Covid Vaccine Updates and General Discussion About Vaccines

[Heppenheimer]

The articles say the doctor died from Immune Thrombocytopenia. I wonder if he possibly had COVID because that condition has been found to be a complication from COVID infection:

Immune Thrombocytopenia Secondary to COVID-19: a Systematic Review - PMC

Immune thrombocytopenia, often known as immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP), has emerged as an important complication of COVID-19. A systematic review was done to analyze the clinical profile and outcomes in a total of 45 cases of new-onset ITP in ...

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

ITP can be a primary autoimmune disorder or secondary to a whole bunch of other conditions and medications. Without access to this doctor's medical record, impossible to say what was the underlying cause.

 

[ToTBellHop]

The incoming Biden administration intend to stop holding half of the COVID vaccine doses in order to get more shots into arms more quickly. They argue people would still be able to get 2nd doses on schedule—withholding so many doses is merely slowing distribution. Any college-level math, business administration, or actuarial science student could easily prove they are correct. There is no need to withhold so many doses when new doses are arriving daily. By distributing doses earlier, you speed up administration so that the last doses arriving this summer are 2nd doses, not first doses.

Since we are currently in the middle of an intense surge, it is imperative to speed up vaccine administration in every way possible. And math supports this strategy.

current strategy—60 million doses arrive, we distribute 30 million, hold 30 million for a month. But because shots don’t magically go into arms immediately, well over half of doses are sitting on shelves (about 2/3 are).

If you instead distribute 54 million right now (and save 10% to be safe), states can start administering many more doses now (they’ll need funding, too, of course). Before there’s any risk of running out of doses, more will arrive. There’s no reality where 54 million actually get into arms right now. The point is: you allow states to increase administration and start pushing down hospitalizations and deaths.

That will save lives.

 

[danlb_2000]

The incoming Biden administration intend to stop holding half of the COVID vaccine doses in order to get more shots into arms more quickly. They argue people would still be able to get 2nd doses on schedule—withholding so many doses is merely slowing distribution. Any college-level math, business administration, or actuarial science student could easily prove they are correct. There is no need to withhold so many doses when new doses are arriving daily. By distributing doses earlier, you speed up administration so that the last doses arriving this summer are 2nd doses, not first doses.

Since we are currently in the middle of an intense surge, it is imperative to speed up vaccine administration in every way possible. And math supports this strategy.

current strategy—60 million doses arrive, we distribute 30 million, hold 30 million for a month. But because shots don’t magically go into arms immediately, well over half of doses are sitting on shelves (about 2/3 are).

If you instead distribute 54 million right now (and save 10% to be safe), states can start administering many more doses now (they’ll need funding, too, of course). Before there’s any risk of running out of doses, more will arrive. There’s no reality where 54 million actually get into arms right now. The point is: you allow states to increase administration and start pushing down hospitalizations and deaths.

That will save lives.

As I mentioned in the other thread, I don't know if I agree with this. If the states only distributing a fraction of what they are receiving it doesn't make sense to increase the amount they are getting. The states should receive doses at a rate at which they can administer them, so you don't end up with one state sitting on a huge surplus of vaccine and another state that can't get enough.

 

[ToTBellHop]

As I mentioned in the other thread, I don't know if I agree with this. If the states only distributing a fraction of what they are receiving it doesn't make sense to increase the amount they are getting. The states should receive doses at a rate at which they can administer them, so you don't end up with one state sitting on a huge surplus of vaccine and another state that can't get enough.

That is where funding comes in. The federal government needs to provide the vaccines and the funding to set up clinics. States have said they COULD administer more with money and guidance.

I live in a state that’s going through all of our vaccine. We could use more.

FL is focusing on seniors. With more vaccine and money, they could move to the 2nd most important population, the Equity performers in the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular.

 

[danlb_2000]

That is where funding comes in. The federal government needs to provide the vaccines and the funding to set up clinics. States have said they COULD administer more with money and guidance.

I live in a state that’s going through all of our vaccine. We could use more.

