How did you decide which COVID-19 vaccine to receive?

SGT Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 15 Oct 2021 01:50:37 -0400

Availability? Shots required? Potential side effects? Brand loyalty?

Response by PFC Andrew "Tommy" M. made Oct 15 at 2021 2:21 AM

PFC Andrew "Tommy" M. — Fri, 15 Oct 2021 02:21:49 -0400

I'm still waiting for a vaccine to be available, hopefully there will be one out someday.

When I was young I remember getting my polio vaccine , and I never got polio, not even a slight case of it.
I also got the mumps vaccine, I never got a case of the mumps, or was never told that I may still get the mumps but it would be less than a full blown case of the mumps, and that I should wear PPE to make sure I didn't catch it from some non mumps vax person, you know why because I was vaccinated and it worked.

Response by PFC David Foster made Oct 15 at 2021 7:05 AM

PFC David Foster — Fri, 15 Oct 2021 07:05:42 -0400

Whatever the VA sticks me with lol... it was Pfizer last two times....

Response by LTC Eugene Chu made Oct 15 at 2021 7:53 AM

LTC Eugene Chu — Fri, 15 Oct 2021 07:53:44 -0400

Availability for me. Local base offered Pfizer with easy scheduling of an appointment compared to others with more complicated scheduling.

Response by Cpl Vic Burk made Oct 15 at 2021 7:54 AM

Cpl Vic Burk — Fri, 15 Oct 2021 07:54:35 -0400

I didn't get the vaccine but if I did it would be based on effectiveness of preventing one from getting COVID. It seems I remember the Johnson and Johnson previously being only 71% effective where the others were substantially higher.

Response by PFC Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 15 at 2021 8:29 AM

PFC Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 15 Oct 2021 08:29:31 -0400

For me at the time it was availability. The federally ran clinic was the only place who had enough doses.

Response by Sgt John Steinmeier made Oct 15 at 2021 8:36 AM

Sgt John Steinmeier — Fri, 15 Oct 2021 08:36:46 -0400

I went with the J&J because it was one and done. The only reason for that was do to my significant other being forced to get one of the shots or be terminated from her employment. We had agreed if one got it the other would as well. Had it not been for the tyrannical times we live in neither of us would have until an actual time tested true vaccine was available. Which means never.

Response by Capt Gregory Prickett made Oct 15 at 2021 8:54 AM

Capt Gregory Prickett — Fri, 15 Oct 2021 08:54:11 -0400

I took what was available at the site, which was Pfizer.

Response by CPT Lawrence Cable made Oct 15 at 2021 8:57 AM

CPT Lawrence Cable — Fri, 15 Oct 2021 08:57:45 -0400

I was 65 at the time, but locally, the first available was Phizer and that wasn't until the end of March. I did look at the potential side effects, decided the risk was worth it at my age. I have no desire to force the under thirty crowd to take these vaccines to protect my old ass.

Response by PO1 William "Chip" Nagel made Oct 15 at 2021 9:19 AM

PO1 William "Chip" Nagel — Fri, 15 Oct 2021 09:19:25 -0400

SGT Private RallyPoint Member Availability, I was working at the CVS Distribution Truck Gate and they were providing the J&J one to their Contractors. I was 2nd in Line. with No Line at the Time. In and Out in a Jiffy.

Response by MAJ Roland McDonald made Oct 15 at 2021 9:35 AM

MAJ Roland McDonald — Fri, 15 Oct 2021 09:35:30 -0400

I got moderna. Followed the science. Has 94% effective rate in addition also has data on where the sweet spot is (when 2nd shot happens.) Due to wide spread of ot on Europe and shortages they studied it faster on the sweet spot. Pfizer is 8 weeks and moderna has not settled fully down at 8-12 weeks got my second shot at 10 weeks. Went with moderna even though the sweet spot had not fully settled but because they had more data to determine with. Thus giving me longer lasting effectiveness. Oh any the technology to produce this has been used in creating the flu shot for last ten years. And for the last three years their have been two types of flu shots. The quadvirilent had two of the mostly flu stands and vaccine for bird and swine flu which are covid also. Testing on people who had one of those covid and then got covid 19 had 99% chance of asymptomatic or very mild symptoms. Due to memory of how to fight covid. Get my info from a friend on cdc and jama articles and one from european medical articles. No I am not a doctor. Just always believe in doing my due diligence to make an informed decision and i was till july this year to get first stick. I am an advocate of the freedom to choose the get the shot or not.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 15 at 2021 9:45 AM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 15 Oct 2021 09:45:12 -0400

I was at Knox when I got it....
Me: is this the line for the Covid shot?
Medic: Yeah...sign this...
Me: now what?
Medic: take off your top, gives me a shot, we made awkward eye contact... I walked away
Me: .... what they hell did I just get ... looks at covid vax card 'Moderna'
Got on with my life ....
Only side effect was a slight headache ... but we were doing field training at Knox in early April ... so that could have been caused by any number of things (PVT's, PV2's, PFC's...etc) HA HA

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 15 at 2021 12:01 PM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 15 Oct 2021 12:01:38 -0400

I got told by my unit in March I could get it as they were giving it to people who were high risk or have high risk loved ones. I have an immunosuppressed child. They said it was Pfizer. I read up on the information available and got it.

Response by MCPO Roger Collins made Oct 15 at 2021 12:07 PM

MCPO Roger Collins — Fri, 15 Oct 2021 12:07:19 -0400

It’s my understanding that your booster should be the same as the basic two shot type. Problem is finding a facility supplied with them.

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 15 at 2021 12:21 PM

MSG Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 15 Oct 2021 12:21:27 -0400

I got the J&J because that was the one available at the time.

Response by MAJ Byron Oyler made Oct 16 at 2021 1:07 AM

MAJ Byron Oyler — Sat, 16 Oct 2021 01:07:54 -0400

Look for peer reviewed literature or evidence based studies that might indicate if a certain race or gender has more issues than others. It is my understanding that Pfizer has had the least issues but I have also not researched it in great detail as I was an ICU RN with COVID patients when Pfizer became available and I took the one I could get.

Response by Sgt Jim Mullins made Jan 1 at 2022 11:21 AM

Sgt Jim Mullins — Sat, 01 Jan 2022 11:21:22 -0500

Just went with Pfizer...was available at VA.