FDA Approves Booster Shot for People with Weakened Immune Systems

[PageTwo]

Good news. I agree that this will be the way of the future...

 

[Koolau]

Does anyone know the thinking on waiting for the booster? IOW is getting a booster at 6 months worse than getting one at 8 months? If so, what is the reasoning? I'm sure it's a bad idea to get a booster every day, but not sure why (other than cost - or preventing someone else from getting a vax.) Can you become TOO immune? Does the vaccine cause documented issues if taken "too soon?"

 

[Sunset]

It is being researched, whether mixing phizer and moderna is better than sticking to whichever a person has.

I did check online, and some websites for pharmacies, basically said I was not yet eligible when I answered truthfully.

I'm still in wait mode as I'm much more protected now than last year when I only had a mask.

 

[harllee]

Several of our friends who are not immune compromised and do not have any conditions that would qualify them for boosters now have gotten boosters either by lying on the forms or by going to pharmacies that don't check to see if you meet the criteria. I am not going to do that-- I am going to wait until I actually qualify to get the booster. I want the booster and will get it as soon as I qualify but I just don't feel right getting it now since I don't qualify.

 

[RobbieB]

Good for you. You're probably also not one of those people that bought a dozen 24 packs of TP either.

 

[ivinsfan]

Several of our friends who are not immune compromised and do not have any conditions that would qualify them for boosters now have gotten boosters either by lying on the forms or by going to pharmacies that don't check to see if you meet the criteria. I am not going to do that-- I am going to wait until I actually qualify to get the booster. I want the booster and will get it as soon as I qualify but I just don't feel right getting it now since I don't qualify.

Not only that the actual approved general population booster dose and timing have yet to be determined . I'm willing to wait

 

[REWahoo]

Looks like Moderna is working on a combination Covid 19 booster, flu shot and RSV vaccine:

Moderna working on combination COVID-19 vaccine booster and flu shot

As much as I hate getting shots, I'm hoping they can pull it off.

 

[simple girl]

Does anyone know the thinking on waiting for the booster? IOW is getting a booster at 6 months worse than getting one at 8 months? If so, what is the reasoning? I'm sure it's a bad idea to get a booster every day, but not sure why (other than cost - or preventing someone else from getting a vax.) Can you become TOO immune? Does the vaccine cause documented issues if taken "too soon?"

I just read an article today that said your body needs time to develop your immune response, and if you get a vaccine too early it won't develop as robust of a response.

 

[Chuckanut]

I'll let the experts work out the timing for any booster I might get. So far they seem to have done a good job.

 

[tmm99]

I just read an article today that said your body needs time to develop your immune response, and if you get a vaccine too early it won't develop as robust of a response.

Do you happen to remember the link? I know that your body needs time to develop an immune response and having a longer interval between the 1st and the 2nd shot (say 10 weeks instead of 3 weeks) may help you develop a better immune response, but as far as I know, the immune response starts to wane after the 2nd shot at a certain point (We don't know at a 5-month-mark or 6-month-mark or...), so what you heard may be in regards to the interval between the 1st and the 2nd shot. If what you read is about delaying the booster shot for more than a certain number of months, I would like to know.

 

[Koolau]

I just read an article today that said your body needs time to develop your immune response, and if you get a vaccine too early it won't develop as robust of a response.

Thanks! I guess that makes sense.

Do you happen to remember the link? I know that your body needs time to develop an immune response and having a longer interval between the 1st and the 2nd shot (say 10 weeks instead of 3 weeks) may help you develop a better immune response, but as far as I know, the immune response starts to wane after the 2nd shot at a certain point (We don't know at a 5-month-mark or 6-month-mark or...), so what you heard may be in regards to the interval between the 1st and the 2nd shot. If what you read is about delaying the booster shot for more than a certain number of months, I would like to know.

Yeah, I guess I'd like to know if the timing for the 2 dose regimen is appropriate to the booster shots. Since there does appear to be a fair amount of "break through" infections, "earlier" booster would seem appropriate unless there is less response that way. My guess - no one really knows yet as this is all somewhat a learn-as-you-go experience for all of us.

 

[bobbyr]

Yesterday, I got my Pfizer Covid booster (#3 shot). Feeling great!

yay! I'm a little jealous, looking forward to getting the booster and feeling 'protected' again.

 

[simple girl]

Do you happen to remember the link? I know that your body needs time to develop an immune response and having a longer interval between the 1st and the 2nd shot (say 10 weeks instead of 3 weeks) may help you develop a better immune response, but as far as I know, the immune response starts to wane after the 2nd shot at a certain point (We don't know at a 5-month-mark or 6-month-mark or...), so what you heard may be in regards to the interval between the 1st and the 2nd shot. If what you read is about delaying the booster shot for more than a certain number of months, I would like to know.

I found it!

Here's the link to the article.

You may have to register to read it; I can't recall as I may be automatically logged in. If so, here's a quote regarding the topic in question.

For many other types of vaccines, booster shots are recommended about 6 months after a first dose, the AP reported. The timing matters because the immune system builds layers of protection over time. If a booster shot is provided too soon, the immune response may not reach optimal levels.

"Sometimes waiting a little bit extra time is in fact appropriate to gain the strongest response," Cameron Wolfe, an infectious diseases specialist at Duke University, told the AP.

 

[Chuckanut]

A friend just sent me this chart showing how the booster shots given in Israel to people age 60+ are doing:

 

[simple girl]

A friend just sent me this chart showing how the booster shots given in Israel to people age 60+ are doing:

That's pretty telling. Could you ask your friend for the source, please?

 

[MuirWannabe]

My DD who has RA and therefore is immuno compromised got the booster Moderna shot today. She wasn’t planning to do so until all of us had recently gotten an antibody test done. While we don’t really know what the result numbers mean, her numbers were way lower than ours. Like 850 versus 110. That prompted her decision.

 

[tmm99]

A friend just sent me this chart showing how the booster shots given in Israel to people age 60+ are doing:

And I wonder how many months it's been since their 2nd shot for the no-booster group, as the protection wanes at five to six months for Pfizer and four to five months for AstraZeneca according to this BBC article.

Also in the UK, the people there initially received their dosages with a three-week interval (the old and frail group, I think...?), but they, later on, chose to expand this to a 12-week interval to allow a higher percentage of the population to receive one vaccine dose quicker. Not sure if those stats are for people with the three-week interval or 12-week interval...


https://www.bbc.com/news/health-58322882.amp

Protection after two shots of Pfizer decreased from 88% at one month to 74% at five to six months.

For AstraZeneca, the fall was from 77% to 67% at four to five months.

And this is a bit concerning...

Based on PCR test results from nearly 400,000 people who had been infected with the Delta variant in the UK, it found two doses of the Pfizer vaccine was initially more than 90% effective against symptomatic Covid infection, compared with around 70% for the AstraZeneca vaccine.

But over the course of three months, the protection from Pfizer fell significantly whereas immunity with the AstraZeneca jab remained more stable.

 

[tmm99]

I found it!

Here's the link to the article.

You may have to register to read it; I can't recall as I may be automatically logged in. If so, here's a quote regarding the topic in question.

For many other types of vaccines, booster shots are recommended about 6 months after a first dose, the AP reported. The timing matters because the immune system builds layers of protection over time. If a booster shot is provided too soon, the immune response may not reach optimal levels.

"Sometimes waiting a little bit extra time is in fact appropriate to gain the strongest response," Cameron Wolfe, an infectious diseases specialist at Duke University, told the AP.

Thank you! This is talking about typical multi-shot vaccines, so I am not sure how the booster part (a third shot) will fit in... I live in Canada and my 2nd jab was 3 months (not 3 weeks) after my first jab, so maybe I have more protection from my 2nd jab? I don't know... As for the booster, I don't think we know when the protection peaks at this point...

 

[Alan]

And I wonder how many months it's been since their 2nd shot for the no-booster group, as the protection wanes at five to six months for Pfizer and four to five months for AstraZeneca according to this BBC article.

