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I had my second Pfizer shot last week. I was tired when I got home, but that probably had more to do with the 85 mile drive through Phoenix traffic than the shot. The day after I had a headache but otherwise felt great.

That is awful and so frustrating. I'm sorry. I'm in OH and they are doing pretty well with the vaccine - open for everyone 16+ now, but not always easy to find appts. My son is in MA - he's 30. Another son (26) is in IN and he is getting his first dose of Moderna tomorrow. My daughter is in TX in college and she's eligible but will wait until she's home for the summer. I do feel like they are rolling things out too quickly in some states since the more vulnerable people aren't able to get the vaccine as more and more people become eligible and take up appts. While other states are moving so slowly.

Erica

Erica H, I'm in Canada (Ontario), so while I am grateful that a lot of things were handled very well early in the pandemic, we do not have the capability to manufacture our own vaccines in Canada, so we are reliant on procuring them from elsewhere. That said, at last count I believe our province has about 1M doses sitting in freezers. I know this is not the place to discuss politics, but if I were in charge, I would immediately load up mobile vaccine clinics and start pulling into every Amazon warehouse, food processing plant, grocery store and school in the province. Right now, the priority seems to be younger seniors who are retired and able to stay home all day.

Paula - I feel your pain, I'm in the U.S., but so far, my state has proven to be managing the vaccine distribution in the most disappointing way. I was finally just able to register to be notified to schedule an appointment at one of the state-run sites - this just makes me eligible to be put on a list to be notified of the ability to make an appointment.

My DH, on the other hand, has been getting pressure to return to work. He registered to be notified by the mass vax sites and he received several text messages - that needed to be responded to w/in 10 minutes in order to schedule an appointment. The text messages arrives at a time when people with normal working hours are likely in their cars commuting and they come w/ no indication that it is a legitimate site - no indication that it is a state run mass vax site - just a random # to respond to w/in 10 minutes. heaven help you if you aren't glued to your phone and heaven help you if you respond to one of these messages and it turns out to be a big scam. I mean - really - no indication that it is a legit site???

The way DH ended up getting his appointment is b/c I have insomnia and one night when I couldn't sleep I started scouring the retail pharmacy sites. He now has an appointment at a Walmart 30-40 miles away. I sure hope that when he is there they schedule him for the 2nd shot as I hate to think of going through that again to get an appointment.

In theory, in my state I will be eligible for a vaccine after April 27th. I bet it will not be easy to actually get one though. But, at least I'm not getting pressure to return to the office.

Maryland, I think, did a good job responding to the pandemic last year, but they have been woefully deficient in getting vaccines out to the public in a reasonable manner.

My rant....

Donna

I only had a sore arm with both Moderna shots. I had Covid in January.

Donna - wow, i was shocked about the text messages. i've been getting some strange text messages myself, and i have no idea where they might be coming from, so i've deleted them and blocked the #. DH & I are finished with both shots, so i'm not concerned that it's related to that.

since ours was initially set up via our employers (DH works for the state, i work for a private corp), they sent us emails at work that provided a secure link to sign up for an appointment of our choice. it was secure, reliable, and safe. the administration site where my DH went to was at a community college - fast efficient, and close to home. the state dept of health administered that site.

for me, it was administered at a pier where cruise ships dock. the place was nice, air-conditioned, and pleasant. everything went well considering there were mass amounts of people getting their shots, and waiting 15 minutes afterward for observation (required for Pfizer). a health care provider (Hawaii Pacific Health) that operates several private hospitals in the state administered this site at the pier.

yes, remind your DH to ask Walmart about setting up shot #2. while he is there, see if they could set it up to a Walmart closer to your home. make sure that Walmart gives your DH a vaccine card as proof of shot #1.

my experiences with Walmart for Shingrix were great - they scheduled shot #2 immediately, and called me within a month to get it done, so i am thoroughly pleased with their services and customer care.

interesting story: a co-worker of mine was shopping at the CVS near his condo last week around 7 PM at night. he had just finished getting shot #2 via our employer at another site. over the PA system, the pharmacy announces "for anyone interested, we have extra covid vaccines - please come to the pharmacy right away if you need one."

because the vaccines come from the freezer and need to be administered within a specified window of time, they didn't want to waste any vaccine.

