davidv Loc: salt lake city utah

I wonder how the vaccine just treats the COVID-19, maybe it will cure us of all virus’s .

Bike guy Loc: Atlanta

No!
But wearing masks can decrease influenza and common colds transmissions.

Triple G

My doctor commented that ordinary flu cases are fewer than in past years and credits mask wearing.

daldds Loc: NYC

I am 85 years old. I was able to become a participant in the Astra Zeneca trial here in New York City. I did it with the hope that I would get the vaccine, not the placebo. Luckily I did receive the vaccine and now have antibodies. That does not mean that I intend to ignore all safety precautions… Masks, social distancing, etc.

The information to date suggests AZ‘s
vaccine is not as effective as the other two, but it is apparently at least as effective as the average flu shot is each year. Something is better than nothing.

I intend to get the other vaccine when it becomes available. I cannot understand how anyone would want to deny himself this protection.

Jimmy T Loc: Virginia

Jerry:
I concur 100%
To all, be careful out there, stay safe & stay well!
Smile,
JimmyT Sends

BusterCrabbe Loc: Montreal

I am a scientist and work in the vaccine field. The soon to be approved vaccines are a mix, two are mRNA and one is a viral backbone vaccine. The first two are indeed new but this technology was mainly being developed in the cancer vaccine domain rather than as microbial disease vaccines. Same principle though. They work well as explained above but their biggest issue is that mRNA is inherently unstable and can be easily degraded...thus it needs to be kept cold to stop that. Very cold which brings in the logistics problem of having enough -80oC freezers around the country for transport and storage.
In my opinion, all of these vaccines are safe. Your only worry about this vaccine is that ...is it effective? So far the data has been fantastic (remember that normally, if a vaccine is 60% effective, that is considered very good). Luckily, we have had a lot of info with the other coronavirus issues (Sars and Mers) that preceded it so that helped a lot.
As to the argument that it normally takes 5-10 years to make a vaccine and this one is being made in less than a year so people worry about its safety not being properly looked at, what people do not realize that in non-pandemic years, the FDA in the US or Health Canada in Canada have many, many, many vaccines and biotherapeutics applications in front of them. With COVID, the shortcuts come a lot from prioritization and other biotherapeutic applications taking a backseat. As for safety, no shortcuts. Yes Pfizer and Moderna et al are asking for Emergency usage but be comforted by the fact that all phase trials were carried out properly as for any vaccine and will be safe. The questions usually posed (and which take a long time to answer) are after injection data like....how long does the protection last or do you need a booster. how often? Is it like the flu (every year) or like Tetanus (every ten years). This is something that is normally looked at in a normal vaccine application but that will only be answered as we go along. And that is ok. Save everyone first and we will sort that out later.

BusterCrabbe Loc: Montreal

Unfortunately, the vaccine is very specific. It may attenuate other coronavirus strains (remember Sars and Mers?) but not other viruses (Flu, Ebola etc etc).

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

ltj123 Loc: NW Wisconsin

My two daughters and son-in-law are critical health workers, they'll be required to take vaccine during initial round of shots. I'll be able to see how they react to side effects before I'll be able to take vaccine. Then make my decision.
What bugs me is that the vaccine may be good for short period - 3 to 12 months....

TriX Loc: Raleigh, NC

👍👍 Well said.

tomad Loc: North Carolina

The physician group that my doctor is a part of ran a local segment of the Moderna trial and are also involved in the Johnson & Johnson trial. My doc sent out a note today letting everyone know their vaccine distribution plans. Round 1 to medical personnel, first responders, and nursing home residents and workers followed closely by round 1b to individuals with 2 or more conditions that make them more susceptible to serious or fatal infection. Then round 2 to everyone over 65, followed by round 3 to the general population. His practice has already stocked up on the -70 degree freezers required to keep some of the vaccines viable. I'll be near the front of the line when round 2 starts.

John_F Loc: Minneapolis, MN

This is a fundamental explanation that should get published in the newspapers. I am going tocopy and paste to my Facebook page in hopes it spreads more widely than here in the Hog.

steve Loc: Iowa

Thanks for info Jerry. I wait to see if ppl have severe adverse reactions 1st.

daldds Loc: NYC

I can give you a “series of one case”response. Four weeks ago I received the first of two Astra Zeneca vaccine injections in their trial. I had absolutely no reaction whatsoever (which disappointed me because I thought I had gotten the saline).

Three days ago I received the second injection. After 24 hours I had injection site tenderness, which lasted through now, but is just about gone. It did not inhibit me in anyway, nor did I need any pain relief. No other reaction, BTW.

The reason I know I received a vaccine is because I had my annual exam a couple of days ago and had asked that an antibody test be included. The double blind study people were not going to tell me. I have antibodies.

David Martin Loc: Cary, NC

Perhaps you were in the cohort that only received half a dose the first time?