How can I find my old pictures?

[Ursula123]

@Beantree many of the local centres are open for the over 55 after the health minister announcement and are booking on doctolib or keldoc.

I had my first jab at the pharmacy yesterday it was the AstraZeneca and my second is booked for 1st July, I turned 51 this week with no comorbidities and the pharmacist was happy to give me the vaccine and basically said that the medication I take  for my migraines has far worse side effects. He also pointed out that many people who worry about the vaccine never worry when the drink alcohol, maybe taken banned drugs in the past or even taking other prescription medication as these can also cause reactions and effects.

[Beantree]

Like you @Daphne we are out in the sticks and staying well away from it. You are perfectly safe if you don't go anywhere and don't touch your mail for at least 24 hours. Problem is the idiots who don't follow the rules, get infected and infect other people. We went to a specialist agricultural machinery merchant a few weeks ago and whilst everyone was wearing a mask, there were so many machines in the place the isles were tiny and distancing was impossible. It's places like that where infection spreads, as one in there with it and we'd all have it. Anyway, we did come away with a super machine which cuts everything from lawns, hay and scrubland. But that experience (and near misses in the supermarket) did tip me towards getting vaccinated as soon as possible.

I'm surprised the pharmacist gave you Astrazeneca @Ursula123 , given the government instructions. Guess you will need to go back to the same one for the second. Quite right about the alcohol, but the other two don't apply here. Smoking is an interesting one though, something that was discussed early on when they realised that whilst 25% smoke only 5% of Covid patients in hospital are smokers. They did give the reasons, but added that smoking kills more people annually than the virus. Well at this point that isn't true. There was discussion about giving people nicotine patches but I think at the end it came down to cost.

Article on TV today explained the situation with Pfizer. When you have had your initial two doses you will need a single 'booster' somewhere between 6 and 12 months later: they haven't decided. And thereafter boosters at regular intervals. They are currently trying to modify their vaccine to give better coverage of the variants, particularly the Brazilian and also to increase the storage temperature from below -70C to a normal 2C to 8C. And they have put the price up by €2, which should boost their annual profits by €4 billion!

[Ursula123]

I wonder what the statistics are for blood clots in people who have Covid, is it higher than the rate of those from the vaccine.

My second vaccine is booked for 1st July at the same pharmacy @Beantree. 

 

Edited April 17, 2021 by Ursula123
Additional text

[Beantree]

Mine is booked for the 27th April, with the second on 8th June @Ursula123 ,but I wouldn't be surprised if I got a text the day before telling me the appointment is cancelled, because I know how erratic supplies are. The vaccine hall is on the way into town from us so it's as easy as it could be, unless they did home visits. Not really sure I would call it a town though, even with 4 supermarkets, because the population is 3800. Our village in England had a population over 6000 (and one very small supermarket).

Don't know the answer to the blood clots statistics.

[soapdragon]

On a very, very  lightweight note...........I am soooooo looking forward to my hair appointment on 24th April! It's been 7 months now and I look like Medusa on speed. Stupidly I had arranged for the boys to have theirs done by someone coming to the house on 18th Dec but said, no thanks...I'll be fine as mine is booked for 2nd week in Jan. That went well then. Doh. 

[mullethunter]

5 hours ago, Ursula123 said:

wonder what the statistics are for blood clots in people who have Covid, is it higher than the rate of those from the vaccine.

They have been talking about that here and have said that yes, you’re A LOT more likely to have a blood clot as a result of having Covid than you are from having any of the vaccines.

[Beantree]

Well we're feeling a sense of urgency here as there are no more vaccination days open. So the plan is to fill all the chicken feeders and drinkers, charge all the electric fence batteries and leave the fences switched on and go to an afternoon appointment as well (so no wine time). Our free ranging TNN's will have to take their chances. So be it a big mistake but we both have a vaccination on the same day. So long as we drink we're OK; plenty of fat in reserve!

