COVID Vaccine: False sense of security or green light?

[Schweet]

My parents cried, they were so elated to finally get the vaccine. "We can finally not worry anymore and have the whole family over!" My Mom said this with such enthusiasm and it was the first time over the last 10 months she seemed carefree. I wanted to immediately correct her since she had this "I am untouchable now I got the vaccine" way of thinking but I will let her revel in it until the 2nd Vaccine. Instead, I politely reminded her full immunity comes a week or so after the 2nd shot. If she starts planning an Easter party, I may need to have a discussion sooner.

I thought to myself, how many people are thinking this way? Is this much anticipated, solution to our problems vaccine giving too many of us a false sense of security? (Of course, I'm exaggerating a little) After experiencing a similar emotion after my 2nd injection I sort of understand. I had a moment when I thought this changes everything, but does it really? As a nurse I already researched the vaccine, coming to the realization we don't know enough about the vaccine, and we can't to go back to regular life. I had to mourn the loss of my old life just like everyone else. Had to go thru the 5 stages of grief. The stages went something like this-

1-Denial

This isn't happening! Covid Must be like another flu. (Boy were we wrong)

2- Anger

Stay at Home! Can't tell me what to do...what, everything is closed...guess I will just stay home then.

3-Bargaining- Viva Las Vegas 

If I just wear my mask, stay far apart then my 2020 Vegas trip will be just like before...nope, not the same. Life just is not the same.

4-Depression

My kids never going back to school, I am going out of my mind stuck in this house! On the super depressing side, I see patients, coworkers and friends dying. None of us have ever seen so much death. No time to dwell on this, no time to process these pesky emotions, back to work. I Will schedule appt with a therapist after all this is over... I.e. who knows when.

5- Acceptance

Not sure I have reached this one yet. Is tolerating something the same as acceptance? If so then I wavier between this stage and the last three depending on the day.

We all have our own version of this I assume. Every one of us going through this loss together but separately, not to mention the loved ones lost. 

I feel encouraged by the vaccine, all the while black clouds of uncertainty loom overhead. I read things like this and feel again like we have a long road ahead.

Quote

If I get a coronavirus vaccination, do I still have to wear a mask? Physical distance?

Yes. It may take time for everyone who wants a COVID-19 vaccination to get one. A vaccine that is 95% effective means that about 1 out of 20 people who get it may not have protection from getting the illness.

Also, while the vaccine may prevent you from getting sick, it is unknown at this time if you can still carry and transmit the virus to others. That is why, until more is understood about how well the vaccine works, continuing with precautions such as mask-wearing and physical distancing will be important.

- Safety and Effectiveness of a COVID-19 Vaccine

What I mean is this, after I got the vaccine I felt relief knowing I am less likely to get COVID. Unfortunately, studies haven't been done yet to determine if I could still carry and transmit it. I think that's the part so many of us are forgetting, which is easy to do. Maybe they will do studies and find otherwise but until then I am considering every risk I take. Am I wearing a mask at home? Obviously not, but when my friends say to me we should go out now since I have the vaccine and my parents say come over, I think not yet. I am in the thick of this, working with COVID + patients every shift and the risk is still too great. I would rather not even think about it, any of it. Alas everywhere I turn these thoughts invade my mind, situations bring up these questions and others.

I want to get out there so badly. I was even less cautious for maybe 4 months, back when things slowed down. Part of me wants to go out with them but wear a mask and be outside? I try to rationalize that if others see their extended families, then so could I. That's when my logical side kicks in and for me, at this point it's worth waiting a little while before a family reunion. I would feel horrible if I unknowingly brought an uninvited "guest".

So, thanks for letting me say my piece (sometimes wondering off topic but will bring it full circle here?) Now that you know my inner struggle on this topic (sometimes hopeful, sometimes reality gets too real), I am wondering about others point of view who have been vaccinated, are you staying away for now or is the vaccine a green light for you to be around others? I know it's a personal choice but want to see other nurses' inner dialogue to see the reasons behind those choices. 

