Just one data point - had my first Moderna vaccine shot yesterday.

[NRaleighLiberal]

A peek into the process in western NC.

I turned 65 on Jan 20th, noted that vaccine appointments started being taken over a phone line for 65 and above. I spent time here and there for two weeks trying to get into the system, which was nearly always overloaded and not even putting people on hold. But...bingo - one attempt got me into a queue - waited 1.5 hours, and a person came on and got my first shot scheduled.

Yesterday got there at my appt time - 2:50 - at a local community college. Excellent system in place - wait in car until appt time, 10 tables there - staff with computers - taking down info, signed some forms, took my insurance info - good social distancing and masking - then off to an area where we got numbers. Seats well separated, cleaned after each person vacated the chairs. Waited about 10 min - then called in for my vaccine. Got my shot, then into a waiting area for 15 min. Got two visits - person with a computer on a cart, checked my injection site, asked how I was feeling, got my follow up scheduled (Feb 25) - after my 15 min, headed home.

No effects throughout the day - injection site barely tender. Slept fine - could roll onto that arm, just a hint of soreness - didn't take a pain reliever.

Today - feeling great - no symptoms of any kind, faint soreness, but just doing my day.

Gotta go vacuum, but so far, so good!

Very impressed with the entire process beginning to end.

[Irish_Dem]

1. Congratulations! Very good.

Thank you for the info!

I am so hoping I can get mine soon.

[cilla4progress]

2. From posts I read here last night

it's the 2nd shot that hits hard.

[NRaleighLiberal]

4. I think it will vary - I don't think I have issues with vaccinations in general.

got the flu and first shingles same day, arm more sore than the COVID shot 1 was. I'll let folks know how it goes on Feb 25.

It felt quite historic to be sitting there - this is clearly one of those big events/moments in history that we are all part of.

[Ace Rothstein]

11. It is.

Three people I know that have gotten their second shot had no issue after their first shot. One had an incredibly sore arm, one had night sweats all night and one vomited all night after their second shot. All between 38 and 41 years old.

[MontanaMama]

12. This is what I hear too.

I have two neighbors who are ICU nurses. One got the Moderna and the other one got the Pfizer. Both report the first shot was fine. The second shot was fine until about 8 hours after when they both reported feeling flu-like symptoms. Body aches, chills and just generally feeling poorly. They laid low for a couple days. Same with the folks at my dental office after shot #2.

[liberal_mama]

40. A relative of mine got 103 fever after second dose

Still better than getting the covid19 though. I'm looking forward to getting mine when it becomes available for my age group.

[GusBob]

3. Heads up

In our clinic folks are getting their second shots starting last week ( this is an IHS clinic and they had fast track to vax starting in Dec). Moderna

They started with health care workers and it is they who are getting #2 now and they are reporting worse side effects than number one

Muscle aches and fatigue, headaches nausea and vomiting plus sore and swollen arms

If you are working, I would recommend shot 2 on a Friday. half our clinic has been out on days this week

[NRaleighLiberal]

7. I am lucky to be retired, so can just go with whatever the scheduling first says.

but thanks for your comment - I will be curious as to my effects after shot 2.

[GusBob]

16. Yeah it's worth it

Best thing is put it out of your mind and roll with it

Moderna gonna have to come up with a booster for the South African flavor of Covid it seems

Long hauling

[OriginalGeek]

14. have you heard anything about the Pfizer 2nd shot?

We got Pfizer at work this week and shot 1 didn't bother me at all. Such a tiny amount of soreness the next day I could barely even count it.

If the second shot is really bad I may have to schedule a half day that day. (Suuuuuuper lucky that's an option for me.)

The problem is if I leave work right after the shot, how long before I start feeling effects? I have about an hour drive to get home and don't want to throw up in my car.

[GusBob]

17. Only familiar with Moderna here

I am told those side effects are actually a good thing it means your immune system is working the fight

[GopherGal]

24. That's the way I look at it.

No Covidvax for me yet, but that's been my experience with two other multi-shot regimens (Hep B and Shingles vaccines, for the record).

I assume that if the first shot gives you partial protection (i.e. "works&quot , you might have an immune reaction already to the antigen by the time you get the second shot.

[Jirel]

5. Texas data point.

It’s not well organized here. In my county in rural Texas, a really good hospital is aggressively trying to get people vaccinated, but it’s doing so in ways that favor wealthier white folks. They’re distributing through several clinics, where you have to be a patient already, which also means you’re insured in a state that is dismally underinsured.

A good friend got Moderna last weekend, and just had a headache and was tired for a few days. I put my name on the list, though it won’t happen for a while - but apparently sooner than I think because it turns out I’m actually in the 1b category. I thought I’d be further down.

