Covid boosters
21Who’s got one already? Who is eligible and plans to get one shortly?
/giphy “raises hand”
(My eligibility is age-based;
took me 15 min total time in pharmacy;
side effects in my case are somewhat sore muscles and a slight headache, starting up a few hours after the shot, and in neither case that bad;
side effect peaked for me about 20 hours after the shot;
side effects have mostly dissipated 36 hours after getting the booster)
My original jabs were Pfizer as well. My side effects this time round are quite a bit less noticeable than with either earlier shot.
- 38 comments, 161 replies
- Comment
I got the second Pfizer shot in May so it’s still a bit early for a booster. It looks like the pharmacies here will make the boosters available at the same time as the flu shot, so I will probably get them both in the next few weeks. I think a covid booster will likely be easier to find than the ever-elusive “senior flu shot” which is never in stock. For the last three years, I’ve gotten a regular flu shot just to get some kind of flu shot. This year I’ll settle for the regular flu shot with a covid booster chaser, if that’s what’s available.
I still wear a mask everywhere and try to keep a distance, but stupid people make the latter difficult-to-impossible at times. I like the KN95 masks I got from Meh as they are easier to breathe through than the 3-layer cloth masks I have been using for the last year.
I’m usually quite even-tempered, but some of my relatives are finally getting on my last nerve. The last one who called to complain about “vaccine mandates” and “political views” got a response of: “It’s a fucking virus, you Idiot! Viruses don’t care about your political views.”
Conspiracy theories, Q-Idiots, Covidiots, and climate-change deniers everywhere. I’m considering whether I should just cancel my membership in the human race and join some other species with more sense.
@rockblossom
Indeed.
There seems to be a recent/current trend of
"I’m angry, stupid, self-righteous, and loud"
visibility about public comment on even scientific subjects.
I suppose I overestimated our species’s current state of socially commonplace achievement.
@rockblossom
PS
Several Walmarts in Texas have the senior flu shot now, as well as the Pfizer 3rd shots. (Anecdotal, no surveys)
I got my senior flu shot around Sept 1. No waiting. No shortage mentioned.
Perhaps give the local pharmacies a call and see?
@f00l Same dance every year: Call to see if in stock. Sure! Walk-in, no appointment needed! Walk in the next day. Sorry! We had it yesterday but ran out by noon. Check another pharmacy. Sure! But the next batch won’t be in until next week, so call Monday. Lather, rinse, repeat. It’s a crapshoot. If you happen to wander in when it is available, you get it. So if it is out, I just get the regular one and Medicare still covers it.
@rockblossom
If I were encountering that sort of shortage, I would (since I remember my prev nasty flu from 20+ years ago), find out when the pharm was getting supply, go there early that morning, and be prepared to wait. (Pick a place w chairs. Bring a phone power brick possibly)
Or explain prob to pharmacist and ask for tips and tricks about what you need to do to get one without multiple visits.
Or ask physician (some offices do these). Or does your county do these?
Haven’t had that much hassle getting the right one last few years.
I do start looking around Sept 1 each year.
Hope you find one without to much trouble.
@rockblossom My sis-in-law said she sees someone with a mask and assumes they haven’t been vaccinated, telling me because I was putting one on to enter a crowd at a football game. I told her the vaccine is very good, but isn’t 100% and I don’t know which side of the percentage I would land on if I were to get infected, but there are other bugs out there too! Colds and flu and whatever. And she said “I never thought of that.” I see someone with a mask and I think of someone that HAS been vaccinated and is afraid of the unvaccinated and breakthrough cases.
Update: I got a flu shot today at my little co-op pharmacy, and won the “senior” lottery by getting there when they still had the stronger shot in stock. I did not get a covid19 booster, as it is still less than 6 months from my second Pfizer vaccine. Except in the case of certain immunocompromised people and healthcare workers, pharmacists here are still saying the booster should be at least 6-8 months out from the second vaccine - on the 6-month end for seniors and longer for younger people. Your mileage may vary, depending on who you ask.
@Kyser_Soze
In my neck o’ th’ woods, It’s safer to assume that anyone not wearing a mask is also unvaccinated. The people I know who are vaccinated also still wear masks, because - science.
@Kyser_Soze @rockblossom I’d agree. Around here the unvaccinated often aren’t wearing them - because, of course, it is all a hoax. Or they have a strong immune system and don’t need it.
@rockblossom I’ve hit the 6 months, but I had Moderna and I’m 2 months from 65, so too young! I think it’s time to be very careful about what I do and who I’m around!
@Kidsandliz Added some key words.
@Kidsandliz @narfcake
And there’s this:
“…a new study that found having a robust initial immune response to coronavirus infection might not be helpful in fighting off the virus…”
It’s possible it could make it worse:
https://news.tulane.edu/pr/strong-initial-immune-response-could-produce-worst-covid-outcome-tulane-study-says
Can’t wait for my booster of Moderna. Had Covid long before vaccines and the shut down. (Service industry, hooray!) I wouldn’t wish that on anyone. I got it bad. Long hauler, as they say.
This is anecdotal, and I do not blame the vaccine, but after my second Moderna, I had a seizure. I have never been an epileptic and this was my first experience. Thankfully was watching TV on a bed when I told my girlfriend I feel like I am tripping, I am seeing things. (Yes, I now know these are “auras”)
Next thing I knew there were two paramedics in my bedroom and I am quite confused. Was told to go to ER. Got all the tests. Was healthy.
And you still read that first part right: I can’t wait for my third jab. Why? Because losing consciousness and freaking out my girlfriend for 20 minutes is better than ventilator or death. Frankly, I don’t expect it to cause another one.
@KNmeh7 well and respectfully, was it proven that there was a correlation between the jab and the seizure? There are so many things that could have caused it, hope you are staying healthy with no repeats
@tinamarie1974 Thanks, been fine since. I am of the mindset that it could have just as easily been the food I ate (ha, I know), simply my time was always going to come, it just was a coincidence, stress, anything…
That is why I am getting my jab again, and I hope people don’t use my one-off story as vaccines cause seizures. More of: even if I believed that, it’s still time to man up and get jabbed, people.
@KNmeh7 @tinamarie1974
Or, woman up and be pro-life with your own life.
I’m sure i’ll get it even though i’m a bit ambivalent. I’m just scared of getting the same side effects as last time, i’m even more afraid because of the timing! Like my Dr’s have already told me, i’ll be much worse off IF I was to get Covid!
My guy of 30 years and myself where diagnosed with cancer two days apart from each other about 6 weeks ago. How crazy is that! Me with a skin cancer, him with liver cancer on top of his existing cirrhosis. After trying some compound lotion that didn’t do anything i’m going to have my cancer cut out in a few days. He’ll have something called oblation which will slow it down until he hopefully has a transplant.
