Saturday, March 13, 2021

Daffy dils and vaccinations

Another front is blowing through. The wind really picked up yesterday afternoon and it blew through the night. It's still gusting pretty strong out there this morning. Rain squalls come through periodically. These are the giboulées de mars (March winds/April showers) that this month is famous for.

Jonquilles (daffodils) in the back yard.

My first dose of the vaccine went off without a hitch. Like most people on the internet, I'll share the vitals: I got the AstraZeneca vaccine as I expected. The doctor kept me in the waiting room for about fifteen minutes after the injection to be sure I had no allergic reaction. He took my temperature (normal), blood pressure (a little high but not problematic), and sent me on my way. Aside from some brief soreness in my arm and back an hour or two after the shot, I've had no ill effects to speak of. The second dose is scheduled for mid-May, about two months after the first. I didn't realize there would be so much time between doses, but that's how this vaccine works. By the way, there was absolutely no charge for the vaccine or the doctor visit. I'm curious if it's the same in the US?

Ken's up next, hopefully next week.

16 comments:

  1. Vaccinations are free in the US. I had my first shot (Pfizer) Feb 21 and get my 2nd March 14th, 3 weeks to the day of my first. No I’ll effects from the first, other than a sore arm for a day.

    Sassybear
    Www.Idleeyesandadormy.Com

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  2. You younger than Ken and you receive the vaccination first. A newspaper click thing said we will be in the first 27% but who knows how it will work. Frontline people and nursing home and all sort of other workers have priority. There won't be a charge here. The number of people vaccinated in the US is impressive.

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  3. So glad you got the first shot, and with minimal side effects. We were just talking about the Spanish names for the different winds, which I can never remember. I think that will be my practice for the week. And oh how I love daffodils!

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  4. Re those lovely daffs - 'happy' flowers.
    I'd had no idea that most of the world's supply is, in fact, grown in the U.K., then exported, mostly to Europe. But this year has been calamitous for that flower. With our changed weather patterns they have this year largely bloomed too early for harvesting, thus making gathering them pointless. Added to which, 'thanks' to Brexit, there's been a scarcity of pickers, a lack becoming ever more apparent now whichever flower or crop needs harvesting, hardly a surprise to us 'Remoaners'. Who ever seriously thought that Brits would cheerfully step into the gap to do the 'dirty' work which we've come to expect foreign [European] workers to do? We've only got ourselves to blame. But I'm sure those daffs which you yourselves see will cheer you up. They always do it for me.

    Hope you get through the next few days without any post-jab#1 ill-effects. I just want my second one to be over and done with. [After my first I didn't need to hang around afterwards for 15 mins or so. I was told that since I wasn't driving there was no need to wait].

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  5. Free here, 15 minute wait without BP check. Glad you had no side effects!

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  6. Our daffodils are up now, too! Woo hoo!
    We get our second dose two days ago -- Moderna. Big, drive through setup (65 miles away, though). No charge, though I think that I submitted my insurance when we signed up.
    I expected side effects after shot #2, but didn't have anything noticeable (I did take Ibuprofen twice/day on the day of the shot, and the day after).

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  7. Here in the DC burbs, the daffodils started blooming this week, no cherry blossoms yet. J had his first shot two weeks ago, second shot next Friday. No charge - if there was Medicare would cover it. I am on a waiting list along with 97,000 other people in Fairfax County. Last week the county received enough vaccine for about 15,000 first doses.

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  8. I got my first vaccine just this past Wednesday, Pfizer, no charge. Second will be given in 3 weeks. Only a little pain in the injection site for two days. Congrats on getting your first dose!

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  9. We live in Belize. Got our first shots (AstraZeneca) yesterday. The Belize Health Department sent an Outreach Team to our tiny village to vaccinate 19 people. Dennis and I were the only non-native Belizeans there. Dennis has a mild headache. I feel fine. Next shot in May. Completely free.

    Glad you are doing well and hope the same for Ken. Cheers!

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  10. So happy that Bert is better and you have no side effects.

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  11. No cost for my vaccination last Wed. (Moderna) and the pharmacist scheduled me same day 4 weeks in the future for 2nd dose. Always good when pets recover! Pet Bert for me! Daffodils blooming all over town - very pretty! Spring is just around the corner and heavy rain will replace our sunshine (mid 60's) tomorrow for a few days and then back to partly cloudy!

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  12. My husband and I got our first shot on Feb 12 and our second 3 weeks later...Pfizer. There is a huge waiting list here in Huntsville, AL so we're pleasantly surprised to get a call. So thankful!

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  13. yes, it's no cost here in the US. i work in the healthcare industry so i got my vaccination during the 1st round. i got the Pfizer. the first one has no side effect at all. the 2nd, i felt soreness for about 2 days (similar to what you would feel when you get your flu shot).

    the side effect varies per person. but 99.99% of the time, it just the regular soreness or none at all.

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  14. I got the Pfizer flavor, and they had chairs set up for a 15-minute waiting time just to be sure you didn't keel over. Nothing worse than a moderately sore shoulder muscle for a couple of days. I went to a place organized by the local hospital, and the logistics were very well done, with lots of signs and sanitizing. No charge for the vaccine. Second dose in three weeks.
    The target was to have 100 million shots delivered within a hundred days of January 20, and it was achieved in half that time.

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  15. Thanks to all of you for your stories. It's interesting to learn how it's going in other parts of the world. I'm glad to hear that the vaccinations are free in the US. That's the way to do it!

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  16. indeed good news
    It was lovely seeing the daffodils; they are my favorite.

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