I've Been Vaccinated (No Politics Please)

[ellbell]

So much this.

What I had written was that a very close relative of mine used to run self funded volunteer medical clinics in an impoverished 3rd world nation and would bring volunteer nurses once or twice a year. They would go to pharmacies and manufactures of medicines in Canada and get expired stock donated for their trips . It wasn’t magically unsafe because it was newly expired. We just have very strict measures in place for safety and sales of medicines in Canada. Which is a good thing. But in this third would country these medicines saved lives . Their kids would die of things our kids get antibiotics for and go back to school after 48 hours . Sometimes our very strict quality measures can result in unnecessary waste.

So I’m not worried about the expiry personally . I truly believe it would not be extended or offered to us if it was unsafe to do so after the expiry date. We aren’t talking years , just four weeks.

I'm not worried about less safe. As with most medications once past the expiration date it starts to become less effective. It may not happen immediately but I'd rather not gamble on it.

 

[von Monster]

So much this.

What I had written was that a very close relative of mine used to run self funded volunteer medical clinics in an impoverished 3rd world nation and would bring volunteer nurses once or twice a year. They would go to pharmacies and manufactures of medicines get expired stock . It wasn’t magically unsafe because it was newly expired. We just have very strict measures in place for safety and sales of medicines in Canada. Which is a good thing. But in this third would country these medicines saved lives . Their kids would die of things our kids get antibiotics for and go back to school after 48 hours .
So I’m not worried about the expiry personally . I truly believe it would not be extended or offered to us if it was unsafe to do so after the expiry date. We aren’t talking years , just four weeks.

DW works for a FHT (Family Health Team); they gather up all the 'expired' meds and give them to MSF (Médecins Sans Frontières aka Doctors without Borders) which has it's own expiry date for various meds for use in the developing world. It just reminds me of the Seinfeld stand-up where he talks about expiry dates - Seinfeld on Buying Milk - YouTube. But great for your close relative - these places need these meds. From my understanding the date only refers to that which the manufacturer is willing to guarantee 100% of the med has not degraded, actual breakdown will not likely start for quite a long time after.

I like to say it's best before, not poison after . But to be honest if you don't have enough trust in Health Canada to be able to determine if the vaccines are expiring you already have problems.

I'm not worried about less safe. As with most medications once past the expiration date it starts to become less effective. It may not happen immediately but I'd rather not gamble on it.

It's the question of how far past it's expiry date before it starts to become less effective - looks like Health Canada did some tests and found zero breakdown and extended the date a month. These vaccines are very new and everything right now is a guess; AZ just stamped a date on the side that they were 100% comfortable with likely without any testing. I suspect given a few years worth of testing we'd find it's stable for months longer than the original date.

It's much like the Pfizer/BioNTech storage temperature change - everything right now is fluid as none of these vaccines have existed longer than a year. The normal decode worth of testing has been condensed so things are changing on the fly.

 

[pigletto]

I'm not worried about less safe. As with most medications once past the expiration date it starts to become less effective. It may not happen immediately but I'd rather not gamble on it.

I’m also not worried about less effective in a four week timeframe. I believe our health authorities have erred on the side of extreme caution throughout and would not recklessly give us ineffective vaccine. Half of the reason most of us were frustrated was because they paused use of AZ as the data changed. And frustrated that we have to wait because they aren’t mixing doses without concrete data . I think they’ve shown they will make unpopular decisions to protect our health.

 

[quandrea]

So much this.

What I had written was that a very close relative of mine used to run self funded volunteer medical clinics in an impoverished 3rd world nation and would bring volunteer nurses once or twice a year. They would go to pharmacies and manufactures of medicines in Canada and get expired stock donated for their trips . It wasn’t magically unsafe because it was newly expired. We just have very strict measures in place for safety and sales of medicines in Canada. Which is a good thing. But in this third would country these medicines saved lives . Their kids would die of things our kids get antibiotics for and go back to school after 48 hours . Sometimes our very strict quality measures can result in unnecessary waste.

So I’m not worried about the expiry personally . I truly believe it would not be extended or offered to us if it was unsafe to do so after the expiry date. We aren’t talking years , just four weeks.

Agreed. Also true about fear buying clicks. Reminds me of a few years ago when Epi pens were in short supply. The pharmacy told me that studies had been done on epi pens that were years past due and they were still effective. The extension doesn’t bother me, it’s the endless inflammatory news.

 

[pigletto]

Agreed. Also true about fear buying clicks. Reminds me of a few years ago when Epi pens were in short supply. The pharmacy told me that studies had been done on epi pens that were years past due and they were still effective. The extension doesn’t bother me, it’s the endless inflammatory news.

There was a point mid pandemic that I had to literally make a rule for myself that I could only check certain news sources and I would only check 15 minutes a day . It was doing nothing for my mental health. It’s impossible not to get confused and scared and frustrated.

 

[ellbell]

I’m also not worried about less effective in a four week timeframe. I believe our health authorities have erred on the side of extreme caution throughout and would not recklessly give us ineffective vaccine. Half of the reason most of us were frustrated was because they paused use of AZ as the data changed. And frustrated that we have to wait because they aren’t mixing doses without concrete data . I think they’ve shown they will make unpopular decisions to protect our health.

To be fair everything they are doing with these vaccines are largely untested. While I am vaccinated and everyone else in my house is vaccinated I feel more comfortable at this point with extreme caution. It's not like these vaccines have years of data to back up all the theories. I believe they work because there is years of data to back up how vaccines work but things are changing an awful lot for me to trust that just extending the expiration date doesn't effect the vaccine in any way. This is just my opinion though and by no means do I believe people shouldn't get it if they are comfortable with it, I'm just not and I'm glad I at this point don't have to make the choice.

