Will you get the Covid vaccine if offered it?

Laugh_a_minute · 28-06-2021 12:42pm

My 4 weeks was up on Saturday, I've heard there's a moderna day in Aviva this week but I haven't got a text. When I rang HSE they said 4 weeks is a rough time line, they wouldn't escalate until 4 weeks and 5 days. I'm waiting very impatiently!

Naid23 · 28-06-2021 1:19pm

Laugh_a_minute wrote: »

My 4 weeks was up on Saturday, I've heard there's a moderna day in Aviva this week but I haven't got a text. When I rang HSE they said 4 weeks is a rough time line, they wouldn't escalate until 4 weeks and 5 days. I'm waiting very impatiently!

Thats annoying for sure. They keep saying that they need to get everyone vaccinated but then dragging their feet on the 2nd apps.

Laugh_a_minute · 28-06-2021 1:46pm

Naid23 wrote: »

Thats annoying for sure. They keep saying that they need to get everyone vaccinated but then dragging their feet on the 2nd apps.

It's very self centred really! I'm sure it's better for others to have their first doses, it's just frustrating when others from NMH got their first dose the same day as me have a second dose appointment. There isn't even any urgency, again other than my impatience, because I'm 20 weeks, but incredibly difficult for some one close to 36 and trying to squeeze that second dose in. I'll let you know when I hear anything anyway

Minier81 · 28-06-2021 2:08pm

paulinetmg wrote: »

I was wondering if anyone here who is a bit earlier on in pregnancy (15-16 weeks) and registered through the NMH, have you managed to get an appointment? How long after you registered did you get a call?

I registered about 2 weeks ago, as soon as I hit the 14 week mark, and I'm just wondering how long I should expect to wait for an appointment. I'm not at particularly high risk or anything, and I work from home, but my partner does have to go to work every day and there have been a few outbreaks where he works, so we've been pretty paranoid lately. I'm just so anxious to get the vaccine already so that I can feel safer...

A friend of mine is less than 20 weeks and she got her through the NMH a few weeks ago. They are doing them quick enough. I would expect you'd be called soon, but might be no harm to call and enquire?

Naid23 · 28-06-2021 3:21pm

Laugh_a_minute wrote: »

It's very self centred really! I'm sure it's better for others to have their first doses, it's just frustrating when others from NMH got their first dose the same day as me have a second dose appointment. There isn't even any urgency, again other than my impatience, because I'm 20 weeks, but incredibly difficult for some one close to 36 and trying to squeeze that second dose in. I'll let you know when I hear anything anyway

I just got the text there a few mins ago. Getting it on wednesday morn.
Hope you hear about yours soon.

Laugh_a_minute · 28-06-2021 3:29pm

Naid23 wrote: »

I just got the text there a few mins ago. Getting it on wednesday morn.
Hope you hear about yours soon.

So there's clearly no order to it.

That's great for you, best of luck

SuziXX · 28-06-2021 4:39pm

Probably not too common but is anyone out there in the same position as me? Healthcare worker got the 1st Astra Zeneca vaccine 16 weeks ago and I’m 16 weeks pregnant now.

Official line is I can get the 2nd Astra Zeneca from cumh website but when I speak to any one in person gp/ midwife Im told there no data on it for pregnant women and to ask midwife/gp/consultant basically someone else not them! I’m in a very up close and personal job in the private sector that cannot be done from home so I’m getting a bit frustrated.

paulinetmg · 29-06-2021 10:39am

Minier81 wrote: »

A friend of mine is less than 20 weeks and she got her through the NMH a few weeks ago. They are doing them quick enough. I would expect you'd be called soon, but might be no harm to call and enquire?

Thanks, that's good to know. I did call, they said since I'm still early on it could take a few weeks...

paulinetmg · 29-06-2021 10:43am

SuziXX wrote: »

Probably not too common but is anyone out there in the same position as me? Healthcare worker got the 1st Astra Zeneca vaccine 16 weeks ago and I’m 16 weeks pregnant now.

