To Go or Not To Go

[twodogs]

For those considering the ability to get medical care in Florida if they got COVID or got into an accident, etc while on vacation there, I wanted to reiterate a point OP made that may have been lost in the thread: if you are looking at ”available ICU beds” in any area, hospital etc, it may not reflect what you really need if you are sick, which an available ICU bed that is STAFFED by a qualified medical team (ICU doctors, nurses, RTs). You can put beds in the parking garage and have “available ICU beds” but without ICU-qualified staff, you won’t be getting “ICU level care”. I say this as a Pulmonary and Critical Care doctor myself. And we just cancelled our Labor Day trip…. sad but the right thing for our family right now.

 

[Dis-Dad]

. Mask compliance ranges - from 80 - 95% inside. And it seems that mask compliance is the worst in cramped cues when the heat is especially bad - so this has felt unsafe and caused us to leave the line a few times.

Thanks for this. I was wondering if the rule change of not wearing them in outside queues would lead to less compliance when you do get to an indoor area. I can’t help but think it unwise for them to roll back this measure right now when people are jammed into lines as well. This is what concerns me most about visiting right now. We can mostly control our spacing and activities otherwise, but the lines are the lines.

 

[holyrita]

We watched HEA at a table in front of Casey's - this allowed for ample social distancing. I am happy to answer any questions about current conditions in the parks.

How early before the start of HEA did you go to get a table? People didn't come and fill in standing room between the tables? Did you see any other less-than-insanely-crowded viewing areas for HEA?

 

[WriterGina]

We are heading to our flight right now. I am both excited and anxious. Will share our impressions—starting at Universal tomorrow then WDW beginning Friday.

 

[firstwdw]

We canceled for next week too. I just didn’t think we would have as much fun trying to dodge covid while wearing masks in the heat.

That was my thinking too. The thought of trying to do outdoor dining in that heat was overhwhelming. Even though the kids are vaccinated I was also concerned about starting high school 2 days after we got home. It's for sure a bit depressing and sad but the countdown to the trip was more worry than fun. Plus someone in a fb planning group's husband needed non-covid medical care and was sent back to the resort with pain meds due to no room at the hospital(even though arrived by ambulance)-when condition worsened he went back to the hospital and a bed became available but was placed on a mixed-covid floor. No thanks. We are going someplace within 2 hours from us for 3 nights instead-it's not Disney-nothing is Disney but hopefully it's a fun little getaway if Henri cooperates up here in New England. I guess I'm glad to know I'm not the only feeling let down-I should be checking into SW right now for what would have been my flight tomorrow....oh well....hopefully we can get back to Disney soon when things calm down! I hope you have a good week even though we aren't in Disney!

 

[ginadv]

Even though the kids are vaccinated I was also concerned about starting high school 2 days after we got home.

Finally pulled the plug on our 8/31-9/4 trip this morning - such a bummer, but it's ultimately what I think is the best decision for us. It's just not worth it to have such scaled-back experience - no indoor/TS dining, no Disney transportation (I'd rented a car), feeling creeped out in lines or at fireworks - that's not how I envision a Disney trip. And your comment about coming back and starting school is the same thinking that sealed the deal for me. I don't believe it would be right to come back from such a high-risk area and start school and go back to regular life given the fact that both of us (15-year old daughter and I, both vaccinated) could have a breakthrough infection and unknowingly spread the virus upon our return. The only thing to do would be to hunker down post-trip until we knew we were in the clear and who has time for that? It's really been an agonizing decision, especially given the crazy low crowd levels and wait times right now, but the benefits just don't outweigh the risks in my mind. I rebooked for 1/29-2/2 and am hoping that the world is in a bright, shiny new place by then. Best of luck to all of those out there making similar choices about pending travel. I truly appreciate all the insight that has been shared in this thread. And as I told my daughter, postponing a Disney trip (and this is the second time now!) is small potatoes in the grand scheme of things, but it still stinks.

 

[EveDallas]

I haven't been all that concerned since we are all fully vaccinated, but now that we have boosters scheduled for Thursday (12 days before our Universal trip), my slight concern has lifted. Can't wait till the 7th!

 

[MARCIAKAZ]

I haven't been all that concerned since we are all fully vaccinated, but now that we have boosters scheduled for Thursday (12 days before our Universal trip), my slight concern has lifted. Can't wait till the 7th!

Maybe too nosy, but how are you getting boosters?

 

[EveDallas]

Maybe too nosy, but how are you getting boosters?

I was a little surprised too, but my son is a Type 1 diabetic which qualifies him and apparently I do also as a family member living with an immunocompromised person. To be honest, I think the fact that I'm in Texas (where they can barely give shots away) helps too.

 

[MARCIAKAZ]

I was a little surprised too, but my son is a Type 1 diabetic which qualifies him and apparently I do also as a family member living with an immunocompromised person. To be honest, I think the fact that I'm in Texas (where they can barely give shots away) helps too.

Thanks!! I'm in Texas, too , so I may give it a try!

 

[EveDallas]

Thanks!! I'm in Texas, too , so I may give it a try!

I've got ours scheduled at CVS. Good luck!

 

[Threehearts]

Maybe too nosy, but how are you getting boosters?

