Fewer people take a 'wait and see' approach to COVID-19 vaccine -- here's what changed their minds

[TomCADem]

I think it is the velvet rope phenomena that is causing more folks to try to get the vaccine ASAP. My parents were reluctant to get the vaccine, but after a few months of seeing jammed appointments they took the first appointment they were able to schedule.

As for me, I am in the involuntary wait and see category until my tier opens.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/medical/fewer-people-take-a-wait-and-see-approach-to-covid-19-vaccine-here-s-what-changed-their-minds/ar-BB1evUjU?ocid=msedgdhp

Though access to COVID-19 vaccines remains limited, polling suggests a slice of Americans want to “wait and see” how the shots work for other people before they get vaccinated themselves.

But experts say that getting the vaccine as soon as it’s available to you will be vital for protecting yourself and others, stopping virus variants in their tracks, and resuming some level of normalcy.

The share of people in this “wait and see” category has declined over time, according to polling by the health-policy think tank Kaiser Family Foundation, dropping from 39% in December to 31% in January. In February, the most recent survey, it stood at 22%. This happened alongside a gradual increase in the share of respondents (most recently 55%) reporting they’d either gotten at least one dose or would get the vaccine as soon as possible.

Black adults (34%), young adults aged 18 to 29 (33%), Hispanic adults (26%), adults without a college degree (25%), and non-health essential workers (25%) had the highest shares of respondents in the wait-and-see group.

[Wounded Bear]

1. There have been like 100+ million injections so far...

who needs to wait any longer?

[mucifer]

2. People are afraid years down the road there will be long term effects. But, less people feel this

way now.

[Ms. Toad]

4. If your concern is long-term side effects,

from a vaccine that has been around less than a year, quantity isn't what matters.

Are you old enough to remember X-rays as part of your annual physical? They were routine, until enough time had passed that we discovered they were causing cancer.

These vaccines use a brand new mechanism as to vaccination (and relatively new for any use). We can predict - but don't know - that the long term consequences will be less than the short term benefits.

(I've weighed the possibilities, and have decided the benefits outweigh the risks. I've had my first Pfizer and the second is scheduled for 2 weeks from now. But that was not an automatic outcome, since it involves assigning a risk value to something that cannot be known at this point. Personally - the Johnson & Johnson vaccine probably didn't pass that test for me. Had that been the only vaccine available I would have waited - how long is an open question since I didn't have to make that decision.)

[Wounded Bear]

6. I get that, and I agree...

got my 1st Moderna as soon as offered, 2d scheduled for this Sat.

[intrepidity]

13. Why Pfizer?

I'm interested in reading about your informed decision, in terms of why Pfizer over Moderna--if you've already posted about it, a link would be appreciated. I'd decided on Moderna, but am now second guessing myself. I favor the mRNA technology, personally. TIA

[Rhiannon12866]

17. Dr. Fauci got the Moderna vaccine

That's good enough for me.

[Mr.Bill]

23. I didn't have a choice.

At the time of my first shot, Moderna was all the was available to me. Since I had zero side effects form both shots except for a slight soreness at the injection site for about 24 hrs, I'm happy with the choice.

[Ms. Toad]

26. There's not much difference between them.

The personal down-side for Pfizer: It has a higher risk of anaphylactic reaction. Since I'm not allergic to much, so it wasn't much of a concern for me (but it tipped the balance to Moderna for my spouse - who is allergic enough to enough things that she is supposed to be carrying an epi-pen with her).

The personal up side for Pfizer: essentially the same reaction using less than 1/3 of the mRNA (Pfizer uses 30 mcg; Moderna uses 100 mcg)
Side effects tend to occur more frequently/be stronger for Moderna than Pfizer. There was a nice graphic lnked to yesterday. I'll see if I can find it.

ETA: This isn't the graphic I was looking for, but it shows the same relative rate of side effects:



I think the professional preference for Moderna I've seen expressed has to do with the ease of administration - doctors (specifcally) may not have the freezers needed to store the Pfizer, so it will be easier for them to administer Moderna.