Official line is I can get the 2nd Astra Zeneca from cumh website but when I speak to any one in person gp/ midwife Im told there no data on it for pregnant women and to ask midwife/gp/consultant basically someone else not them! I’m in a very up close and personal job in the private sector that cannot be done from home so I’m getting a bit frustrated.

I was under the impression that the general advice was that if you'd gotten the first dose and not had any issues with blood clots, you should still get the 2nd. But I don't know if Ireland has a specific policy on it.

There was a study in the UK looking at women who had gotten the AZ vaccine and were pregnant, and there didn't seem to be any concern. The number of people in the study was very small though (don't remember exactly how many, maybe only a thousand or so).

aidom · 29-06-2021 3:03pm

Yes I got an appointment text on the Tuesday for an appointment on Saturday. Which would make it exactly 28 days from my first dose.

I couldn't make that appointment though so I had to request a new one and I got a text the following Tuesday for an appointment last Sunday.

So both doses done now.

catrionanic · 30-06-2021 7:40am

SuziXX wrote: »

Probably not too common but is anyone out there in the same position as me? Healthcare worker got the 1st Astra Zeneca vaccine 16 weeks ago and I’m 16 weeks pregnant now.

Official line is I can get the 2nd Astra Zeneca from cumh website but when I speak to any one in person gp/ midwife Im told there no data on it for pregnant women and to ask midwife/gp/consultant basically someone else not them! I’m in a very up close and personal job in the private sector that cannot be done from home so I’m getting a bit frustrated.

Very similar position here. HCW in extremely close contact job in private sector. Got my first AZ in early March (at 16 weeks pregnant) before all the clotting stuff came out. Then they advised mRNA for pregnant women. I was really unsure about what to do about second dose - would have preferred Pfizer or Moderna - but ultimately I had no choice so I received my second dose of AZ two weeks ago. It was grand and zero side effects this time (I was destroyed after the first dose!).

I'm now 32 weeks pregnant and have had to stop work st 28 weeks due to the close contact nature of the job. But reassured to have two doses.

SuziXX · 30-06-2021 10:54am

catrionanic wrote: »

Very similar position here. HCW in extremely close contact job in private sector. Got my first AZ in early March (at 16 weeks pregnant) before all the clotting stuff came out. Then they advised mRNA for pregnant women. I was really unsure about what to do about second dose - would have preferred Pfizer or Moderna - but ultimately I had no choice so I received my second dose of AZ two weeks ago. It was grand and zero side effects this time (I was destroyed after the first dose!).

I'm now 32 weeks pregnant and have had to stop work st 28 weeks due to the close contact nature of the job. But reassured to have two doses.

Thanks a mill that’s really helpful! do you mind me asking were you given advice about the vaccine and from who? Or did you decide yourself?
My gp was not for it at all and the midwife just said to ask my gp, I also rang the cumh covid helpline and she was more encouraging but also said I need a risk assessment from the gp or consultant who I will meet at 20 weeks and possibly by then the advice may have changed and I may be able to get an mRNA vaccine top up instead. I wasn’t sick at all from the 1st dose.
Also can I ask did you decide to stop working at 28 weeks or were you advised to stop by your employer/doctor?

uptheduffagain · 30-06-2021 3:27pm

I finally got my second dose at the weekend. I was due mine on Saturday, but I didn't get any text from the HSE - but since I didn't get one for the first dose (arranged by NMH), I thought I'd risk just turning up at Citywest, as I'm not far off 36 weeks and was anxious to get it done. Spoke to a supervisor/manager there and luckily they were having a Moderna day the following day, so she told me to come back then. Bit of a trek back and forth two days in a row, but glad to have it done and they were very efficient and accommodating (fast-tracked me through queue, etc.), so fair play to them.

I felt tired, thirsty and a sore arm that day, but had a very uncomfortable night - flu-like shivering, aches and hot flushes throughout the night. Was mostly better by lunchtime the next day and feeling grand now.

