince someone that's had it that it's not that bad....or someone's survivors.

[MineralMan]

37. The vaccine is still needed where you are.

Distribution of the various vaccines is not uniform. That's for certain. I hope that evens out over time. Production is ramping up, and some places are beginning to have vaccinated a sizable percentage of certain demographic groups. At some point supply and demand charts will cross and distribution will be easier.

[BobTheSubgenius]

38. Our big problem in that area, obviously, is that we don't have a huge pharma industry.

We must rely on importing the vaccine, and, amazing though it seems, the producers seem to want to take care of their own people first.

I don't begrudge that at all. I'd want our hypothetical pharma producers to do the same.

[speak easy]

30. Minnesota: Courteous, reserved, mild-mannered and passive-aggressive?

or an unfair stereotype

[Grasswire2]

31. remember that even though fully vaccinated, you can still get the disease and still transmit it.

You won't die from it, we are told, but you can still get it. Like the flu.

That's why we still need to mask, even though vaccinated.

[MustLoveBeagles]

32. Congratulations

I got my second Pfizer shot Wednesday. I had minor arm soreness.

[Initech]

36. I got my first on Monday and I get my second in 3 weeks!

Thanks President Biden!