I received my booster in Washington DC 2 days ago. I am immunosuppressed both from a disease and medications. My doctors were very clear that the booster will not really increase my immunity by much as many immunocompromised people did not get full immunity from the first two vaccine doses.

I was told to behave as though I was now fully immunized but in no way super-immunized. Of course I still need to be very careful because of my immunosuppression. Break-through infections can and do happen with people who received the booster shot so I've been instructed to double mask in crowds and avoid close contact with others. It wasn't what I wanted to hear but I heard the same instructions from the team of doctors who follow me at a major medical center so I trust their expertise.

 

[lovethattink]

Right now the terminology is third shot for immunocompromised. Boosters for everyone else are expected to start sometime in September.

 

[Threehearts]

I received my booster in Washington DC 2 days ago. I am immunosuppressed both from a disease and medications. My doctors were very clear that the booster will not really increase my immunity by much as many immunocompromised people did not get full immunity from the first two vaccine doses.

I was told to behave as though I was now fully immunized but in no way super-immunized. Of course I still need to be very careful because of my immunosuppression. Break-through infections can and do happen with people who received the booster shot so I've been instructed to double mask in crowds and avoid close contact with others. It wasn't what I wanted to hear but I heard the same instructions from the team of doctors who follow me at a major medical center so I trust their expertise.

Right now the terminology is third shot for immunocompromised. Boosters for everyone else are expected to start sometime in September.

The term that was used by my physicians was booster as the assumption was that I did not receive full immunity with the first two shots. As a nurse, I am comfortable with that term because my partial immunity was boosted. I do understand that in different circumstances the terminology may differ. I can only speak for what was said in the medical center I am seen at.

 

[Murron]

Right now the terminology is third shot for immunocompromised. Boosters for everyone else are expected to start sometime in September.

In some towns, it depends on your physician, medical group and/or pharmacist. We are not in Texas, but as someone previously stated, no one there was coming forth for booster/vaccination and due to the excess supply, they were able to get a booster. Same with us. Our town has a high vaccination rate, but no one is coming forward for boosters. Since we were over 60, our pharmacist (knowing we were heading to Florida) had no issue giving us the booster.

 

[EveDallas]

Right now the terminology is third shot for immunocompromised. Boosters for everyone else are expected to start sometime in September.

His doctor called it a booster Either way, we're getting it on Thurs (and likely mostly so the shots get used before they expire).

 

[tinkerhon]

Im curious what is going to happen with people that received J & J ? I heard that their results (as far as a possible booster) would be released sometime this summer--- (maybe mid sept ?)

I would not be eligible until November, if they are going by the 8-month runoff for getting the booster.
I am definitely going to get it if available, but read one article (published for the New England journal of medicine) that said that people that received J & J might not need it, because of how it fared in trials against the Alpha, Beta, and Delta variants

Guess I have to wait and see .

 

[Threehearts]

Im curious what is going to happen with people that received J & J ? I heard that their results (as far as a possible booster) would be released sometime this summer--- (maybe mid sept ?)

I would not be eligible until November, if they are going by the 8-month runoff for getting the booster.
I am definitely going to get it if available, but read one article (published for the New England journal of medicine) that said that people that received J & J might not need it, because of how it fared in trials against the Alpha, Beta, and Delta variants

Guess I have to wait and see .

I think the CDC is still awaiting more results to return before they make a recommendation re: a possible J and J booster. I might suggest that if you get the booster/third shot then try not to get it right before you leave on your trip. I had very few side effects from both of my Moderna vaccines but the third injection has had me pretty much out of commission with fever for a few days. Of course, this is just my experience and shouldn't be taken as a given for anyone else.

 

[tinkerhon]

I think the CDC is still awaiting more results to return before they make a recommendation re: a possible J and J booster. I might suggest that if you get the booster/third shot then try not to get it right before you leave on your trip. I had very few side effects from both of my Moderna vaccines but the third injection has had me pretty much out of commission with fever for a few days. Of course, this is just my experience and shouldn't be taken as a given for anyone else.

Yep--- I heard that as far as the side effects with the booster--- Many are reporting higher fever as the most likely side effect so far.
I read that because J & J was rolled out later than Moderna and Pfizer, their results are going to come in later- Makes sense.
Yea, if I get the booster, will most likely go beginning of November, way ahead of our 12/23 trip.

 

[JoJoGirl]

Im curious what is going to happen with people that received J & J ? I heard that their results (as far as a possible booster) would be released sometime this summer--- (maybe mid sept ?)

I would not be eligible until November, if they are going by the 8-month runoff for getting the booster.
I am definitely going to get it if available, but read one article (published for the New England journal of medicine) that said that people that received J & J might not need it, because of how it fared in trials against the Alpha, Beta, and Delta variants

Guess I have to wait and see .

I am in the same situation. I received the J&J vaccine back In March because it was what was available at my pharmacy. Now it feels as if J&J has become the red-headed stepchild of vaccines that no one wants to talk about.

I‘m thinking that in the next two months there will be enough data available that we probably will be allowed boosters or maybe even other vaccines. I am counting on this before my Disney trips in December and January-February. Not sure how I will feel about going if everyone else is needing boosters, but I am not permitted to get one.