He’s now ALL uptight about getting the booster and says he’s not going to get it. I’m praying that in the end he’ll decide to do whatever his new Dr’s want him to do!
I didn’t think things could get much worse than this past year and a half has been. Boy was I wrong!! It hasn’t always been the case, but thank goodness these days I always have hope!! It can ONLY get better from here!
@Lynnerizer Oh no - I’m SO sorry you’re both going through this - how incredibly hard that must be! Wishing you all the best and sending all the positive vibes I can! !
@Lynnerizer
@Kyeh
Aww, thanks Kyeh!
@Lynnerizer Holy Toledo. Wishing you both all the very best!
@Lynnerizer He needs to get it NOW!! TODAY!! BEFORE his liver cancer treatment as all the research I have read is that getting it earlier than 6-12 mo after any treatment that requires chemo means generally one doesn’t have much of a response so the advice is getting as soon as you can prior to chemo or wait until 6-12 mo after chemo. Also the people with some of the lowest responses to the booster are those who have already had a transplant (or in that chemo group already mentioned) and thus are taking drugs to control rejection (eg hobble your immune system). Have him get it TODAY!
Good luck to both of you. Sure sucks.
@Kidsandliz
Thanks for the heads up! We have so much research do all around, I appreciate your knowledge. I think he’s just now getting over the shock of it all. Me too!
@Lynnerizer Just (((((hugs))))) for you both. No advice, but plenty of support.
@Lynnerizer we had a year like that a few years ago… He was suspected to have kidney cancer (98% likely) and I had a thyroid tumor (20% ish likely cancer). He lost his kidney and no cancer, I lost my thyroid, they found cancer. We stopped asking what else could go wrong!! Both ok now. Good luck and God bless.
@Lynnerizer
Oh my goodness!
Please, both of you, try to keep your spirits up as much as possible…
For daily quality of life reasons, and so that you can deal with normal life problems, and so that you can do your research and make good choices while not being dragged down by a depressed brain/mood.
I hope you both have many sources of strength within self and without, and a strong community of good people around you.
@mikibell
Wow, thank goodness the both of you made a full recovery. It’s strange to me that it sounds so much worse when I hear it about someone else. Of course I KNOW it’s “a lot” (and it is scary) what we are going through but when I hear YOU telling your story it’s like, OMG how awful! Thanks for the support AND for sharing!
@Kyeh @Lynnerizer Perfectly said, Kyeh, I second that, including your choice of emojis! Sending long-distance hugs of support
@f00l
Thanks so much! We’re both staying strong for each other. He’s got much bigger issues to face than I do. In the past i’ve been through some of the worst depression, I can honestly say that i’m extremely lucky to still be here. For whatever reason, (and I thank God for it) that cloud of darkness hasn’t been in my head for many years. Depression is a feeling I wouldn’t wish on anyone! It’s the absolute worst feeling i’ve ever experienced and i’ll do anything not to be in that awful, dark, and lonely space again! My family has always been the most supportive people in my life, we’re very close. Everyone at our local cancer center has been great! They’re all so compassionate and helpful, they make everything easy and even call just to check in and see how we’re doing. It certainly does make ALL the difference to be surrounded by the right people. This is going to be one heck of a journey in front of us, i’m grateful to be able to feel the love!
✌
@lisaviolet
Thanks!
@Lynnerizer I just got a notice (today on a list I am on) that the National Comprehensive Cancer Network has now recommended that patients in treatment get vaccinated and boosters even though the odds that their response will be lower than if they were done after chemo or before chemo. Reading the article it sounds like the reasoning is (they didn’t say it this way) better they have some response than postpone it.
@Lynnerizer I will say it was a hard year for my children. And as much as I call my dr a little old lady, because he worries about EVERYthing, he has done good by us. He caught both issues very very early. I wish you the absolute best. Again, I am in state if you need anything One of the best places to be if you need cancer treatments, that is for sure!!!
Four people I knew are dead because of the virus, and a nearly-a-relative as well. One of those was before the vaccine was available; all of the others are since the vaccine was available to them, and they didn’t get it. I got Moderna in January/February, and I am now scheduled to get the booster in a couple of hours (if CVS doesn’t cancel it again.)
Frankly, I’m expecting to need a booster every six months to a year until a vaccine with greater durability becomes available, which very well could mean “for as long as I live”. And the ignorant or willfully misinformed refusers can take their chances. Their odds are getting worse all the time, because there are so many of them.
@werehatrack
I’m wondering if it will come down to hospitals starting to practice “Vaccine Refusenik Triage” for beds and resources?
@f00l
Some have pretty much had to do that already. Probable-survival rates are dramatically higher for the vaxed, so one common triage criterion strongly favors that as a consideration.
And Achievement Unlocked; third shot acquired, along with a flu vax in the other arm.
@werehatrack I don’t think it is too much of a choice for hospitals to refuse to treat Covid patients who were too stupid to get vaccinated over people with real medical emergencies. Seems like a no brainer to me.
@Felton10 @werehatrack
They’ll treat them. What will change the game is their employer’s insurance not covering the costs for not being vaccinated per company policy.
You see, many large employers are self-insured. That means they fund their own plans. So when unvaccinated rack up 50K+ hospital bills that either get pushed to the patients or the employer eats the tab, you can bet the phrase “pursuing other opportunities” will be heard.
Otherwise, employers will be sued for allowing unvaccinated employees to shed virus in the workplace and put the public and other workers at risk. It’s begging for a “hostile work environment” lawsuit or “reckless disregard for public safety and health” for service companies that don’t assure their customers their workers and representatives are fully vaccinated.
Especially with OSHA mandates to show compliance or be liable.
It will come down to economics. Vaccinate or lose your job, and that sweet, sweet health insurance that comes with that job.
@Felton10 @mike808 @werehatrack Somewhere or other is charging the unvaccinated an extra $200/mo or something like that.
The trouble with the employer not covering it is that then the patient will default on the bills and the cost will just be shifted to the hospital who can’t afford to eat it either.
@Felton10 @Kidsandliz @werehatrack
When the cost is shifted to the hospitals, they will start cutting costs and moving folks to hospice instead of the ICU. And we won’t see approvals for the $10K a pop monoclonal antibody treatments.
@Felton10 @mike808 @werehatrack Unless the unvaccinated are in a state where the republican legislators passed laws prohibiting discrimination based on vaccination, like my state. And the dipshits passed a law prohibiting health departments requiring masks. We had a mask mandate and it held the numbers down. Now we can’t have one and the numbers are shooting up. It is complete stupidity! An entire political party is pro-virus and therefore pro-death from it. The Governor said he trusts the people to “do the right thing”. If people could be trusted to do what’s right, we wouldn’t need any laws!