I had my first Pfizer on Saturday. The only reaction was a sore upper arm. My next shot is in three weeks. My 20 year old daughter has had her first Moderna shot last week at Walgreens. A sore arm was her only reaction.

I went to a state run vaccination site in a stadium parking lot. It was really well coordinated, with a large amount of volunteers. It was a drive in site and you were vaccinated in your car. However, due to the summer heat, they will be moving the state sites indoors.

Kudos for driving so far! I could have gone in a week early, but I didn't want to drive 30 miles to Glendale. But fortunately I found one just ten miles away in East Phoenix.

I had my second Moderna shot yesterday. My arm is sore, but that is it. I had trouble sleeping because I kept rolling onto that arm and waking myself up. (I already have trouble staying asleep. This made it so much worse.) I am tired today, but it is likely lack of sleep rather than the shot. My fiance is having a much rougher time after this second shot. He has a low grade fever and a raging headache. He also had trouble sleeping. Apparently, he was unaware that men are supposed to have an easier time with the shot :)

That's where I went, Glendale. I was only able to get an appointment by calling the state (I tried every single online portal twice a day for a week until my sister found the magic number). I made the mistake of telling the woman I'd take the first available appointment. Glendale. Well, it's done, now.

I had both Pfizer #1 and #2 done at Glendale. The first was at 4:27 a.m. and the second at 6:18 p.m. It was much more crowded and the whole process took much longer the second time (about 20 minutes the first time, and nearly 90 minutes the second time). There was a sign that said they were changing the hours from 24 hours/day to 5pm to 9am, probably because of the heat.

Sore arms both time, but the second one hit me like a ton of bricks. Headache and really, really tired the next day. I fortunately had nothing on the calendar for the day after, and it's better than getting Covid.

I initially made one for Glendale Community College, then canceled. For some reason, the long drive was giving me anxiety. I think I was nervous about the vaccination, and just one thing could throw me off. Fortunately, I was able to get an appointment online. The state website said to check Friday mornings at 11:00. I checked on March 26 around 11:15, and found one in East Phoenix for April 3. I must have lucked out.

I didn't have any luck on the pharmacy websites. My daughter snagged one at Walgreens just down the street from us. But she is an essential worker, so might have been given priority.

I had my first one done at a Phoenix Municipal Stadium overflow parking lot, which is close to the border of Tempe. My appointment was at 9:24 a.m. It seemed to be well coordinated and it only took me 30 minutes. My next shot is 2:30 in the afternoon. The volunteer told me that I should be in and out, as afternoons were slower. Here's hoping.

My first shot was at 1:20 PM, but I showed up an hour early because I didn't know how to judge the traffic highways 79/60/202/I10/I17. They took me anyway, and the whole thing, from entering GCU to leaving took 20 minutes.

My second shot also was at 1:20, and, again not knowing how judge the traffic because I took the 87 into Chandler, then the 101 to I10, then the 17, and needing to make two stops along the way, I showed up an hour and a half early, and they took me, anyway. And THAT visit took 45 minutes. The cars in the inside (shot #1) lane whizzed through, but those in the outside lane (shote #2) crept through on caterpillar feet.

We had the 'ten minutes to respond' message as well. But we're both retired, so was able to then log onto the queue, which I had to monitor for another 30-40 minutes, only to fill out a form that wouldn't open the calendar to give me any appointment dates!

They gave a number to call for failed attempts, though, and they called me back the next day with appointments for both me and DH, about 10 minutes apart. Close by and convenient times. The fairgrounds in West Palm Beach was the most efficient and flawless operation I've ever seen. We got there 1/2 hour early and were leaving by the time our appointments would have started.

I went for my first shot yesterday (Pfizer) and today my arm is a little sore but I feel fine otherwise. I haven't done any working out since Saturday, but I plan to get back to it tomorrow. I'm dreading the second shot because some people have a reaction and I had a nasty reaction to the Shingrix, so here's hoping it's nothing like that! But it's certainly better than getting COVID.