The difference between the two, for me, was that when I started scouring the sites for vaccine I started with the Pfizer. I was lucky enough to find appointments at the first Pfizer site I landed on. If I had run through those without finding an appointment, would have looked on the sites administering Moderna.

[intrepidity]

31. Got it, thanks

I didn't know about the quantity difference of mRNA, so that's interesting.

I'm not yet eligible, so have some time to decide--although, who knows what will be available to me when the time comes

[Ms. Toad]

32. There is some speculation, is at least

that the increased side effects in Moderna are because of the increased quantity of mRNA.

[Midnight Writer]

3. I was a "wait and see" because I didn't trust a Trump rollout.

After a hundred million doses with no major problems, I am now ready to go.

However, I am not eligible at this point, so what I think of the whole thing is moot anyway.

[gratuitous]

11. Me too

I'm not eligible yet either, but I was chary of a vaccination that might have Trump's stubby little fingers meddling in the distribution. I'm ready to get my vaccine as soon as it's my turn, now.

[Iggo]

5. I was "wait and see", and then "wait and see" got built into the system.

Even before Biden’s recent speech, I wasn’t getting mine ‘til May anyway. Plenty of time to wait and see...lol.

But I also think that for the contrarians, once it changed from “I don’t want it” to “You can’t have it”, they changed their tune. Human nature, man.

[Hortensis]

7. :) Totally foreseeable. Whether it's just deciding it's okay because others do it,

deciding a couple months "wait and see" while it wasn't available anyway are sufficient, development of a feeling of competitive urgency as others are getting it, resentment at suddenly being "left behind," and

of course the realization becoming real that it will make us safe and free again,

any in any combination, are just us being us.

Great.

[catbyte]

8. After I saw the devastation COVID caused to people I know and love, I couldn't sign up

fast enough. The side-effects can't be any worse than the disease.

[brewens]

9. I'm not minding that I can't sign up until next Monday. I would like to get vaccinated ASAP, so

I hope they don't schedule me too far out. Having it be some wait has me a little more comfortable than if I was one of the first, but I would have went first if I could have.

It's easy for me to wait because I'm about as close as you can be to zero risk. I'm on double secret lockdown, never have to let anyone in, and have been in public building three times since October, because I had to. If all the guys like me had taken it as seriously, we could have knocked a few more percent of the spread for sure.

[SWBTATTReg]

10. I've been wait and see when I can get the vaccine (I'm 65 now), but really haven't seen anything yet

in MO (which kind of figures, knowing that gov. Parsons is a worthless trump stooge (remember, I also have josh hawley here too in MO)).

I've looked (a couple of weeks ago) online, nothing for the state of MO, nothing except way out in the county areas, and nothing in the metro areas (I'm in STLMO)...you would think that they would concentrate on the metro areas but what do I know? This makes me think that parsons concentrated on giving the vaccine to his buddies prior to the high population areas in MO.

In any event, I'm going to my doc at the end of the month (annual physical) and will make arrangements w/ them to get the shot(s), I feel more comfortable w/ my doc anyways.

My wait and see was forced by the incompetent governor that we have here in MO. I do believe in the protections that the vaccine(s) offer, but kind of surprised about people complaining about some pushing to the front of the lines (i.e., teachers before some, etc.), we all are going to eventually get the vaccine, quit complaining (not us here on DU of course), it's an artificial shortage and eventually, there will be shots for all, soon. Give it time. Have to give credit to the companies for moving so quickly on developing the vaccine(s) ... and NOT TRUMP. HE DOESN'T DESERVE ONE BIT OF CREDIT, REMEMBER, HE CALLED IT A HOAX. THIS LED TO PERHAPS PEOPLE DYING. SCUMBAG, makes me want to barf.

Be safe all!

[LizBeth]

12. People kinda did wait and see more than three months in. Maybe not able to get an appt but still

waiting and seeing and seeing all is well with the shot.

[OMGWTF]

14. My 90-yo batchit crazy end-timer mother said the vaccines are evil.

She heard this from some Talibangelical preacher on the internet so it must be true.