FL is focusing on seniors. With more vaccine and money, they could move to the 2nd most important population, the Equity performers in the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular.

This proves my point. If a state is sitting on 20 million doses of the vaccine, giving them more would just lead to more sitting on the shelf, instead of giving them to a state that is keeping up and could use the extra doses. As you said funding and getting the administration infrastructure setup is what is slowing down distribution in a lot of places, not the supply of vaccine.

 

[ToTBellHop]

This proves my point. If a state is sitting on 20 million doses of the vaccine, giving them more would just lead to more sitting on the shelf, instead of giving them to a state that is keeping up and could use the extra doses. As you said funding and getting the administration infrastructure setup is what is slowing down distribution in a lot of places, not the supply of vaccine.

I imagine the incoming administration is planning to set up infrastructure quickly and getting vaccine in place. There is no reason an adequately deployed National Guard can’t get things set up in a week and I’m sure the Biden administration has been working on a plan for weeks.

 

[danlb_2000]

I imagine the incoming administration is planning to set up infrastructure quickly and getting vaccine in place. There is no reason an adequately deployed National Guard can’t get things set up in a week and I’m sure the Biden administration has been working on a plan for weeks.

I am also very hopeful this will happen.

 

[symon]

I don't post very often, but I have been following this thread and I just wanted to share my excitement that I have my appointment to get my first dose of the Moderna vaccine next Friday, 1/15!! I work in a small rural hospital, but not in a position that works face to face with patients very often. I am very excited to be vaccinated - and can't wait for more of the population to be able to get their shot as well.

 

[ToTBellHop]

Administration seems to be accelerating. Looks like we are around 600k/day now.

 

[danlb_2000]

Administration seems to be accelerating. Looks like we are around 600k/day now.

I am waiting for one of the dashboard sites todo a graph of this, it would be nice to visually see the rate of increase.

 

[ToTBellHop]

I am waiting for one of the dashboard sites todo a graph of this, it would be nice to visually see the rate of increase.

I am surprised they don’t make it easy to see archived data.

 

[ToTBellHop]

Really picking up now. Averaged 700k vaccines/day over the weekend. About 9 million have been vaccinated. With no further increase in rate (and it is expected to surpass 1 million per day soon), we’d reach herd immunity by early December.

 

[bdearl41]

Hey guys. Just an update for a different state. In NC my dad (75) is scheduled for Jan 19, my mom (71) scheduled for February 2 and me (36) and essential scheduled for February 6. Mrs (35) and kids have been told March.

 

[bdearl41]

Some more good news. Nationally now anyone over 65 can get it. This should help with the bottleneck.

 

[JoeCamel]

Some more good news. Nationally now anyone over 65 can get it. This should help with the bottleneck.

I don't know, there are 65,000 over 65 on the waiting list in Manatee county and there is no vaccine to give them. I don't think demand is the bottleneck here on the west coast of Florida, four counties around are the same.

 

[bdearl41]

I don't know, there are 65,000 over 65 on the waiting list in Manatee county and there is no vaccine to give them. I don't think demand is the bottleneck here on the west coast of Florida, four counties around are the same.

Should help for other states though. Sorry. That’s what I meant.

 

[ToTBellHop]

Some more good news. Nationally now anyone over 65 can get it. This should help with the bottleneck.

How does that work? States get to choose who gets it, I thought.

 

[sullyinMT]

How does that work? States get to choose who gets it, I thought.

They do, but the weight of federal government guidelines, plus the ability for OWS or whatever the incoming administration calls it going forward to alter future orders if guidelines aren’t followed or at least deviations well explained may get things to roll a little faster.

More important than new eligibility guidelines, there has been a recent push at all levels to open up new avenues of distribution outside of the hospital setting. That will help quite a bit assuming staff availability.

 

[MisterPenguin]

How does that work? States get to choose who gets it, I thought.

The one providing it freely can stop providing it freely. It's a gift with strings.

 

[ToTBellHop]

I under more now. The current administration has agreed to release almost all reserve doses immediately as the incoming administration had suggested. This frees up significant doses.