I had a very mild reaction to the Shingrix vaccines (both first and second), other than my arm feeling like it got hit by a 100mph fastball, but my 2nd Pfizer knocked me on my rear for an entire day. I hope your experience is better! And I totally agree that it's better than getting COVID.

I had chills and fever for two days after my second Shingrix shot, but just a headache after my second Covid shot.

It's fascinating to me how everyone reacts so differently!

DH always reacts to vaccines (Shingrix and tetanus were really bad for him). He had his first Moderna so far and had a mild reaction for a few days but not too bad. I'm definitely nervous about his second dose. I just can't imagine him not having a reaction but, of course, that's what I'm hoping for.

Ds1 never reacts to vaccines and had a rough time for a little while after J&J.

Erica

I had my 2nd Pfizer on Tuesday. I had some chills during the night and felt very tired with a bad headache on Weds. I rested a good deal throughout the day. I drank a lot of water and took Advil every so often. Today i feel quite a bit better!

2nd Pfizer shot today (first one was mostly a breeze; I had fatigue and a mild headache off and on and sore arm for a few days; got that shot on a Thursday and was totally normal by Monday).

It's been a few hours now and my arm is already sore, I feel a little "off," but so far mostly normal. I suspect some of my sensations are me just being hyper-aware of how my body feels. I was VERY nervous going into this second dose, but after my 76-year-old dad reassured me that he felt 100% normal after his second Pfizer dose, I felt more brave. We'll see how the next few days treat me! :heart:

Hope you feel ok but I did want to comment that older people tend to have fewer reactions because their immune response is weaker than younger people.

It's so interesting to see all the different reactions!

Ds2 had his first shot of Moderna on Tuesday and had low-grade fever, pretty bad fatigue, and a very sore arm for about 36 hours. Ds3 gets his tomorrow. My second Moderna dose is next week and I'm a bit nervous!


Erica

I had more side effects with the 1st dose of Moderna versus the 2nd dose. Arm was a little sore for about 2 days. I had a headache but I couldn't tell if it was from season allergies or the vaccine.

The first dose left me quite fatigued and I had a severe case of chills/shivering. My body was actually violently shaking. Wrapped myself in a tight blanket and it stopped after a minute. As I work for Pulmonary physicians I spoke to one of them, he said - Yes, the vaccine is doing what it is supposed to!

I hear you about the state not handling vaccine distribution efficiently. I'm in the Chicagoland area, and people are having a hard time signing up for the vaccine around here. Also, I have heard about college kids downstate who have been able to get the vaccine because they have so many vaccines available. Illinois has groups of eligibility for the vaccine and I won't even be able to try to sign up for the vaccine until sometime next week when it is open to everyone over 16. I can just imagine it is going to be a nightmare to get an appointment. I guess I could always try to schedule something away from Chicago and might have better luck. You would think that the powers that be in the state might say, "you know Chicago has a very large population, lets set up more vaccination sites and send more vaccines there."
But that would make sense!

Okay...now my rant is over!

As a side note, there's a theory that this means you'd been exposed to Covid at some point in the past. Often the side effects are worse with the second exposure (whether it's the 2nd shot, or the 1st shot following infection/exposure), because your immune system is "primed" to respond.

I was just a bit tired after my first Pfizer shot. Second shot is next Wednesday and I'm watching my work calendar to make sure I can take Thursday off if I need to. :)

I got the Johnson & Johnson vaccine yesterday.

A little less than 24 hours later, the soreness in my arm and my sluggishness went away.

I'm getting J&J on Monday...will see how I feel afterwards!

Donna

I had my first shot yesterday, Moderna, and I feel really tired today. Not sure if I’ll work out. Luckily, a little fatigue and a sore arm are the only side effects. I should be fine tomorrow.

Awesome!

Got my second Moderna dose two days ago. The first night and the whole second day were pretty uncomfortable. I think I had a bit of fever, but my fancy thermometer wasn't behaving well, and I couldn't find the old-school type. Must have hidden it from myself. Not more than a degree or two.

Feeling much better today, but my arm is still stiff. Did some exercise, though. So glad that headache is over.

Woohoo!

