FDA Approves Booster Shot for People with Weakened Immune Systems

[stephenson]

Hmmmm. Maybe I'll try somewhere else! CVS simply said NOPE!

Good question … local Publix pharmacy online form, check immunocompromised, present yourself, if asked tell them it is none of their business. Mumble hippa jippa yippa.

 

[stephenson]

They determined the dosage regimen during trials.

But they didn’t measure antibodies 6 months or more out nor was their delta variant during the trials.

So, scientific guesswork with nearly the same material with one company do different? Or, is the Pfizer material less dense, requiring more volume?

 

[explanade]

I recall they tried different doses. And Pfizer had more than one vaccine in trials.

But they saw that extra dosage didn’t creat much more antibodies, at least initially.

Obviously they didn’t look at long term antibody levels.

 

[braumeister]

I've had over 40 flu shots over the years, and nobody has the slightest idea how much protection I've had as a result. Why should COVID jabs be any different?

 

[bmcgonig]

I've already said I am waiting for more info from Moderna as to timing.

We all have different immune systems. And no one knows how many antibodies are needed to avoid infection, sickness etc. We’ll decide when we want it. Not when we need it, unfortunately.

 

[RetMD21]

As I understand it, a normal Moderna vax contains 3 times the volume of a Pfizer vax.

Does anyone understand if the mRNA material is more dense in the Pfizer, or was this simply the companies' best estimate of the "correct" amount?

Relates to 1/2 Moderna dose being 20ug MORE than a full dose of Pfizer - in volume.

is a microgram a measure of volume?

 

[stephenson]

Lots of conversions here … https://www.convertunits.com/from/microgram+[water]/to/microliter

 

[timo2]

Regarding the mixing and matching the different vaccines, Canada feels like that has worked well for them, according to this article: "New Canadian data suggests the bold strategy to delay and mix second doses of COVID-19 vaccines led to strong protection from infection, hospitalization and death — even against the highly contagious delta variant — that could provide lessons for the world.
Preliminary data from researchers at the British Columbia Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC) and the Quebec National Institute of Public Health (INSPQ) shows the decision to vaccinate more Canadians sooner by delaying second shots by up to four months saved lives.
The researchers excluded long-term care residents from the data, who are generally at increased risk of hospitalization and death from COVID-19, in order to get a better sense of vaccine effectiveness in the general population — and the results were exceptional.
The analysis of close to 250,000 people in B.C. from May 30 to Sept. 11 found two doses of any of the three available COVID-19 vaccines in Canada were close to 95 per cent effective against hospitalization — regardless of the approved vaccination combination.
That means for every 100 unvaccinated people severely ill in Canadian hospitals, 95 of them could have been prevented by receiving two doses of either the AstraZeneca-Oxford, Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines, or some combination of the three."

https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/cana...s-mixing-matching-covid-19-vaccines-1.6205993

 

[USGrant1962]

Honestly, I haven't seen anything indicating what I would call "severe" reactions to the M or P vaccines. I think the J&J had (what?) 6 possible serious reactions. Someone please correct me on this as I'm curious too. My impression is that the Covid vaccines in general have been VERY safe indeed. I guess that's why I'd be willing to get a M booster even if it's for only a small bump in immunity. Very much a YMMV situation.

Pfizer/Moderna heart inflammation in young men appears to be at a much higher rate than the J&J unusual blood clotting in child-bearing age women. Some countries are now stopping Moderna for young people.

EDIT - but they are all very safe in the overall scheme of things. We encouraged DS1 to get J&J after he already had natural immunity from a confirmed infection, and he did. This was recently and J&J was hard to find.

 

[Badger]

We received a third injection of Moderna exactly 2 months ago. Walked into the pharmacy and was finished in a couple of minutes. Since it was that long ago I would assume it was a full dose and not a half dose. So far the only reaction to the third shot has been a very slight sore arm at the injection site that lasted a few hours. That was the same mild response we had from the original shots.


Cheers!

 

[ERObjd]

I had covid back in jan 2020 and also had the vaccine . VA tested me and antibodies were very high i likely have double atibodies from having matural immunity plus the 2 phizer vaccines. Alos my vitamin D blood level was in the 80's which is good doc wanted it above 50ml. My doc said i should not get booster untill age 65 which would be 4 years for me. who knows where this virus will be in 4 years maybe better meyae worse or maybe a new disease by then.

 

[stephenson]

Here’s an interesting summary paper of COVID vaccine types, what has happened, dosages, etc … don’t know the organization, though …

https://www.astho.org/COVID-19/Pfizer-Moderna-Vaccine-Comparison/

 

[gayl]

I had covid back in jan 2020 and also had the vaccine . VA tested me and antibodies were very high i likely have double atibodies from having matural immunity plus the 2 phizer vaccines. Alos my vitamin D blood level was in the 80's which is good doc wanted it above 50ml. My doc said i should not get booster untill age 65 which would be 4 years for me. who knows where this virus will be in 4 years maybe better meyae worse or maybe a new disease by then.