I’m in Indiana and getting my Pfizer booster Tuesday at the health department. All I have to do is show up with my vaccine card.
I got my 3rd a month ago. I am part of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society study and so also get the spike protein antibody test. With that study I knew my antibody levels were tanking far faster then the studies show for the general public (which is what they had anticipated for us) I didn’t wait until 6 mo out.
I tried to get it locally and even though the state had put out a state health department memo stating people like me (and some other select groups) could get it I couldn’t find anywhere that would give it. So when I was out of state at my aunt and uncle’s funerals (they died 12 hours apart of covid last Nov) I walked into Walgreen’s and they gave it to me after filling out a simple form.
For my first two shots I basically had no side effects. The third one OMG I had them in spades. The worst part about that was I had gotten the shot the night before leaving town for a 1000 mile, 2 day drive home. It took about 3 days to feel fine again. On the up side I figured at least with side effects I had evidence that it was working. LOL. Then earlier this week I had the one month follow up spike protein test and I was at the TOP of the response!!! I know of others of us in that study where the same thing happened. Now to see how fast my antibody levels drop again.
So far, nobody here seems to be administering Moderna boosters.
@werehatrack I think only Pfizer is approved for boosters at this time.
@werehatrack Moderna hasn’t been approved for third doses yet so that will probably take a bit. They say it was supposed to be a bit more effective than Pfizer since the dosage of the shit was higher though
@lm404 Freudian slip?
@werehatrack cvs is if you are a “select” individual and it’s been 6mos. after 2nd dose. immunocompromised/high risk is the main reason but they have all the info on their website. They don’t require proof… Walgreens is doing something similar.
@werehatrack @toddsilvey
the comment from werehatrack is correct. Moderna has not been approved for boosters yet. The current thinking is that you should NOT get the Pfizer shot as a booster for your initial Moderna vaccines. So, NO don’t do it if you got the Moderna shots first… even if they (CVS) don’t require proof.
@chienfou @toddsilvey @werehatrack I think they have different tracking chips and it’s not good to mix them.
@lm404 @werehatrack My second dose of Moderna took me out. Took a while to really kick in, almost 24 hours from time of shot. But I was out for a solid 12 hours. Just slept it off. Woke up next day ready to go.
Not eligible. Would rather they get into the unvaxxed.
@mike808
I would rather that also, re the “hesitant”. Or see supply go to the third world.
But, bureaucracies and politics are what they are.
I can’t re-direct the vaccines to elsewhere, nor re-direct people’s decisions; and the shot was available to me.
In this instance, thought it was a better decision to get it, rather than not.
(And, tho I am not a medical person, my life commitments bring me into contact, often enough, with medical professionals and with patients, as well.)
@mike808 Agreed. Alas, some of those seem to prefer a chance for the Herman Cain Award instead.
@mike808 @narfcake
Persons in Texas, and I assume in many other places, who needed emergency or ICU level care, and who, with such care, almost certainly would have survived, and who would have likely fully recovered and then resumed productive life for decades, have died due to lack of available beds.
(Even after their physicians contacted hundreds of hospitals seeking an open bed for these pts)
The ICU beds were largely full of never-vaccinated COVID pts.
I wonder how the Covid situation is affecting death rates for unrelated situations such as heart/lung problems, cancers, accidents, etc?
(Outcome changes caused by lack of resources for appropriate treatment)
@f00l @narfcake
Welcome to Republican “death panels” forcing the healthcare susyem to rationing ICU beds. Fucknuts.
Unvaccinated and you show up at the ER? Sorry. Straight to fucking hospice care. Just like terminal stage 4 cancer patients.
God had a plan to save them. He gave us vaccines. He gave it to everyone, unconditionally. And these dumbshits still managed to fuck it up for 650,000+ people and still counting.
It’s out of God’s hands now. Darwin’s in charge.
@f00l @mike808 @narfcake There was no vaccine when most of those people died so you can’t blame the unvaccinated and now it’s vaccinated people filling up the hospitals. Look at Israel, almost completely vaccinated and the highest rates of covid in the world
@f00l @marienada @mike808 @narfcake
To compare to them
You need an unvax’d dense spot
One point’s not data
@marienada Let’s look at the data here locally before rationalizing the data from a different country with a different healthcare system. In Israel, healthcare is considered a basic right, not a luxury here (as many are for-profit) in the US.
(There were more hospital stats posted in other posts at r/HermanCainAward.)
@marienada @narfcake
https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2021/08/20/1029628471/highly-vaccinated-israel-is-seeing-a-dramatic-surge-in-new-covid-cases-heres-why
Also using Israel as a talking point about not getting vaccinated is. Just dumb. “Well I might get it anyway” so fuck it. Well yeah you might. If you do it’s going to be a worse version cause you were to dumb to help us all. The entire world. Stop it. Over dumb ass conspiracy and dumbass politics
@f00l @marienada @mike808 @narfcake if everyone is vaccinated only vaccinated people with breakthrough cases will be in the hospital…
@narfcake @unksol Your overemotional response and ad hominen attack doesn’t help your argument. I didn’t mention conspiracy or politics. I simply repeated what has been reported in the mainstream media about the panel vote and about the fact that there are a lot of vaccinated people who are hospitalized and dying… I’m sure that you gave your decision to get vaccinated each time a lot of thought and weighed up the pros and cons, so you can be comfortable in your decision. I’m sure you’ll be fine.
@f00l @mike808 @narfcake @unksol Breakthrough cases shouldn’t need to be hospitalized and they certainly shouldn’t die. The explanation for breakthrough cases is that you can still get covid when you are vaccinated and you can still spread it, but at least you won’t get seriously ill and you definitely won’t die. That only happens to unvaccinated people.
@f00l @marienada @mike808 @narfcake
People with any vaccination can still have breakthrough cases. And they can have complications. And they can go to the hospital. And they can die. It’s not rocket science it’s just statistics and each reduces by leveled of magnitudes.
We basically wiped out polio and smallpox and malaria cause they were public health issues. This being what people have made it into is. Dumb. Take your shot so we can get over it and start providing vaccines to places that need them
@f00l @narfcake @unksol
Stop the misinformation, @marienada:
Immediately above your “anecdotal fact” (those are air quotes) posting are actual sourced facts citing 82% of hospitalized COVID patients are unvaccinated, and 90% of ventilated (ICU) patients are unvaccinated.
