Am I happy about it? No.
I never gamble because I don’t see myself as a ‘lucky’ person. I don’t even win anything at those stupid scratchies. So having to take a chance on AZ, however ‘small’ that risk may be, scares me silly.
And I hate not having a choice of vaccines. Not just because of the risk of blood clots, but because AZ is quite a bit less effective against Delta than Pfizer.
And while I’m at it, I hate the Morrison government for being such cheapskates. They put all their eggs in the nice, cheap AZ basket which is a big part of the reason we are so very far behind in terms of vaccinations.
And last but not least, I hate GladysB, Premier of NSW, for deliberately allowing the Delta outbreak to spread to just about every part of Australia [and even to New Zealand]. I don’t know if it was sheer hubris – “We are the gold standard state so we don’t need to learn from anyone else” or her emphasis on the economy rather than on lives, but she has helped to destroy the reasonable standard of living we used to enjoy despite the pandemic.
GladysB decided that we would all have to ‘live with Covid’, and now none of us have a choice in the matter.
So no, I’m not happy, and the next person who hangs shit on anti-vaxxers, just remember this: whether you agree with their reasons or not, those people are afraid. That is not a good place to be.
I’m not anti-vaccines in general, but I know what it feels like to be afraid of AZ. Trust me, it’s not a pleasant feeling.
Meeks
Meeka's Mind 
September 24th, 2021 at 3:34 am
Some protection is better than none, Meeks, against this awful lurgy. I have had a double Phizer vaccination and so have my dad, mom and husband. Greg had the J&J. Michael can hopefully have his vaccination next month. I believe in vaccinations and I glad to have something to protect my family. I had quite bad side effects from both my jabs, but I was the only one in my family. How were your side effects?
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September 25th, 2021 at 5:27 pm
That’s excellent news, Robbie! I’m a big believer in vaccinations as well, and thank goodness, the Offspring is fully jabbed with Pfizer as well.
The GP who administered the AZ jab said that he’d been as ‘sick as a dog’ after /his/ which possibly showed his immune system doing what it’s mean to. Me? After all that wimping? Zip. The site of the injection was a little bit tender for a few days, but that was it.
Talk about an anti-climax. 😉
Stay well!
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September 26th, 2021 at 3:58 am
I am very happy for you that you had not side effects.
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September 27th, 2021 at 3:32 pm
-grin- So am I! I was all ready to write my last will and testament, so, yes, a huge relief.
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September 13th, 2021 at 9:10 am
Doing a bit of a catch-up on my blog-post reading – sometimes you just gotta leap, eh? … how are you doing now?
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September 13th, 2021 at 9:46 pm
I’m still kicking. 😀 Actually had a good night’s sleep so I guess my inner-wimp is settling down.
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September 15th, 2021 at 11:45 am
Excellent. 🙂
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September 13th, 2021 at 7:49 am
Not all anti-vaxxers are afraid, Andrea. A lot of people in the US are making political statements and they come right out and say it. We had a group of infected people walking around town a few days ago, going into businesses and trying to get other people sick. They were protesting their freedom. Now two of them are dead.
But I get your concerns, especially when governments don’t seem to act in the best interests of their citizens. It makes it very hard to trust anything they do.
Hang in there. Compared to the US, Australia is doing great!
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September 13th, 2021 at 9:50 pm
Dear god that’s horrible. How did you find out about them? Did other people get sick? Are you and Hubby ok?
Yes, I know you’re right. I know people like that exist, it’s just that my head refuses to believe it. I simply can’t comprehend someone so…evil. 😦
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September 14th, 2021 at 1:37 am
It’s all over our community updates (on FB), Andrea, and our local health board is tracking it down. Randy and I are fine. We’ve been careful all along and decided not to go to town until this is over. We have other options farther away that are safer. It’s so politicized over here. You’ve heard my rants before, so I won’t repeat them. Just take good care of yourself, my friend. Hugs ❤ ❤ ❤
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September 14th, 2021 at 8:04 pm
I’m glad you’re both being super careful. Apart from anything else, the incidence of break through infections is on the rise.
