Vaccine Rollout in Australia - personal accounts.

[Princess Fiona]

And my Medicare has updated already

 

[Seat0B]

And my Medicare has updated already View attachment 242415

Wow that’s fast and efficient!

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Tetanus shots are reputed to be the most painful I've heard.

My most painful by many orders of magnitude was my HRIG shots. Tetanus not even rating by comparison, though yes arm tender for a while.

Having been bitten by a monkey on a sea kayaking trip I elected to be prudent and have the rabies vaccination, as one simply can't wait and see if rabies develops.

You get a shot of Human Rabies Immunoglobulin (HRIG) into the wound to provide immediate protection as the vaccine can take 7 days to instigate protection.

I also had a course of five doses over a period of one month (0, 3, 7, 14 and 30 days). Reading up just now it appears the 30 day one is not typically given these days. The injections were given in the muscle of the upper arm.

So why the pain?

Well the process was:

• They thoroughly scrubbed each wound (tooth puncture wound). About half a dozen from memory. That was agonising.
• They then inserted a needle into each tooth mark and injected the HRIG in. That was worse. Gave one a better understanding of the torture scenes you see in movies.
• That left a pea size lump which they then proceeded to massage in. That was uncomfortable. Probably normally painful, but after the first two steps it was the good part of the process .
• Rinse and repeat all of that six times! After the first one, you knew what was coming next!

Oh, and the rabies vaccinations? Just simple injections. No side effects felt by me.


Cost: No cheap, especially the HRIG. Luckily the travel insurance paid the cost. That was over a decade ago and was about $US2000 just for the HRIG. The rabies vaccine was a lot cheaper, but still expensive.

 

[Pushka]

And my Medicare has updated already View attachment 242415

How are you feeling a few days post vaccination? Did you experience any issues?

 

[andye]

Mrs andye drove a carpool of nurses to Westmead this morning. Diversion to pick up a straggler plus Sydney traffic meant they were 15 minutes late for slot but dealt with very efficiently. Mild headache afterward. Said it was fun as they met many colleagues there having theirs done.
I was offered a last-minute slot for a cancellation but couldn't make as had full clinic of my own at other end of city

 

[Princess Fiona]

How are you feeling a few days post vaccination? Did you experience any issues?

My apologies for not replying earlier.
I have had no ill effects at all apart from the usual sore arm that I get with the Flu vax. I returned to work yesterday on a 10 hour evening shift no problems at all.
I’m anticipating based on experiences I have read of US and UK colleagues that I may get a reaction with the second shot. I’ll report back on that.

 

[RooFlyer]

The process was very efficient and I was in and out within the hour, including all the administrative stuff that happens beforehand.

What sort of administrative stuff? Beyond standard GP clinic type ID, questions about possible heath or condition issues that may preclude you receiving the vaccination? 'Under an hour' (so I'm guessing 40-50 mins) is much longer than I would have expected; how much of that was waiting to start the process?

And how did you receive the info, please? Via your workplace, a personal message or text or maybe via a professional organisation (given what you do).

 

[Princess Fiona]

What sort of administrative stuff? Beyond standard GP clinic type ID, questions about possible heath or condition issues that may preclude you receiving the vaccination? 'Under an hour' (so I'm guessing 40-50 mins) is much longer than I would have expected; how much of that was waiting to start the process?

And how did you receive the info, please? Via your workplace, a personal message or text or maybe via a professional organisation (given what you do).

20 minutes in a queue at the front
20 minutes on Registration (Administrative and medical). I have no medical record at that particular health care facility so anyone who works there/ been a patient there and has this would skip most of that bit.
20 minutes to get the vaccine including post vaccine obs (15 minutes) and discharge.
I received the info on the vaccination from my workplace in person and via email.
I’m in category 1A

 

[RooFlyer]

Thanks PF. I guess it was given in a hospital facility ( being Pfizer), so you had to go through a type of “admission” process, as if having a Day procedure?