[soapdragon]

Beantree - you can either wonder what all the fuss was about together or sympathise with each other! Wine time postponed. Both OH and I felt GRIM after AZ but didn't halt us in our tracks - if I'd absolutey had to work I would have done and OH did (works from home anyway). Apparently the whole clot thing is less than you'd expect in any unvaccinated population - paracetamol and nurofen alternated worked for us both but you may well be totally OK! Wishing you well - Go for it!

[Ursula123]

2 hours ago, mullethunter said:

They have been talking about that here and have said that yes, you’re A LOT more likely to have a blood clot as a result of having Covid than you are from having any of the vaccines.

Thanks Mullethunter, I did have a quick look earlier and it seems you are much more likely to get a blood clot if you have Covid. I found the following article/report.

https://www.hri.org.au/health/your-health/lifestyle/people-with-coronavirus-are-at-risk-of-blood-clots-and-strokes

 

[Beantree]

Our neighbour popped round yesterday with a curry his wife made and our plant pots for the tomatoes. No mask and only one metre distancing; we were too polite to insist, which may be a mistake? I mentioned we were going for our vaccination next week and asked if he had his (he runs the farm college and is in contact with hundreds of people, so very high risk). Not going to bother he said, they don't work and it's all a get rich scheme by the drug companies. He knows of someone who had the required two jabs and still caught Covid (don't know which vaccine). He thinks Covid is here forever and he just has to take his chances. Not surprised therefore that after nearly three weeks of the third lockdown in France little, if any, benefit has been felt by the health service.

The time interval between the jabs depends on the vaccine here. Pfizer and Moderna is 39- 42 days. Astrazeneca is 9 -12 weeks.

I didn't realise how great the resistance here to Astrazeneca is, until I saw an article on the news where a vaccidome (football stadium) in Nice was opened ready to accept thousands a day and it was completely empty. The reason soon became obvious; they only gave Astrazeneca. Having said that there are a dozen centres in this department (county) giving Pfizer and the only one that is fully booked is ours. The rest have slots available all day. So I think the resistance is to any vaccine and at the moment they have no plans to make it obligatory for the general public. So Covid really is here to stay, in France anyway.

[Daphne]

Sobering update, Beantree.  I managed to upset myself this morning by reading about ex-pats in Greece who can't get a jab, even if they have been there for years, because they don't have a social security number and the 2 things are associated.  We don't have one either, but OH reassured me by saying our system is different and we do have a medical number as registered with local doctor.  I had an invite to go back to my language class next week, which I will do as we are a small group and good at social distancing.  I get to practise my French, attempting to translate from Portugeuse, as one of us is a French lady who only speaks French.  Luckily our Spanish and Dutch members speak English!  Everybody wears a mask/distances in public, although visiting at people's houses its a lot more lax depending on who it is, so we don't do much of that at all, and you're right, its tough to know what to do.  We are all so polite it goes against the grain to ask people to strictly observe the protocols, although mostly we are outdoors so it is a lot safer.   The border is still shut, but more shops are beginning to open, and you can eat/drink outside in small groups.  The state of emergency has been voted in again, until the end of the month.  Then we shall see.

[Beantree]

Bad news about the ex-pats in Greece @Daphne; we bought a concrete mixer 2 years ago from a nice couple moving to Corfu, leaving a wonderful place here, to join their children who lived and worked there. I suppose each Country has it's own systems and they are all very different. We have a Social Security Number with the digits '99' within it, which means 'foreigner', but we haven't been asked for that yet. I think without it you just pay, as you do at the doctor? The system then refunds you if you are in it. But as we have cards they will be accepted for part payment as happens when you go for a blood test or get a prescription; the remainder made up by your health insurer. It's an incredibly complicated Health System here, too complicated to explain.

The vaccidome in Nice has been closed down. They only gave out 46 doses! In the meantime the Pfizer centres are now open to the 55- 59 age group, which I think is simply to fill the appointment spaces and use the vaccine which they have coming. I have my confirmation email and just need my ID card plus medical card.

[soapdragon]

OH got a call from our surgery yesterday at 3. 40pm as they had a spare dose and were ringing round. This is his second dose only 5 weeks after his first jab. Having been really rough with the first dose he has sailed through this one with only a sore arm (although it is, apparently, VERY sore and, from the amount of moaning, groaning and arm rubbing, may well fall off!)