I will NOT get a booster unless required to by the cruise lines. I'm fine. Got the 1 shot. Our hospitals are no longer impacted, plenty of empty beds, unused ventilators. Testing is way up but positivity rate hovers around 2%.

 

[stephenson]

gayl,

Can you help us with the logic to not get a booster, especially given the closeness of folks on a cruise ship?

 

[explanade]

Has anyone tried mixing and matching?

Hope they change the eligibility requirements. Coming up on 6 months in a couple of weeks.

Could lie about immunosuppressed.

Or could say I was a former smoker.

 

[Ian S]

Moderna booster (emergency) approved by FDA apparently for same groups as Pfizer. I would love to have got it before an upcoming trip but I guess I'll have to wait until I return. https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/fda-advisory-group-recommends-moderna-booster-emergency-authorization-rcna2850

 

[Katsmeow]

Has anyone tried mixing and matching?

Hope they change the eligibility requirements. Coming up on 6 months in a couple of weeks.

Here is an article on the mixing and matching:

https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2021/10/mix-match-booster-covid-vaccine/620395/

I had Moderna for my first two shots and will take Moderna for my booster as soon as it is approved. I am over 65 so will qualify. Second shot was in February so eager to do this.

 

[explanade]

I don't think they're going to allow mixing and matching, at least not officially, for awhile.

And there are greater supplies of Pfizer than Moderna.

I would try the Moderna to supplement the Pfizer I've had.

 

[USGrant1962]

The FDA Advisory Panel is meeting today to vote on a recommendation for J&J boosters.

 

[ivinsfan]

Here is an article on the mixing and matching:

https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2021/10/mix-match-booster-covid-vaccine/620395/

I had Moderna for my first two shots and will take Moderna for my booster as soon as it is approved. I am over 65 so will qualify. Second shot was in February so eager to do this.

I wonder if they have half doses ready to ship or possibility will just give Moderna people half of the full doses they already have on hand?


I don't want the full does I want the half dose.

 

[skyking1]

DW messaged her rheumatologist yesterday and today he said go get the pfizer booster. I am pleased about that. She dodged thyroid surgery and now this enhanced protection.

 

[gayl]

gayl,



Can you help us with the logic to not get a booster, especially given the closeness of folks on a cruise ship?

Sure.
1. I hate needles
2. According to https://coronavirus.dc.gov/data/vaccination only 2.11% of those who had J&J had a breakthrough case
3. Cruise ship passengers & crew are 100% vaccinated. We are only 90% vaccinated here. So I have a higher chance of coming in contact with someone in my county then on a ship.

But on the negative side, I now know of 1 person who came down with it. He was vaxed & asymptomatic so it does happen. (Negative test required to get on a cruise ship)

 

[ivinsfan]

Sure.
1. I hate needles
2. According to https://coronavirus.dc.gov/data/vaccination only 2.11% of those who had J&J had a breakthrough case
3. Cruise ship passengers & crew are 100% vaccinated. We are only 90% vaccinated here. So I have a higher chance of coming in contact with someone in my county then on a ship.

But on the negative side, I now know of 1 person who came down with it. He was vaxed & asymptomatic so it does happen. (Negative test required to get on a cruise ship)

well if you want to use numbers it's 2.11 J and J, 1.18 P, and .80 for the M.... I hear you on the needle issue but I'd be concerned about what happens if I did test positive on a cruise away from home. Even if you don't get very sick you could end confined to your cabin for the duration.


Remember you can get Covid from a vaccinated so in theory this is less risk but not zero risk, as you pointed out. I would imagine flying and boarding a ship with a fresh booster is as close to bulletproof as you can get.

 

[Alan]

Has anyone tried mixing and matching?

Yes, my wife and I had different vaccines for our first and 2nd dose.
We each received an email today informing us of what we had for our 2nd dose. We both received Novavax and are eligible to receive a booster. We have been asked to talk to the trial team and have booked a call for Monday afternoon (18th October) since we will need to sign to give consent for a booster after receiving an as yet unapproved vaccine (Novavax) and also to book a slot in a vaccine centre so the booster is administered under a doctor's supervision.

Not sure which vaccine will be our booster. Pfizer or a half dose Moderna is what the UK is currently using for boosters. If we receive either of those then we will have had 3 different vaccines. We are looking forward to hearing more.

 

[ivinsfan]

Alan any chance you can actually indicate which vaccine you want? If you can ask, which one are you leaning towards getting?