Will You Get The Vaccine?

Will You Get It? (Assuming an Unbiased Science Based Approval Before Year End)

  • Maybe: Only if we are in a big second/third wave

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • NO: I don't vaccinate myself.

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    44

413Blue

Registered
Seasoned Supporter
Apr 23, 2014
4,212
7,001
303
MA
Assuming multiple government and independent groups endorse a vaccine candidate(s) will you get it?
Right away? After a while? Never?

I was curious, because I haven't really given it much thought yet, what others were thinking about this.

I thought about it because my employer sent out an anonymous survey today. We are based out of an essential, difficult to fully social distance large facility which depending on the timing of an authorization could be prioritized just below hospitals. Although I generally work remotely or in an isolated area, I won't be able to as much very soon due to the scope of our organizations upcoming operations. If one gets approved in the next couple weeks (which seems virtually impossible) I may be offered. Later in October or into November we will drop in priority but still be close to the top of it's before Black Friday.

Edit: Now that I'm remembering that it will most likely be a two dose vaccine, I may not be prioritized unless the first dose does have a significant reduction of risk immediately. I'll probably wait until it's been made available to all hospital, police, fire/Em's, prison staff and inmates, nursing homes and other high priority and high risk groups. I'm pro vaccine, but being a healthy 30's guy with a general ability to social distance I'll probably wait until it's widely available and no higher risk groups are waiting still.
 
Last edited:
I don't fully trust a vaccine being produced this quickly, so I will probably wait out the initial wave and see how effective it is amongst the initial group. I'm partially worried about long-term effects that haven't been found in the quick pretesting phase.

As much as I want to be able to live life fully again and be able to travel, I don't want to cause harm to myself later in life. In my eyes, as a type 1 diabetic (had it since I was 9YO), I'm already in a higher risk category. I don't want to possibly add to the potential problems I'm facing down the line by rushing into a vaccine just to be able to travel next summer.

I am nowhere near the anti-vaccine culture that unfortunately has spread about numerous people. I just don't know what to expect from a vaccine that's been months in testing, vs. usual vaccines that usually take years of testing before being approved/administered.
 
this is a tough question for the reasons already expressed.

a vaccine being pushed out so quickly may not be as safe as they claim it to be. having worked for a govt agency, i can tell you the people who approve things aren't always the brightest or most detail oriented. so having a govt endorsement isn't much value to me.

i want to be safe of course. but we've survived this long with hand washing and masks, i'm perfectly fine going another 6 months keeping up with it to make sure the vaccine doesn't have some crazy side effects that were not seen during testing.
 
I agree with the rush concerns, but at the same time I feel fairly confident in a unanimously (FDA, CDC, Foreign agencies, independent academic and medical groups) authorized vaccine and feel as though the risks gave largely been assumed by the 30k plus people who participated in the trials of a selected candidate. The consensus I've seen from almost all experts is that the sample size is big enough. Usually it would take years to get to that point, so much of the rush and risk was voluntarily accepted by the trial participants who took a vaccine that normally would have gone through animal testing, then several years of smaller stage human testing. They took quite the risk.
By the time it's widely available, the first participants should be at or bear the 1 year mark and phase 3 will be over 6 months. I would like to think the risks are fairly clear by that point, but obviously longer term risks can't be disproven.

My question for Schwallacus Schwallacus and others in similar situations : let's say it's widely available to you in February. You know the risks of Covid to you are likely elevated due to your pre-existing condition. Assuming the vaccine is well tolerated by most, would you run out to get it if we were in the midst of another surge?
Not trying to put anyone on the spot, I understand all potential positions on this. I've changed my mind like 3 times already today lol. I guess it's tough to answer based on the limited info we have today. I
 
Last edited:
I agree with the rush concerns, but at the same time I feel fairly confident in a unanimously (FDA, CDC, Foreign agencies, independent academic and medical groups) authorized vaccine and feel as though the risks gave largely been assumed by the 30k plus people who participated in the trials of a selected candidate. The consensus I've seen from almost all experts is that the sample size is big enough. Usually it would take years to get to that point, so much of the rush and risk was voluntarily accepted by the trial participants who took a vaccine that normally would have gone through animal testing, then several years of smaller stage human testing. They took quite the risk.
By the time it's widely available, the first participants should be at or bear the 1 year mark and phase 3 will be over 6 months. I would like to think the risks are fairly clear by that point, but obviously longer term risks can't be disproven.