It is disrespectful to the 80% of the people you didn’t include in your mischaracterization of “people who are hospitalized and dying…” as being “a lot” of them. You didn’t include those who don’t have COVID and still need those hospital resources clogged up and wasted on unvaccinated people because it is avoidable.
The morbidity rate for vaccinated “breakthrough” cases is very low, and definitely lower than unvaccinated.
What’s your point @marienada?
@f00l @mike808 @narfcake @unksol Again, I was just repeating what the mainstream media is saying. That is where I get my sources. I believe everything that I am told there and for that reason, I have all my vaccinations. I may get the booster and subsequent boosters. At the moment I am considered fully vaccinated as it has been longer than two weeks since my second dose. If this definition is changed to say that I am no longer fully vaccinated with two doses, I will get the booster. At the moment, I’m not as I am not in any of the categories for which it is recommended.
@f00l @marienada @mike808 @narfcake you don’t not get vaccinated which you did. So sorry it sounded off. I would not have gone hunting for a booster. But. Everyone who is immunocompromised. Yeah I would if available.
My mom had a liver transplant so you know doses are free and going bad or available. Meh
@marienada @narfcake @unksol Have never read the majority of the people in hospitals with Covid are vaccinated. Where are you getting that information?
@Felton10 @marienada @narfcake
Misinformation
But absolutely where?
@Felton10 @unksol
; )
@Felton10 @unksol In Israel. Yes, their healthcare system is different from ours and they are among the most vaccinated, but going deeper into those numbers:
https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2021/08/20/1029628471/highly-vaccinated-israel-is-seeing-a-dramatic-surge-in-new-covid-cases-heres-why
@f00l @marienada @mike808 @narfcake @unksol
@marienada, you both mishandled the data and communicated poorly. Don’t shit on everyone else and cry “ad hominem” because you fucked up. Fuck, I still can’t say I’m sure what the fuck you meant.
@f00l @joelmw @marienada @narfcake @unksol
This is the same as The Former Guy’s “people tell me” cop-out BS to pretend whatever he was pinching off had some relationship with reality.
Perhaps you might be more selective about what you believe is “mainstream media” before repeating the information. The responses might reveal your definition of “mainstream media” isn’t as mainstream or as credible as you thought (or at least within the Meh forums, which are a skewed population to start with).
Misunderstandings aside, I’m glad your fully jabbed up and plan to get the booster. Me too.
I got mine in August, and it was Moderna. Walgreens here is doing boosters of both kinds. I am eligible because I have emphysema, COPD, a partially collapsed lung and diabetes. Whee.
@Pony
@Pony i wasnt aware that Moderna was available yet? Where are you located? I rwceived Phizer, my hubby Moderna. We just had Covid for 2nd time and the vax worked great. I did receive mine early and I beliece d/t this I had a few days of symptoms that would have been less w the booster. It was approved for me the day I was released from quarantine. I am probably going to get the booster in around 4 months.
@banjo4fun I’m in Colorado. Walgreens is the only place I know of that’s giving Moderna boosters at this time.
@banjo4fun @Pony Come to think about it, I did my booster at Walgreens and they had both there too. Ohio.
@banjo4fun @Pony CVS
@banjo4fun @toddsilvey CVS was the first place I tried. They were only doing Pfizer, but that was over a month ago, so maybe that’s changed now.
@banjo4fun @Pony you had COVID twice but the vax worked great?? Do you not see the contradiction in that statement?
@banjo4fun @dyounghbic
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/effectiveness/why-measure-effectiveness/breakthrough-cases.html
@banjo4fun @dyounghbic @Pony you seem to have a fudemetal problem with how vaccines work. Of course you can get reinfected. See every single flu season. Especially when there are huge pockets of people breeding the virus
My wife and I walked into Walgreens 3 weeks ago and although we had to fill out forms, there was no indication that anything we put down or didn’t put down on the forms would have disqualified us from getting it. We got the Moderna.
@Felton10 You’re not disqualified. Moderna is sending data to the CDC and FDA ASAP. Their shareholders wouldn’t have it any other way. And the government isn’t dragging their feet after the former guy fucked everyone.
You’ll get a booster. It’s just not approved yet. Maybe a month or two?
@mike808 They probably would have given it to us due to my diabetes and my wife having had breast cancer, but the guidance on who gets it and when has been all over the place. Just saying we might have had a more difficult time trying to get it if we would have come in a week or two later.
Each of my parents have received a third dose. They have significant health issues. Both had mild reactions.
Hubby was slated to get his 3rd this week, but they have postponed it. He had his first in January because he works in a homeless shelter.
I am under the threshold agewise to get a 3rd, but healthwise I think I might meet the CDC guidlines. Have a query into my gp to get his advice. While not looking forward to a recurrence of the side effects I got with the 2nd shot, I would rather the vaccine than the disease!!
@mikibell
Side effects for me from a third Moderna are
minimal. They may be zero in fact; I also got the flu jab at the same time, in the other arm.
@mikibell @werehatrack You’ve jumped the gun. Moderna isn’t approved for a booster yet.
/giphy jump the gun
@mikibell turns out having a lemon of an immune system does qualify for the 3rd shot – Pfizer here, not moderna. Getting the 3rd shot end of Oct. Could probably find it sooner, but dr thought it was best to wait out my current illness Ahhh autumn in NE hates me!!
@mikibell I just realized my parents got a 3rd moderna shot…not sure how that happened.
Hubby had 3rd pfizer yesterday… Very sore arm, chills allll night long. He is up and going this morning, a bit tired. (Basically 24 hour man cold!)
@mikibell
My “light” side effects lasted about a week after the shot. My “heavy” side effects were gone after 2 days.
(Pfizer)
I think there are plenty of pharmacies which will give you a Moderna booster if you simply ask for one.
As to whether it makes sense to get a Moderna one before formal approval, I have no idea.
@f00l I will let you know after Wednesday…
@f00l sooo… Day after 3rd shot… Pretty much the same as shot 2. I forgot the joint pain part! Almost as a high fever this time 102.7. Think I will live tomorrow. Today, I sleep
@f00l @mikibell Feel better soon!
After-action follow-up; I had a minor case of the blah on the day following the vax jabs, but it’s hard to say whether it was from the flu vax, the Moderna booster, or the combination of the two. In any event, I neither turned a funny shade of blue nor grew any unusual appendages, and I’m back to normal today.
@werehatrack I’m sure the SO is thrilled your testicles didn’t swell up to the size of grapefruit like that friend of Cardi B’s cousin’s neighbor who knew a guy that happened to.
@mike808 @werehatrack
After I got the third Pfizer shot I spontaneously grew a hideous and deformed desire to talk about whether people were going to get the booster shot
May come down to surgery to get rid of this thing.