The ‘let it rip’ crowd are insane. 😦
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September 13th, 2021 at 12:58 am
I’m so disgusted with the responses to the pandemic. The drug profiteering, the governments’ choice of money over lives, the selfishness and judgmentalism of so many people — the everything. I’m one who tends to be all judgy about people who don’t get vaccinated, but I know more people than you who are hesitant because of very real health concerns. For some people, I know, the vaccine really COULD be worse than the virus MIGHT be. HUGS
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September 13th, 2021 at 10:00 pm
Sadly, we have all of that here as well. Plus some religions seem to be telling their people not to get vaccinated. Not because of any genuine problems with the vaccines, but because of some made up malarkey. I wish misinformation were a crime punishable by jail time. 😦
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September 13th, 2021 at 10:08 pm
I hear that. Everybody ought to read Connie Willis’ DOOMSDAY BOOK, in which a time-traveling history major gets stranded in the middle of the Black Plague because of a pandemic in her own time. It’s brilliant. And it shows the difference between what faith can and cannot do. It cannot protect you from the plague.
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September 14th, 2021 at 8:11 pm
OMG…I’ve read it! And yes, it was brilliant. And sad.
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September 11th, 2021 at 1:37 am
It is amazing how much damage a single person can do. I’m glad you had your first jab! We here are said to be 75% fully vaccinated. The rules here in Ohio are that masks aren’t state mandated, but they can be required by businesses and public venues. Of course the more insane among us are still going around beating up school board members, and terrorizing flight attendants. And The Fool that Wants To Kill the World is still working on it from his LaLaLand.
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September 11th, 2021 at 6:53 am
It’s amazing how different the situation can be from state to state, say for example, Ohio and Florida. Vaccines may not be the magic bullet everyone hoped, but they’re so much better than the alternative.
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September 13th, 2021 at 12:49 am
Much of it has to do with education (not saying intelligence) and orientation ie red states have many more deaths from Covid than blue states… I am often accused of thinking I’m smarter than most people, which is sometimes true. LOL
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September 13th, 2021 at 10:02 pm
Yes, I’ve heard that too. That Man did a number on a certain type of person and now they’re dying because of it. 😦
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September 10th, 2021 at 12:12 pm
Nothing says “humanity” like a good pandemic. One where a third of the folk don’t even believe it IS a pandemic. Covid? Just part o’ life now.
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September 11th, 2021 at 6:57 am
Yeah, Covid has pushed us to extremes and revealed what may have once been hidden. Not a pretty picture.
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September 10th, 2021 at 8:06 am
It must have been a difficult decision, Meeks, but I think it was the right one. The Fella and I have both had double doses of AZ, which is a great relief to me. The thought of him catching the virus and being in critically ill in hospital, and not being able to be with him, kept me wake nights last year.
We know that the stroll-out of the vaccinations has been stuffed up at every turn by Morrison and Hunt, and now we find out about the offers Pfizer made that were ignored. No surprise, as “It isn’t a race”, but it still made me angry. As Pfizer was your preferred option, I bet it made you angry too!
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September 11th, 2021 at 7:13 am
I knew you’d get vaccinated for the Fella. We do for others, things we might not do for ourselves. -hugs-
And yes, I am angry, but I’ve been angry for a while because I knew about the Pfizer stuff up months ago. The main stream media ignored it though which is why it seems like such a surprise now. Even the ABC ignored it. Hard to know who to trust any more. 😦
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September 10th, 2021 at 12:51 am
I’m so sorry. I wish I could airlift you the Pfizer shots. Big hugs and deep breaths.
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September 10th, 2021 at 8:03 am
-hugs- Thanks Laurie. Sorry to sound so melodramatic but I was close to writing my last will and testament. As I’m still alive and kicking I feel a wee bit silly, but the anger at the govt remains.
How’s the writing going? Maybe time for a new one? -nudge nudge wink wink-
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September 9th, 2021 at 7:44 pm
I had AZ back in early February then 11 weeks later 2nd. Seems a lifetime ago now and at the time I was happy to accept whatever was offered as long as we just got on with jabbing everyone quickly. Next door vaccinated neighbours have just recovered from Covid caught from their six year old son. Their children had no symptoms, parents each had different symptoms, but felt quite ill. However not serious enough to warrant going anywhere near hospital. It’s still a game with rules that keep changing- the virus keeps changing the rules and so do our leaders! Individuals are having to make their own decisions according to their health and lifestyles.
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September 10th, 2021 at 8:12 am
So your neighbours were vaccinated but were still infected? As you say, this virus obeys no rules but its own. Clearly, herd immunity will not be a possibility for a very long time to come.