My question for Schwallacus Schwallacus and others in similar situations : let's say it's widely available to you in February. You know the risks of Covid to you are likely elevated due to your pre-existing condition. Assuming the vaccine is well tolerated by most, would you run out to get it if we were in the midst of another surge?
Not trying to put anyone on the spot, I understand all potential positions on this. I've changed my mind like 3 times already today lol. I guess it's tough to answer based on the limited info we have today. I
Being I enjoy travel, I feel I may a bit more stir crazy by the beginning of next year and would probably lean more toward taking the vaccine than waiting further. This is of course given all the previous actions/events occurring and seeming to be positive. Hell, maybe I'll be one of the OG people with the diabeetus (RIP Wilford Brimley) to go ahead and see how it reacts. Like you, my mind is back and forth on whether or not I jump on the early wagon. I think we both need a little bit more direction/information in how the vaccine trials are going before we firmly choose one direction or another.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 413Blue
I plan on being tested for antibodies soon and if I don’t have them I’ll likely end up getting it. I’ve never had a flu shot or been sick with the flu either.
I’ve been working in retail since this began and have been exposed to people with Covid and I haven’t been sick. I tested once and was negative but I still could of had it at some point and been asymptomatic. I’ve probably had 200-300 close contact encounters per day, if not more. If getting a shot allows us to walk around freely without a mask then I’m all for it. If we’re all getting vaccinated and restrictions are still in place and vaccinated people still have to follow the restrictions then I’d have to rethink it. If I don’t have antibodies and receive a shot but have to continue wearing my mask despite receiving the shot and developing antibodies I’d prefer to not trust the shot and continue on without it as I have the last 6 months.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 413Blue
Being I enjoy travel, I feel I may a bit more stir crazy by the beginning of next year and would probably lean more toward taking the vaccine than waiting further. This is of course given all the previous actions/events occurring and seeming to be positive. Hell, maybe I'll be one of the OG people with the diabeetus (RIP Wilford Brimley) to go ahead and see how it reacts. Like you, my mind is back and forth on whether or not I jump on the early wagon. I think we both need a little bit more direction/information in how the vaccine trials are going before we firmly choose one direction or another.
I think the benefit for both of us is that more than likely, millions of higher priority people may receive it before we even have the option.
I've now settled on, even if I'm granted some type of priority based on my employer, I'll wait a bit. I think it's ethical, assuming several months of short supply, for a healthy young person with no conditions to wait until higher priority people (which is most of the country) have at least had the option of receiving it. That has, in addition to being more ethical, the added benefit of probably 100m or more people worldwide beta testing it for me, and furthermore I'll probably be able to choose between more than one approved vaccine.
I guess it's impossible to really have a solid answer right now as I'd need to make a lot of assumptions either way. I think I'll just ignore the survey!
 
I’ve discussed this with my wife, the good Mrs. Gotham, MD. She assures us that we will be first in line for a vaccine.

Not just because her status as a doctor gets us priority. It’s also because she has very high confidence that whatever gets approved will be safe and effective. She’s paying a lot of attention to this - reading the journal articles, etc. She’s been keeping up with all the developments. There is all the usual rigor around testing for these vaccines as there is on anything else.

And there are really good reasons for you to get the vaccine - and not just for yourself. You will also be protecting anyone you might pass it on to once you get it. So, even if you are not high risk, you should still get the vaccine. My father died of the flu 2 years ago, and I often wonder what might have happened if the person who gave it to him had been vaccinated.
 
I’ve discussed this with my wife, the good Mrs. Gotham, MD. She assures us that we will be first in line for a vaccine.

Not just because her status as a doctor gets us priority. It’s also because she has very high confidence that whatever gets approved will be safe and effective. She’s paying a lot of attention to this - reading the journal articles, etc. She’s been keeping up with all the developments. There is all the usual rigor around testing for these vaccines as there is on anything else.

And there are really good reasons for you to get the vaccine - and not just for yourself. You will also be protecting anyone you might pass it on to once you get it. So, even if you are not high risk, you should still get the vaccine. My father died of the flu 2 years ago, and I often wonder what might have happened if the person who gave it to him had been vaccinated.
Is there any particular candidate she is favoring? The two big MRNA vaccines seem promising but at the same time concerning to me because it is a brand new platform that doesn't have much history of proof behind it. That being said, if they succeed, we could see further advancements in other disease prevention from the technology. They do seem to be the closest to market, but have storage and distribution challenges, not to mention expected two dose regimen. J&J is a couple months behind, but they do have a more traditional vaccine platform with lesser logistical hurdles and an expected single dose product.
There are others of course, but I think those three are the most likely to become available to us this season.
 
  • Like
Reactions: NYCFC_Dan
Good questions, and you have obviously studied this more than me.

It turns out the good Dr. G is right next to me. She said she will go for whichever is first. She is totally comfortable with anything that gets through FDA approval, and if a more effective vaccine comes out 2 months later, there is nothing to prevent you getting both.
 
I would probably not get it immediately as I consider it wouldn't make a big difference in my case (not going out much) but if the situation really gets out of control I guess I would take it.
 
Getting my second COVID test later today. This one I fear may be positive.
Let's hope not! I just had a mild cold go through our house last week. I was concerned as well but tested negative! A bunch of people at work and my kids daycare have been going through the same scare with similar symptoms, all testing negative after 1-3 days of mild to moderate covid-like symptoms.

Hopefully you get any of the tests that are not deep nasal. Those suck! I've had two of those and probably would rather get covid than do another one of those. I've also done two self swab at CVS which were much better, and one saliva based test as part of a trial. Saliva is the best way to go.
 