[Beantree]

We had our Pfizer vaccines yesterday and it all went very smoothly, apart from two problems. First was the appointment software had somehow reversed my name so they couldn't find it on the list until I showed them the SMS confirmation. Second I didn't understand one of the health questions "allaitez-vous?" so had to ask. The lady demonstrated sufficiently well for me to be happy putting 'no' as the answer. Didn't feel the jab at all; tiny needle injected in an instant. Arms uncomfortable but not sore and no side effects worth describing.

Despite the third lockdown and a curfew things are not improving, in fact the hospital situation is getting worse. We've just had a parcel delivered and the driver's approach was a joke. No mask and no intention to maintain the 2 metre distance and that's the requirement with a mask on, off and one report said 10 metres. He walked over to me to hand the parcel. I backed away and told him to leave it on the driveway. Transferred it to the garage where it will be left at least 24 hours and then washed my hands.

[mullethunter]

Booked both mine today. First next week and second in July 🙌🏻🙌🏻

[Cat tails]

14 minutes ago, mullethunter said:

Booked both mine today. First next week and second in July 🙌🏻🙌🏻

Great news!

People from 1954 and older can now make appointments over here. At this rate I’ll be due to get mine in 2022...

[mullethunter]

Crikey CT - I heard today that the Netherlands are quite far down the EU vaccination table. It’s aged 40 and over here now so 1980.

[Cat tails]

Well I’m from 1987, so no use moving to the UK now! 😂

[Ursula123]

4 hours ago, Cat tails said:

Well I’m from 1987, so no use moving to the UK now! 😂

I feel old now, I am old enough to be your mum😕

[Beantree]

After an abysmally slow beginning, the vaccination programme in France is well underway. Figures this morning say 19.2 million first jabs and 9 million seconds. Our second Pfizer is due 9th June and hopefully this time we will only have a sore arm. It's taken 3 weeks to get over what feels like a 'head cold' and I'm still not right. They say a third of Covid infections result in loss of memory, but they didn't say how long for? Astrazeneca has been reviewed and it remains for the over 55's only. There have been complaints that the booking system has to be done on-line; some people haven't got computers and want to be able to telephone.

Despite earlier statements that it will never be obligatory to be vaccinated there will now be a 'vaccination passport' system put in place. That gets you into as yet unspecified places and to qualify you need two jabs and the unique codes that go with them. There is some kind of fraud prevention attached as well and it should all be in place by 30th June. Hopefully that will allow us into Spain; at the moment a recent PCR test is compulsory and having the vaccine counts for nothing. But it looks as though it will have to be attached to a 'smart phone', so as I haven't got one it may be a problem? The end of the state of health emergency in France has been brought forward to 30th September. But this will be subject to controlling the Indian 'double variant', so a variant of an earlier variant, because the current vaccines are only 50% effective against it and we may end up almost back to where we started? it's been detected in 44 Countries now and there was an instance where someone flew into Paris and tested negative, then boarded a coach to Belgium and tested positive with that variant when they got there.

[Daphne]

I love reading your updates Beantree as what you are told/learn differs from what I read in Portugal/UK.  We can nip over the border into Spain, legally.  However, as our nearest crossing point is pretty remote there is nobody there to check anything either way, its not clear to me whether or not we are supposed to have a PCR test.  I know if we wanted to get into France we'd need one, but given the fact that we aren't vaccinated (although I got my first appointment through yesterday, so will be having it on 24th) there is no way we want to come to France at the mo, with its high case numbers. I will keep abreast of your updates, as we do hope to visit my MIL before the end of August, all being well.  

[Beantree]

i think you are right to completely avoid France @Daphne, because the figures are massive compared to the first and second waves and they are somewhat being ignored. So 100 per 100,00 was a big deal once and now it's 400 is OK. Whilst the focus now is the number vaccinated it isn't having that much effect yet on the numbers, so still way over the second wave, probably because the social distancing rules are largely ignored. Even with our second jab we'll be staying tight.

Good news on your vaccination date.