Over here it seems our governments are heading towards the ‘lockout’ strategy – i.e. people who aren’t fully vaccinated will not be allowed into most venues. Unfortunately, as you’ve shown, being vaccinated is not a guarantee of not getting sick, or of not passing the virus on. 😦
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September 9th, 2021 at 7:28 pm
I know how much you feared taking the AZ vaccine but even so I’m delighted you’ve had it and increased your level of protection. Maybe it doesn’t offer the level Pfizer does but with it, the odds are in your favour. I don’t ignore that fear plays a part in some refusals to take certain vaccines but when ‘shit’ is hung on anti vaxxers it isn’t the ones who fear the results of taking them, it’s the ones who refuse to take them because some Minister in their Church or some damn politician has told them a fairy tale about the vaccine containing a tracking device or some other conspiracy theory that makes them refuse, but not take precautions either to protect the rest of society against them spreading it as they have been doing. It’s their ‘right’ to lead a normal life. Anyway, you’ll be OK as I won’t let AZ harm my favourite lady.
Hugs
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September 10th, 2021 at 8:17 am
-grin- Thanks, David. I have no patience with the conspiracy theorists either, especially as I don’t think they’re as much of a ‘grassroots’ movement as they appear. I did a bit of sleuthing and followed a link to a website co-ordinating the lockdown protests, and I was gobsmacked by how…slick it is. All the bells and whistles. Money and expertise has gone into the site and I can’t help wondering where said money and expertise came from. Oops…maybe I should be in the ranks of the conspiracy theorists myself.
-hugs-
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September 9th, 2021 at 6:34 pm
We aren’t getting to choose which jab we get over here, and we’ve both had the AZ one too. To be honest, I’m so grateful that there is a vaccine, available to us for free that I’m prepared to accept any of the risks that have been uncovered. I had signed up back in early 2020 to be in the trial bunch thinking I might be an ideal subject – mildly asthmatic, a bit overweight, no interest in ongoing fertility, no other health conditions, working from home with no kids. I wasn’t selected, which was, a bit of a relief really, but I felt better offering to step up. I’m hoping that we can share out our UK vast stockpile to the other nations who need it, rather than offering boosters to those of us here who could simply make a bit of an effort to stay distanced and masked when going out. Glad to hear you have finally had your first. hugs
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September 10th, 2021 at 8:24 am
You’re a braver woman than I, Dawn. And speaking of excess vaccines, apparently the UK are sending /us/ 4m doses of Pfizer in a swap arrangement so thank you. 🙂
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September 10th, 2021 at 6:04 pm
I’m sure I’m not. It’s just that now I’m no longer a union rep I’m trying to live my life with #BeTheChange as a central tenet. I’m not doing brilliantly at it, and I’m doing it quietly, but it’s giving me a sense of societal purpose.
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September 11th, 2021 at 6:56 am
#BeTheChange – I hadn’t heard that before but I like it. Meshes nicely with ‘Be the Best Person You can be’ principle. -hugs-
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September 9th, 2021 at 6:21 pm
Well done Meeks for letting common sense override your fears …Everyone is right this dam virus is getting in all the nooks and crannies …As luck would have it or not as the case may be our second one is due 15th so far so good with the Pfizer…Hopefully, if we did contract the virus the symptoms would be less severe. I hope the same for you…But guessing that like us we are still not inviting trouble you will continue to take every precaution x
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September 10th, 2021 at 8:28 am
-hugs- I’m so glad your family is so close to being fully vaccinated, and yes, as AZ doesn’t reach its full potency for 12 weeks, my jab is not a get-out-of-jail-card.
Your Pfizer shots will give you around 87% protection against seriously illness with Delta, but the protection against passing the virus on reduces in a matter of months. AZ health protection is less but apparently the protection against passing it on lasts a bit longer. Clearly neither vaccine is a silver bullet. 😦
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September 10th, 2021 at 8:35 am
It definitely seems that way Meeks.. I bet those who can are building bunkers as we speak.. Scary times.. 🤔
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September 11th, 2021 at 7:06 am
Hah! Yeah, the idea of the Four Horsemen has popped into my head more than once the last few years.
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September 9th, 2021 at 4:50 pm
Every single moment since the beginning of this pandemic, I have been far more afraid of the disease than of the vaccine developed by competent scientists against it.
I am up to date on all my vaccines – I get reactions when I get them but so far none of the rare and horrible ones – but the odds are so much in your favor getting them vs. not that it isn’t even a question.
I have now had my booster shot, and it has cost me a bit, but that part should be over – and I can travel to our son’s wedding party much more safely. On an airplane. I will be wearing every piece of recommended protective gear, and will be washing my hands a lot.
