Coronavirus in Massachusetts (Easthampton, Eastham: upscale, live, safety)

[OutdoorLover]

Originally Posted by htfdcolt

He's talking in terms of breadth of eligibility. In that respect, CT and many states are ahead of MA. I think the irritant for me at least is that MA should be leading the way, not middle of the pack...especially considering that the Moderna vaccine was developed here! Plus what about Baker's supposed prowess as a healthcare industry executive? Shouldn't this have gone much smoother from the beginning?

Well, we're making progress. Since the first mass vaccination site was opened in Gillette, the state has been opening new ones at better that 1-per-week clip. Within 10 days, we'll be up to 7 mass vaccination sites. The first web-based registration system, for appts wasn't great, but they rolled out a new system this past week - that was pretty quick. Sure it would be better if everyone could get the vaccine when they want to - I'd get it tomorrow if I could. But the problems aren't unique to Mass and it appears to me that there are conscientious people working hard to make things better. The criticism seems to me overwrought. Like when the Gillette mass vaccination site was rolled out - instead of relief or appreciation, it only seemed to precipitate a storm of criticism.

[htfdcolt]

Originally Posted by OutdoorLover

Well, we're making progress. Since the first mass vaccination site was opened in Gillette, the state has been opening new ones at better that 1-per-week clip. Within 10 days, we'll be up to 7 mass vaccination sites. The first web-based registration system, for appts wasn't great, but they rolled out a new system this past week - that was pretty quick. Sure it would be better if everyone could get the vaccine when they want to - I'd get it tomorrow if I could. But the problems aren't unique to Mass and it appears to me that there are conscientious people working hard to make things better. The criticism seems to me overwrought. Like when the Gillette mass vaccination site was rolled out - instead of relief or appreciation, it only seemed to precipitate a storm of criticism.

No criticism from me on that count. I'd drive to Gillette in a heartbeat...heck, I'd take a vacation day to get it in Pittsfield if that's the only place that had open slots!

[porterhouse]

Originally Posted by in_newengland

The numbers look good in CT with 56% of over 75 vaccinated as of this past Monday. However, most of those people are living in nursing homes. Over age 75 and not in a nursing home was opened up several weeks ago for appointments, but getting an appointment has been difficult.

CT resident relatives and friends have had a very different experience. Several 75+ relatives (not in a nursing home, no co-morbidities ) have all been able to schedule and receive their first does with relative ease. One actually received their second dose today. Other friends who are front line workers have all received 2 doses. Even some teachers I know in CT have been vaccinated. YMMV

[OutdoorLover]

Originally Posted by htfdcolt

No criticism from me on that count. I'd drive to Gillette in a heartbeat...heck, I'd take a vacation day to get it in Pittsfield if that's the only place that had open slots!

I hear you. Even out of Phase 2, Baker has eligibility set at 75+ still. He was asked this past week about when they will open the eligibility up more - people in the other Phase 2 groups are chomping at the bit to get their vaccines. But he noted that the health risk disproportionately falls on those 75+, and said he wants to give people in that group more of a chance to get their vaccines without competing with the people from the other groups in Phase 2. At a certain point he'll open it up more of course, but this is why he's doing what he's doing. I totally get it.

[GeoffD]

Originally Posted by in_newengland

I think maybe it went to the big hospitals, including the employees who WFH and people who work in offices.

A lot of CT people aren't happy with how it's going. The numbers look good in CT with 56% of over 75 vaccinated as of this past Monday. However, most of those people are living in nursing homes. Over age 75 and not in a nursing home was opened up several weeks ago for appointments, but getting an appointment has been difficult. And there have been cancellations due to lack of vaccine. Both states need to set up locations that are easy to get to. Ironically, it's the over age 75 people who are being asked to drive an hour or more to get their shot.

Your comment doesn’t remotely pass the sniff test. What percentage of age 75+ do you think live in nursing homes????? For reference, a trivial Google says Connecticut has 24,878 nursing home beds in 2020.

https://portal.ct.gov/-/media/OPM/HH...Sheet-2020.pdf

Your “drive an hour” is also nonsense. There’s nowhere in the state you’d have to drive an hour to get vaccinated. Unlike Massachusetts, the little hospitals have vaccine clinics. Day-Kimball in Putnam. Johnson Memorial in Stafford Springs. You don’t know what you’re talking about.

[OutdoorLover]

Some more vaccine R&D news...BioNTech/Pfizer and Moderna have been grabbing all the headlines with their mRNA-based Covid-19 vaccines. But a 3rd mRNA vaccine candidate under development by German firm CureVac is currently in Phase 2B/3 trials. CureVac has recently announced collaborations with Bayer and GSK to manufacture their vaccine. While the BioNTech vaccine is stable for just 5 days at refrigerator temperatures of 2-8C, the Moderna vaccine is stable for 30 days at these temps, and the CureVac vaccine is reported to be stable for 90 days in the fridge. Note the rapid improvements in product stability, which I believe are coming from improved lipid nanoparticle (LNP) formulations - an area of intense focus.

Hopefully the CureVac vaccine will perform like the other two and be approved by late-spring/early summer.

See:
https://www.statnews.com/2021/02/03/...velop-another/

[GeoffD]

Now that 4.2% of the country has had two mRNA jabs, it would be awfully nice to get some updated information on vaccine effectiveness. We’ve vaccinated a ton of elderly with degraded immune systems. I’d really like to know if we’re keeping them out of the hospital.

[wolfgang239]

Originally Posted by GeoffD

Now that 4.2% of the country has had two mRNA jabs, it would be awfully nice to get some updated information on vaccine effectiveness. We’ve vaccinated a ton of elderly with degraded immune systems. I’d really like to know if we’re keeping them out of the hospital.

https://www.timesofisrael.com/livebl...inated-people/

This article claims a study found "the vaccine is as effective in people over 70 as it is in younger individuals"

[in_newengland]

Originally Posted by GeoffD

Your comment doesn’t remotely pass the sniff test. What percentage of age 75+ do you think live in nursing homes????? For reference, a trivial Google says Connecticut has 24,878 nursing home beds in 2020.

https://portal.ct.gov/-/media/OPM/HH...Sheet-2020.pdf

Your “drive an hour” is also nonsense. There’s nowhere in the state you’d have to drive an hour to get vaccinated. Unlike Massachusetts, the little hospitals have vaccine clinics. Day-Kimball in Putnam. Johnson Memorial in Stafford Springs. You don’t know what you’re talking about.

It depends on where in CT you live. If you live down by the NYC area, there are places to get vaccinated. You can also get vaccinated around New Haven. Hartford is vaccinating residents of Hartford only. Central CT area is hit or miss. But it is getting better and we are hearing of more places to be opened up.

Yes, the hospitals have vaccine clinics but people who signed up on Day One are still waiting. I spoke with a 90 year old man today who did finally manage to get his first shot at UConn (hospital) but his second one was cancelled due to lack of vaccine. (not the fault of the state of CT.) There's been a lot of confusion as to how to sign up and a lot of waiting. Few 90 yr olds in, say, Farmington or Glastonbury are going to drive to New Haven or the NYC area so they end up waiting for weeks to go to UConn. People were told that if they have UConn Health they needed to sign up for UConn. And so they wait.

[rach5]

The new UK variant is starting to spread in MA: https://turnto10.com/news/local/mass...vid-19-variant
I wish they announced how many sequences they did - the raw number of cases of the new variant doesn't mean all that much. But it is community spread, as most haven't travelled.