New Variant Vaccine

[Scuba]

+100

I like that, NoVids, so are we.

Me too! Never head that term, but we are also NoVids, at least as far as we know so far.

 

[tuckeverlasting]

I just scheduled an appointment at Walgreen's for the new Moderna bivalent booster and a high-dose flu vaccine. For Sept. 8. It has been 5 months since my last booster. I wouldn't mind waiting a little longer for both of these, but had heard the Moderna in particular might be in short supply. And might as well get the flu shot as long as I am there. This will be my 5th covid shot! PS, I am 72 yrs old.

 

[Sojourner]

My pharmacist says they have 800 doses of Pfizer and 100 doses of Moderna on order (email says Moderna initially will be in short supply). The pharmacy will be choosing those who can get these first doses by lottery and only existing pharmacy customers will qualify.

Wow... a lottery for booster shots. Kind of hard to believe that'll be necessary, considering only around 30-35% of eligible adults have bothered getting the 2nd booster that's been readily available for many months now. Will be interesting to see whether there's a substantial uptick in interest with the new bivalent booster.

 

[harllee]

Wow... a lottery for booster shots. Kind of hard to believe that'll be necessary, considering only around 30-35% of eligible adults have bothered getting the 2nd booster that's been readily available for many months now. Will be interesting to see whether there's a substantial uptick in interest with the new bivalent booster.

I bet that most of the 35% who got the second booster will want the third booster and most of those want it ASAP. So it will be a lot of people wanting the third booster all at once.

 

[harllee]

I just scheduled an appointment at Walgreen's for the new Moderna bivalent booster and a high-dose flu vaccine. For Sept. 8. It has been 5 months since my last booster. I wouldn't mind waiting a little longer for both of these, but had heard the Moderna in particular might be in short supply. And might as well get the flu shot as long as I am there. This will be my 5th covid shot! PS, I am 72 yrs old.

Thanks for the heads up! DH and I just schedule our new Moderna booster at Walgreens for 9/12 (first availability). We did not schedule the flu shot yet, my doctor recommends waiting on that until mid to late October. It is also my 5th shot, I am age 71. For DH, age 71 and immune compromised, this will also be his 5th shot and he has also had the Evusheld antibody treatment. We are doing everything possible to stay safe.

 

[The Cosmic Avenger]

I just scheduled an appointment at Walgreen's for the new Moderna bivalent booster and a high-dose flu vaccine. For Sept. 8. It has been 5 months since my last booster. I wouldn't mind waiting a little longer for both of these, but had heard the Moderna in particular might be in short supply. And might as well get the flu shot as long as I am there. This will be my 5th covid shot! PS, I am 72 yrs old.

Thanks from me, too, I was going to check this weekend or next week, but I checked today, and got an appt. for next Friday, 9/9!

 

[explanade]

So my CDC card is full. Do you think they just start a new one?

When I got my second booster back in April, they transcribed the info on the old card to a new one for me.

This was a county facility. Not sure one of the drug store chains would do it.

 

[harllee]

When I got my 4th booster CVS just scribbled the info at the bottom, they put it on the back of DH's card. They also put it on our online state vaccine record.

 

[audreyh1]

I bet that most of the 35% who got the second booster will want the third booster and most of those want it ASAP. So it will be a lot of people wanting the third booster all at once.

We’re waiting. It make more sense to us to wait until we expect to be around more people. So maybe later in October some time.

 

[Ronstar]

I'm 2 + 1 booster. Doc recommended another shot, but he said to wait until the new booster comes out in October unless traveling or being in a large crowd before then.

We're flying to Las Vegas early Oct but I think I'll hold off until the new shot comes out.

 

[wolf]

OP here. In my original post I was not trying to convince anyone to get or not get the new booster coming out this fall. I was just relaying my thoughts. I think I will probably get it but might wait a while. With schools/colleges starting cases might ramp up.

Regarding my husband's cardiologist (actually Electrophysiologist) recommendation to not get his 2nd booster because of afib...the doctor said he had several patients who did experience afib after their vaccines...although he could not say if it was caused by the vaccine or coincidental. He said there was very little research and he could not honestly advise my husband on whether to get his 2nd booster or not. My husband is having an ablation in 2 weeks and the doctor said to at least wait till after that. This doctor is being cautious maybe because of this

https://www.jacc.org/doi/10.1016/S0735-1097(22)02829-7

Thanks Becca. Appreciate the update. Your cardiologist sounds very competent. His decision is based on his expertise, and the available research. He is on the front lines. Seeing actual patients.

I'm sure he has more knowledge, but as the flurry of replies your post has
generated. He has to be careful when giving covid advice.

 

[harllee]

I'm 2 + 1 booster. Doc recommended another shot, but he said to wait until the new booster comes out in October unless traveling or being in a large crowd before then.

We're flying to Las Vegas early Oct but I think I'll hold off until the new shot comes out.

The new shot is out. I have an appointment to get the new shot at Walgreens on 9/12. It takes 2 weeks to be effective so you it would be good idea for you to get the new booster mid September.

 

[Ronstar]

The new shot is out. I have an appointment to get the new shot at Walgreens on 9/12. It takes 2 weeks to be effective so you it would be good idea for you to get the new booster mid September.

Thanks for the info!

SIL got 2 shots today, one in each butt check. Not sure if she got the new one. Her immunity is compromised so she maxes out on the jabs.

 

[Linney]

SIL got 2 shots today, one in each butt check. Not sure if she got the new one. Her immunity is compromised so she maxes out on the jabs.

