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    • #17387
      Amanda
      Keymaster

        It makes sense that people with diseases like ALS would be on the priority list for the vaccination.  On The ALS Association is advocating for each state to make that happen.  Have you heard what is going on in your state in regards to pALS and caregivers having access to the vaccination?

        https://www.als.org/navigating-als/living-with-als/covid-vaccines for more information about The ALS Association’s role.

      • #17388
        Kathy stitz
        Participant

          I haven’t heard anything about what is going on in my state in regards to this.  I already got the first vaccine three days ago but it wasn’t because I have ALS.  It was because I was a volunteer at a hospital.

          • #17468
            Frankie a reex
            Participant

              im living with ALS and dealing with it myself i have no one to really help me as the symptoms become more severe in time I’ll have to get help i would like to get the vaccine but feel other’s who are worse off should have it since i am not 100% on the same page as the disease I’ve been struggling with options life or death neither one is appealing to me I’m alone 95% of the time and managed to avoid the virus so with all honesty passing it on to those who truly need it would be the best way for me

          • #17393
            Dee Hagen
            Participant

              We’re in Washington state and it sounds like, as of today, Steve will be eligible for the next group. He’s over 65, so that puts him in two high risk groups. We’re hoping by the end of February but will certainly accept it asap if the process picks up the pace. I haven’t heard anything about how at-home caregivers fit into the vaccination picture in our state. It would make sense that we would get them at the same time. I guess we’ll see.

            • #17394
              Astrid
              Participant

                Hi Amanda i was a nurse before my ALS diagnoses. Now i had to stop working it was not possible anymore for me.                             In the Netherlands the first persons to get the vaccine are all the medical workers and by some mistake they send me an invitation too. I will not accept this vaccine because it is ment to be for a medical worker and i no langer are. But if all went to plan all the people with diseases wil get the shot in februari so i have to wait a few weeks.

                 

              • #17402
                Kathy stitz
                Participant

                  Hi Astrid,

                  Thank you for being a nurse.   I’m sure that you helped a lot of people.  I’m sorry you are no longer able to be a nurse.  I hope you are able to get the Covid-19 vaccine soon!  Best wishes.

                • #17408
                  Carolyn Barry
                  Participant

                    I live in Pennsylvania and haven’t heard yet about getting the vaccine. I spoke to my primary care doctor and was told that they went through each of their patients’ files to determine their level of risk.  Thankfully they put me in the high risk group,  so as soon as they either get a supply for administering, or notice of where we need to go, they will call.  I’m hoping it can be within the month, but that’s just my wish!  I hope everyone with ALS can receive theirs as soon as possible!  And Amanda, I greatly appreciate your mention of our caregivers also getting theirs, as somehow I hadn’t thought of their role being a determination.  My husband is not yet 65 and he is healthy so I worried that he’d be in the last grouping. Now I’m not as concerned.

                  • #17415
                    Kathy stitz
                    Participant

                      Carolyn,

                      I hope you and your husband are able to get the Covid-19 vaccine soon!

                    • #17443
                      Dagmar Munn
                      Keymaster

                        Arizona is still slow at rolling out the vaccines. So far, they are still at first-responders and health care workers. It looks like it will be February or March for it to be available to my age-group (65+).

                      • #17447
                        Kathy stitz
                        Participant

                          I hope you can get the Covid-19 vaccine soon, Dagmar.

                        • #17494
                          Carolyn Barry
                          Participant

                            Thanks Kathy, I do hope my husband can also get the vaccine when I do.  I asked my primary doctor and she said she agrees of the importance, but didn’t yet know if he’ll be able to get it then.  Thankfully he is healthy but not being 65 yet, puts him at the lowest level.  My state, PA, puts those with an underlying medical condition at the 1c level, which means it’ll be a good amount of time of waiting still.

                          • #17501
                            Kerry Penn
                            Participant

                              I’m in Georgia. I contacted my GP (I’m her first and only ALS patient) and asked if my husband (my caregiver) and I could get the vaccine. Her office replied right away and we’ll be getting the vaccine on Friday. I believe Georgia is making the vaccine available to those who are 65+ and at high risk.

                            • #17502
                              David Crellin
                              Participant

                                Hi, I live in the UK, so our National Health Service (NHS) is free to all at the point of delivery. And, although we  talk of a postcode (zip code) lottery, generally it’s the same high quality of service throughout the land. I’m waiting for my letter inviting me for a vaccine, guaranteed by 15 February – I’m 63. All over-70s and those who are clinically extremely vulnerable qualify. My 93 year old Dad had his first jab last week. As of today, 4,266,577 people in the UK have received first jab.

                              • #17503
                                Lynn
                                Participant

                                  I live in Washington State and the governor just made the vaccine available to those 65 and over yesterday. Until that happened, I didn’t qualify.

                                • #17504
                                  Tom Hehir
                                  Participant

                                    Hi Folks,

                                    I live in Mass. and have ALS. I am 70 years old and cannot get vaccinated. I have contacted MGH, my primary care provider, and the state Dept of Public Health. It seems that ALS is not a priority here. By the way, I have a friend who works in billing in a hospital who is a healthy 30 year old. He works remotely and has not been in the hospital since March. He got his vaccine two weeks ago.  Really!

                                    Tom

                                  • #17506
                                    Amanda
                                    Keymaster

                                      Florida is continuing to roll out vaccinations to those 65 and older. Health care workers, police, fireman and senior living facilities were first on the list. Educators are not on the priority list.  They’ve had massive problems with the process, unfortunately.

