Coronavirus in Massachusetts (Boston: home, elementary school, camp)

[NewfieMama]

Originally Posted by massnative71

Obviously this is a personal medical decision and not on me or any forum member to tell you how to manage that. But let me just ask you one question. How much "long term data" do you require in order to be convinced enough to receive it? One year? Two years? Five years? The second part of that question is, can our country (both public health wise and the economy) afford to wait that long for the critical amount of the population to be "sold" on it?

If in a year the FDA has fully approved and there have been so few cases filed of complications that no further investigation is needed, I'd be comfortable taking it. I don't know what % of the population is most at-risk, but I do think that if high-risk people had the vaccine and those of us who were very low-risk did not, we would be fine as a nation. I think if those who were high-risk had the vaccine and those who were low-risk did not, we'd have fewer fatalities per year than we have with the flu.

I think another issue with getting those who might be on the fence about the vaccine into the pro-vaccine camp is that it doesn't feel like anything is gained. So I get the vaccine, yet I still have to wear a mask and socially distance? Grandparents shouldn't be seeing their grandkids, even post-vaccine? For those who are low risk, the major incentive to get the vaccine is to start getting back to normalcy. Without that, there isn't much of an incentive.

[NewfieMama]

Originally Posted by massnative71

Longer meaning "5 months" though, not so much "eh I'll stick it out 2 years or so to see how others..." that I constantly hear.

Yes, that's me. From what I've read, my immunity after having COVID ranges anywhere from 90 days to 6ish months? I'm okay risking getting it again so I can wait for FDA approval/more data. Since it was a non-event when I had it, I don't expect it to be significantly different if I get it again.

[BostonMike7]

Originally Posted by NewfieMama

Yes, that's me. From what I've read, my immunity after having COVID ranges anywhere from 90 days to 6ish months? I'm okay risking getting it again so I can wait for FDA approval/more data. Since it was a non-event when I had it, I don't expect it to be significantly different if I get it again.

That's a pretty reasonable point of view.

I won't be eligible until May1 and have no desire to slug it out with millions across the state for a spot, so I will likely sit back and wait a bit. Late June maybe? No rush.

I have no opposition to it, but i'm the type or person who doesn't even like to take aspirin, and rarely gets a flu shot. However, since we are planning an active summer of seeing peers we haven't had a chance to socialize with in a long time, a vaccine should be a prerequisite to that fun.


On an aside, in planning for the summer, I've found much of everything is already solidly booked. We've usually had no issue booking at some of our regular spots (that we missed out last summer) around this time of year. However, now it's different. Prices are up too (at least from what I can tell). I think people are ready to get out and be out. Given that, there really should be more of a push to get people to vaccinate before Summer vacations hit full swing.

I also think I should invest in hospitality stocks.

[msRB311]

I'm also not itching to get the vaccine. I will get it eventually but I'm not that eager.

The girl next door to me recently got stuck on a business trip because she ended up with covid. She was supposed to come home, got tested and she wascpositive. She was like, i am?? she had no symptoms whatsoever. It's just a weird virus.

[OutdoorLover]

I'm not going to jump the line - that would be pushing someone else aside that needs the vaccine more than me. But I'll take it as soon as I am eligible and able to secure the appointment. For me, the clinical trial data, along with the experience we've had while rolling out these vaccines to millions of Americans over the past four months, is enough to convince me that the risks of not taking it far outweigh the risks of taking it.

[NewfieMama]

Originally Posted by BostonMike7

That's a pretty reasonable point of view.

I won't be eligible until May1 and have no desire to slug it out with millions across the state for a spot, so I will likely sit back and wait a bit. Late June maybe? No rush.

I have no opposition to it, but i'm the type or person who doesn't even like to take aspirin, and rarely gets a flu shot. However, since we are planning an active summer of seeing peers we haven't had a chance to socialize with in a long time, a vaccine should be a prerequisite to that fun.


