Is anyone worried that there won’t be a vaccine by next March Break?

[AngelDisney]

I sure hope there will be a vaccine by December, so my Christmas trip to WDW is a go. Fingers and toes crossed!

 

[StarWarsNerd24]

Yes, very worried. Sadly I don't think there will be one either. HOPE I am wrong though.

 

[Kaadk]

And don't forget, we have a flu vaccine that many people do not take advantage of, so just because they come up with a vaccine for COVID-19 that doesn't mean that everyone will take it. That being said, there will be many that will travel all over that have not been vaccinated once a vaccine is available, just like the flu vaccine.
And don't bash me, I do vaccinate for flu every year, and will definitely get the COVID vaccine.

I'll admit I don't get the flu shot.... Because the worst cases of flu I've ever had (at least as an adult) I've gotten when I had the flu shot. If I skip the shot, I can usually make it through a winter with just a few mild cold like symptoms (not sure if actually just the cold or the flu), but a week of so of sore throat and stuff/runny nose is about all I get. But the years I've gotten a flu shot, a few days later I'm calling in sick, running a fever, sore and bed-ridden for 24-48 hours. (Note: I work out of the house mostly, so yeah, I can work with just a cold without worries of spreading those germs to other people.) I can't explain why it happens, as the flu shot is supposed to not be able to give you the flu, but that's been my track record. Maybe by getting the shot, my body lowers it's natural protection instead of boosting it or something in some kind of twisted mutation, but either way, I've steered away from them due to the fact that I've always gotten the flu a few days after getting the shot.

A vaccine for COVID on the other hand, I hope will be different. The flu shot is the only one that I've had this reaction with. Other vaccines, Tetanus, Polio, Measles, etc... I've been fine with.

 

[StarWarsNerd24]

I'll admit I don't get the flu shot.... Because the worst cases of flu I've ever had (at least as an adult) I've gotten when I had the flu shot

No intent on bashing you by saying this as people are free to choose for themselves on how the do things but...

The flu vaccine only protects against influenza, not other illnesses. It is possible to be exposed to influenza viruses, which cause the flu, shortly before getting vaccinated or during the two-week period after vaccination that it takes the body to develop immune protection. Flu shots protect against three or four strains of flu virus.

You may also experience other flu shot side effects, like a low-grade fever, body aches, headache, and an overall feeling of illness that many people mistake for the flu. These symptoms are the body's normal immune response to the inactivated virus in the vaccine. ... So, although you may feel sick, you cant get sick from the flu shot.

 

[bankr63]

I'll admit I don't get the flu shot.... Because the worst cases of flu I've ever had (at least as an adult) I've gotten when I had the flu shot. If I skip the shot, I can usually make it through a winter with just a few mild cold like symptoms (not sure if actually just the cold or the flu), but a week of so of sore throat and stuff/runny nose is about all I get. But the years I've gotten a flu shot, a few days later I'm calling in sick, running a fever, sore and bed-ridden for 24-48 hours. (Note: I work out of the house mostly, so yeah, I can work with just a cold without worries of spreading those germs to other people.) I can't explain why it happens, as the flu shot is supposed to not be able to give you the flu, but that's been my track record. Maybe by getting the shot, my body lowers it's natural protection instead of boosting it or something in some kind of twisted mutation, but either way, I've steered away from them due to the fact that I've always gotten the flu a few days after getting the shot.

A vaccine for COVID on the other hand, I hope will be different. The flu shot is the only one that I've had this reaction with. Other vaccines, Tetanus, Polio, Measles, etc... I've been fine with.

My story was similar; I never get it, shot gave it to me, etc (well that was the yellow fever shot, but same thing). Then one year I did get the flu big time and it developed into full blown pneumonia. Having gone through that, I changed my tune real quick and I am first to sign up now when the jabs start in the fall.

 

[RogueX]

I'll admit I don't get the flu shot.... Because the worst cases of flu I've ever had (at least as an adult) I've gotten when I had the flu shot. If I skip the shot, I can usually make it through a winter with just a few mild cold like symptoms (not sure if actually just the cold or the flu), but a week of so of sore throat and stuff/runny nose is about all I get. But the years I've gotten a flu shot, a few days later I'm calling in sick, running a fever, sore and bed-ridden for 24-48 hours. (Note: I work out of the house mostly, so yeah, I can work with just a cold without worries of spreading those germs to other people.) I can't explain why it happens, as the flu shot is supposed to not be able to give you the flu, but that's been my track record. Maybe by getting the shot, my body lowers it's natural protection instead of boosting it or something in some kind of twisted mutation, but either way, I've steered away from them due to the fact that I've always gotten the flu a few days after getting the shot.

A vaccine for COVID on the other hand, I hope will be different. The flu shot is the only one that I've had this reaction with. Other vaccines, Tetanus, Polio, Measles, etc... I've been fine with.

The one year I got the flu shot, the resulting illness from it stumped my doctors. There were multiple involved trying to figure out how a flu shot turned into the respiratory nightmare that lasted 3 months. Pneumonia and all of that was ruled out, but it was miserable.

 

[pangyal]

I would say that the most likely scenario is that those who got sick after getting the flu shot simply caught a strain of the flu that the flu shot was not engineered to protect against that year.

 

[isabellea]

I would say that the most likely scenario is that those who got sick after getting the flu shot simply caught a strain of the flu that the flu shot was not engineered to protect against that year.

Possible. Some years experts guess right from the southern hemisphere what strains of influenza will be more prevalent and some years they are completely off. That's one big flaw of the flu vaccination and why so much is spent to develop a vaccine that would cover all strains and maybe give a longer immunity to it. And like @StarWarsNerd24 wrote, immunity to the strains included in the shot is not immediate. It takes 2-4 weeks to develop the immunity (antibodies) from the attenuated virus. That means you are still susceptible to get influenza during that time. That's why flu shots are given early in the season, well before the peak happens in winter.