 

[von Monster]

Agreed. Also true about fear buying clicks. Reminds me of a few years ago when Epi pens were in short supply. The pharmacy told me that studies had been done on epi pens that were years past due and they were still effective. The extension doesn’t bother me, it’s the endless inflammatory news.

This. It bothers me to no end - I almost get the CTV/Global/National Post/TorStar hysteria in order to drive clicks or viewers as it makes them money, but what really gets me going when the CBC does it. It lives off government funding, and compared to the BBC or even TVO/PBS it is sorely lacking.

Edit - compare anything on this page - CBC.ca - or anything on CBCs news website vs PBS NewsHour or FrontLine, pretty much anything on the BBC News segments, or the agenda on TVO and if it doesn't make you sad our national broadcaster cannot produce decent news content I don't know what to say.

 

[von Monster]

There was a point mid pandemic that I had to literally make a rule for myself that I could only check certain news sources and I would only check 15 minutes a day . It was doing nothing for my mental health. It’s impossible not to get confused and scared and frustrated.

I'm with you on this. Unfortunately our news media has let us down again in the search for profits. I highly recommend subscribing to PBS Passport, it's literally the best five bucks you'll spend every month to get quality news shows. IN SW Ontario your station would be WNED, but the PBS website will help direct you.

 

[Debbie]

DD (27) got her first vaccine-Moderna- today at Shoppers. She was scheduled for next Saturday with the PHU, but an opening came up and she decided to get 'er done.

 

[pigletto]

To be fair everything they are doing with these vaccines are largely untested. While I am vaccinated and everyone else in my house is vaccinated I feel more comfortable at this point with extreme caution. It's not like these vaccines have years of data to back up all the theories. I believe they work because there is years of data to back up how vaccines work but things are changing an awful lot for me to trust that just extending the expiration date doesn't effect the vaccine in any way. This is just my opinion though and by no means do I believe people shouldn't get it if they are comfortable with it, I'm just not and I'm glad I at this point don't have to make the choice.

This is 100% understandable and I completely agree that if you aren’t comfortable you should have the choice to wait and see what happens here.

 

[Hopeful8]

Posted this in the other thread too - my daughter (12-17 age group) got her Pfizer this morning. Her 2nd shot is scheduled for July! They said it was a brand new decision that all in-class returning students get their 2nd shots within 56 days. If she wasn't returning in person her 2nd shot would have been mid-September.

 

[ellbell]

Posted this in the other thread too - my daughter (12-17 age group) got her Pfizer this morning. Her 2nd shot is scheduled for July! They said it was a brand new decision that all in-class returning students get their 2nd shots within 56 days. If she wasn't returning in person her 2nd shot would have been mid-September.

How do they know who intends to go back in person though. This far out people can change their minds or lie.

 

[OnceUponATime15]

Just spoke with my sister, she & her hubby both got their second AZ shot yesterday.

They did not wait for the same pharmacy to contact them, they were monitoring the Vaccine Hunters Twitter account and found walk in availability on there not far from home. They brought the slip from their first shot and health cards and were good to go.

 

[marchingstar]

How do they know who intends to go back in person though. This far out people can change their minds or lie.

but, why would this be a problem? isn’t this just one way to incentivize people to get their second shots?

 

[damo]

Just spoke with my sister, she & her hubby both got their second AZ shot yesterday.

They did not wait for the same pharmacy to contact them, they were monitoring the Vaccine Hunters Twitter account and found walk in availability on there not far from home. They brought the slip from their first shot and health cards and were good to go.

I've seen some in Montreal through the Vaccine Hunters site but that was it.

 

[bababear_50]

I know our parents are going to be given a date to commit to in school or online learning for Sept 2021 /2022 school year.
Date to be announced soon. (July maybe).

ALL staff were just informed last Friday that we will be expected to perform our duties from an in school board location.
P.D.S.B.
Hugs
Mel

 

[kuhltiffany]

Originally we had to decide by the end of March, but then the school board had to backtrack after being told they couldn't require a decision before June 1...so that's our new date.

I know our parents are going to be given a date to commit to in school or online learning for Sept 2021 /2022 school year.
Date to be announced soon. (July maybe).

ALL staff were just informed last Friday that we will be expected to perform our duties from an in school board location.

Hugs
Mel

 

[pigletto]

I know our parents are going to be given a date to commit to in school or online learning for Sept 2021 /2022 school year.
Date to be announced soon. (July maybe).

ALL staff were just informed last Friday that we will be expected to perform our duties from an in school board location.

Hugs
Mel

DSBN is the same. We’ve already been informed that it will be in person learning, with extra curricular activities resumed. They told us months ago there would be no option for online learning. Then they were forced to reverse that . But they aren’t encouraging it and it won’t be the same way they do it now . It’s with offsite teachers and if you opt out of in person learning you can’t change your mind mid semester.

 

[Hopeful8]

How do they know who intends to go back in person though. This far out people can change their minds or lie.

They just asked us and asked what school she is going to in the fall. June 1st was our cut off date to decide to in person or remote.

 

[OnceUponATime15]

I've seen some in Montreal through the Vaccine Hunters site but that was it.

I’m following Vaccine Hunters on Twitter.. there were six pharmacy locations here in Durham Region posted early this morning (2 Ajax, 1 Whitby, and 3 Pickering) mostly Shoppers Drug Mart’s. My Sis opted to go into Scarborough yesterday for hers.