[Lochloosa]

6. I've read to prepare for a 24-48 hr down time for the second shot. Especially the Moderna

Get the shot in the arm you use the least. It's going to hurt.
12 hrs after the shot, the effects will hit hard. Fever, muscle ache, flu like symptoms

This is not my experience, but I've read enough to believe this will happen.

[NRaleighLiberal]

8. I'll be sure to report on my experience. thanks for the info.

[OriginalGeek]

15. lol, guess I should have read farther down the thread before I replied above.

We got the pfizer on tuesday at work and shot one was a breeze.


I may scoot on home after the follow-up and take off the next day too.

[walkingman]

9. Got mine last Friday. Moderna also, 1st day nothing, 2nd day arm really sore- muscles, not injection

a day later pretty much gone. Hoping to get my second around 2/19

[NRaleighLiberal]

10. I'm feeling lucky so far - arm and muscles essentially normal.

curious as to effects of shot 2. but...encouraged so far.

[BComplex]

13. I'm scheduled next week in eastern NC.

I'm ready for it! Thanks for the post!

[Poiuyt]

18. I heard a doctor on the radio who talked about the effects after the 2nd dose

He said that was an indication that the vaccine was working.

[greatauntoftriplets]

19. had the first Pfizer shot two weeks ago tomorrow.

I had no reaction, but that could have been because I had recently recovered from a very mild case of Covid. Second shot is a week from tomorrow, and I'm hoping that whatever antibodies are in my system again result in no or minimal reaction.

[Sprite]

20. I am not anti vac but heard of this bad reactions.

A woman known to me experienced a swollen lymph node in her neck by her collar bone the size of a golf ball. I am not sure all side effects are being shared or disclosed by these companies.

[AnotherMother4Peace]

27. I trust the scientific process, comprehensive testing, Dr. Fauchi, the REAL experts.

When my kids were young I knew a couple of antivax moms. They would share stories of "proof" that vaccines were bad and suspicions of unscrupulous motivations. I lost touch with those moms, but later learned that a local measles outbreak in our community was traced to one of those families.

[jeffreyi]

21. I had #1, Moderna, on Tuesday.

I am healthy, late 60's. I never react to anything, and don't get colds, flu, etc. My body felt this one...a little woozy for a moment after the injection, sore arm, felt punkish on day 2. Morning of day 3, I slept really late. After that, felt fine.

[deurbano]

38. I'm 66, and I (who'd never reacted to a vaccine before) felt it, too. (Of course, it was nothing

Last edited Fri Jan 29, 2021, 02:16 PM - Edit history (1)

remotely close to a reason for forgoing it.) My reaction was delayed until I got home, and I was just really tired, and my arm hurt in a sore muscle kind of way, not anything major, just sort of surprising, since I'd never had a reaction before. My trophy husband (64, almost 65) completely conked out and we both felt pretty fatigued the next day (luckily, it was Sunday), but fine after that. We got the first dose of Moderna 2 weeks ago, and I was eligible as my disabled daughter's In-Home Support Services worker... and my husband and two other children (18 and 22) are also classified as "health workers" here in CA, as a result of a state directive covering family members of people with disabilities. (Unfortunately, my daughter with the actual disability, the vulnerable one, doesn't qualify yet; I think that's because logistically her category is harder to reach, and they want to get as many shots in as many arms as quickly as possible, and this is a way to hopefully protect her at the same time.) My husband hadn't been invited to schedule an appointment, yet, but when I got my shot, he was waiting for me in the car, and it was the end of the day, and they had leftover doses that would expire. I have to say, when I got it, it was a bit of a free for all, not organized well, and I think they lost me in the computer, so I was scheduled for a 3-4 pm time slot, but wasn't seen until 6 pm...and I hadn't been out of the house/yard for a month and a half...and I was wearing a KN 95 with a paper surgical mask and a face shield and my hood up... trying to stay well clear of all the people milling around (outside in a breezeway) waiting to be called.... so that might have contributed to my fatigue! It was also cold (I mean, San Francisco cold, not VT cold)... and my shield kept fogging up... and my masks would slip off my ears... and I had to keep adjusting my position to stay clear of the roamers... and nowhere to sit... so maybe it wasn't just the shot that wiped me out!

[coti]

49. My reaction to dose 1 was very similar to yours nt

[ewagner]

22. I had my #1 at 7:45 this am....n/t

[AnotherMother4Peace]

23. To add to your data point. I got my Moderna 2 days ago: sore arm, not enough to take pain reliever;

Last edited Fri Jan 29, 2021, 01:29 PM - Edit history (1)

so far no other side effects. I'm in the 65+ age group. My husband had his last week. He's in the 75 & above age range, had a sore arm & chills on the 2nd day following shot. He also said he just felt a little "lousy" on that 2nd day. His symptoms lasted one day.