Laugh_a_minute · 30-06-2021 4:15pm

uptheduffagain wrote: »

I finally got my second dose at the weekend. I was due mine on Saturday, but I didn't get any text from the HSE - but since I didn't get one for the first dose (arranged by NMH), I thought I'd risk just turning up at Citywest, as I'm not far off 36 weeks and was anxious to get it done. Spoke to a supervisor/manager there and luckily they were having a Moderna day the following day, so she told me to come back then. Bit of a trek back and forth two days in a row, but glad to have it done and they were very efficient and accommodating (fast-tracked me through queue, etc.), so fair play to them.

I felt tired, thirsty and a sore arm that day, but had a very uncomfortable night - flu-like shivering, aches and hot flushes throughout the night. Was mostly better by lunchtime the next day and feeling grand now.

Thanks for the update. I'm still waiting on a text, 4 weeks 4 days now and I don't understand how they're allocating the second doses. I'm not going to just show up (completely understand why you did, I don't have the same urgency in terms of weeks) but if the recommended gap is 4 weeks why are they leaving me in no man's land like this. I follow NMH on Instagram and there are others from 29th May with no appointments but some have gotten texts (and jabs at this point).

calgary bound · 30-06-2021 4:35pm

Laugh_a_minute wrote: »

Thanks for the update. I'm still waiting on a text, 4 weeks 4 days now and I don't understand how they're allocating the second doses. I'm not going to just show up (completely understand why you did, I don't have the same urgency in terms of weeks) but if the recommended gap is 4 weeks why are they leaving me in no man's land like this. I follow NMH on Instagram and there are others from 29th May with no appointments but some have gotten texts (and jabs at this point).

Did you ring the helpline, I did and coincidentally got a text with an appt for dose 2 a few hours later!

Laugh_a_minute · 30-06-2021 4:54pm

calgary bound wrote: »

Did you ring the helpline, I did and coincidentally got a text with an appt for dose 2 a few hours later!

I've been pestering them alright! Rang on Friday when I hadn't gotten one for the weekend and that's when they told me the 4 weeks 5 days line that was completely new to me. Rang everyday this week then too, some more helpful than others. To be honest it's moreso because HSE didn't arrange my first NMH did so I wanted to ensure everyone was talking to each other. Thanks though

catrionanic · 30-06-2021 7:40pm

SuziXX wrote: »

Thanks a mill that’s really helpful! do you mind me asking were you given advice about the vaccine and from who? Or did you decide yourself?
My gp was not for it at all and the midwife just said to ask my gp, I also rang the cumh covid helpline and she was more encouraging but also said I need a risk assessment from the gp or consultant who I will meet at 20 weeks and possibly by then the advice may have changed and I may be able to get an mRNA vaccine top up instead. I wasn’t sick at all from the 1st dose.
Also can I ask did you decide to stop working at 28 weeks or were you advised to stop by your employer/doctor?

I consulted my midwife and my GP. They both said to just get whatever vaccine I can get soonest so I am protected more quickly. In the end I arranged my second dose via the maternity hospital (I was waiting 15 weeks at this point and still no text from the hospital I'd had the first dose at via the HCW portal). I turned up planning to say nothing about having had a first dose of AZ and to take a mRNA if they offered it to me. But they knew straight away from the IT system what I'd had already and when, and they had to give me another AZ under current guidelines. Unless things change from NIAC, you won't have a choice as to what type of vaccine you get this time around.

I was advised to stop at 28 weeks. This is HSE guidance for HCW in direct patient contact and although I'm not HSE, it is still the most appropriate advice. It is also guidance in the UK from the NHS. My GP, midwife and obstetrician all advised me to stop. My OB signed me off. Unfortunately I am just on statutory illness benefit because my employer won't top anything up, and it'll just be stat mat pay too, so it is going to be a very frugal year!!

From reading your post, I imagine you are either a dentist or an optometrist (there aren't that many private sector HCW jobs in extremely close contact!). If the former, perhaps you feel safe enough in your PPE as I know it is quite extensive (my sister is a dentist). I am an optometrist and we can only really wear the surgical masks with our equipment so I didn't feel safe continuing.

Will you get the Covid vaccine if offered it?

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