Unlike the huge people gatherings from concerts and the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally (250,000 people), air travel doesn’t have the same spreader history. I hope the eejits have learned from watching the unruly passengers not to be one, but you can never guarantee other people’s behavior.
It’s all about getting the best possible odds for your risks.
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September 10th, 2021 at 8:32 am
I’m glad you’ve had a booster as none of the vaccines work as well for those with compromised immune systems. With the booster you should be pretty safe. And yes, risk to benefit is the name of the game. Until just recently, we were pretty much covid free so the risk to benefit was skewed towards the risk end. Now, the risk is growing. To be honest, I would still prefer to wait for Pfizer but there are a couple of reasons why complete isolation won’t be possible in the coming months so I’m hoping even one jab will provide some protection.
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September 10th, 2021 at 8:42 am
You can get Pfizer later – when it’s available. Meanwhile you’re as protected as possible.
I’m not looking forward to our trip to Boulder in October – but it’s middle child’s wedding celebration, and I’ll be there if I possibly can, and be masked to the gills.
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September 11th, 2021 at 7:00 am
Yes, I’m hoping Pfizer will be available for boosters when needed.
Courage is doing what you must despite fear. You’re a brave woman. -hugs-
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September 11th, 2021 at 2:19 pm
Not brave re needles – they’re no big deal. The vaccines – they’ve been out a LONG time now.
The disease – I will do everything I can to avoid covid, Ebola, and many other diseases. Covid I seriously fear.
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September 11th, 2021 at 6:50 pm
-grin- You’ll be fine. Don’t airlines have to use HEPA filters? Nevertheless I still think you’re brave. 🙂
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September 12th, 2021 at 10:10 am
Hope so – will be extraordinarily careful, and that means including adequate rest, even if it means missing some of the parties.
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September 13th, 2021 at 10:14 pm
Yes, rest is hugely important. You want your immune system to be a resilient as possible.
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September 9th, 2021 at 4:20 pm
May being unhappy be the only unfortunate effect of the AZ vaccine. Good on you for your courage. I do understand… I waited for a while and did heaps of research before I booked in, and had it not been for once particularly well explained article and my fear of the Delta variant being greater than my fear of needles and the unknown… I might still be wait-and-seeing. It’s not much consolation but the many people I know who’ve had the AZ jab were fine and still are.
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September 10th, 2021 at 8:36 am
Yes, everyone [my age] who’s had the AZ has been fine, but in a way that just made me worry more because statistically some people do get the adverse reaction so it would probably be me.
I feel fine this morning but I won’t breathe easy until the four weeks are up.
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September 9th, 2021 at 4:19 pm
Oh dear…not a comfortable place to be at all! Fear is familiar to me, and worrying that the ‘cure’ might be worse than the disease is awful. That said, you are probably at least somewhat better off with a jab of AZ, so things are looking up! From the sounds of it, and as a fellow avid Dr. John follower, we are all headed for ‘living with it’ as the darn thing has crept into every nook and cranny of our world. But at least with the vax, our chances of getting seriously ill and dying of it are dwindling. Hope you stay well! 🤞
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September 10th, 2021 at 8:38 am
lol – yes, you’ve put your finger on it exactly. I know you and your husband had the Alpha variant. Have you both been vaccinated anyway? I believe that would boost your immunity to Delta quite a bit. And yes, Dr John is a wonderful resource!
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September 12th, 2021 at 3:28 pm
We were very fortunate to get the Pfizer jab in June. Only one shot though, as the evidence suggests a recent recovery is equivalent to the first jab. Our certificate is valid one year but if it looks like a booster is needed earlier, we’ll definitely go for it. Boosted immunity to Delta is a huge carrot! Hope you’re still feeling well!
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September 13th, 2021 at 10:09 pm
Ah! I wondered about that. Covid is still so new no one knows about long term immunity. The Offspring has had two doses of Pfizer and if Israel is anything to go by, will probably need a booster soon.
I’m find thank you. -knock on wood- but I do have a list of the symptoms to look out for on my desktop. Feeling a lot less apprehensive though. 🙂
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September 9th, 2021 at 3:55 pm
Thank you for your courage. And for being honest about your fears. What a mess she made, all to keep the money wheels turning… 😡
May you have zero side effects 🙏🏼
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September 10th, 2021 at 8:41 am
Thank you. -hugs- If…if…. We had the chance to be fully vaccinated, or as close to as possible, without suffering as badly as the rest of the world and that woman blew it. I don’t hate individual people as a general rule but I hate her. -sigh- Stay well.
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