No, vaccines!

[tmm99]

After reading this, I'm wishing I have had more vaccination shots... Is it too late for me to get the pneumococcus shot?

Previous vaccines and masks may hold down Covid-19, some researchers say

"When we looked in the setting of Covid disease, we found that people who had prior vaccinations with a variety of vaccines -- for pneumococcus, influenza, hepatitis and others -- appeared to have a lower risk of getting Covid disease," Dr. Andrew Badley, an infectious disease specialist at Mayo Clinic told CNN's Anderson Cooper on Monday night.

https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/11/health/us-coronavirus-tuesday/index.html

 

[H2ODude]

I've been waiting for about 2 years for the Shingrex or whenever this newer came out. Had not had the previous. Now I see it advertised on TV several times. Last time was at pharmacy asked, and was given a shoulder shrug and no known availability date. It's Walmart since we're on the bare bones Humana Schedule D. We're willing to pay, but it doesn't seem available. Friend of DW told her she got one from a physician she heard about (in a somewhat sketchy location). Not real interested in that. But if they ain't got it, why pay to advertise it?

 

[Amethyst]

I had measles twice! There were two different strains, evidently, and I managed to pick up both, just before the vaccine.

The first case was really bad, and I do remember Mom worrying about loss of hearing or even vision, though fortunately, neither of those occurred.

Mr. A and I will definitely get CV vaccine once FDA approves it, and it becomes available. I hope it goes to over-60's first.

I had measels as a child, was out of school for 3 months and almost lost my hearing.
.

 

[Amethyst]

I got the earlier version, just after turning 60.

A couple of months ago, I developed a weird rash on the inside of one arm. It did not itch; it felt like having hot needles stuck into my skin here and there. Turned out to be a "mild" case of shingles, and was muted in a week, and gone in 10 days. If the vaccine was responsible for its being "mild," I would hate to know what a "regular" case felt like!

I've been waiting for about 2 years for the Shingrex or whenever this newer came out. Had not had the previous. Now I see it advertised on TV several times. Last time was at pharmacy asked, and was given a shoulder shrug and no known availability date. It's Walmart since we're on the bare bones Humana Schedule D. We're willing to pay, but it doesn't seem available. Friend of DW told her she got one from a physician she heard about (in a somewhat sketchy location). Not real interested in that. But if they ain't got it, why pay to advertise it?

 

[Puravida1]

The Shingrix shot is worth it, about 1/3 of us will get Shingles and you catch it from yourself as its leftover chickenpox virus in your body from when you were a kid so its not like you can avoid shingles by being careful. Its more than 95% effective. I travelled back to the usa to get it from Europe where it is not available. I just walked into a CVS and paid cash since I dont have US health insurance. It was about $200 I think. I had already gotten the first shot the year before when I lived in the US. Dont risk Shingles over $200. If your insurance wont pay just pay cash.

I wont be getting the Russian Covid though

 

[Montecfo]

I got the earlier version, just after turning 60.

A couple of months ago, I developed a weird rash on the inside of one arm. It did not itch; it felt like having hot needles stuck into my skin here and there. Turned out to be a "mild" case of shingles, and was muted in a week, and gone in 10 days. If the vaccine was responsible for its being "mild," I would hate to know what a "regular" case felt like!

Oh it is bad. I have had shingles but my wife's case was especially severely. Took her probably 3 months to mostly get over. Still seems to experience pain from it years later.

 

[JoeWras]

We ought to start a thread to show off our small pox vaccine scar. I'm not sure mine is finally fading, or if the flabby, thinning skin is starting to hide it.

 

[Puravida1]

The old Zostavax vaccine wasnt very effective. For a lot of people it didnt work at all. It is still prescribed in Europe as thats all that is available.

Per GSK: Shingrix is 97% effective at preventing herpes zoster (shingles) in folks over 50 whereas the Zostavax shot is 50-64% effective in preventing shingles in those 50-70 and even lower for those over 70. Shingrix also stays effective for longer.

Zostavax is being retired from the US market. The US buys up all the shingrix vaccine in the world. The crappy Zostavax is all that everyone else gets even though this means that tons of wealthy europeans will needlessly get Shingles. this is the advantage of the big money US healthcare market. I would expect the same to happen with the Covid vaccine when the western pharma companies make one.

