Has anyone else had experience of getting the Covid vaccine for their Lo in long term residential care?

Check the political affiliations of the AL’s management staff? Could this be “Who shot John? - credit Judge Judy.

My uncle - not great uncle is getting vaccine. He’s 87.

The staff and the director are badly informed. I wonder if they get flu shots? Their carelessness subjects many others in the facility to the disease (you might want to mention that to them). They should be the first ones in line. In a previous post a person actually believed that the vaccine changed a person's DNA. It doesn't. I don't know where people come up with this stuff. It's true that this vaccine is revolutionary in it's makeup but all the clinical trials by both Pfizer and Moderna have been extremely successful and safe.

Getting the vaccine should not require your husband's PCP to come and administer it. Most facilities have made arrangements with local pharmacists (CVS & Walgreens, e.g.) to come to the facility and administer the shot. I doubt if hospice will get involved but I don't know. So go ahead and sign your husband up for the shot.

I am in BC Canada, and one family member who is a doctor has received her first shot. Here medical personnel and LTC staff are the first to get their shots, when more vaccine is available then it will be made available to elders.

It has been reported that some people with compromised immune systems should not get the shot. The examples given included those undergoing some forms of cancer treatment, but not all, some autoimmune disorders etc.

The only reactions I have heard of so far were some allergic reactions. Generally the people who had an allergic reaction already had serious allergies and they are being told to talk to their doctor before taking the vaccine.

My great uncle is getting his tomorrow. His nursing home called last Friday. I went his doctor’s office and signed consent form. His long time personal physician is also the nursing home physician.

There have been a few allergic reactions in people who already had allergies severe enough to have to carry epi-pens with them lifelong. 2 in England and one in the United States. That's IT. And those people were given their epi pens and are just fine. That's it. So I am uncertain where these people are getting their information. Our of the 1,000s and 1,000s who get the vaccine will there be reactions? Yup. About the same number that react to one aspirin I imagine. Though we cannot know long term until people have had the vaccine on board for a year or so. In my brother's (he died in May) Assisted Living facility in Palm Springs all the Seniors and staff received their first vaccine last week.

I received a call from the facility last week during which I gave a verbal OK to the shot for LO.  I was then told that a paper consent would be mailed out (don't have it yet) and they were hoping to receive the shipment of vaccine on Dec 23rd.  In other words, they don't even have it yet and I wonder how many other places also don't have it yet and may not be sure when shots will get there.  I was told my LO's shot will be given by a pharmacist who works for the pharmacy that supplies all of the facility's medications.    This is being done for quality control reasons due to the temperature the vaccine needs to be stored at.  My LO will not have to leave the facility to get this and I did also ask if most of the residents are getting it and I was told "yes" most are getting it (only one refusal so far).   I don't know about the staff's plans to vaccinate or not, but keep in mind that what you were told by that staffer (who should not have really been speaking so broadly) really amounts to not much more than a rumor.   How could he/she really know what everyone else on staff plans to do about the vaccine?  Plus, people can and do change their minds about things like this or maybe they didn't want to discuss it at all so just decided to say they weren't getting it because of a fear of side effects.  Who knows?  Anyway, speak to the director personally.  I can't imagine why he/she would not get to the bottom of this.  You shouldn't have to be wondering/waiting.  It's quite possible that the shots aren't accessible yet - it could be that simple.  Maybe they can't tell you when your DH will get his shot because they don't even have them.   I think availability of the vaccine is a challenge right now and that may be what you're facing?

I’ll be first in line when vaccinations are available for me (1b). I’m thinking it will help me get to my LO as soon as I might possibly be permitted to visit.

"Rafaela,"

Very interesting, I've not heard of that. The Administrator of my mom's ALF where she's in their MC wing just sent family members an email several days ago saying they would be having a Walgreen's Clinic on the 28th (although, she doesn't know which vaccine they would be giving yet) along with info. from both the CDC and Walgreen's. She said she'll be contacting us shortly to get our consent or decline.

Also, I find it odd that hospice doesn't know anything about it either.

I would let both the facility, his personal physician and hospice know that you want your husband to have it - maybe even by putting it in writing to all three.

Good luck!

My mother's AL is waiting for CVS to administer the vaccines; no date yet, but soon I think.

I've read about a lot of bad reactions but the worst are the anaphylactic shock reactions some are getting from one of the components in the Pfizer vaccine, which is in all of them, I believe. Any facility that is administering the vaccine must have the appropriate medications and supplies on hand for assessing and managing anaphylaxis reactions, should they occur. Such reactions would happen within 30 minutes of getting the injection.

A top U.S. official said that Americans with known severe allergic reactions may not be candidates for Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine until more was understood about what had happened. Also, anyone with a previous history of anaphylactic shock reactions to food or medication of any kind should avoid the vaccine altogether.

https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/covid-19/info-by-product/pfizer/anaphylaxis-management.html

Personally, I think it's wise to have more info on hand before giving these shots to all these seniors in long term care. First line responders are first in line for vaccines, so maybe it's prudent to see how it goes for them before we rush off and vaccinate our elders.

I would just take a wait & see attitude if it were me. That's what I'm doing with my mother's ALF, and as for me, I'm in NO rush to get vaccinated.

I think the 'bad reactions' have been highly overrated. Yes, people get sick from the vaccine. I get sick for a couple of days from the flu shot each year.

Sounds like the Al director is trying to offload a huge issue onto individuals--when they are less able to get up and run to their drs.

MY PCP told me to reach out to my oncologist, I would get the vaccine MUCH sooner than waiting for it to get to the PCP's office.

Stay tough. After first line responders, the elderly are in line for shots. We've had some in our state already. I don't think your AL director has the authority to override the govt's plans to vaccinate the folks in AL's.