I was supposed to go to the doctor this morning to get a pneumonia vaccination.

[redstatebluegirl]

The nurse called me before I left to let me know they had a number of "upper respiratory" cases in the clinic this week already. She said the choice to come in is mine. When I asked if any of those people had been tested for COVID-19 she would not answer me. Bet you big dollars they don't have any tests.

With my compromised immune system, I chose to stay home. This would be the second of two vaccinations for this I can wait 2 more weeks max.

[Wounded Bear]

1. Probably a wise move...

if you're not symptomatic for anything, now would be a good time to avoid going to a doctor's office/clinic.

Best wishes.

[Liberty Belle]

3. See if a CVS minute-clinic has them.

[Native]

2. Why not get it at a pharmacy - like one in a grocery store,

when it's not busy. That's what I did.

[Jarqui]

7. +1 - had the same thought

[gristy]

10. I got the PPSV23 2 days ago at CVS

In and out in 10 minutes!

[spanone]

11. Wife got hers at Kroger.

[redstatebluegirl]

16. I stopped by the Walgreens I use this morning to get my meds refilled.

It was a zoo in there! It appeared that everyone there was trying to get 90 days worth of drugs in case they were quarantined. I decided to go online and order them and then pick up at the driveup. Maybe if I go early tomorrow morning I could get it. Do you need a prescription to get it or just show up?

[Native]

31. No prescription needed. They'll check your insurance tho. It's free under Obamacare.

[cstanleytech]

35. It's March 10th so the odds are a number of those people are simply getting

their next 90 day supply for varies meds 20 or so days before their current ones run out.
Heck I picked up 6 of them myself yesterday and saw a number of people doing the same.

[Leghorn21]

4. Hell no, they have no tests - I feel so bad for our poor clinics and doctors and nurses and

orderlies and receptionists and janitors and - all our healthcare people - they're deep sea diving with no oxygen tanks to sustain them

girl, I seriously doubt the situation is going to get any better at your doctor's office - any chance you go arrive there FIRST THING in the morning, and slather yourself with hand sanitizer and get out quick like a bunny??

[Crunchy Frog]

5. When the urgent care, dr's offices, and er's start getting swamped

with respiratory illnesses, and they're testing negative for flu, that's when we know we're really fucked.

They won't be testing them for COVID-19, unless they're hospitalized and really sick.

Not enough test kits, and they don't meet the "criteria".

[MontanaMama]

6. So a mom on my kiddo's baseball team

has a respiratory infection she's had for over 2 weeks...and pink eye now...anyway, she tried to get into her doctor yesterday and they wouldn't see her. They said they weren't seeing any upper respiratory infections and referred her to the ER. They had her text them a photo of her pink eye and they called a prescription in for that. Unbelievable.

[moonscape]

20. And Montana shows no CV cases. Too many have

a false sense of security.

[MontanaMama]

23. With it being in SD...MT has to have some cases.

I know one person was tested here in Missoula on Sunday. There was no rapid test on site...the patient's swab was sent to the MT State Lab and came back today negative. It's only a matter of time.

[Baitball Blogger]

8. How long does a pneumonia vaccination last?

I had one over ten years ago.

[redstatebluegirl]

17. I think she said 6 years when I talked to her about it on the phone.

[Baitball Blogger]

18. Yup. Might consider getting one at CVS.

[SharonClark]

32. Not that long. Call Walgreens and see if you

can walk in for the shot.

[northoftheborder]

9. If I remember correctly, 4-6 years is average length between shots.

By the way, I hear of a 2 shot vaccination now; mine last year was only 1. Are we supposed to get another one now that is better?

[gristy]

12. Yes, there are two now.

Search the internet (say, the CDC) for guidance. Or you can ask your doctor of course, though he/she is probably pretty busy!

[Native]

13. You get the 13 first and the 23 a year after that. Then every 5 years

[moonscape]

21. I thought they were good for life ... n/t

[Native]

24. That's not what the pharmacist told me (district mgr) when I got my first shot a week ago

I didn't verify what he told me. Have you found different info online?

