I wonder whether j-pouchers who are not on immunosuppressant drugs will be able to get the vaccine before the general population? Does anybody have any information from their health care providers?
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In the USA vaccination priorities are set by the states, so the timing for vaccination of “people with underlying conditions” will vary by state, as will the “qualifying” underlying conditions. I’m not aware of any studies suggesting that folks with IBD (with or without a J-pouch) are at higher risk of severe disease or death from COVID-10, so I suspect that J-pouchers will generally be in the same group as others of the same age.
In British Columbia the first vaccines will go out to health care workers who are currently employed in ICU, ER, Covid medical wards and long term care in the mainland. The cold chain storage requirements precludes sending vaccine to remote areas for now. When more vaccine is available it will be sent to long term care homes. From there it will gradually be available to the general public. It is going to be a long process and we are going to have to continue to wear masks, socially distance, limit face to face interaction, and wash our hands for many months.
New York City nurse is first American to receive Vaccine:
Once they vaccinate the health care workers, long-term care residents, and those on immunosuppressants I imagine it will be like the H1N1 vaccine - and we will be ahead of others as the group with underlying conditions. This is in Canada - although each province determines the order it's probably going to be quite consistent across the country. I see them setting up a vaccine clinic near my house in an old car dealership showroom.
It's similar in the USA, where priorities are set by each State, most of which will probably follow criteria established by the CDC.
Evolving debate about direct vs indirect protection paths to ending pandemic. Direct vaccinations for those most vulnerable (elderly, long term care residents, underlying health issues etc.) vs. indirect protection for society by prioritizing vaccinating those most likely to infect others (those living in crowded housing, working at jobs where social distancing impossible - ie the working poor, migrants, homeless etc.). Will be interesting to see how this evolves over the next 6 months as different jurisdictions prioritize different groups.
I believe that after frontline health care workers and long term care residents, essential workers are likely to be vaccinated before those vulnerable due to chronic illness or age outside of long term care facilities. This would mean folks like police, fire fighters, food chain workers, etc.
With most of the vaccines developed being 2 doses, they are holding back shipment so it is guaranteed that a second dose is available for the first recipients. If production is slowed for some reason, that second dose needs to be ready, otherwise the first dose could be a waste.
Since I am retired and at home, I don’t expect to get it until late spring 2021 or later. We will need to hunker down for quite a while yet. If it is sooner because more vaccines are approved and manufactured, great! But better to err on the long side than be frustrated thinking we are weeks away from getting it.
Jan 