If so that really surprises me. Not concerned, just that it seems more bureaucratic than I imagined.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Thanks PF. I guess it was given in a hospital facility ( being Pfizer), so you had to go through a type of “admission” process, as if having a Day procedure?

If so that really surprises me. Not concerned, just that it seems more bureaucratic than I imagined.

Not the vaccine, but I have had a Covid test in Vic (testing centre not hospital) and in Qld at Gold Coast University Hospital.

Both had an admin procedure to go through. ie Lodge Personal details, Medicare Card, answer questionnaire and the like. And both then had a second person later checking it and then a third brief check when swabbed.

I would guess that they are taking a lot of care to make sure the record is accurate, and also perhaps with as this vaccine requires a second dose 3 weeks later.


Both my CV19 Tests admin took longer than my annual flu shot at Chemist Warehouse though as it was booked online quite a number of details for the flu shot had been completed when the booking was made, though it still takes some time as they go through a similar process. But is only checked by the nurse asking name and birthdate (so no thorough second check as with the CV19 Tests).

 

[RooFlyer]

Both had an admin procedure to go through. ie Lodge Personal details, Medicare Card, answer questionnaire and the like.

That’s the type of procedure I’d expect for the vaccination. I’m interpreting PF’s procedure to be more complex, but I may be wrong in that.

Both my CV19 Tests admin took longer than my annual flu shot

My COVID test admin was give my name and DoB, which was checked off my booking and then present nose, please . This was in the early days and I went to a drive up screening place as a volunteer to get the numbers up in my region.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

. This was in the early days and I went to a drive up screening place as a volunteer to get the numbers up in my region.

Mine were in Dec in Melbourne, and Feb 2021 on the Gold Coast. So probably by the then testing admin process more rigorous.

 

[KitKat]

Get told to go get it while at work (there's a booking system too)
No waiting
Answered 4 main Qs then directed to cubicle where went through ID, medicare, about 10 Qs
Shot and lollipop, then sit outside cubicle socially distanced for 15 mins
Very simple
Arm sore now but similar to a flu vax

 

[Princess Fiona]

Quick update. The muscle soreness in my arm decreased very quickly over the past day or two and now completely gone. No local skin reaction at the injection site.

 

[jakeseven7]

Grandma done and dusted, whole nursing home is now done.

No soreness, nothing to complain about. She is a tough lady, doesn’t flinch at anything let alone a little needle. Apparently no other residents have reported anything either.

 

[Seat0B]

Not in Australia but in UAE son’s GF just had second shot of AZ. They are running 4-8 weeks between shots. She said she had a foul headache- had to lie in a dark room with a cool compress for a few hours. Will report more if I hear.

 

[KitKat]

Quick update. The muscle soreness in my arm decreased very quickly over the past day or two and now completely gone. No local skin reaction at the injection site.

Hopefully on same trajectory, did some heavy work today, seems to have made it less sore compared to overnight,... at 36 hour mark

 

[Flying mermaid]

My apologies for not replying earlier.
I have had no ill effects at all apart from the usual sore arm that I get with the Flu vax. I returned to work yesterday on a 10 hour evening shift no problems at all.
I’m anticipating based on experiences I have read of US and UK colleagues that I may get a reaction with the second shot. I’ll report back on that.

Dr FM had her second jab of the Pfizer yesterday. Had her first in the UK, with no side effects. Today she reported pretty severe muscle pain, but not so bad that she couldn’t still work.

 

[Flying mermaid]

Dr FM had her second jab of the Pfizer yesterday. Had her first in the UK, with no side effects. Today she reported pretty severe muscle pain, but not so bad that she couldn’t still work.

And she reports today that aches are almost entirely gone.

 

[HappyFlyerFamily]

Wonder, given Dr FM’s experience, whether the extra flight time in super cold storage makes the Pfizer jab more painful in Australia/NZ