COVID-19/Coronavirus Information and Support Thread (see OP for useful links)

[Touring Mars]

With the amount of infections I hear around me and the severity of this variant, I'm getting my booster this month. I prefer a couple of hours of meh over a week of bleh.

I regret not looking into getting a booster privately - vaccines are no longer available to under-75s in the UK on the NHS, but they are still available in some high street pharmacies, albeit at around £100 a pop. That said, I would gladly have paid that to avoid the misery of having COVID again, which cost me a full week (which was meant to be a holiday) and has left me with symptoms that are lingering on now into a 4th week.

Although it's uncertain where my entire family picked up COVID this time around, it is very likely down to the schools going back - and now the Uni students are back this week, I expect a lot of people will get COVID in the next week or two. Fortunately my recent bout will hopefully act as a de facto vaccine booster, but I will definitely look into getting a shot next summer before the school's go back.

 

[Joey D]

I regret not looking into getting a booster privately - vaccines are no longer available to under-75s in the UK on the NHS, but they are still available in some high street pharmacies, albeit at around £100 a pop. That said, I would gladly have paid that to avoid the misery of having COVID again, which cost me a full week (which was meant to be a holiday) and has left me with symptoms that are lingering on now into a 4th week.

Although it's uncertain where my entire family picked up COVID this time around, it is very likely down to the schools going back - and now the Uni students are back this week, I expect a lot of people will get COVID in the next week or two. Fortunately my recent bout will hopefully act as a de facto vaccine booster, but I will definitely look into getting a shot next summer before the school's go back.

Ok, that's pretty strange. In the US, Medicaid covers the vaccine (social insurance for those 65 and older), and almost every private insurance plan covers the vaccine. If you don't have private insurance or Medicaid/Medicare, you can go to your local health department, and they'll give you a vaccine for whatever you can afford to pay. Does the NHS cover flu shots for the general population or no?

 

[Touring Mars]

Does the NHS cover flu shots for the general population or no?

Only for 65+ or people with certain conditions. Again, the rest of us would have to use a high street pharmacy (Boots) and a flu shot is £22.

 

[Jezza819]

Ok, that's pretty strange. In the US, Medicaid covers the vaccine (social insurance for those 65 and older), and almost every private insurance plan covers the vaccine. If you don't have private insurance or Medicaid/Medicare, you can go to your local health department, and they'll give you a vaccine for whatever you can afford to pay. Does the NHS cover flu shots for the general population or no?

Yeah now my doctor's office carries both the new Covid vaccine along with the yearly flu shot so I don't have to go to the pharmacy anymore for the Covid shot. And they are both covered by my insurance.

 

[Dennisch]

Only for 65+ or people with certain conditions. Again, the rest of us would have to use a high street pharmacy (Boots) and a flu shot is £22.

Here 60+ gets priority but anyone can get the shot, for free.

 

[TB]

I had my annual "make sure my meds aren't killing me" appointment this morning. Next thing I know I'm a human pin cushion getting a Covid booster, flu shot, Hep A and B shots and blood drawn.

 

[Jezza819]

I'm scheduled to get my annual Covid vaccine Friday evening. About 3 weeks ago I had a chest cold with a cough. Due to insurance problems I couldn't go to my doctor I've had for 17 years. But it got to where I thought I needed to get some medical attention so I went to one of those emergency care places up the street from where I live.

They gave me a Covid test, my first ever Covid test, and it was negative. They prescribed me some antibiotics, a cough syrup, and Flonase nasal spray. After about a week I felt better but now a week later I can still feel it a little. I'm a little short of breath and I have the occasional cough.

My point is do I need to cancel the vaccination appointment and wait until I'm 100% healthy?

 

[Joey D]

I'm scheduled to get my annual Covid vaccine Friday evening. About 3 weeks ago I had a chest cold with a cough. Due to insurance problems I couldn't go to my doctor I've had for 17 years. But it got to where I thought I needed to get some medical attention so I went to one of those emergency care places up the street from where I live.

They gave me a Covid test, my first ever Covid test, and it was negative. They prescribed me some antibiotics, a cough syrup, and Flonase nasal spray. After about a week I felt better but now a week later I can still feel it a little. I'm a little short of breath and I have the occasional cough.

My point is do I need to cancel the vaccination appointment and wait until I'm 100% healthy?

No, you can still get a COVID vaccine also long as you haven't tested positive. It might just suck more since you're not 100% feeling well. Ask your doctor since they'll know your history better, but in terms of blanket policy you won't find many health systems the reject vaccinating people with a cold.

 

[Jezza819]

No, you can still get a COVID vaccine also long as you haven't tested positive. It might just suck more since you're not 100% feeling well. Ask your doctor since they'll know your history better, but in terms of blanket policy you won't find many health systems the reject vaccinating people with a cold.

Thanks. Yeah I went ahead and canceled it just out of precaution. I don't want to have any possible side effects on top of not feeling very good in general.

The only way I can see my regular doctor is on a self pay status because they refuse to accept this new insurance that our company got after it was sold back in June. The insurance company has been trying to find me a new doctor but either they aren't accepting new patients or they refuse to take this new insurance. They've issued me a prepaid credit card to use for my regularly scheduled visit on January 7th but it's only good for that day. I've emailed them back asking what happens if I get sick before then. Do I have to ask to have the card funded that day for that visit? They haven't answered back yet. The whole thing has been one big nightmare. That visit to the doc-in-a-box could still be fully charged back to me as they couldn't verify my insurance and the drugs that were prescribed for me were not covered by the pharmacy either. I had to pay full price for them.

 

[Pupik]

After getting a few shingles and hepatitis B vaccines this year, those COVID boosters feel like nothing.

(Setting a reminder for 10 years from now to just take the week off.)

 

[TB]

hepatitis B vaccine

About a month ago I got the hepatitis A and B, flu and Covid shots at the same time. Knocked me out for a day then I was good.

 

[Joey D]

Thanks. Yeah I went ahead and canceled it just out of precaution. I don't want to have any possible side effects on top of not feeling very good in general.

The only way I can see my regular doctor is on a self pay status because they refuse to accept this new insurance that our company got after it was sold back in June. The insurance company has been trying to find me a new doctor but either they aren't accepting new patients or they refuse to take this new insurance. They've issued me a prepaid credit card to use for my regularly scheduled visit on January 7th but it's only good for that day. I've emailed them back asking what happens if I get sick before then. Do I have to ask to have the card funded that day for that visit? They haven't answered back yet. The whole thing has been one big nightmare. That visit to the doc-in-a-box could still be fully charged back to me as they couldn't verify my insurance and the drugs that were prescribed for me were not covered by the pharmacy either. I had to pay full price for them.

Check with your local health department. They might have COVID vaccines, and they take just about every insurance. Many health departments will give vaccines even if they can't get paid for them, so it's worth giving them a call if you don't want to wait. You could also try a retail pharmacy like Walgreens. Even if you have to pay, it will be way cheaper than paying for an office visit at a doctor.

 

[Jezza819]

Check with your local health department. They might have COVID vaccines, and they take just about every insurance. Many health departments will give vaccines even if they can't get paid for them, so it's worth giving them a call if you don't want to wait. You could also try a retail pharmacy like Walgreens. Even if you have to pay, it will be way cheaper than paying for an office visit at a doctor.

I can get it from the CVS. That's the pharmacy this insurance uses. I just didn't want to get it while I wasn't feeling good. I'm going back to the doc-in-a-box this afternoon to try and nip this in the bud instead of waiting around for a few days like I did before.