@f00l @mike808
There is precedent.
I’m eligible, but Moderna is not approved for a third shot yet for anyone, as I understand it - I don’t understand the others (@Felton10, @Pony) above saying they got a Moderna booster - are pharmacies just giving them out anyway without CDC and FDA approval?
@stolicat
My mother got hers last week, she’s 80, I’m waiting for her to refresh my memory of which one she got. From what is happening in my state, CT. It’s about how old you are and where you work. Those age 75 and above (I believe) & health care workers in the nursing homes and hospitals are first in line. It won’t open up to the next eligible group for another few weeks.
@stolicat
Oops, I WAS WRONG!
My mom is only on the list! She just told me that they will be calling her as soon as they’ve ready to start giving them, OR as soon as they’ve HAVE THEM to give out is more like it!
…and then I told her to GET BACK TO SLEEP, everyone shouldn’t be up at 3am! It’s not like it’s a mehrathon or anything!
@stolicat “ The FDA determined that transplant recipients and others with a similar level of compromised immunity can receive a third dose of the vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna at least 28 days after getting their second shot.
Walgreens announced last month that its pharmacies will offer additional COVID-19 vaccine doses to eligible patients with compromised immune systems.” (copied from an NBC news article)
@stolicat Some state health departments have approved certain categories of people getting them ahead of the CDC. That may make a difference?
@stolicat they are giving full 3rd shots of moderna not boosters at cvs and walgreens, all the info on their sites. My brother received his 3rd moderna at cvs, several days ago because he works in high risk environment, va hospital. I forsee some just saying they are high risk just because they want the 3rd, no proof is required.
First two Pfizer shots came from an official county facility last March.
Last week, i saw the headlines about Pfizer booster approval, and over-65 being an approved group, while i was in a Walmart. So I walked over to the pharmacy to ask when Pfizer 3rd shots would be available.
They said “right now, want one?”.
I didn’t ask about whether they had Moderna boosters/3rd shots, nor whether one has to fit an approved category to get the 3rd shot immediately.
I filled out the usual “get a vaccine” questionnaire. I was never screened for “eligibility for a Covid shot booster” that I recall, tho they have my info and know my age.
It’s possible that Walmart pharmacy policy allows any adult to walk in and get one (excepting possible unusual contraindications, or similar.). Didn’t ask.
I don’t have the impression that there’s a current vaccine shortage in this country.
I also didn’t ask whether I was getting a booster or the full shot (is there a difference?).
I’ll ask that pharmacy some of these Q’s next time I’m back in that Walmart.
In my case, after-shot effects were gone within 48 hours, and were mild.
@stolicat It didn’t make a lot of sense to us either, but when my wife had lunch with a friend who told her she had just gotten the booster at Walgreens that morning, we went over that afternoon and got ours.
We were nervous that at the originally projected 8 month mark, we would be on our 50th anniversary cruise in Nov (which has since been cancelled), we didn’t want to take a chance of not being able to get it so.
And of course, this was before all the confusing and conflicting info about who should get, which one and when, but that only makes us more confused about why they were doing it. Still happy we got it.
Finally an excuse to post this video:
Smallish Pfizer 3rd shot side-effect caveat:
slight loss of “get-up-and-go energy” related to extra-energy tasks.
Feel normal for lightweight activity and stuff: Walking around, shopping, putting stuff away, etc.
Notice unusual dragged-out fatigue after 30 min or so of more serious exertion.
I presume/hope this slight extra fatigue will be gone within a week or so.
One side effect that I had from the Moderna shot is relief from some stiffness of arthritis in my left hand. I couldn’t close my fist before the shot. After, it was easy and I wondered if the shot had anything to do with it so I searched Google and others were reporting the same thing.
@Kyser_Soze so interesting! Was that only right after or did iit last?
@Dakini @Kyser_Soze
Cool. So its like Ivermectin for arthritis?
@Kyser_Soze Wow- I wish it had done something for mine. What a nice side effect.
I think it’s a limited edition.
Once I qualify for the Moderna booster I will for sure be getting it!
@Dakini I’ll probably be 65 by the time they approve it! 3 months to go.
@Dakini
My CVS provided the Moderna booster without any reservations, since my original vax was in January/February.
@werehatrack mine was mid April
@Dakini @werehatrack
any idea what dosing they are using for Moderna boosters? So far (to my understanding) they haven’t been approved and the dosing is not decided… There has been some discussion that they may want to use a lower volume for the booster…
@chienfou @Dakini @werehatrack
They’re also studying cross-manufacturer boosters, meaning you don’t have to get the same booster as your original vaccine. Obviously, that’s better news for Moderna and J&J than for Pfizer since Pfizer got theirs out first.
And the biggest group of unvaccinated will finally soon be able to get the vaccine – school-age children.
@mike808
Not quite sure how you figure that. Pfizer got theirs out first and it’s only good for follow up shots on their original patients. It would seem that if they make it now an open field for which shot you want to get as a booster Pfizer would still have the advantage… It is now available as a booster to anybody, after having a monopoly at first.
@chienfou Except it isn’t. That’s what they’re pushing hard (well, Moderna and J&J) to get - FDA and CDC approval for independent boosters. It should come soon, but it’s not official yet, AFAIK. Did I miss the news on my OANN feed?
@chienfou @mike808
From what I can find out, no decision is impending, and there’s not even much of a hint about cross-typed boosters getting officially approved. OTOH, anyone who wants to try getting revaxed with the other type should have no problem presenting themselves as a fresh recipient; there’s no national database of who’s had what as far as I can tell. Of course, that ignores the issue of testing for safety and usefulness rather glaringly…
@mike808
sorry about the confusion. My point was IFF they make it an open field Pfizer would still have the advantage, since it would then be able to be used on any prior vaccine after having had a monopoly (as it is currently)
i.e. that last part of the phrase was dependent on the first part of the assumption being true.
@chienfou They’re still studying cross-typed boosters. It will come, I’m sure. Just no idea when. They’re likely focusing on getting kids vaxxed first. I would want them to, as well.
There should be checks to prevent getting multiple vaccines. The obvious one is that it is covered by your insurance, and insurance will only pay for one vaccine. Not getting paid by your insurance is a powerful motivator for the pharmacy/doctor’s office to not give you more than one booster.
I will get the booster as soon as I am allowed to do so. Getting a flu shot next week
Health care worker, got my booster 2 days ago. Very sore arm, fatigue. No where near as bad as covid. We’re having breakthrough cases in our clinic, so it was necessary.
Got my flu shot & Pfizer booster yesterday, what a relief! Both in the left arm & it’s just a little sore, was even able to sleep on that side, which isn’t always the case, even with just the flu shot, so that was nice! Delta, mu, zombie plague, bring it on!
Wondering: if people originally got the Moderna or J&J shot, can they now get the Pfizer booster?
It’s that recommended, or recommended-against, or neither?
@f00l Boosters are the same as the one you already got. They didn’t see any “boost” effect with a third dose when it was a different vaccine.
@f00l cvs is doing 3rd shots for a couple different reasons but that question is under their FAQ section and it says: “Attempts should be made to match the additional dose type to the mRNA vaccine initially received (i.e., either the Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine), however, if that is not feasible, an additional dose with the other available mRNA vaccine is permitted.” J&J is not mRNA it’s more like traditional vaccines than the other 2.
@f00l @toddsilvey
Got the flu shot today. Don’t qualify for booster. I would be interested if testing can tell if/when a booster is needed.
As someone noted above, I see a regular booster schedule ahead until we get vaccines for kids and the hardcore never-vax folks have self-selected out of the population.
It will likely be rolled into or alongside the flu vax.
@mike808 They are still trying to validate spike antibody levels to protection levels - studies in process. Trouble is even if antibodies go away T-cells likely will still remain. Expensive to test those. LLS (study I am in) is looking at that although they are random sampling to do the T-cell and looking at the lab orders I have not been selected in that group.
Got my flu shot yesterday, and signed up for the Covid booster. Earliest I could find the booster available is October 20.
I presume Im eligible as a warehouse minion. Going to look into getting an appointment either Monday or the Monday after. Have to do it then so I can have Tuesday if there’re side effects since the booster doesn’t qualify as an excused absence like the main jabs do.
My flu shot will happen on Monday when I see my doctor for a regular checkup. I’m hoping to also get a Pfizer booster, if they have them available.
While I’m 58 and do not work in a high risk field, I qualify due to diabetes and hypertension and have been eligible for the booster since September 23 (six months after March 23).
If my doctor’s office doesn’t have boosters available, I’ll schedule it via a local CVS or Walgreens or one of the NY State or City vaccination sites around here.
Other than a sore arm after both shots back in March and a day’s worth of being very tired after the second dose, I had no ill effects. I’m hoping that the booster isn’t bad either, but I guess I’ll find out soon enough.
I got my Moderna booster today, that makes 3xModerna! Since my husband works at the University and his students are dropping like flies (calling in with covid), he is eligible. And since he can bring it home to me the pharmacist at the drug store we went to approved me to get one too.
I am so very happy. And…my arm is so very (not complaining) sore and I also think I am beginning to feel a bit sick. Still not complaining.
November 3. Moderna.
I’m getting my Pfizer booster at the zoo on Halloween.
Please don’t laugh.
@Barney
No, no, not laughing!
But, out of curiosity:
@rockblossom I’m wearing my Lifelike Human, Scale 1:1 shirt (maybe @narfcake can post a picture of it). I don’t think anyone will be able to recognize that I am Barney.
As for treats? Maybe I can get something good from our Health Department’s Mobile Lab.
@Barney @rockblossom
https://shirt.woot.com/offers/actual-size-4
@narfcake Thank you, kind sir.
@Barney @narfcake @rockblossom Ooh, I think I need that.
As I said in the open post I received 3 shots at once, Plus I noticed that I need to get 2 more in the future for other stuff!
Yes if there is a Vaccine for it that will prevent you from getting stuff. Well I will be there to get it.
@mycya4me pretty much the way i feel too.
when I got my Flu Shot a few weeks back, I also got a TDAP booster in the same arm, cuz… My ins. would pay for it, and, I couldn’t remember when my last one was… and I’ve always heard, " if you can’t remember when your last tetanus Shot was, it’s time for another"
That third Moderna shot fucked me up good. Holy crap, I was down for the count. Got it Friday. Saturday I was only awake a total of 6 hours. Sunday I didn’t feel a ton better, just layed around, nauseous, achey, headache but better than Saturday. Today was a better day.
Still glad I got it.
@Dakini Yep. Definitely beats a ventilator in the ICU for a week.
The thing people forget is that these don’t make you immune from COVID. They make it not suck nearly as muchas without it.
It’s like insurance. It doesn’t prevent an accident, it just makes it suck a lot less if it happens. Because you know people who don’t have insurance don’t give a fuck when they wreck your car since they don’t care if they wreck theirs.
@mike808 Agreed. And my husband is a professor with students that keep coming down with covid. I feel like it is just a ticking time bomb. Now if he does get it and bring it home we have a fighting chance of fending of the worst.
@Dakini Hopefully they will get cheap testing for antibody levels (or whatever the equivalent is) to know when boosters are needed until Darwin finishes the job the covidiots started.
And hopefully, if/when it hits, it will be no worse than the flu and no long-term symptoms.
@mike808 antibody level tests would be great
@Dakini @mike808 cheap testing for antibody levels is available. LapCorp $10, make an apt online. It is who the leukemia and lymphoma society is using for the study I am in. That lab (nationwide) said you don’t need a doctor’s order, can’t order in the lab as a walk in, have to do it online and make an apt.
Test is:
SARS-CoV-2 Semi-Quant Total Ab
also called Roche Elecsys Anti-SARS-CoV-2 S
(took this off my lab report results).
@Dakini @Kidsandliz @mike808 Unfortunately, there isn’t a LabCorp within a 100 miles of me.
@Dakini @mike808 @robinlynna Well now that you know what the test is called call around and see what you do have. I think Quest offers them too.
@Kidsandliz
Is there data on what levels would indicate “fade” in protection from the OG Pfizer 2-jab?
I’m not in the usual risk groups (aging, but not old, and other than overweight because, well, I’m an American), so I’m wondering how will I know “its time” to re-up. I also realize I’m not the first person to think of this question, so if the answer is “we don’t know yet”, that’s OK.
I don’t want to be a petulant entitled Chad waving around my privilege flag if the reality is a booster for me won’t really deliver significant/demonstrable benefits, while depriving that from someone else.
@mike808 They are still working on that, although the patterns emerging that as levels were dropping under 75% there was more concern for infection and the need for boosters. The other issue is that antibody levels don’t measure T-cell levels and those are important too. I know my antibody level dropped much faster than the ‘general public’ due to my blood cancer and after the booster I actually had a better level than after the first two shots (common in the immune compromised).
@Kidsandliz
@Dakini @Kidsandliz @mike808 That’s great advice but unfortunately Quest Diagnostics isn’t available with 75 miles ( that’s the furthest it checks location’s). That’s typical for living in a small town in Upper Michigan but I’m visiting my sister in Florida next month. I’ll have to check it out there. Thanks again!
I got the J&J one and done. I don’t think a booster has been approved/recommended yet.
@j37hr0 Correct – no secondary for J&J yet. Data has been submitted for approval already, though.
Moderna X2 = Ø booster 4 now.
@chienfou
that is now changed, see below…
OK, so as of last week J&J, Moderna, and Pfizer all have FDA approved booster schedules… and even better, they have decided you can do ‘a la carte’ boosters, so if you had J&J you can get the M or P booster. Have the Moderna 2 shots? You can get the Pfizer or J&J booster etc.
They are even working on a Moderna/flu combo shot, but it’s not quite ready yet.
@chienfou
/giphy pokemon gotta catch em all
@chienfou
A close friend’s doctor is actually recommending that his patients get the Moderna third-jab booster no matter which type they got for the first round. Apparently there’s less (but still nonzero?) value in getting the a la carte swap to J&J or Pfizer if you got Moderna to start with. I got lucky; mine was Moderna back in January, and my jab-3 was over a month ago at this point.
@chienfou @werehatrack I saw on the news the other day, if you got J&J the first time around, getting the Moderna Booster increases your antibodies something like x73…
I got Moderna back in Feb & March, get my Booster Tomorrow. (only 43, but Obese, and I work at a grocery store… and I live with (2) 75 yr olds, one of whom has Heart Disease, Diabetes, and Parkinsons…so… yeah. I’m getting that shit nipped as soon as possible.
Got the Pfizer booster on Wednesday. I wasn’t in the biggest rush, but work in secondary/higher Ed, so when they offered it (and I realized I was eligible) I was on board.
Got my flu shot the same day. I like vaccines.
@smigit2002 I am so jealous of you who can get multiple vaccines at the same time. My dr hesitates to give me the flu vax because I have such a strong reaction to it…let alone multiples vaxs! I think I am due for tetnus too dr once told me when work was considering sending me to India, that his plan to give me all the vaccines I needed would take like 2 years ( exaggeration, but close enough ) and that if someone was going to get sick just from being on an airplane, it would be me! Love my dr, hate my lemon immune system!!
@mikibell @smigit2002 Doesn’t necessarily sound like a lemon to me - if yours is primed to fight off anything “foreign” (and so you get strong reactions) then, in the long run, you are lucky even if vaccinations make you feel like crap because your body is reacting so strongly.
@Kidsandliz @mikibell Exactly! When I got my COVID shots and barely had a headache, I thought to myself “well shit, maybe my immune system isn’t that good…”
Then again, my reaction to poison ivy shows that not entirely true.
Protecting myself and others for the cost of a moderately sore arm? Worth it, every time.
@Kidsandliz @smigit2002 second shot I was nearly unconscious for first day… 103 temp…took me two more days to by upright again even the pneumonia vaccine knocked me over. I am not sure if I am pro vaccine or not… But I will do anything to protect my parents from catching something from me! Hypersensitive immune system be damned !!
Well I got the Booster over 2 weeks ago, I also got the annual flu shot, (both on the same arm- NO really issues) but in the other arm I got Part 1 of the Shingles shot. well that one did make my arm hurt! For over a week it was sore.
Yep, 3 different shots in one day!
I personally will not be getting any of the shots… Initial vaccine, boosters or any of the other B.S. they are trying to make money on. And my belief in that was just reinforced when the CDC just voted that pretty much everyone should get boosters EXCEPT frontline workers(aka the people that should, according to logic, most likely be exposed the most to Covid) Now please tell me how that makes any sense.
SPOILER ALERT!!!:
IT DOESN’T!
Not sure where you’re getting your information from, but the CDC includes …
… as recommended for a booster.
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/booster-shot.html
As for this part:
Just know that the dewormer “alternative” (which works for getting rid of parasites, not viruses) is also made by a huge pharmaceutical and if there’s any other industry that’s profiting, it’s the end responders. Funeral homes and crematories are very profitable these days. GoFundMe is also profiting a lot for all the folks (heirs) left with bills, as hospital ICU stays are $$$.
It’s your decision. None of us here can make that decision, and lots of us want this to be over and return back to “normal”. The only way we’re going to reach herd immunity level is if more folks get vaccinated (changing the numerator), or there are fewer unvaccinated folks breathing (changing the denominator). The vaccines were developed during the last administration and have been proven effective. Experimental? Given the situation, I chose NOT to be the control group.
@narfcake @sicc574 The panel of experts voted against boosters for frontline workers, 9-6. The head of the CDC decided to override it
@sicc574
Damned if you do, damned if you don’t.
BTW, my husband and I are both vaccinated, waiting for the Moderna to come available for booster. And we both mask up when we’re out because we don’t want to get sick or, in the rare case we somehow are carriers, don’t want to make others sick. It’s the responsible thing to do.
Oh, and there’s this little nugget of news. It made me laugh and shake my head at the way this has all been made into a political thing. It isn’t.
If you really are concerned about companies making too much money, go after big pharma. Remember the epi-pen? The cost of insulin? Oh, and the military machine that loves wars being dragged on forever because it makes them richer.
But sure, go after the one free thing that makes us all a lot safer.
Did you know that covid effects erectile dysfunction? The vaccine doesn’t do that. Just thought I’d toss that in.
And another site that is pretty sad, when you think about it. Preventable. All preventable. How many orphans are there because of this?
I wish there was a way to get through to those who are terrified to get the shot. I really do. But, at this point? I doubt there is.
I’m sad for you.
@sicc574 It is people who don’t get vaccinated who endanger people like me and others at higher risk even more so than the general public. We often don’t respond as well to vaccinations to begin with (I only had a 65% response to begin with after 2 shots and by the time I got the booster I had less than 30% protection) AND our risk of dying from covid is much higher than the general public. For blood cancer patients (I have follicular non-hodgkin’s lymphoma) the risk of dying if you are hospitalized with covid is 51%, for solid tumor cancer patients (I have had breast cancer on both sides) it is 36% (different studies have documented similar outcomes).
Most of the people hospitalized with covid right now are the unvaccinated. I have had to get medical tests postponed because there was no room in the hospital and we had tents in the parking garage. That impacts my health/care. While you may be lucky and not get covid, or get an asymptomatic case (so with that you are also then risking giving it to others) plenty of unvaccinated people are getting it and are then endangering others.
One of the biggest groups endangered are kids too young to be vaccinated. Where I live we have the only children’s hospital in the state. ICU is full of kids with covid. Kids are dying of covid. If nothing else get a vaccination to do your part in helping to protect little kids.
Years ago when they finally had a polio vaccination that was free to everyone too. My dad got polio in the final big round of the epidemic of it. I saw him suffer his entire life and then as he (as did most others who had that) develop post polio syndrome, get even more disabled from that, and he suffered even more. He died from complications of that sped up by maybe a couple of months by assisted suicide.