Thanks,

❤ Schweet

[CommunityRNBSN, BSN, RN]

I will be getting back to my life. The people who say “The vaccine isn’t 100% effective”— nothing is. Not the flu vaccine, not MMR (I had to have that one again at age 30 because it “wore off”), not seat belts.  We all walk around with risk every single day.  But why did you get the vaccine if you plan to remain in lockdown for the rest of your life?

[CommunityRNBSN, BSN, RN]

10 hours ago, TheMoonisMyLantern said:

The survival rate doesn't change how many people have died from it.

Not to mention the long term effects and damage it can cause. There are worse things than death.

 

There are things worse than death, and one of them is to be 100% isolated, in your home, without seeing your family or friends, for a year. Have you seen the reports of spiking suicide rates among teenagers whose schools have remained closed?  I have only one son. Covid itself really isn’t a risk to him (I mean statistically)— he’s young, healthy, and under 12. What IS a risk to him is having every single one of his psychosocial supports ripped out from under him in March and to have them never return. 

[TheMoonisMyLantern, ADN, LPN, RN]

41 minutes ago, CommunityRNBSN said:

There are things worse than death, and one of them is to be 100% isolated, in your home, without seeing your family or friends, for a year. Have you seen the reports of spiking suicide rates among teenagers whose schools have remained closed?  I have only one son. Covid itself really isn’t a risk to him (I mean statistically)— he’s young, healthy, and under 12. What IS a risk to him is having every single one of his psychosocial supports ripped out from under him in March and to have them never return. 

I don't disagree with you, by all means I'm not enjoying the pandemic whatsoever and will be glad when this madness ends. The vaccine is a very very important piece of ending this madness, but it isn't a magic bullet. We still don't know if it reduces transmissibility, good news is AstraZeneca's vaccine has proved a reduction in transmission but the jury's still out of Pfizer and Moderna. That's why I haven't got buck naked running down the streets screaming "It's Over!" yet. Your child may be statistically safe, but what about the Teachers, there is no school if you kill them off, what about the many grandparents that are the primary caregivers for their children, do they get the axe as well so your son can return to school? I'm not trying to minimize your son's needs but it's not just his needs that have to be considered but the entire community's needs. So many places aren't vaccinating teachers and yet opening the schools back up anyway, that's madness. In my area teachers are high priority to vaccinate so that schools can open up with a high degree of safety. Because you're right, children need to be in school for not only their needs, but so their parents can actually go to work and be able to support their family. Through all of this I have felt really bad for the families with no dedicated stay at home caregiver for their children, I don't know how they're managing. 

[londonflo]

1 hour ago, CommunityRNBSN said:

every single one of his psychosocial supports ripped out from under him in March

I understand you are saying this to add something to your statements but indeed he has not had every single one of his psychosocial supports ripped out from under him. He has you and a supportive family. Through technology he can still communicate with friends. He knows he is safe, I assume. He will endure. I have repeatedly said how awful it would be to be in lockdown with a significant other you really didn't want to be with. I have had recents news of a family member who found this to be the case and got divorced. Bad things are happening but it is up tp us to provide support for eachother. 

While some of the book is fiction, "The Long Winter" by Laura Ingalls Wilder tells of a family in 'lockdown' due to weather. They are low on fuel and food. But they have eachother. And actually this book has given me ideas to help with some of my psych reactions. I am a reader and am participating in reading all of Charles Dickens novels in 2021. Believe me getting out of your own troubles and into how others coped is beneficial.

[TheMoonisMyLantern, ADN, LPN, RN]

4 minutes ago, londonflo said:

I And actually this book has given me ideas to help with some of my psych reactions. 

Would you mind elaborating on this? What are some the ideas you've had?