Also in the UK, the people there initially received their dosages with a three-week interval (the old and frail group, I think...?), but they, later on, chose to expand this to a 12-week interval to allow a higher percentage of the population to receive one vaccine dose quicker. Not sure if those stats are for people with the three-week interval or 12-week interval...


https://www.bbc.com/news/health-58322882.amp

Good article, thanks for posting it. We are still waiting for a decision here on boosters and vaccines for children.

The article above gives an insight to the thinking going in inside the JCVI.

The UK is expected to begin offering some people a third Covid booster jab next month, but is waiting for recommendations from an independent advisory body called the JCVI which is looking at evidence to support a decision.
Prof Spector said: "Many people may not need them. Many people may have had a natural booster because they've already had a natural Covid infection, so will effectively have had three vaccines.
"So I think the whole thing needs to be much more carefully managed than just giving it to everybody which would be a huge waste and ethically dubious given the resources we have. I think we need a more targeted approach than last time."

 

[simple girl]

Thank you! This is talking about typical multi-shot vaccines, so I am not sure how the booster part (a third shot) will fit in... I live in Canada and my 2nd jab was 3 months (not 3 weeks) after my first jab, so maybe I have more protection from my 2nd jab? I don't know... As for the booster, I don't think we know when the protection peaks at this point...

Ah, very true. So many unknowns!!!

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

Ugh...a change to the change. Although it doesn't appear that the US will change its stance on the booster shot in the near future, I could see that it could give some pause.

“Current evidence does not, therefore, appear to show a need for boosting in the general population, in which efficacy against severe disease remains high,” the scientists wrote, adding the wide distribution of boosters is “not appropriate at this stage in the pandemic.”...

The scientists in The Lancet review published Monday include Marion Gruber, director of the FDA’s Office of Vaccines Research and Review, and deputy director Phil Krause. Both officials are departing the FDA this year after they were reportedly frustrated over the agency’s decision to support booster shots.

The scientists said boosting could be appropriate for some individuals, such as those with weakened immune systems, who don’t produce an adequate immune response after receiving two doses of a vaccine.

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/09/13/cov...opriate-at-this-time-scientists-conclude.html

 

[Koolau]

Ugh...a change to the change. Although it doesn't appear that the US will change its stance on the booster shot in the near future, I could see that it could give some pause.



https://www.cnbc.com/2021/09/13/cov...opriate-at-this-time-scientists-conclude.html

I thought that article sounded like a fair amount of hand waving. Lots of "may" and "could be." I thought the phrase "the body's immune system is complex..." was telling. Yeah, it'c complex. So, some folks probably DON'T need the booster, but some probably do. Are we gonna test everyone for antibody levels before we give a booster? I think not.

No expert here. The only real downside I saw for use of a booster was the rare incidence of myocarditis. YMMV

 

[Sojourner]

I thought that article sounded like a fair amount of hand waving. Lots of "may" and "could be." I thought the phrase "the body's immune system is complex..." was telling. Yeah, it'c complex. So, some folks probably DON'T need the booster, but some probably do. Are we gonna test everyone for antibody levels before we give a booster? I think not.

No expert here. The only real downside I saw for use of a booster was the rare incidence of myocarditis. YMMV

+1

Also, it's puzzling how this study in The Lancet could dismiss the data coming out of Israel showing a 4-5x reduction in severe disease and death among older folks who've received a Pfizer booster shot. The chart showing these results was posted here.

 

[Koolau]

+1

Also, it's puzzling how this study in The Lancet could dismiss the data coming out of Israel showing a 4-5x reduction in severe disease and death among older folks who've received a Pfizer booster shot. The chart showing these results was posted here.

Yeah, that chart was amazing. To dismiss it seems imprudent in the extreme.

 

[Alan]

The UK approved Pfizer shots for 12-15 year olds today and tomorrow are expected to announce booster shots for all over 50s. ( they currently are only giving boosters to the clinical vulnerable)