                                    • #17516
                                      Richard
                                      Participant

                                        Hi Amanda. From what I have read about Riluzole (a medicine frequently taken by people with ALS), to me it would make sense to COVID-19 vaccinate pALS sooner rather than later. https://www.wikidoc.org/index.php/Riluzole_(patient_information)
                                        Under the section ” What other information should I know“, the following is stated:

                                        “Riluzole can affect your body’s ability to fight infection. If you have any illness, especially one with a fever, call your doctor.”

                                        Rich

                                         

                                      • #17523
                                        Carolyn Barry
                                        Participant

                                          Yesterday, in just a few hours time, my home state of Pennsylvania, put those with high risk health conditions from Group 1C, to 1B and then to 1A.  Though I was happy to hear this, unfortunately the quantity of available vaccines doesn’t even come close to meeting the number of people who are now in 1A.  I expect to continue to wait a good bit of time, but I am grateful to be in the top group now.

                                        • #17528
                                          Kathy stitz
                                          Participant

                                            Tom,

                                            There have been many instances of people getting the vaccine before they should like you described.

                                            Carolyn,

                                            When do you think you will have to wait until to get the vaccine, February or March?

                                          • #17529
                                            Carolyn Barry
                                            Participant

                                              Thanks for asking Kathy.  I’m really hoping I’ll be able to get it in February, but I have no idea where things are really at with the supply coming in.  My local hospital, who I registered with, is now turning over the appointment – giving, to the Primary Care doctors, who are connected to their hospital.  I talked to my doctor’s office and the nurse said that they are going through each person’s file to determine what group they belong in.  She said I’m in the high risk, plus I’m 65, so I would be with those being first called.  She said no one, even the doctors,  knows when they’ll get their supply.  I’m just happy I’m on someone’s list, so time will tell!

                                            • #17530
                                              Bill
                                              Participant

                                                I’m in Florida and over 65 so I qualify even without ALS. I’ve heard nothing yet on when extending to pALS. Like Amanda says our distribution in Fl is a mess. Here in our county even though 65  and older are eligible, there are 250,000 of us competing to get on website or call lines. We can not register and wait. Latest mess is people having to stand in line at Publix or calling in at 6am for a chance to get an appt. There is talk of a state system but who knows.

                                              • #17614
                                                Kathy stitz
                                                Participant

                                                  Has anyone else been able to get the coronavirus vaccine? I was supposed to get my second one on February 1st but they have canceled all appointments that day because of snow in the forecast.  Now I’m getting the second one on February 7th ( Super Bowl Sunday).

                                                • #17615
                                                  Carolyn Barry
                                                  Participant

                                                    I got a call from my primary doctor yesterday, that they scheduled my 1st and 2nd vaccine for me. Our local hospital here in PA had all if their physicians schedule their patients’ vaccines, as they are given a supply each week. I go February 4th and March 4th.

                                                  • #17629
                                                    Mel Levine
                                                    Participant

                                                      We’re in Ga and no special handling of pALS (my wife). We got our 1st shot (Moderna) 3 weeks ago by getting lucky on the sign-up. Emory is our ALS clinic and said they are using what they have for staff.  Our primary care doctors don’t have any vaccine and basically sent an email saying ‘don’t call us, we’ll call you’.  We live in Fulton County they refued to schedule us for the 2nd shot when we got the 1st. Told us we had to try to get an appointment on our own. Apparently there was an uproar over that approach. I got a recent email scheduling the 2nd Pfizer shots but not the Moderna.  We are hoping that they will contact us for the 2nd shot before our window opens on the 10th.

                                                       

                                                    • #17689
                                                      Richard
                                                      Participant

                                                        If I properly read the CDC website, ALS is considered an underlying condition which means people with ALS should get the vaccine at a higher priority.

                                                         

                                                        If you go to the following CDC website and scroll down to the “Neurologic conditions such as dementia” section, you will see that ALS is mentioned.

                                                         

                                                        https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/need-extra-precautions/people-with-medical-conditions.html#smoking

                                                         

                                                        Additionally, as stated in a previous comment, from what I have read about Riluzole (a medicine frequently taken by people with ALS), to me it would make sense to COVID-19 vaccinate pALS sooner rather than later.  If you go to the following website;

                                                         

                                                        https://www.wikidoc.org/index.php/Riluzole_(patient_information)

                                                        Under the section ” What other information should I know“, the following is stated:

                                                         

                                                        “Riluzole can affect your body’s ability to fight infection. If you have any illness, especially one with a fever, call your doctor.”

                                                         

                                                      • #18000
                                                        Kathy stitz
                                                        Participant

                                                          Just wondering if other pALS have been able to get the covid-19 vaccine?

                                                        • #18149
                                                          Kathy stitz
                                                          Participant

                                                            Just read Dagmar’s article about getting her first shot of the covid-19 vaccine.  That’s great!

                                                          • #18154
                                                            Carolyn Barry
                                                            Participant

                                                              I received my vaccine in February, under the 1A group, as I am 65 and my neurologist wrote a letter stating my ALS diagnosis and being someone at high risk for Covid.  I live in Warrington, PA and I decided to call the health department for my county, to explain my husband as being my caregiver, and hoping he could be vaccinated under 1A also.  I was told that he should be entitled, though it doesn’t specifically state his role under that group, other than being an “unpaid healthcare worker.”  This person at the health department suggested I go with my husband and see if he will be questioned by the staff giving out the vaccines.  I also brought my letter from my neurologist.  As it turns out my husband was not questioned at all and received his vaccine without an issue, in the beginning of March.  I was also told that restrictions have relaxed a bit so there was a good chance that he would get the vaccine and we decided it was well worth the attempt to just go.  Good luck to all those on the forum as well as their caregivers.

                                                              • #18155
                                                                Amanda
                                                                Keymaster

                                                                  Carolyn that is wonderful!  I am so happy that caregivers are given some consideration.

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