I do appreciate hearing about the side effects of the 1st & 2nd doses so I can prepare. I plan on being hydrated, well rested, and as healthy as I can be for the 2nd dose. I told my husband no alcohol and plenty of water in the days before the 2nd dose.

Edit to add: I'll take ANY vax symptoms compared to the agony of Covid - ANY. And also to add: The flu vax gave me more noticeable symptoms than the Moderna vax.

[Lonestarblue]

25. I'm getting my Moderna shot this afternoon.

I hope I have the same reaction as you report.

[iluvtennis]

26. Wow, what an efficient process - thanks for sharing your experience with us. nt

[ashredux]

28. Got my shot two weeks ago. No issues with the shot at all

Even arm “soreness” was almost nothing. My advice...if you can, get the vaccine ASAP

[alfredo]

29. Good for you! At the VA it was a snap.

I got an appointment, and from parking my car, signing in, waiting in the que, getting the vaccine, and waiting 15minutes, it took one half hour. In the next half hour I picked up a pizza from Puccini's, and took it home.

Arm sore, but not bad. I had a small headache, and tiredness the next day, but today I feel fine. Reactions to the vaccine show that my immune system is working. My immune system is in bad shape, so i am glad it responded.

I go back the 17th February for my second. It was the Pfizer vaccine.

[occupant]

30. Walgreens very organized

On monday I applied online for the Pfiser vaccine. It was a little confusing but I got all the paperwork printed out, something about my Windows 10 not wanting to work nicely with printing papers from a Vista machine(((?))) Anyhoo Wednesday I got an email to go to the site developed by Walgreens Drugstore. They were not available close to my home but in the small towns nearby. I scheduled both vaccines and was off to get my first. Talk about organized ! Walgreens was ready! The pharmacist who was giving the shots was even training a new girl so she too can administer the vaccine soon. Every process was clean, sterilized and professional. Shot was painless. Ist and 2nd day arm was a little sore. Today fine. I am so happy to have gotten this process started !

[Initech]

31. My parents both got their first shots!

They were literally in and out in like 15 minutes. Very easy to do!

My brother already got both shots. He said that the second one is worse than the first but you get over the symptoms pretty quickly.

[mgardener]

32. I got the Pfizer shot yesterday

My experience was a bit different.
I live in NY. We have a state site right in my town and at the local Kinney drug stores.
Joe and I were eligible because we are over 65.
I spent about 40 mins on my tablet for my husband's appt and about 1/2 hour for mine. Site very slow but I did not get kicked off the site.

Ours was at the former airforce base. There were National guard there assisting with the logistics outside.
We drove up to an enclosure outside, handed in our print out and got paper work. We then drove into a large building that had 5 garage doors we waited for a short time & we drove inside. Inside the building there were 4 stations in each lane. So conceivably they can do up to 20 injects. every 15 mins.
We stayed in the car the whole time. Paper work handed in, loaded into a computer and then received the vaccine. We pulled straight out. We were told to wait 15 in line, leave the car unlocked and honk the horn if we needed medical attention. We were free to go
It was cold waiting those 15 mins, 11* and very windy.
By 9am this morning, I received my return date by email, 3 weeks at the same time and place.
I have a slight soreness but feel fine.

[mwooldri]

33. Wifey got her second shot the other day.

Works at hospital running Covid (and other) tests in the lab.

She reports the best night's sleep each day after receiving the vaccine. I wonder how many people report this?

[AllyCat]

34. Glad you are feeling good! Make sure you have a light day after your second

dose. Most of the nurses at my hospital felt pretty crummy after second dose. Just immune system stuff but I really just wanted to lay low for a day.

[BobTheSubgenius]

35. Good on you, and continued good luck with the system!

I'm 68, and will be lucky to get mine in June...and I have a pacemaker and two artificial heart valves.

Pfizer US is bound by contract to not ship to Canada, and Pfizer Europe is delaying our shipments until their needs are met. I can see that line of thinking, but are severely at-risk individuals here a way lower priority than low-risk individuals there?

We were told we had an adequate supply locked up, then the f'ing Belgians decided to reneg. (Actually, Belgium is where Pfizer Europe is HQ'ed. Could be anyone in the EU that is making the decisions.) At least, that's the way it appears. Neither side of the debate has cleared their paperwork through the Canadian populace, so it's hard to tell.

[BobTheSubgenius]

36. PS...

The shortage created is such that some people are likely to have their first shot "time out" before getting their second. That's worse, in a lot of ways.

[PuppyBismark]

37. Got Pfizer yesterday at Ohio State Medical Center

It was great. They are set up to service about 100 people at a time. We got in and out in 45 minutes including check in wait for a station interview by a doctor, injection, and wait 15 minutes. We also got appointments for our second shot.