Let's hope not! I just had a mild cold go through our house last week. I was concerned as well but tested negative! A bunch of people at work and my kids daycare have been going through the same scare with similar symptoms, all testing negative after 1-3 days of mild to moderate covid-like symptoms.

Hopefully you get any of the tests that are not deep nasal. Those suck! I've had two of those and probably would rather get covid than do another one of those. I've also done two self swab at CVS which were much better, and one saliva based test as part of a trial. Saliva is the best way to go.
I was positive. Had a rapid test and found out 15 minutes after testing. Saturday - Monday was rough. I was genuinely worried I’d develop worse symptoms. I woke up Saturday with body aches and chills. On Sunday I lost my sense of taste and smell and the body aches worsened. Monday morning my lower back felt like I pulled a muscle and I was practically walking slouched over. Then by Monday night I already started feeling better.
I experienced little to no respiratory symptoms. Just phlegm in the back of my throat, which I found was the body attempting to discard the virus. My brother was leaving me food at the bottom of the stairs and going down and up 12 steps I would actually get a bit winded. Other than that I barely coughed at all.
Woke up today with hardly any muscle aches. Just a bit of tightness in the areas that hurt the days prior. Never experienced a fever or headache and I only took Acetaminophen a handful of times for the muscle aches. Hopefully another 7 days of quarantine and I’ll be totally in the clear. I talked to one of my buddies that had it and 2 months removed from symptoms and he still hasn’t fully recovered his sense of taste. That’s going to suck.
 
I was positive. Had a rapid test and found out 15 minutes after testing. Saturday - Monday was rough. I was genuinely worried I’d develop worse symptoms. I woke up Saturday with body aches and chills. On Sunday I lost my sense of taste and smell and the body aches worsened. Monday morning my lower back felt like I pulled a muscle and I was practically walking slouched over. Then by Monday night I already started feeling better.
I experienced little to no respiratory symptoms. Just phlegm in the back of my throat, which I found was the body attempting to discard the virus. My brother was leaving me food at the bottom of the stairs and going down and up 12 steps I would actually get a bit winded. Other than that I barely coughed at all.
Woke up today with hardly any muscle aches. Just a bit of tightness in the areas that hurt the days prior. Never experienced a fever or headache and I only took Acetaminophen a handful of times for the muscle aches. Hopefully another 7 days of quarantine and I’ll be totally in the clear. I talked to one of my buddies that had it and 2 months removed from symptoms and he still hasn’t fully recovered his sense of taste. That’s going to suck.

Sorry to hear that, glad to see you appear to be on the mend.
 
I was positive. Had a rapid test and found out 15 minutes after testing. Saturday - Monday was rough. I was genuinely worried I’d develop worse symptoms. I woke up Saturday with body aches and chills. On Sunday I lost my sense of taste and smell and the body aches worsened. Monday morning my lower back felt like I pulled a muscle and I was practically walking slouched over. Then by Monday night I already started feeling better.
I experienced little to no respiratory symptoms. Just phlegm in the back of my throat, which I found was the body attempting to discard the virus. My brother was leaving me food at the bottom of the stairs and going down and up 12 steps I would actually get a bit winded. Other than that I barely coughed at all.
Woke up today with hardly any muscle aches. Just a bit of tightness in the areas that hurt the days prior. Never experienced a fever or headache and I only took Acetaminophen a handful of times for the muscle aches. Hopefully another 7 days of quarantine and I’ll be totally in the clear. I talked to one of my buddies that had it and 2 months removed from symptoms and he still hasn’t fully recovered his sense of taste. That’s going to suck.
Sounds rough enough, but glad to hear you are on the mend. Hope the taste comes back. It seems to vary widely.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Schwallacus
I was positive. Had a rapid test and found out 15 minutes after testing. Saturday - Monday was rough. I was genuinely worried I’d develop worse symptoms. I woke up Saturday with body aches and chills. On Sunday I lost my sense of taste and smell and the body aches worsened. Monday morning my lower back felt like I pulled a muscle and I was practically walking slouched over. Then by Monday night I already started feeling better.
I experienced little to no respiratory symptoms. Just phlegm in the back of my throat, which I found was the body attempting to discard the virus. My brother was leaving me food at the bottom of the stairs and going down and up 12 steps I would actually get a bit winded. Other than that I barely coughed at all.
Woke up today with hardly any muscle aches. Just a bit of tightness in the areas that hurt the days prior. Never experienced a fever or headache and I only took Acetaminophen a handful of times for the muscle aches. Hopefully another 7 days of quarantine and I’ll be totally in the clear. I talked to one of my buddies that had it and 2 months removed from symptoms and he still hasn’t fully recovered his sense of taste. That’s going to suck.
Yikes. Glad it's not worse.

If you haven't already...get outside around lunchtime. Take nice walks....alone obviously. I think data is strongly showing that modest exercise (over couch time) and some sunlight are hugely beneficial in recovery.
 
Last edited: