Booster Jab - Yes or No?

[terminal]

In UK we also are offered the Flu jab when over a certain age ( 60 ? ) so I have chosen not to have that one 5 times now. Nothing against it at all - its just I don't see the point as I have either never had flu, or more likely had it but felt no bad effects from it.
I have never felt any Covid symptoms either - so probably have enough resistance from the first three jabs.

I didn't used to get the flu jab, but that calculation changed when my parents started getting older and I had to think about what precautions I could take to reduce the risk of giving flu to them.

Where I am the flu jab is free to everyone upon showing your health card. This was brought in as it was seen as reducing overall health care costs. I get it done in the pharmacy at the local grocery store while I'm doing my shopping. Given how convenient it is, there's really no reason for me to not to.

They do COVID-19 jabs so I will probably be able to get my COVID-19 booster done there when the time comes. It will likely be a case of go in, show my card, fill out the consent form, get jabbed, do my shopping, and go home.

 

[Border_Reiver]

Had my booster yesterday .... again impressed with the organisation .... I joined a " Sausage Machine " with Stewards guiding me through ... back home and worked in gardens ... went for walk through the fields ... arm sore today but still planning to do a Coastal Walk , Druridge Bay and around Ladyburn Lake , with my son tomorrow . I was advised that the record of my jab will appear on my App accessed Medical Record mid next week .

 

[Ritch]

Had my booster yesterday .... again impressed with the organisation .... I joined a " Sausage Machine " with Stewards guiding me through ... back home and worked in gardens ... went for walk through the fields ... arm sore today but still planning to do a Coastal Walk , Druridge Bay and around Ladyburn Lake , with my son tomorrow . I was advised that the record of my jab will appear on my App accessed Medical Record mid next week .

Sometimes it's even sooner. My vaccines and booster were on my NHS App within 24 hours.

 

[Border_Reiver]

Sometimes it's even sooner. My vaccines and booster were on my NHS App within 24 hours.

Just checked and my record is now updated ... suitably impressed .

 

[Ex_crab]

2 x AZ to begin with, no problems. 1 x Pfizer booster, no problems. Yesterday, 0.5 x Moderna and it bloody hurts.

 

[Border_Reiver]

2 x AZ to begin with, no problems. 1 x Pfizer booster, no problems. Yesterday, 0.5 x Moderna and it bloody hurts.

I have had 3 X Pfizer and my booster on Saturday was Moderna .... arm was definitely sore(r) .

 

[ABNredleg]

Not quite a booster, but as I am over 60 and am on medicine that suppresses the immune system, I just got a treatment of Evusheld. This is a combination of two human monoclonal antibodies that target the spike protein of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, thus hopefully preventing infection. It is only for people who haven’t been exposed to COVID. This treatment is independent of the vaccine so I’ll be getting my second booster in June.

Tixagevimab/cilgavimab - Wikipedia

 

[Ritch]

Not quite a booster, but as I am over 60 and am on medicine that suppresses the immune system, I just got a treatment of Evusheld. This is a combination of two human monoclonal antibodies that target the spike protein of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, thus hopefully preventing infection. It is only for people who haven’t been exposed to COVID. This treatment is independent of the vaccine so I’ll be getting my second booster in June.

Tixagevimab/cilgavimab - Wikipedia

Is it a one off or can you have it like boosters?

 

[ABNredleg]

Is it a one off or can you have it like boosters?

AZ says it provides protection for six months but which variant of COVID is circulating is a major factor in determining effectiveness. According to the FDA:


The duration of protection provided by Evusheld against symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection may not be as long as was shown in the clinical trial supporting the initial authorization because the clinical trial data came from a time period before the emergence of the BA.1 and BA.1.1 subvariants. However, it is not known whether BA.1 and BA1.1 will still be circulating in the coming months or whether another Omicron subvariant, BA.2, for which Evusheld is expected to have greater neutralizing activity, will become dominant. Because it is unclear which SARS-CoV-2 variant or Omicron subvariant will become dominant in the United States over the next few months, the recommended timing for repeat dosing cannot be provided at this time. We will continue to monitor the situation closely and will provide updates with redosing recommendations in the near future when more data are available to determine the appropriate timing of redosing (e.g., 3 months or 6 months after the prior dose).

 

[terminal]

Is it a one off or can you have it like boosters?

It's basically artificial antibodies with some additives. You have to keep getting topped up several times per year. They will also have to keep tweaking the formula to keep up with new variants. It's not the first product of this type, but it's the one that currently works best against omicron.

I have posted a number of videos on the main COVID-19 thread from a channel called TWIV, who are run by well regarded scientists who have expertise tn the field. They have a regular series of updates from a senior doctor who is in charge of care of COVID-19 patients for a major group of hospitals in the US. He mentions Evusheld frequently and it's his preferred treatment for immunocompromised patients who can't respond to vaccines well enough.