They are the main location for the country health department. This is a great model for doing vaccinations

No reactions to top it off.

[wishstar]

39. Like you, my spouse in Asheville hit jackpot to get vaccine last Friday but I've had no luck yet

After days of many frustrating attempts I got spouse in with the 75 and older group last week and I was able to get onto the wait list myself when it opened last Wednesday Jan 20th for the 65 and above and got a confirmation email but my number is over 6000 and word is only those up to about the first 1000 of the 30,000+ on wait list got the calls back to be vaccinated this past week. Spouse was given choice and chose Pfizer so has only 2 weeks to go now to the drive- through site.

I have a hunch though that a number of the over 35,000 on wait list are double listings because the confirmation emails took over 3 days (my email system actually dumped it into trash instead of inbox before I found it 2 more days later on Jan 25th!). So I think some people signed on wait list a second time to be sure. I am also on notification list at my doctor's group in case they get some doses.

You were lucky to get into this week's batch since NC sent most doses this past week to Raleigh and Charlotte for the mass vaccination clinics which makes sense since their rates of infection, population density and minority populations are greater and warrant priority measures to get it under control.

So we are both hunkering down inside more than ever because we would hate to have worked so hard to avoid Covid for a year and then catch it when we are so close to having good immunity.

[Cozmo]

41. You are so lucky! Sis in Philly say the vaccine efforts there are a debacle

Her and hubby will have to go to Harrisburg and stay the night in a hotel to get their vax. WTF?

[True Blue American]

42. Pfizer at

University of Dayton a week ago Thursday in car. They had 4 tents, 2 lines in each. 24 cars at once.

Appointment 10.10, stopped picked up lunch, 20 minute drive, home before noon.

Next one, inside because of the weather, 2 weeks.,

[flying_wahini]

43. The first one was fine, the second one made me pretty sick with with body aches and skin pain.

Low grade temp but pretty bad muscle pain. Had mine 2 days ago. Much better today.

[AllaN01Bear]

44. good . many times the soreness is from the person inserting the needle.

[lillypaddle]

45. I'm in Lexington, KY

On Jan. 25th I signed up with the KY gov't vaccination site. On the 27th, I got a confirmation email along with a health survey (age, underlying health issues, etc). On Jan. 28th, I got the invitation to schedule a vaccine by email, which I did online. Barely took a minute to do so. My appointment is Feb. 2nd for the first dose.

That's just 8 days from start to finish - I'll let you know when I get the vaccine, but man, am I impressed!

[Silver Swan]

46. My husband and I got our first Moderna vaccines today.

It was at a nearby hospital. There were two young men in the parking lot who approached cars as they arrived and told us what time we could go in the building. Inside, there were other staff people directing us to a room where other workers checked out information on the computer and scheduled an appointment for the second dose. We were then directed to another room where nurses in cubicles administered the vaccine. From there we were directed to a third room to wait for 15 minutes. There was a nurse their to answer any questions and tell us when we could leave.

Everyone was very nice. It was a good experience.

[onetexan]

47. Awesome to hear & glad you & yr hubby got the first vaccine. My hubby did too given he works in

healthcare & said the same - symptoms were very mild & didn't hurt like shingles vaccine. Not my turn yet & despite my fear of needles i'm actually looking forward to it.

I'm also glad to hear your experience was good & wait time wasn't long. Maybe it's the Biden effect?

[jimlup]

48. My dad got the NC vaccine on Monday

Good work NC!

I'd drive down to NC to get vaccinated if I could find a legit. appointment. I'm a teacher in MI but no vaccines in sight for me.

[occupant]

50. Essential Employee

Wait a minute Jimlup, I recall seeing one of the first questions on the "GetMyShot" website asked if you were an essential worker. I assumed that was for any age.Surely being a teacher is an essential worker. I'm in Michigan too and the Walgreens in Grand Blanc, Holly, Flint, Burton, Davison, all had plenty of appointments for this week left.

[jimlup]

51. On it!

Thanks!

I'm a 50+ teacher... I should fucking have a shot in my arm already.

[Blue_true]

52. Michigan likely was purposely shunned by the Trump regime

in terms of vaccine allocation. Give the Biden Administration a month to straighten that corrupt mess out.

[jimlup]

53. I doubt the rump regime would be able to plan such a thing

they were incompetenten though and through but if they could plan anything that is exactly what they would have done.

[cherish44]

54. I got the Moderna shot on January 22

I'm a teacher and my district held a clinic for employees. I didn't feel a thing when I got the injection. I had what I'd call moderate soreness at the injection site the next day and mild soreness the day after that. I had no side effects other than an ouchie arm for a couple of days. I'll get my second dose on Feb. 19.

My parents are both over 65 and are on waiting lists at several places. So far nothing's scheduled for them...