On an aside, in planning for the summer, I've found much of everything is already solidly booked. We've usually had no issue booking at some of our regular spots (that we missed out last summer) around this time of year. However, now it's different. Prices are up too (at least from what I can tell). I think people are ready to get out and be out. Given that, there really should be more of a push to get people to vaccinate before Summer vacations hit full swing.

I also think I should invest in hospitality stocks.

I have found the same thing with vacation planning. We booked a trip down the the outer banks back in January and there were very few weeks left for the houses we were interested in for this summer. We are just driving--we weren't sure what things would look like this summer, so figured we'd do another trip where we drive, rent a house, and do a ton of outdoorsy things. Prices were definitely higher than we've paid in the past in the outer banks, but I said to my husband "I do not care. I need a vacation. I am booking this and just won't tell you the price."

Still haven't booked our trip to Universal Studios which we pushed from last fall to this fall. I'm afraid it will be mobbed...

[NewfieMama]

Originally Posted by msRB311

I'm also not itching to get the vaccine. I will get it eventually but I'm not that eager.

The girl next door to me recently got stuck on a business trip because she ended up with covid. She was supposed to come home, got tested and she positive. She was like, i am?? she had no symptoms whatsoever. It's just a weird virus.

Very similar thing happened here. Our babysitter tested before she attended a funeral and it was positive. She was asymptomatic. So I tested and was positive. We would have never known had she not happened to be attending a funeral. And even though she was around my kids before she was tested, and I was literally sharing a straw with them the day before my positive (when you are most contagious), nobody ever got it. I isolated once I had my positive, but up to that point I had no clue, so was basically wrapping them in a cocoon of covid. So odd that they never got it. Same with my husband.

[robr2]

Originally Posted by mdovell

Vaccine versions are becoming more nationalistic. Recently China has announced that their version of a vaccine would be what they require for entry. This makes things significantly complicated because they've also been providing Aid of this to Latin America and Africa which are doing much worse than anywhere else. These vaccines are only at 50%. Whereas Johnson & Johnson's and the other ones in the US and Europe are often in the 80 to 95% range

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/artic...inese-vaccines

"Most countries in the West have not yet approved vaccines developed by Chinese pharmaceutic companies, which have been reticent in sharing details of their vaccine trials crucial for building public trust around the world. China is having more success introducing its vaccines in Africa and Latin America, where countries including Zimbabwe and Equatorial Guinea have received vaccine aid from Beijing."

I'm all for the vaccines but to me this just sounds like format Wars all over again but with Public Health at risk. The other factor is how many people from China are still in the US that didn't go back and if they can't go back until they get the vaccine does that mean that get shipped here or they have to go there and receive it there?

Note that the article says "entry from Hong Kong."

[msRB311]

Originally Posted by NewfieMama

Very similar thing happened here. Our babysitter tested before she attended a funeral and it was positive. She was asymptomatic. So I tested and was positive. We would have never known had she not happened to be attending a funeral. And even though she was around my kids before she was tested, and I was literally sharing a straw with them the day before my positive (when you are most contagious), nobody ever got it. I isolated once I had my positive, but up to that point I had no clue, so was basically wrapping them in a cocoon of covid. So odd that they never got it. Same with my husband.

Ugh, so weird! I feel bad for my neighbor because she had to stay in another state away from her 2 year old and 8 year old for even longer. I already felt bad that she had to travel for work during this time in the first place.

[GeoffD]

Originally Posted by BostonMike7

On an aside, in planning for the summer, I've found much of everything is already solidly booked. We've usually had no issue booking at some of our regular spots (that we missed out last summer) around this time of year. However, now it's different. Prices are up too (at least from what I can tell). I think people are ready to get out and be out. Given that, there really should be more of a push to get people to vaccinate before Summer vacations hit full swing.

I also think I should invest in hospitality stocks.

I'm really glad our summer is no travel. Beach/boat/bicycle all summer.