He and our entire family was very grateful that that vaccination was available and, like the covid vaccination, made free to everyone. I wish that vaccination had been available for him when he was little. Back then there wasn’t all this “I won’t get it” behavior that is going on today with covid. The lines were long to get it, everyone was thrilled. Everyone knew at least someone, if not more than one someone who had had polio and many died of it.
There is nothing different between dealing with polio back then and dealing with covid vaccinations. Federal money was involved in developing it (as is the case with many medical advancements, drug discovery and development, etc.) and that vaccination was made free to the public. The only difference I see is back then almost no one resisted getting vaccinated. Today many are for reasons I fail to understand.
@marienada @narfcake @sicc574
The committee didn’t vote “against” boosters.
The ACIP voted not to recommend specifically just the Pfizer booster and specifically at this time, given the evidence available today. The evidence tomorrow will be different. So it is not a one-and-done decision, forever irreversible.
The head of the CDC considered the larger context of the FDA publicly approving the Pfizer booster, and the downside of folks getting boosters that the ACIP didn’t think would benefit older and increased at-risk populations. The ACIP also has 4 members from pediatric backgrounds, voting on something affecting a population which they have little background on. There are factors beyond just the science, and different people can review the same data from different perspectives. And the head of the CDC is not bound to rubber-stamp the ACIP, and has the authority to decide as they did, in favor of recommending boosters, in alignment with FDA approval for the Pfizer booster.
Perhaps the ACIP wanted to wait for Moderna and J&J boosters to be approved. It was a public meeting, but I did not find a transcript or video linked from the CDC ACIP website. I’m sure one exists, given the public interest.
You can review the data and presentations they reviewed for yourself here:
https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/acip/meetings/slides-2021-09-22-23.html
@mike808 @narfcake @sicc574 I didn’t say they voted “against boosters” - I said they voted “against boosters for frontline workers”. I was simply pointing out your incorrect correction of the OP when you doubted where they were getting their information from. The panel of experts voted against giving the booster to that group of people and then as that wasn’t the anticipated response, it was overridden. They brought up a lot of interesting points.
@marienada @narfcake @sicc574
You misunderstand the nature of the vote. A failed vote for something, in a scientific setting is not the same as a vote “against” that something.
It is the mischaracterization of the ACIP recommendation voting as being “against” something when that is not at all what the recommendation was or was about. It was about “does the epidemiological evidence support the FDA approval enough to approve this use for this population”.
Again, a failure to prove a hypothesis does not prove the opposite. Saying this was a vote “against” approving the booster is a mischaracterization at best.
The influence of the media “race horse” mentality and the “winner takes all” oversimplification of binary politics is strong in today’s America.
@mike808 @narfcake @sicc574 Absolutely none of that makes sense. The panel was asked whether they recommend the booster for certain groups of people. They said yes to some groups and no to one, so they voted against recommending the booster for front line workers and it was later overridden. I am not misundertanding anything.
@marienada @narfcake @sicc574
Q.E.D.
The absence of the affirmative does not prove the negative.
@marienada @mike808 @narfcake @sicc574 the vaccine is FDA approved, recommended, sometimes mandated. Full stop. The panel in question is just about should there bee a booster/what is the recommended schedule. We get 10 year tetanus shots. We get yearly flu shots. Figuring out the boosters shot schedule has nothing to do with getting vaccinated
@sicc574 I hope you will not be one of those people who I read about everyday who is at death’s door and now pleading for the shot.
@Felton10 Really, you read one of those stories EVERY DAY? Where are you finding all of those very specific stories? The Onion? I have never read one with that plot…
@marienada @mike808 @narfcake @unksol I have never, nor will I ever get a flu shot.
@sicc574 Yes-every DAY!!! On CNN or CNN.com-they are obviously not on the anti-vaxx stations like Faux Snews.
@marienada @mike808 @narfcake @sicc574 @unksol That doesn’t surprise any of us.
@Felton10 @sicc574 https://www.sorryantivaxxer.com/
I got both Pizer shots in January and got Covid in August. I think I will pass on the booster.
@ohbhayes and here you are, alive. The vaccine worked.
@ohbhayes Sorry you were one of the small percentage of people who got a break through case. Hope it wasn’t too horrible. Of course you were nearing or at when protection for pfizer was in the 70% range (after initially being much higher, many different kinds of vaccinations for different diseases have a drop in efficacy over time) and you were one of the unlikely group. Too bad the booster wasn’t available sooner for folks like you vaccinated way back then.
@ohbhayes Vaccines itself cannot prevent the virus from getting in – that’s why other measures such as masks and distancing are still relevant. It does prepare your body to fight the ailments, which given that you’re alive, I would say that the vaccine worked as intended.
@narfcake @ohbhayes
As a taxpayer, I am appreciative of your being vaccinated has reduced the costs and resources (ICU, doctors and nursing staff, etc.) necessary to treat you that are overwhelming our healthcare system right now from the unvaccinated.
So I thank you for your service.
@ohbhayes @Pony many unvaxxed people also survive.
@dyounghbic @ohbhayes @Pony
And many more don’t.
CDC study shows unvaccinated people are 29 times more likely to be hospitalized with Covid
Which is why insurance companies are starting to not cover the cost of Covid.
@narfcake Especially if @ohbhayes didn’t have a severe case. The percentages I was taking about was the antibiody levels (re-reading I see I wasn’t clear on that). T-cells are also made that respond when exposed to the virus. That is expensive to measure those.
The spike protein antibody test is $10 at lab corp. It is the SARS-CoV-2 Semi-Quant Total Ab test also known as the Roche Elecsys Anti-SARS-CoV-2 S (might be more in that name but it was then cut off on my LabCorp printout). BE AWARE though if you decide to go get one of these, the research is still being done to determine how high a number (max is currently >2500) is “enough” for strong protection. To some degree (early results from a study that is still ongoing) initially t-cell response tends to correlate with spike protein antibody results BUT it is normal for antibodies to decline but “memory cells” in your immune system are still preserved (of which t-cell response is one indirect way to measure that).
@dyounghbic
Many of the un-vaxxed people who survive serious ICU-level COVID-19 cases are taking those ICU beds from other persons who need those beds, and whose need for heavy medical resources isn’t largely preventable.
(Vaxxed persons have low breakthru rates, and are far less likely to need ICU treatment if they do get breakthru covid.
If every adult were vaxxed [excepting a tiny few with very rare situations justifying exemptions], no one would be dying from other conditions simply because of a shortage of ICU beds and medical resources).