Sunday, February 28, 2021

AMERICANISM -- OLDER OLDS VACCINATION

The scourge of the world, coronavirus, continues to assault humankind.  Just when our scientists create vaccinations to protect us the virus mutates with a variety of viral variants evolving.    The threat covid-19 has presented should be enough to unify all our nations, dwarfing our differences as we seek to preserve human life.   Such does not seem to be the case as many of the issues dividing us from one another persist.  

Meanwhile,  our scientists strongly urge us to receive a vaccination to protect us in this pandemic.   Even if we still may become infected, at least we are told we'll be armed to prevent severe life-threatening illness.   Here in Los Angeles County California the distribution of any of the vaccines has been quite limited, necessarily resulting in difficulty obtaining an appointment to receive the injection.   

While groups were assigned, often in various age segments as eligible, the release for inoculation was rather erratically, sometimes confusingly changed at times.  Even those who were being permitted to receive inoculations were suddenly unable to do so at the only drive-thru in our area, for example.   I questioned an instance of this on behalf of the older old people 75 years and up, of whom I am one, who live in our community, alone, without family, when that occurred here affecting me, too.   They had importantly earlier provided vaccinations for only aged in group homes.

I conveyed my concern to our local senior center and county officials.     I suggested they needed to consider needs of those in this age group living outside long term care for future emergency events planning since we're told we may well expect such in the years to come.   

Unexpectedly to me our local senior center submitted my name to a local group for which I could qualify to receive a vaccination who had suddenly received a vaccine allotment.   There was no certainty I would be added.  I alerted a 90+ year old friend also living alone in her home with no family.  Ultimately she declined getting the vaccination thinking, erroneously, it would be different than the one she wanted.  

Much to my surprise I was contacted to schedule an appointment so I decided to follow my doctor's recommendation to take whatever vaccine might be offered whenever available.     The first of this past week I received a Pfizer vaccination and am scheduled mid-March for the recommended second booster shot.  Now I hear talk there might even be a third shot to protect against the latest variant.  

The injection caused no immediate reaction just as occurs with my yearly flu shot.  The only difference was about twenty hours later I did begin to experience swelling, then aching with increasing intensity at the shot site.  This lasted for only a few hours, then abruptly ceased.   I will continue to mask, wash my hands following protocol, using sanitizers and observing recommended safety measures to minimize this coronaviruses odds of infecting me.  

I'm not sure why but I seem to be in a philosophic pensive mood as I write this.  Perhaps it's partly a reflection of thinking about all the lives needlessly being taken around the world, especially in this United States by this pandemic.   

As if that isn't enough, I know I am distressed to hear news reports of so many mindless vicious attacks on individuals of a national heritage other than what some few perceive to be the criteria for being American.  Those violators attacking frequently older individuals are the ones who are unAmerican.   

I can't help thinking as I have through the years and expect you may have, too, what wonderful progress could be accomplished in this world and in our United States, if we could all focus our time, energy, finances simply on making this world a better place.  Seems it would be so much easier for everyone than all the dissension, anger, fear and hate that prevails with the lies deliberately told to perpetuate devious ends. 

I guess the best we can do is for each of us to live our lives to minimize humankind's worse qualities and concentrate on those that bring out our better selves.    We will be wise to make certain we choose only leaders to govern us who speak truth, defend democracy, reflect our values, optimizing mutual cooperation, tolerance,  peace, love, genuine caring for one another.   


25 comments:

  1. Our major vaccination drive starts tomorrow.

    https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/paid-shots-from-march-1-as-india-expands-covid-19-vaccine-drive-101614210407582.html

    I intend going by the advice that my GP will give me. Most likely that he will be empowered to deliver it otherwise I shall go to the hospital that he will recommend.

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    1. Glad the vaccination drive is happening in India now. I had thought my doctor might have vaccine as he dies for the flu, but so far not. Even my pharmacy didn't receive any though other larger groups did. They did finally so notified me but i already had my vaccine by then.

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    2. Oops typo ... he does for the flu .... not dies.

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  2. Your vaccine roll-out seems to be proceeding very haphazardly depending on which US state you're in. Here in the UK there's been a lot of argument about whether the vaccine roll-out should depend on your age or on what job you do. Age is to remain the criterion as taking account of people's jobs could get very complicated.

    You'll be lucky to find leaders who "speak truth, defend democracy, reflect our values, optimizing mutual cooperation, tolerance, peace, love, genuine caring for one another." If only!

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    1. Our vaccine roll out has been a varying combination of age and job complicated by varying amounts of available vacvine. Hope all goes smoothly in the UK.

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  3. It's interesting to read of your experience with your 1st COVID-19 vaccination shot, Joared. It has not been that unlike Hunky Husband's and my own for our 1st and 2nd shots. We had slight soreness in the arm muscle, but nothing more.

    I think that some of us are being severely challenged in our basic tenets. I have long preached that, while I am a resolute environmentalist, we treat the symptom rather than the disease, the disease being overpopulation by humans and their animals. COVID-19 has given us the perfect opportunity to let nature winnow our numbers; yet, few of us (that I know) preach against vaccinations. I am not a consistent ethicist - lol. I did, however, limit reproduction to two children who, between them, produced one child who, in turn, produced but two. To that extent I've been consistent since the "replacement number" is something above two children per couple.

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    1. Population is certainly an issue. There was concern and talk of over-population was prominent some years ago but we don't hear much discussion about that now. We had only two children, who each had only one.