It's something you need to keep getting, as it is for preventing infection, not curing the disease after you get symptoms. It's also not an alternative to vaccination for people who don't have a good reason to not get jabbed. It's strictly for those whose immune systems are sufficiently knackered that vaccines don't help much.

 

[tiv]

Had an email inviting me to book a booster and the on-line booking system was quick and easy. Done at the local chemists this time using the Moderna vaccine, all previous shots were Pfizer. So far no ill effects apart from a very slight tenderness at the jab site.

 

[rmn]

Had an email inviting me to book a booster and the on-line booking system was quick and easy. Done at the local chemists this time using the Moderna vaccine, all previous shots were Pfizer. So far no ill effects apart from a very slight tenderness at the jab site.

Had exactly the same combination with second booster last week and no side effects other than slightly sore site.

 

[re-stilly]

 

[terminal]

The following article talks about the pros and cons of getting a booster now (assuming you are eligible for one) versus waiting for an improved version later.
Why the timing of your next COVID shot is so important

The long and the short of it is that the rise of new variants such as BA4 and BA5 may have altered the risk benefit ratio in favour of getting a jab now as compared to waiting until the autumn when new vaccines are expected to come out.

People who have had omicron can still get BA4 and BA5 as they are different from earlier omicron variants. A new wave is expected to start, or has already started in some countries, driven by BA4 and BA5.

The article is written from a Canadian perspective but many of the points being addressed are relevant to other people as well. In Canada only certain elements of the population are eligible for a fourth jab.

The article is worth reading if you are interested in how vaccination strategy is evolving to deal with new variants. Later this year new versions of vaccine will come out which have stuff in them for dealing with both omicron and the original variant.

In the longer term there are next generation vaccines being developed which are inhaled and immunize the respiratory system directly instead of going through the circulatory system. These are expected to be much more effective at preventing infection, but it may be a couple of years before they are available however, I know of at least one vaccine of this sort which is currently under early stage trials.

 

[Tartan_Terrier]

Have they started offering a fourth shot in the UK? The Danish authorities announced a couple of days ago, that at risk persons, and those over 50 are to be offered a fourth shot.

 

[Chalky101]

Have they started offering a fourth shot in the UK? The Danish authorities announced a couple of days ago, that at risk persons, and those over 50 are to be offered a fourth shot.

I had my booster last week, some people were on their 5th shot according to the pharmacist.

 

[tommikka]

Have they started offering a fourth shot in the UK? The Danish authorities announced a couple of days ago, that at risk persons, and those over 50 are to be offered a fourth shot.

I had my booster last week, some people were on their 5th shot according to the pharmacist.

It depends on where you are in the whole series.

I’m in my 50s so I had my first course of two last March & April and the third as a booster in November.
Over 75s are currently lined up for a second booster as number four.

Those more vulnerable had an original course of three, so their booster was a fourth and will be on their second booster as a fifth.

 

[wm1965]

I know someone who has had 5 shots (2 in US; 3 in UK).

 

[harrythebastard]

Have they started offering a fourth shot in the UK? The Danish authorities announced a couple of days ago, that at risk persons, and those over 50 are to be offered a fourth shot.

I got reminded by the French app last month to get my fourth as I have just hit coffin-dodging age.
Been phoning and looking since without success, there are just no vaccines about, pretty much the same as this time 2 years ago.
Our local chemist reckons he is getting allocated 2 doses a month by the central authorities.
Perhaps they are gearing up so see what variant is going to be the big one towards winter and then tweaking the formula?
Or perhaps they are winding down early for the annual French tradition of holiday season starting Mid July until September?
Who knows, they certainly won't be telling us........

 

[terminal]

I got reminded by the French app last month to get my fourth as I have just hit coffin-dodging age.
Been phoning and looking since without success, there are just no vaccines about, pretty much the same as this time 2 years ago.
Our local chemist reckons he is getting allocated 2 doses a month by the central authorities.
Perhaps they are gearing up so see what variant is going to be the big one towards winter and then tweaking the formula?
Or perhaps they are winding down early for the annual French tradition of holiday season starting Mid July until September?
Who knows, they certainly won't be telling us........

In Ontario Canada, some of the people in the general population who got their first booster starting last December and January are getting reminders sent to them to get their second booster now. The second booster is only for people in certain (fairly broad) age and health categories.

In this I'm not referring to the very elderly or people in care homes and the like who generally had their fourth jab (considered their first booster) at Christmas or shortly after.

I've checked the local public health web site and if you go to the vaccination centres you can get jabbed without an appointment, just walk in with your health card if you qualify for the jab.

We are seeing the start of the BA4/BA5 wave and I think they want people to get jabbed again now to try to head off a resulting increase in hospitalizations.

I'm planning on popping into the vaccination centre in a couple of days and getting jabbed. I had planned on waiting until the autumn, but I have plans later this summer for something that I don't want to have interrupted by getting ill if I can avoid it.