Carol

Michigan is just as bad! They went from anyone over 50 to anyone over 16 and the people over 50 are still trying to find appointments. At 47 and 49, my husband and I are locked out of waitlists. Can't even sign up because there's no available appointments in our county. Total s---show.

I have an old-school glass mercury thermometer. I recently read an article saying how dangerous they are. They have been in use for ages and don't need batteries. :p

I also have a digital one.


Lori, I hope you both get appointments soon!

I'm over 65 , so I was able to get both of mine. DH just had his first. For once, being a senior was a plus.

The whole vaccine distribution plan will go down in history as a monumental, three-ring s---show!

This is so weird to me. Here in my part of Texas our Public Health Department has been giving vaccinations since December in our community's Civic Center - think big facility for shows, meetings, hockey, rodeos, etc. It's just a simple walk in clinic - if you were in the category of folks eligible you just went and stood in line. It worked like a charm - very efficient. Yes, you might have to wait a while - it was about an hour wait for my first shot and about two hours for my second - but there was no complicated system for trying to schedule appointments, etc. I never heard of anyone waiting in line and then being turned away. Everyone here was thrilled with how it worked and we had people coming from other states to get vaccinated. Sometimes simple is better.

Carol

That's me too, but I couldn't find the old mercury ones when I wanted them. They were here, somewhere, but while I was sick I didn't remember that they're probably in the first aid kit in the cabinet with all the bandaids. Logical, but since I seldom need either bandaids or thermometers, it never crossed my mind to look there. Sigh. Still haven't gotten up to go look and be sure, there are things to read on the internet and I can't tear myself away, LOL!

Maryland finally seems to be opening up my 17 year old DD was able to schedule an appointment for this week....

it seems to be hit or miss. We signed up everywhere we could. The local hospital is where my DD is going.

The State Mass Vax sites and the local health departments do not seem to be very efficient in scheduling at all. I think I ranted previously about the text messages my DH got that he had 10 minutes to respond to and they did not indicate that they were coming from the State's Mass Vax sites - just a random number w/ a click here that honestly looked like spam....:confused:

I'm getting mine at a small independent pharmacy and my DH got his at Walmart.

Donna

Wow, that is really impressive! Michigan sucks. I'm in a populated area and we're barely getting anyone above 50 done. We have to have an appt in our county, and there's nothing available. We have to sign up online so we all spend hours refreshing sites in hopes of a cancellation. Plus there's no waitlists either for most sites. Can't even get in at pharmacies yet. It's been a huge debacle here.

I'm in Wayne County. I went to the CVS website at 6:40 am Tues and had 4 appointment options under an hour drive for Wed. I got the Pfizer vax for my 16 year old daughter. The advice I heard was to look early in the morning.

I had also signed her up at the DMC website and they called Friday but I didn't need their appointment.

I don't know how far you are from Ford Field but I heard that went very smoothly for a lot of people. You sign up though Meijer for that one.

I know - our guys did a great job and we are very proud of them. I was fully vaccinated by the end of January (as someone with Type 2 Diabetes) and my son got his second shot yesterday. He said there was virtually no waiting both times.

Carol

I dunno, but waiting for 2 hours isn't my preference and doesn't seem all that efficient either. If I had to stand in line for 2 hours I wouldn't be vaccinated yet. It's been crazy how every state and even localities within states are doing things differently but I guess not surprising since this is not something that anyone could ever have anticipated and it all had to be done on the fly.

I think we've finally turned a corner in VA---at least it seems so in my area. There are now many more options to get the vaccine---with CVS and Walgreens now supplied along with a FEMA run site and a few local health departments and hospital system doing them as well. It sure has taken awhile to get there!

To clarify, you weren't standing most of the time, you were sitting in socially distanced chairs waiting for your row's turn to get your shot. It truly wasn't bad. No one here minded - and honestly, I would have stood in line all day long to get vaccinated. And now, there's no wait at all. My son got his second one yesterday and was completely done in less than 30 minutes, which included the 15 minute wait time afterwards.

Personally, I would rather go wait in line and know that I'll be vaccinated that day/afternoon, rather than beat my brains out trying to get an appointment online.

Carol