 

[braumeister]

The Shingrix shot is worth it, about 1/3 of us will get Shingles and you catch it from yourself as its leftover chickenpox virus in your body from when you were a kid so its not like you can avoid shingles by being careful.

Good advice.
I used to think I didn't have to worry about shingles since I never had chickenpox as a kid. Then I got shingles. Doc said it wasn't unusual for chickenpox to produce no symptoms, so I had certainly had it unknowingly.

 

[tmm99]

Good advice.
I used to think I didn't have to worry about shingles since I never had chickenpox as a kid. Then I got shingles. Doc said it wasn't unusual for chickenpox to produce no symptoms, so I had certainly had it unknowingly.

I wasn't sure if I had chickenpox, so I had my doc give me an antibody test which showed I've had it in the past.

 

[MRG]

I used to ignore the flu shots. About 12 years ago I was sick, in my PCPs office and he mentioned he never had a sick day in over 30 years of practice. He attributed that to a yearly flu shot.

We've been getting them ever since.

I remember a coworker who didn't believe in malaria preventatives if you were not going to a hot zone. He came back with malaria that went undiagnosed and it came back a couple years later. The horrible treatment he received, you have advanced AIDS and are going to die!!, was enough to make me a believer.

 

[Chuckanut]

I think I still have my smallpox scare but never had smallpox. And I never got polio.

Enough said.

The only danger I can see is that if I get my time machine working again and decide to visit Scotland in the early 1700's the scar might be used to prove I am in league with the devil.

 

[sengsational]

Looks like your prior vaccination history may play a role in your risk of getting Corvid-19.

After reading this, I'm wishing I have had more vaccination shots... Is it too late for me to get the pneumococcus shot?

Previous vaccines and masks may hold down Covid-19, some researchers say

https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/11/health/us-coronavirus-tuesday/index.html

There's a confounder lurking (multiple, actually). I'd love to have a causality arrow here, but we don't have one. Get vaccinated for the thing the vaccination is for, certainly, but I don't think the cohort of people who are up to date on their vaccinations is anywhere close to the cohort that has ignored or doesn't have access to vaccines. Which cohort do you think pays more attention to their health? Their food choices? It's called healthy patient bias and it's everywhere in these lay press headlines. It's really non-news if it's observational association.

 

[braumeister]

For those of us who were in the military, it was a very routine thing. I have over 50 immunizations recorded in my Air Force shot record, for all sorts of things. Probably meaningless now, but at least they didn't do me any harm.

 

[zinger1457]

There's a confounder lurking (multiple, actually). I'd love to have a causality arrow here, but we don't have one. Get vaccinated for the thing the vaccination is for, certainly, but I don't think the cohort of people who are up to date on their vaccinations is anywhere close to the cohort that has ignored or doesn't have access to vaccines. Which cohort do you think pays more attention to their health? Their food choices? It's called healthy patient bias and it's everywhere in these lay press headlines. It's really non-news if it's observational association.

Don't believe anyone has stated there is a definitive link at this time.

It's what immunologists call immune training: how your immune system creates an effective response to fight off infections, Badley says.
"A good analogy is to think of your immune system as being a muscle," he said. "The more you exercise that muscle, the stronger it will be when you need it."
There's been no definitive evidence of any other vaccines boosting immunity against Covid-19. But some researchers have suggested it's possible.
Do some people have protection against the coronavirus?

In June, a team of researchers in the US proposed giving a booster dose of the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine to people to see if it helps prevent the most severe effects of coronavirus infections. And last month, researchers found that countries where many people have been given the tuberculosis vaccine Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) had less mortality from coronavirus, a finding that fits with other research suggesting the vaccine can boost people's immunity in general.

 

[NYEXPAT]

you've never had a cold during flu season? For most of us... that is it. It is hard to tell the difference.

I have not had a cold since I moved out of NYC about 20 years ago. I have two kids 5 and 15 and they were always catching stuff in school, but I never got more than the "sniffles" for a day or two. I also drink a lot of fresh squeezed OJ every morning!