That is how Evusheld antibody therapy is administered -- 2 shots, one in each butt check. Evusheld therapy is specifically for people who are immunocompromised, so I'm thinking that is what your SIL actually received, not a covid booster

 

[harllee]

Thanks for the info!

SIL got 2 shots today, one in each butt check. Not sure if she got the new one. Her immunity is compromised so she maxes out on the jabs.

Sounds like your SIL got Evusheld, the antibody treatment for people with compromised immunity. There is a thread here on ER about that. My DH is immune compromised and got the Evusheld earlier in the summer (2 shots in butt). Evusheld is not a vaccine and his doctor says DH still needs the new vaccine. We have appointments on 9/12 to get the new vaccine.

 

[cbo111]

Thanks for the info!

SIL got 2 shots today, one in each butt check. Not sure if she got the new one. Her immunity is compromised so she maxes out on the jabs.

She got shot in the butt? This is interesting. DW is very thin and the pharmacists always have trouble finding a meaty spot on her arm to avoid hitting bone.

 

[Ronstar]

That is how Evusheld antibody therapy is administered -- 2 shots, one in each butt check. Evusheld therapy is specifically for people who are immunocompromised, so I'm thinking that is what your SIL actually received, not a covid booster

Sounds like your SIL got Evusheld, the antibody treatment for people with compromised immunity. There is a thread here on ER about that. My DH is immune compromised and got the Evusheld earlier in the summer (2 shots in butt). Evusheld is not a vaccine and his doctor says DH still needs the new vaccine. We have appointments on 9/12 to get the new vaccine.

Thanks for the info. She didn’t get into specifics. I was wondering why she got shots in the butt where everyone else got them in their arms.

 

[harllee]

She got shot in the butt? This is interesting. DW is very thin and the pharmacists always have trouble finding a meaty spot on her arm to avoid hitting bone.

The special shot the SIL got, Evusheld, is an antibody shot for people with compromised immune systems. It has to be given in a large muscle, for most people that is the buttocks. This shot is not a vaccination and is not available to the general public.

 

[Katsmeow]

I bet that most of the 35% who got the second booster will want the third booster and most of those want it ASAP. So it will be a lot of people wanting the third booster all at once.

I am in that 35% as is DH. I will definitely want the third booster, but I am not sure on the timing. We got the second booster at the start of April - right when it came out. So it has been 5 months. That suggests getting it ASAP. On the other hand, there isn't a lot of evidence as I understand it as to how much that second booster has waned. So maybe not that necessary to do ASAP.

DH had Covid in early June, but I never got it (I did test twice and was negative). On the other hand, if we get the booster early then it may have started waning by the time it is winter when I expect cases to go up. Early fall has usually not been as bad as later in the year.

But, on still another hand, the community levels right now in my county are "high" which is kind of surprising to me so maybe now is a good time....

I am leaning though to waiting until maybe mid-October. I will try to research more to see what is recommended for people like us. There is also a case for maybe I should get it now and DH should wait since he has had Covid in June and, AFAIK, I've never had it...

 

[Golden sunsets]

I am in that 35% as is DH. I will definitely want the third booster, but I am not sure on the timing. We got the second booster at the start of April - right when it came out. So it has been 5 months. That suggests getting it ASAP. On the other hand, there isn't a lot of evidence as I understand it as to how much that second booster has waned. So maybe not that necessary to do ASAP.



DH had Covid in early June, but I never got it (I did test twice and was negative). On the other hand, if we get the booster early then it may have started waning by the time it is winter when I expect cases to go up. Early fall has usually not been as bad as later in the year.



But, on still another hand, the community levels right now in my county are "high" which is kind of surprising to me so maybe now is a good time....



I am leaning though to waiting until maybe mid-October. I will try to research more to see what is recommended for people like us. There is also a case for maybe I should get it now and DH should wait since he has had Covid in June and, AFAIK, I've never had it...

I made appointments for DH and I to have the Pfizer bivalent booster next Friday, 9/10 at Walgreens. Both DH and I have had 4 Pfizer shots, the most recent of which was 4/8. We then both contracted mild cases of Covid within a week and had the monoclonal antibody treatment. FWIW, our State CDC Director recommends not waiting or trying to time the booster, even for those with our profile. We are in our 70's.

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[audreyh1]

We’re basing it on when we expect to be around more people (family), getting it a couple of weeks ahead. We’re not that concerned about solo travel as we traveling by car and aren’t around many people and take the usual precautions.

 

[ShokWaveRider]

The new jab does not seem to be available in NE. Fla. yet, at least not where we are. We will get it as soon as it is.

 

[Chuckanut]

I’ve been happy to get the first four shots. At this point I may wait a month or two for the new variant shot. We don’t go to crowded venues and travel right now is short road trips to interesting parts of my state I have recently discovered.

 

[Crewer]

We'll get the next shot soon but I'm waiting until after I see the monthly Covid webinar our local hospital guys have (been following for well over a year). It's only about 50 minutes long but they go over research and statistics. After I got my 2nd booster they said mixing Moderna/Pfizer was better than sticking with just one of them so I'm wondering if I should go over to Moderna after 4 Pfizer shots.

DH is still very worried about getting Covid because of his COPD (formerly asthma) and his memories of terrible things related to breathing problems. He's measured his oxygen sat for years to keep tabs on any problem before it gets bad. He's hoping the next shot will be a big game changer in terms of what he will feel comfortable doing. We have been to Europe twice this year and have another trip there planned for October so we aren't total recluses.

 

[Turbo29]

Top health officials believe the shots will provide more durable protection heading into the fall, but acknowledge it’s not yet clear how effective they will be.


New omicron boosters are now available, but it’s unclear how effective they will be