[londonflo]

Yes, we were wise to have some scientists in place to help with the vaccine. Professionals are always the best to rely on as our current President has shown. Someone making decisions who had neither the education, experience or non-political motivation has led us to where we are today but thankfully some wiser heads have prevailed and we are making progress.

 

13 hours ago, toomuchbaloney said:

Trump's federal response was a failure and Trump essentially made no effort at all beyond trying to create a narrative about his heroic leadership or something. 

The most recent 'autopsy' of the election by pollsters, demonstrates this was the strongest factor in the loss of the election for him. 

[toomuchbaloney]

It's so awkward when quotes are misattributed.

[londonflo]

6 minutes ago, TheMoonisMyLantern said:

What are some the ideas you've had?

The Ingalls family always used music to bolster their feelings about failure. To really understand who valuable music was to impoverished pioneers, you need only to really look at when and where they had music. Church organs and any one with an instrument and skill was invaluable to getting a crowd together (this is off the subject but I read somewhere Paul McCartney's father told Paul to learn to play a musical instrument so he'd always get invited to the parties). My husband dusted off his sax, started playing it and I keep music playing on CDs almost most of the day. 

The Ingalls used delayed gratification to make somedays special -- like Christmas. In a rare moment when letters and newspapers got through to them, they kept them to read for Christmas day. A treat so to speak. I really don't have any suggestions outside the book, really simple things for a simpler time but they have helped me. Hand sewing, mailing postcards to grandchildren doing remote learning - those kind of things.

The best thing that came out of the closure of museums is the development of virtual tours and talks. I sign up for a lot. An hour here, an hour there. Might as well learn something. And I am learning from places I may never get to again. Last Summer I listened to a talk from London while sitting on my porch in the midwest. What would we have done without the internet.

[CommunityRNBSN, BSN, RN]

43 minutes ago, londonflo said:

 

While some of the book is fiction, "The Long Winter" by Laura Ingalls Wilder tells of a family in 'lockdown' due to weather. 

One of my favorite books as a child— I love your analogy. 

[TheMoonisMyLantern, ADN, LPN, RN]

21 minutes ago, londonflo said:

The Ingalls family always used music to bolster their feelings about failure. To really understand who valuable music was to impoverished pioneers, you need only to really look at when and where they had music. Church organs and any one with an instrument and skill was invaluable to getting a crowd together (this is off the subject but I read somewhere Paul McCartney's father told Paul to learn to play a musical instrument so he'd always get invited to the parties). My husband dusted off his sax, started playing it and I keep music playing on CDs almost most of the day. 

The Ingalls used delayed gratification to make somedays special -- like Christmas. In a rare moment when letters and newspapers got through to them, they kept them to read for Christmas day. A treat so to speak. I really don't have any suggestions outside the book, really simple things for a simpler time but they have helped me. Hand sewing, mailing postcards to grandchildren doing remote learning - those kind of things.

The best thing that came out of the closure of museums is the development of virtual tours and talks. I sign up for a lot. An hour here, an hour there. Might as well learn something. And I am learning from places I may never get to again. Last Summer I listened to a talk from London while sitting on my porch in the midwest. What would we have done without the internet.

I like that Flo, sometimes simple things just bring a smile to our faces.

You know what I miss about pre-covid life? This is going to sound incredibly macabre but, funerals, actually. I hate so much that families of the deceased through all this have been so limited in what kind funeral arrangements they can make to put their loved one to rest. It's so sad, we've been burying our dead for thousands of years, it's in our expectation to honor our beloved and put their remains to rest. I fear a lot of people will complicated and dysfunctional grieving and that that lack of closure will be a big issue. 

[londonflo]

1 hour ago, TheMoonisMyLantern said:

funerals, actually

Yes, yes. Luckily I haven't had to go to any but our ancestors developed rituals to help bring peace to those left behind. 

[nxikkxi]

15 hours ago, TheMoonisMyLantern said:

The survival rate doesn't change how many people have died from it.

Not to mention the long term effects and damage it can cause. There are worse things than death.

Exactly !