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  4. Like you I always harbored the belief that if all the peoples on our planet had a common enemy to attack, they would unify. Then a global pandemic which should have done the trick appeared. Sigh, not so I guess.
    So happy you got your first one and hope there is no problem with the second one.

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    1. There is also the fantasy life from another planet might unify those on our planet but I’m not sure even that would occur.

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  5. My personal philosophy/mantra has been "Kindness is my default." If only everyone would subscribe to this in some form, even if it were only when they felt annoyed in a one-on-one situation. It so often takes very little to be kind.

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    1. I agree. I always think we never know what may be occurring in another’s life and treating them kindly could make a difference for them on any given day.

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  6. We’re in the process of trying to get my Great Aunt vaccinated. She is 96 and lives alone. I worry about if she feels sick, especially after the 2nd dose. Her balance isn’t great, and I don’t want anything to happen to her if she has fever in the middle of the night or something. I’ve been vaccinated because I volunteer with the elderly, so I think I will go stay with her after the second dose, just in case. It’s great that your local senior center got you vaccinated, that is really helpful!

    The violence against Asians is disgusting. Why are people so stupid and violent, I do not know.

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    1. Sounds wise you’ll be with your Great Aunt after the second shot. I am a tad bit concerned about how i may react after the second shot but will prepare as best I can to be prepared to get along if I become ill as I’ve had to do a few other times.

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    2. Hopefully you will have an easy time with the second shot, like I did. Do you have a neighbor or someone that can check on you? My MIL and Step Mom both had the vaccine, and my step mom lives alone since my dad died. She had some fever the next day, and a little headache, but not horrible and was fine soon thereafter.

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    3. Unfortunately, friends long since moved away, died or mostly both. Much younger neighbor couple I've compared notes with on vaccines, since they've had theirs, I may text the day I get my 2nd shot alerting them. As long as I'm alert enough to be able to message or phone my out-of-state children (both work at home), also a friend living an hour away though she's dealing with her own med issues, they can keep tabs as we regularly do anyway. My other option is 911 I resorted to a couple times in the past 15 years since I've been alone. Some fever, and even more I've weathered for a few days before on my own, and headaches I know though haven't had any for years, so I'm not overly concerned. I anticipate relatively smooth sailing.

      I did experience a couple days or so of extreme fatigue this week (related to first shot, I think) both a younger and 2 older persons reported same with Moderna, but I had Pfizer and younger neighbor who had Pfizer didn't have the fatigue. Think reactions are probably individually variable whatever shot we get.

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  7. So pleased you got your vaccine.

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    1. Yes, we’re all fortunate to receive the vaccination.

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  8. I'm so happy you were able to get your first Pfizer. I'm also waiting for my 2nd shot in March.

    Spring of last year, my daughter was actually afraid to go out wearing a mask at first because ALL Asians were being blamed for the virus. I'm worried for my children in the Midwest and Maryland because of these attacks against all Asians. I'm also astonished at these attacks on older Asian Americans. Is this because they can't fight back? It's so darn cowardly. I'm so thankful I live in Hawaii right now, but worry...

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    1. Yes, it’s shocking to me that these attacks are occurring against Asian Americans in particular being victimized at any age. I’m convinced the perpetrators are only a few radicalized individuals in groups dedicated to fomenting insurrection in this country — also the intolerant haters of everyone different from themselves. Of course, older people are less able to defend themselves, but then some individuals are agist and anti all older people as though not realizing everyone joins that group if they live long enough.

      I do hope your family members remain safe. I wish you didn't and shouldn't have to be worried about them as can imagine how mentally stressful that can be. We all have enough ordinary reasons to feel concern for our loved ones without adding random intolerant racist violence to the list. As a nation we are better than this and we must not sit idly by, not speaking out to condemn and lawfully act to condemn such violence.

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  9. I took the first shot of what they offered. Any brand will keep me out of the hospital and that is all that I care about now. I have gotten flu shots every year and this crises has re-emphasized the importance of that.

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    1. Taking the first shot available is what is recommended by medical authorities which is what I did, too, and makes sense I think.

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  10. Getting my second shot tomorrow. Got lucky on the My Turn CA (https://myturn.ca.gov/) about a month ago. For a minute it was working for me. Strange times, with some of us vaccinated and others not.

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    1. Glad you got your shot. Will be interested to learn your experience with that second shot.

      Yes, i agree. I do tend to think those most in need of priority vaccinations aren't necessarily the ones receiving these early shots and include myself as one of those who could have waited longer. Maybe that’s not true for everyone in my age group. I finally concluded It best to try to follow the guidelines officials set up — also making sure they not miss any segment of people within the groupings authorities specified as they plan for any future emergencies.

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  11. It seems to be somewhat chaotic with the vaccine rollout wherever you look - understandable really considering how novel it is.
    In my country, it's typically hampered by zealous bureaucracy, something we are famous for and throw into the works whenever something looks like it's running too smoothly.
    My daughter, the lucky duck, lives in New Zealand where the prime minister went on all social media channels and explained in detail who comes first and when, adding that the vaccine is free and voluntary for all on NZ soil, citizens, visitors with or without legal visa, anybody out there.

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    1. “...throw into the works whenever something looks like it’s running too smoothly” — yep, that’s time to fix it by gumming up the works. This is probably true elsewhere, too. Sounds like New Zealand got it right.

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