 

[pangyal]

Possible. Some years experts guess right from the southern hemisphere what strains of influenza will be more prevalent and some years they are completely off. That's one big flaw of the flu vaccination and why so much is spent to develop a vaccine that would cover all strains and maybe give a longer immunity to it. And like @StarWarsNerd24 wrote, immunity to the strains included in the shot is not immediate. It takes 2-4 weeks to develop the immunity (antibodies) from the attenuated virus. That means you are still susceptible to get influenza during that time. That's why flu shots are given early in the season, well before the peak happens in winter.

Exactly . Thank you for writing it out so well!

 

[ilovetotravel1977]

I think the reason I don't get sick is because when I was a toddler I used to eat dirt (so I've been told) LOL That must have propelled my immune system in many ways!

Edit to add: In all seriousness, back in April when I thought I what I was covid, could have been the flu? (trouble breathing, major fatigue,, headache, diarrhea)

 

[pigletto]

I think the reason I don't get sick is because when I was a toddler I used to eat dirt (so I've been told) LOL That must have propelled my immune system in many ways!

Edit to add: In all seriousness, back in April when I thought I what I was covid, could have been the flu? (trouble breathing, major fatigue,, headache, diarrhea)

Most likely. My husband also had something similar in January and was sicker than I’ve ever seen him. It’s not an impossibility that it was Covid as its being found that it was in our communities earlier than initially thought, but it’s a far greater chance that it was some strain of influenza not covered by the shot he had. My daughter who works in a school also had a bad respiratory illness in early March. In both cases they were working around people who had just returned from travel.

I hold out a little hope that it was Covid 19 as then maybe we have some immunity but it’s not the most likely scenario. FWIW we all had flu shots in October.

 

[isabellea]

Both strain A and strain B of influenza were in circulation this year: https://www.canada.ca/en/public-hea...9-2020/weeks-15-19-april-5-may-9-2020.html#f3

 

[RhodyKP]

There was some positive news on the vaccine front yesterday from a U.S. company (Moderna), but the million dollar question remains if and when a vaccine will be widely available. I have elderly parents all the way across the country from me so I'm desperate for some good news on that front. With respect to this beautiful little corner of the world (Disney), my family has a January 2021 trip planned that is booked with rented DVC points (from a Disboards member) and I've been driving myself crazy what to do. The member was gracious enough to offer to rebook our trip anytime through the end of the August 2020 use year, which for us really means through the end of May 2021 at the most because I don't want to subject my parents to the summer heat, particularly since they're the ones footing the bill for the rental. And I don't want to have to ask the member to rebook us more than once. It's a delicate balance between waiting to see what happens on the vaccine front, and not wanting to wait so long that there's no DVC availability for us if we have to move the dates, because I expect 2021 to be crazy with the backed up demand and the anniversary.

 

[mouse575]

I'm just not making plans or getting hopeful about being able to go anywhere until a vaccine is announced.

 

[MyPrince&Princess]

If they do come through with a vaccine, would you take it? I fear the long term effects that a quick vaccine wouldn't be studied for. Don't vaccines usually require years of testing before it's safe? I hate to be a guinea pig.

 

[FigmentSpark]

If they do come through with a vaccine, would you take it? I fear the long term effects that a quick vaccine wouldn't be studied for. Don't vaccines usually require years of testing before it's safe? I hate to be a guinea pig.

I hear this a lot, but the reason it takes so long to develop vaccines in normal times is not safety, but money. There is all the will and money to throw at this so a normal timeline can be shortened because there are no delays between the safety testing, no delays in getting it mass produced and no delays between phases to find the funding and business case to go forward.

They've already said many times over that no vaccine will be approved if they've cut any corners that would make it any less safe than any other vaccine.

 

[wdwmom3]

I hear this a lot, but the reason it takes so long to develop vaccines in normal times is not safety, but money. There is all the will and money to throw at this so a normal timeline can be shortened because there are no delays between the safety testing, no delays in getting it mass produced and no delays between phases to find the funding and business case to go forward.

They've already said many times over that no vaccine will be approved if they've cut any corners that would make it any less safe than any other vaccine.

I’ve also read it normally takes so long to study vaccines because you need to have a certain number of people who get the vaccine and then give it time to see if they actually catch whatever the shot it for. That can take a long time. With the pandemic if you give the vaccine to people in places with a high rate of cases they will be exposed a lot more often to the actual virus. So it won’t take as long to know if they are immune or not. So they could vaccinate people in say the US or Brazil and you would get an idea of effectiveness in a shorter time frame then normal.

I’m hopeful there will be a vaccine by the beginning of next year. If not maybe an effective treatment so people don’t get so sick.

 

[MyPrince&Princess]

I'm more worried about long term side effects of a vaccine that hasn't had the usual time to be studied. I always thought the length of time it took was due to money but also the time needed to test any unexpected side effects. I don't know much about medicine but that's what my simple mind is thinking.

 

[wdwmom3]

I'm more worried about long term side effects of a vaccine that hasn't had the usual time to be studied. I always thought the length of time it took was due to money but also the time needed to test any unexpected side effects. I don't know much about medicine but that's what my simple mind is thinking.

Most side effects show up rather quickly. They will tested it enough to know about any major side effects. I’m more concerned about my at risk family members getting COVID and losing their life (an actual know risk) then with a “possible” most likely rare side effect.

It’s the same as the radiation they treated my childhood cancer with. Yes they know now about all the bad side effects. But without it I would be dead. I’d rather be alive with side effects thanks.

 

[Prince John Robin Hood]

Fingers crossed for next summer