[Native]

29. I figured it out....

The reason he told me 5 years is because you are supposed to get a 2nd dose if your 23 shot was received before the age of 65. I got my PCV13 last week, and when I get my PCV23 a year from now I'll still be under 65. According to the guidelines I've found online, I'll need a 2nd dose 5 years after next year's shot. Otherwise, they should last a lifetime. I don't understand how a few years can make a difference, but perhaps you can figure it out.

I'm also reading that revaccination is somewhat controversial.

[moonscape]

33. Ah, that's the difference. I'm 65 and was told

no more pneumonia shots for life, and have read that as well. When you say revaccination is controversial, you mean the claim that it's for life?

In looking for info on this also, I found the following:

The Pneumovax 23 covers twenty three different variants of the pneumococcal bacteria. In healthy adults, revaccination is not indicated (necessary). Patients with underlying chronic disease should probably be revaccinated every 5 years.

But that was said by one unidentified doc here:
https://www.medicinenet.com/should_i_get_the_pneumonia_vaccine_every_year/ask.htm

[Native]

34. Yup, the claim that it's for life....

It had to do with case studies showing how well the vaccines work, or not.

[moonscape]

36. Interesting - will keep an eye out about this. I have

some meaningful risk factors. When I got the first of my 2 vaccines, I could not remember if I had had one before and since there were complications locating records, I asked if it would be a problem to get another if I had already had. Was told no. So ... maybe there is no downside to repeating in 5-10 years.

[Native]

37. Sounds like it's worth looking into further & discussing with your doc

Everything seems to point to it not making any difference if you get an extra shot as long as you wait the 5 years.

[hamsterjill]

14. My sister and I see the same primary care doc. Sister was there last last week.

We are in San Antonio, where there have been people quarantined from the cruise ships - more supposed to be on their way. We also had the mix up where one quarantined individual was released from quarantine with the results of a test pending. That test came back as a "light positive" and she had already been to the food court in a large mall. The mall was subsequently closed and disinfected - for what that's worth. I do appreciate the effort to try to minimize the situation.

Anyway, my sister was at the doc's late last week for something minor and the doc pretty much told her that they had no idea when or if they would be getting tests. The staff is running low on masks, etc. because everyone is buying them and health professionals can't get enough. The doc and the entire staff were extremely frustrated at the peril that THEY were being put in and anything that they might take home to their loved ones because of lack of equipment and lack of information.

Scary indeed.

[Captain Zero]

15. why do we suddenly sound like a third world country?

Trump.

[redstatebluegirl]

19. That is pretty much what I found out when I called the local hospital to find out about testing if

you need it, they said they had none, and did not expect any anytime soon.

[customerserviceguy]

22. I think you made a wise decision

Today, my lady had an imaging appointment as a follow up to a mammogram that she had a month ago. She had just had a hysterectomy in October to deal with a quickly-caught uterine cancer, and of course, we are both jumpy about this. She went into the imaging clinic with both nitrile gloves and a mask, and was told that the small lumps are very likely benign.

We've decided to hunker down, but we decided that this appointment was worthwhile to keep.

[lillypaddle]

26. Glad everything looks good. nt

[lillypaddle]

25. or try the pharmacy at Kroger

covered by Medicare and insurance.

[jberryhill]

27. Got my wife shot at the drugstore today

Place was pretty empty too.

Many pharmacies can do this.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

28. Ask if they can vaccinate you at the door. . . . nt

[dewsgirl]

30. What part of the country are you in? I feel like I knew this

before. I am happy they warned you.

[redstatebluegirl]

39. Oklahoma

[murielm99]

38. I got mine last week,

and my husband had his yesterday.

I had one ten years ago. The doctor said I needed to renew it. Anything that will help.

I have a compromised immune system. There were only a couple of other people in the clinic, no one else in the waiting room.