Can I get a shot on my 65th birthday?

Q. “I will turn 65 on Feb. 27. I have been told by a friend that if I am able to obtain an appointment at one of the Broward County sites at this time I will be able to get the vaccine now since my birthday is so close. Do you know if this is correct?” — Jon Marcus, Fort Lauderdale

A. What a timely birthday! You can’t get the shot before your birthday, but you may be able to get it on your birthday. It will depend where you are registering. When you seek an appointment, most websites ask for your date of birth, and if you’re not 65 yet, will not let you proceed.

After I submitted this question to the Broward office of the state Department of Health, an enrollment official contacted Marcus and told him he could get his shot on his birthday or the day after. The official said he should call their number a week before he turns 65. So he may be celebrating his birthday in a most unusual way this year.

Q. “I’m a senior citizen hoping to get the vaccine but I have the problem of having gone into prophylaxis twice. My doctor tells me that I cannot get the vaccine until the science people come up with something that would make getting the vaccine possible for me. It would mean a great deal for me and my family if I could be in a less vulnerable position to getting COVID-19 or its variants. Is there anything that the science community is coming up with that would resolve this for me and others with the same obstacle?” — Jeanne Gelfand Freedman

A. Anaphylaxis is an acute allergic reaction. There’s no answer yet about whether people who have struggled with severe responses to bee stings, peanuts or other triggers can tolerate the COVID-19 vaccine, said Dr. Andrea Klemes, chief medical officer at MDVIP, a national physicans’ network headquartered in Boca Raton.

“The scientific community is closely monitoring the situation and studying the cases of anaphylaxis to better understand the triggers and who mayb e at higher risk,” she said. “As millions more people continue to receive the vaccine, more information will be available to help counsel patients on who can get the vaccine or if there are things they can do to mitigate the risk.”

Q. “Why is the state of Florida using a number without Caller ID to call people to schedule their vaccine? I got a call from a 786 number showing it was from Homestead. I don’t know anyone from there so I didn’t answer the call and apparently missed an opportunity to schedule a vaccine appointment. I’ m sure others have done the same. The state told me to just answer all calls, but so many are spam and once you answer you’ll get even more spam calls.” — Alan Steinberg, Miami

A. Answer that phone! Many people have missed this anxiously awaited call because they don’t recognize the phone number. Health officials have been so overwhelmed by the vaccine roll-out that they apparently never got a chance to change the caller ID messages. I believe it should say “HERE’ S YOUR VACCINE CALL” or “FINALLY, YOUR SHOT IS READY.”

Q. “I know that the delivery of the Pfizer vaccine may be delayed because of the storms sweeping across the country. My husband and I are due for our second shots at the South Florida Fairgrounds on Feb. 23. I have been trying to find out if they will have enough vaccine for those second shots on that day. Would you possibly be able to get that info?” — Roberta Mikhael

A. Your shots will be there, according to the Health Care District of Palm Beach County. The district “anticipates having sufficient Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine on hand for pre-scheduled appointments for second doses through Feb. 23,” spokeswoman Robin Kish said.

The storm is holding up vaccines throughout the state, though. About 9,000 Pfizer doses and 200,000 Moderna shots have yet to arrive due to Northern weather problems. Publix canceled Wednesday’s scheduling session but said appointments this week would not be affected.

Q. “I have heard Novavax is developing a single shot vaccine that will be effective for both the flu and COVID-19. It would be given on a yearly basis just like the flu shot. Is this true and if so, where are they in the study?” — Mike Conley

A. There are a few COVID/flu combo vaccines in clinical trials, but Novavax is currently conducting Phase 3 trials for a COVID-19-only vaccine, said Dr. Andrea Klemes, chief medical officer at MDVIP, a national physicians’ network with headquarters in Boca Raton.

“It is a two-shot regimen, like the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines both of which have been given Emergency Use Authorization by the FDA,” she said. “A different company, Vaxess, is developing a combined flu and COVID-19 patch. Also, Vivaldi Biosciences is developing a combination nasal spray. Neither of these are in clinical trials yet.”

Q. “I live in Delray Beach. I got my first shot at a Publix in Jacksonville on Feb. 2, and am due to drive back for number two on March 2. Can I enter the Publix portal to get number two closer to home? Or am I locked out?” — George Romer, Delray Beach

A. If you got your first dose at a Publix, you’re automatically scheduled for your second dose at the same location. You can make a change, but you basically have to start over, Publix spokeswoman Maria Brous said.

“If a customer should need to makea change, they will be required to go through the reservation process again. Appointments are nontransferable,” she said.

Go to this website, and make sure to enter your Medicare number and date of birth: publix.com/covid-vaccine

Q. “My husband is allergic to thimerosal, which is a preservative in vials of flu shots. He gets shots for regular flu from a single dose vial. It seems all COVID shots are multi-use bottles. Do they contain this preservative so my husband should not get the vaccine?” — Sandra Pechur, Pompano Beach

A. Neither Pfizer nor Moderna have reported that their vaccines contain preservatives (including thimerosal) in the vials, said Dr. Andrea Klemes, chief medical officer at MDVIP, a national physicians’ network with headquarters in Boca Raton.

“Both are multi-dose vials that need to be used within six hours after their seal is punctured,” she said. “This makes them very different from the flu shot multi-dose vials, which can be stored in a refrigerator for almost a month after opening.”

Q .“I received both Pfizer shots. I had only a sore arm for one day after the first shot and I had no discernible reaction after the second shot. I am 72 years old. I read somewhere that younger people have stronger reactions than do older people with weaker immune systems. I would love to know just how protected I am. I even wonder if I received a ‘dud’ vaccine. Is there a test that would re assure me that yes, I am protected and to what degree?” — Deborah Jane Sacks, Boca Raton

Q. “Other than a sore arm after the first vaccination, if that is the only reaction after receiving the second vaccination, does that mean my body is not producing antibodies? I’ve read that when the vaccine produces fatigue and fever, it’s perfectly normal because the body is producing antibodies.” — Sharon Hayek, Lake Park

A. No need for either of you to fret. If you got both doses in the recommended time frame, you are protected, and the lack of side effects is just how your body has responded.

“The fact that [an individual] did not see a reaction is not a reason to believe that their body did not develop an appropriate response that will be protective,” Jonathan Runstadler, a professor at Tufts University’s Department of Infectious Disease and Global Health, told NPR. The body’s response, he said, “varies a lot between individuals and the individual’s circumstances, like where the needle went into the [patient’s] arm or where in the arm the shot was deposited.”

As for whether tests would show you have developed antibodies, no such post-vaccine tests have been developed yet, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“Experts are currently looking at how COVID-19 vaccination may affect antibody testing results,” according to the CDC.