I've had my first Moderna shot and am due for the 2nd on Wednesday, but THERE ARE NO FKING APPOINTMENTS available.

[LisaL]

15. For me they scheduled both appointments right away.

I just got first Moderna, second at 4 weeks already scheduled.

[ShazzieB]

29. Same thing with my husband. Both his appointments were scheduled at the same tine.

That seems to be standard operating procedure around here.

I'm still looking for an appointment myself, but boy howdy, am I glad he got in. I was always more worried about him than me, because he has diabetes and is therefore much higher risk than I am.

Meanwhile, most of the pharmacies around here seem to have it....sometimes. You just have to keep checking in and clicking until you get lucky. That's how he did it, anyway. It's hella tedious but I just have to keep at it, I guess!

[Rhiannon12866]

20. We all got vaccinated against polio, etc., as small children

I don't think this is different. And now there are vaccines to prevent measles, mumps, rubella. Those are necessary to enroll in school. This vaccine is no different, we get vaccinated to prevent deadly diseases.

I got my first Moderna shot 2 weeks ago and they scheduled shot #2 at the same time.

[drray23]

25. how is that possible ?

They schedule you for the 2nd shot automatically when you get the first one.

[ProfessorGAC]

27. Not Here

The moment I walked out, I got a text with a link to schedule my 2nd shot.
I need to contact the school that set up the first one to see if they're doing it, or I am.
I went to the link & it asked for the date of the first shot.
I got a message that I'm scheduling too far in advance.
I'll try again in a few days.
But, it was definitely not automatically scheduled.

[drray23]

28. that is disastrous. How many people are going to miss

getting a second dose in due time due to this bad policy ?

[ProfessorGAC]

30. A Genuine Concern

I wonder if it has something to do with mass vaccination sites being temporary, and by the time the 2nd dose is due, more pharmacies will be on board and one could go anywhere for the second.

[Shanti Shanti Shanti]

16. Wait n see could get u killed, if you have all the high risks like I do, got my shots

[womanofthehills]

18. I'm fine with wait & see

Because each new vaccine covers more variants.

[LisaL]

19. That's not true at all.

NT

[Rhiannon12866]

22. Dr. Fauci said ti get which of the 3 vaccines is available to you first

He said not to take chances and wait. Turns out I got the same one he did, Moderna was available in my area so I got that one.

[TomCADem]

24. WHO: What impact do the new variants of the COVID-19 virus have on vaccines?

If you keep on waiting for a perfect vaccine, then you will be waiting for a long time, because it is not like viruses will stop mutating.

https://www.who.int/news-room/feature-stories/detail/the-effects-of-virus-variants-on-covid-19-vaccines

The COVID-19 vaccines that are currently in development or have been approved are expected to provide at least some protection against new virus variants because these vaccines elicit a broad immune response involving a range of antibodies and cells. Therefore, changes or mutations in the virus should not make vaccines completely ineffective. In the event that any of these vaccines prove to be less effective against one or more variants, it will be possible to change the composition of the vaccines to protect against these variants.

Data continues to be collected and analysed on new variants of the COVID-19 virus. WHO is working with researchers, health officials and scientists to understand how these variants affect the virus’s behaviour, including their impact on the effectiveness of vaccines, if any. See WHO’s Disease Outbreak News to get up-to-date information on the impact of COVID-19 virus variants on the effectiveness of the different vaccines. This is an area where the evidence remains preliminary and is developing quickly.

While we are learning more, we need to do everything possible to stop the spread of the virus in order to prevent mutations that may reduce the efficacy of existing vaccines. In addition, manufacturers and the programmes using the vaccines may have to adjust to the evolution of the COVID-19 virus: for example, vaccines may need to incorporate more than one strain when in development, booster shots may be required, and other vaccine changes may be needed. Trials must also be designed and maintained to allow any changes in efficacy to be assessed, and must be of sufficient scale and diversity to enable clear interpretation of results. Studies of the impact of vaccines as they are deployed are also essential in order to understand their impact.

[Grins]

21. Hopefully not the 36% of Republicans who refuse to get vaccinated...!

Because, well, piss on them.