I think a good question would be to try to guess which WTFer will receive a vaccination first.

In Nevada, I’m in the third priority tier, with the fourth tier being everybody who wants it. So I’m not a good bet.

Any guesses?

Jon.

Jon was my guess, too.

Technically I am a certified EMT through the county though I don't currently work on an ambulance. Because I have an active license in their system, I keep getting nag emails to schedule my vaccine, which I haven't responded to because I don't want to take one away from someone who is actually working on the front lines. But they are nagging a lot and I'm tempted. I'm going to wait and assess the level of nagging - if it seems like they have a lot of vaccine and not many takers, I just might.

If not this round (tier 1), I do currently work as a high school band instructor and teachers are supposed to be in the next round. I'm only part time so I don't know if I would be eligible, but I definitely will try for that one. Being in a gym with a bunch of high school kids blowing air and spit through musical instruments (our school district is full time, in person, with sports and band and the whole shebang ) does not sound super safe to me so I'm definitely taking the vaccine in that round if they decide I qualify.

Jon OUGHT to be, for sure.

From what he says, though (and what I've read) it sounds like his area is kind of confused in their prioritization and how distribution is organized.

quote:

Originally posted by Lisa:
Technically I am a certified EMT through the county though I don't currently work on an ambulance. Because I have an active license in their system, I keep getting nag emails to schedule my vaccine, which I haven't responded to because I don't want to take one away from someone who is actually working on the front lines. But they are nagging a lot and I'm tempted. I'm going to wait and assess the level of nagging - if it seems like they have a lot of vaccine and not many takers, I just might.

I’m tempted to say that you should go get your vaccine anyway, for three reasons:

1. The vaccine doses will expire if they sit in the freezers too long, and already there are reports of vaccines in danger of expiring due to poor planning: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/1...ccines-expiring.html . If you’re on a list that lets you get vaccinated now, go get it. When they planned vaccine distributions, presumably they did so based on data that most likely included you, and the logistics already take you into account on how many doses to ship where and how many can be administered before expiration. You waiting just might lead to a dose or two going to waste due to expiration rather than benefiting some unknown person who you presume would somehow be more deserving.

2. Once you are vaccinated, you will be in a better position to help others, maybe an infected neighbor or extended family member or friend who might have a hard time getting help because none of their other family members or friends are lucky enough to be immune by then. Or maybe a local EMT crew becomes severely short handed and can really use your help, then you can jump in knowing you’re already immunized.

3. You work in a school, so you getting vaccinated earlier also makes your school safer on the margin.

Good luck.

Vaccines expiring because no one wants them has to be one of the most infuriating things I’ve ever heard.

I think (IIRC) I’m potential in group 1B in my state bc I’m an educator, but there’s zero clarity about whether that includes higher ed or not.

Also, I can remember who is included in 1A so I don’t have a meaningful way of figuring out when I might be able to get it anyway.

If I could get it by early summer that would be good, but it might not be until fall...

Nevertheless, I’m F2F in the classroom starting next week.

SK, the Oklahoma Department of Health only includes PreK-12 teachers in Phase 2. Teachers and staff in "other educational settings" are in Phase 3. I don't teach face-to-face until the fall semester, so I figure it's a coin toss as to whether I'll be vaccinated by then. Quirt, alas, is in Phase 4.

More concerning is the total lack of any information on our county website about where to be vaccinated. Our county health department website routes you to the state health department website, which is where I got that information.

This is even worse than the county where the university is, which is using a free SignUpGenuis page to sign people up for vaccines—which has no verification or data security. That's what you get when your no-political-experience governor appoints a Secretary of Digital Transformation with no digital background who is now he's getting indicted for fraud.

To give Oklahoma some credit, the health department website is reporting that they were in the top ten states in terms of percentage of the population vaccinated so far.

The governor of Colorado lowered the age of eligibility to 70.
My home county is on the ball. Appointments for the 31st, 1st, and today were gone by the time I knew of it.
May drive home this week if I can get an appointment for a vaccination.
Will have to show proof of local residency.

I dug around and found some info for Illinois, specifically for Cook County. Not sure if Chicago proper has its own registration program.

For anyone who might live in the county there's a form you can fill out and submit to the county department of public health to get notification about vaccine availability:

https://redcap.dph.illinois.gov/surveys/?s=PP8PJNFHMW

I think Ax's advice is eminently sensible.

I'm not sure where I'll fall (age 74) in distribution here in Pennsylvania. I have a regularly scheduled doctor's appointment on January 11th and I'm certainly going to ask about what they know.

Big Al

OK, Axe's reasoning seems to make sense so I submitted my response form today. Now it's up to the county department of health to decide if I qualify and when I get it. We'll see....I will definitely be up front with them that I am not at all "on the front lines" right now and leave it up to them to decide if I am worthy.

We are both eligible for vaccination as of March 15th, as I will have just turned 65.

Wow. Reeling and a bit dizzy from that statement.

quote:

Originally posted by piqué:
We are both eligible for vaccination as of March 15th, as I will have just turned 65.

Wow. Reeling and a bit dizzy from that statement.

I get that!

OTOH, Medicare is saving me thousands per year and so far works very well.