This is What Privilege Can look Like

This is a reprint from The Progressive Wing.

COVID-19 Edition.

My true story:

I’d been attempting to get a Covid Vaccine vaccination appointment on the New York City Vaccine Signup Portal since it was announced. No luck whatsoever. No appointments. No vaccines. Facilities closed.

After discussing it with family and friends, I gave up. The stress wasn’t healthy.

Then the next day, a wealthy private hospital my physician was connected with e-mailed me asking, “Was I interested in getting the vaccine? ”

If you want to be vaccinated hit “Continue” button.

Next screen listed locations. Pick your location. Hit that continue button again.

Done. What time would you like to arrive? 12 choices. Hit, continue.

You’re all set. Hit continue to confirm.

Two days later…………………

I arrived at my vaccination site 1/2 hour early to allow for crowds. No crowds. Right up to the floor where my doctor’s waiting room is. Entered my info on the usual computers. Then I sank down into the deep comfy leather chairs provided.

By this time I was asking myself where are the people and the large vaccination areas? I know the layout and I couldn’t picture it.

Soon enough, my name was called and I entered into a small lab room—-same place as when my doctor asks for a blood sample.

Three attendants inquired about how I was feeling. Gave me the shot. Ushered me to another comfy chair, not deep but adjacent to the lab, with the instructions to wait 15 minutes and if I’m experiencing the slightest discomfort I should shout out. If I'm feeling okay, then leave in 15 minutes. They looked at their watches. Told me the time I could leave, gave me an info card.

When I got home I booked my second shot.

Cuomo and de Blasio talk the equality game but that is clearly no the practice in NY.

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Comments

https://twitter.com/AndrewYang/status/1355951340225236995
@AndrewYang

Imagine being a healthcare worker at a vaccination site and vaccinating only 3 people all day - you did 70 the previous time - and then being told you’re not allowed to reach out to patients who want to be vaccinated. Delays are lethal. This is bureaucracy at its worst.

@KevinTDugan
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The City throttled the number of vaccines given out today, stopping workers from finding new patients, leading to confusion across hubs.

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10 users have voted.

NYCVG

earthling1's picture

and scheduled a jab two days later. Walked in and didn't even wait in line.

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8 users have voted.

Neither Russia nor China is our enemy.
Neither Iran nor Venezuela are threatening America.
Cuba is a dead horse, stop beating it.

@earthling1 earthing1

What part of the country do you live in?

My relatives in FL and MO are having no luck on this at all.

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5 users have voted.

NYCVG

earthling1's picture

@NYCVG
One of the first states infected. Under control now though. Fingers crossed.

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6 users have voted.

Neither Russia nor China is our enemy.
Neither Iran nor Venezuela are threatening America.
Cuba is a dead horse, stop beating it.

Pluto's Republic's picture

Seriously. That's good news.

I know I don't have to remind you to be especially vigilant about infection. Don't let your guard down.

I was a Yang supporter during the primaries. He's evolutionarily smart. Except, I question how he thinks the US political system works and what he thinks the Democratic Party is.

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11 users have voted.

____________________

The political system is what it is because the People are who they are. — Plato

@Pluto's Republic he understands what the (D) Party is.

He's using them to get where he's going.

During the presidential primaries and since it's the Progressive positions he chimes in on. Lots of "Bernie is right" etc.

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5 users have voted.

NYCVG

Pluto's Republic's picture

@NYCVG

...that is true. But one thing they cannot do is stop wars or stop giving the Pentagon even more money than it asks for.

Assuming the Budget will continue to be financially gutted by defense spending, with the encouragement of both Parties. The Democrats benefit from Citizens United campaign funds and and are enriched by lavish speaking fees from the most corrupt sectors of the US economy (Pharmaceuticals, Defense, Finance), it's hard to see what Yang can realistically accomplish. But I would be grateful if he did run, and actually did have a brilliant Plan to deal with the existing reality of greed and incompetence, and the opacity of the classified documents behind which the corrupt hide their criminal activities.

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9 users have voted.

____________________

The political system is what it is because the People are who they are. — Plato

@Pluto's Republic is running for NYC Mayor now.

A different sphere entirely. He might be a good choice now.

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3 users have voted.

NYCVG

@Pluto's Republic It was a freezing day and I was covered in layers.

Also, the single inhabitant of the waiting room bereft of designer goods. No Prada handbag.

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6 users have voted.

NYCVG

Lookout's picture

It is who you know. I have a pharmacist buddy who is getting in a batch of moderna. I heard the word, called, and got us on the list. However, no telling when it will arrive.

I'm hopeful things will be better by next fall, and should be improving by summer.

Remember it is 4 weeks till one jab is 70%. That's when you're supposed to get your second shot. Then another 4 weeks for best immunity...so 8 weeks (2 months) total time to continue being very careful with the new variants around.

Congrats on the shot!

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11 users have voted.

“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

@Lookout My careful behavior will continue until this pandemic ends.

Not all that certain it will end.

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6 users have voted.

NYCVG

Roy Blakeley's picture

@Lookout @Lookout that maximum immunity is reached a week or two after the boost. Based on the clinical trial data some people inoculated people will develop symptomatic COVID-19 even after the boost (about 5% of the frequency in un-inoculated individuals), but the frequency of seriously ill patients is very low. I don't know of any reliable data, but a few more percent will probably get asymptomatic infections.

Corrigendum: The WHO issued recommendations on the Moderna vaccine last week.

https://www.who.int/news-room/feature-stories/detail/the-moderna-covid-1...

A key point is

The Moderna vaccine has been shown to have an efficacy of approximately 92 per cent in protecting against COVID-19, starting 14 days after the first dose.

This is the first info I have seen on the efficacy of the initial Moderna vaccination. The WHO has made mistakes during this pandemic, and I have not seen the data on which this number is based. Caution is warranted, but this is encouraging to those of us who have had the initial Moderna shot.

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polkageist's picture

My appointment for the second shot is on 2/16. I had to sign up online at any one of a number of sites so picked the nearest which is 20 miles away. My county is not getting much vaccine but the next county (in Silicon Valley) has adequate supplies so I was eligible to go there and did. Quick and easy and now my county is starting to offer shots. California has been touted as efficient and tech savvy. Somehow it is only now beginning to look as if we know what we're doing. Our lords and masters have prioritized money over everything and it shows.

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11 users have voted.

-Greed is not a virtue.
-Socialism: the radical idea of sharing.
-Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.
John F. Kennedy, In a speech at the White House, 1962

snoopydawg's picture

Does he have to talk to people in this tone? He is downright rude to anyone he’s talking to every time I see him. He killed granny and then wrote about how great he did and is opening up nyc indoor dining but he’s bitching about being asked when restaurant workers get vaccinated? He’s a grade A ass.

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12 users have voted.

Which AIPAC/MIC/pharma/bank bought politician are you going to vote for? Don’t be surprised when nothing changes.

@snoopydawg works for me.

A fairly well known (D) consultant named Alexis Grenell called Cuomo a Barking Dog on local TV.

Bully is the common charge. But it's worse than just bullying. Corrupt and narcissitic for starters

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10 users have voted.

NYCVG

snoopydawg's picture

@NYCVG

Corrupt and narcissitic for starters

He got away with cutting billions from Medicaid during an epidemic. How many hospitals have closed in his city since it started? But he will not raise taxes on his friends because they will leave. Guess what? They have.

Have you seen the houses people have been buying once they fled the cities? Not quite as nice as Obama’s, but not too shabby either.

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8 users have voted.

Which AIPAC/MIC/pharma/bank bought politician are you going to vote for? Don’t be surprised when nothing changes.