I'm off to the shooting club tomorrow and not happy about it! Haven't been for a year because of Covid but we are being subjected to a noise analysis; why I don'y know? As I am the closest member I feel obliged to attend as they need 12 people shooting for the sound measurements. To be honest I'd rather plant the tomatoes. If I have the slightest feeling that I am in danger  because of breaking the social distancing rules I'm leaving.

[Beantree]

The noise test went well and the club passed with levels well below the maximum acceptable, due I think to the addition of some huge straw bales. Most people at the club have had their first vaccination and by the end of the month the majority will have had their second.

The vaccination programme in France has accelerated even more now, with over 600,000 doses being given a day and the 12-18 year olds starting on a voluntary basis on the 17th June. Our second is on the 8th, after which we can apply for our European Health Passport and travel to Spain. Resistance to vaccination has dropped considerably, due in part I think to this passport being needed to access Europe. However Astrazeneca is still not at  all popular. They said that only 4.2 million doses have been given which has resulted in 42 cases of blood clotting and 11 deaths, which explains why.

The Indian variant is a big cause for concern here and they are trying to stop it coming in. They said that 80% of cases in the UK are that variant because the effectivity of the vaccines is reduced. The reason is that it is a double mutation. A UK study was quoted this morning which found that for a single dose of either Astrazeneca or Pfizer the effectivity is down from 60% for the original Covid to just 33% for the Indian. With two doses it is 60% for Astrazeneca and 88% for Pfizer. Clearly the social distancing, masks and hand cleansing remain necessary.

Went out last week to collect some official translations of documents which were too important to risk postage. Called into three shops on the way and were obliged to put gel on our hands at each one; someone standing at the door in every case telling us it was obligatory. So it came as a surprise this morning to be told that this relative backwater, the Southwest of France, has become the country's new 'hot-spot', with a re-infection rate just over 1. They are considering local lockdowns at the moment, so perhaps we won't be going to Spain after all?

[Daphne]

That would be a shame Beantree, do you go to Spain for a holiday, or to visit people or to buy things?  We are 2 hours from the border and I have a friend who goes to buy his gas bottles, fuel and things like perlite when he can.  We go to buy chorizo and wine!  Although I love a day in Spain, it is very different to Portugal, its nice just to wander about in different towns and eat different food, I always feel like I have had a mini-break!

Thank you once again for the update on the French take on covid.  I think the vaccination success rates you quote are sobering, against the Indian variant (or the Delta variant as I believe we are supposed to be calling it, although I'm not sure it will catch on).  I had my jab, Johnson&Johnson, so just the one, and am waiting for my immunity to get up to full strength.  OH is likely to be a difficult case as he has had anaphylaxsis, so will probably be referred to the hospital, but at least he will be given Pfizer (hopefully), probably with a 2 week break between shots.  My brother in Australia went for the AZ jab early as they were desperate for people to be treated, although since Victoria went into a short lockdown, there have been queues.

We all use sanitizer and masks as a matter of course around here, but Portugal is reaping the bad harvest from opening up, with our rates going up.  I am stuck in a bit of limbo, waiting to be fully protected, waiting for OH to have his shots, but also wanting to travel to UK to see my Mum and to be able to bring her back here.  However, all the rigmarole with tests, queues, uncertainties and travelling with an elderly parent make me a bit reluctant.  It may be that I just go to the UK (assuming the borders stay open).

[Beantree]

Spain is a nice morning out @Daphne, although we aren't there for long. Just buy cheaper stuff and then get back to a village in France before midday to sit by the crystal clear mountain river in the sun, have a snack and listen to the three sets of clock bells chime 12. No-one else there usually. We buy our food in France, especially the bread as, although it is cheap the quality in the Spanish supermarket is dismal. When we eat we eat well. On trips back to England I struggled to find anything acceptable to eat; I can taste the bitter preservative in the bread. Guess my taste has become more sensitive now.

Hope you get this vaccination stuff sorted out. I put the details in this thread because I don't think people are given the full picture in the UK and they need to know. They summed it up here as being protected (to a varying degree) but certainly not immune.