 

[anethum]

The radio show All Things Considered on NPR had an interesting 4 minute piece last night about the role of adjuvants in vaccines. It also talks about the Shingrix adjuvant. Here's a link to the 4 minute audio:

https://www.npr.org/sections/health...e-special-sauce-that-makes-some-vaccines-work

The Shingrix vaccine uses an adjuvant which had never been used in a human vaccine before. The Shingrix adjuvant (derived from a plant native to Chile) is thought to be the reason for both the high rate of effectiveness of the Shingrix vaccine as well as the high rate of adverse effects. I had a severe reaction to my first & only Shingrix shot, completely losing hearing in one ear. I was fortunate to get very prompt treatment with an oral steroid, and my hearing returned, though I was left with tinnitus. GSK, the maker of Shingrix, determined that a single dose is 85% effective. I decided I would not risk getting the 2nd dose. My primary care physician strongly agrees that I should not get the 2nd dose, as do a couple of friends of mine who are physicians. My PCP told me she put a notation in my medical record to indicate that I am "allergic" to Shingrix.

I am hoping that any effective covid-19 vaccines which are developed do not use the same adjuvant as the one used in Shingrix. If it is the same adjuvant, I will not get it. If it's a different adjuvant, I will absolutely get it.

 

[audreyh1]

After reading this, I'm wishing I have had more vaccination shots... Is it too late for me to get the pneumococcus shot?

Previous vaccines and masks may hold down Covid-19, some researchers say



https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/11/health/us-coronavirus-tuesday/index.html

I don’t see why it would be too late, especially if you want it anyway.

 

[geeky_grrl]

I get all the vaccines, but I know that I catch everything and tend to get really sick when I do catch things. I've always had a crappy immune system - as a kid pretty much every cold I got ended up with with me being hospitalized for pneumonia.

Flu shots seem to help me - the last time I got really sick with the flu was H1N1 which wasn't in the shot. A couple of years ago my SO got the flu and was really sick and I had a really mild case which I think was probably because I had the flu shot and he hadn't.

 

[audreyh1]

I wasn't sure if I had chickenpox, so I had my doc give me an antibody test which showed I've had it in the past.

DF absolutely swore up and down he had never had chicken pox. Then he freaked us out by developing an uncomfortable rash on his torso at 85. Fortunately, he immediately took himself to the emergency room where shingles was diagnosed and treated in plenty of time. The case was of short duration and no lingering after effects. So us kids freaked out after the fact. This was probably one of the last self care things he did as it wasn’t long afterwards that he no longer felt safe driving.

 

[audreyh1]

I think I still have my smallpox scare but never had smallpox. And I never got polio.

Enough said.

The only danger I can see is that if I get my time machine working again and decide to visit Scotland in the early 1700's the scar might be used to prove I am in league with the devil.

Yeah, don’t get written into Outlander!

 

[zippy2020]

....Actually, in thinking back, I can't remember getting a vaccine for anything other than a tetanus shot about 30 years ago and a bunch of stuff as a kid.

Not sure if you are saying you got the tetanus shot as a child? If you did, a booster isn't considered necessary.

But if you got the tetanus shot as an adult, then a booster IS recommended. Tetanus is not something you want to risk - there is no cure for it.

https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/do-adults-really-need-tetanus-booster-shots-2020051219786

 

[Sojourner]

I am a vaccine believer.

It's crazy that we live in a society where such a statement would even be necessary. It's sort of like saying "I'm a surgery believer" or "I'm an antibiotics believer." IMHO, there should be no need to profess belief in things that have been well established as generally safe and effective through many decades (even centuries) of scientific/medical research. Vaccines have saved many hundreds of millions of lives around the world—going back to the early 1800s—and have prevented severe illness, disability, and paralysis in hundreds of millions more. These are historical facts, so "belief" really shouldn't enter into it.

OTOH, whether we'll get a safe and effective vaccine for the novel coronavirus one day is a matter of speculation and opinion. Personally, based on everything I've read and heard recently, I think it's highly likely. Once it becomes available and has passed all the reasonable tests for safety and efficacy, I'll happily line up to get my dose. Just like I've done for the myriad other vaccines I've received throughout life. To do otherwise would be as irrational as, say, avoiding traveling by car for fear of being killed in a crash.

 

[Brat]

After reading this, I'm wishing I have had more vaccination shots... Is it too late for me to get the pneumococcus shot?

Previous vaccines and masks may hold down Covid-19, some researchers say




https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/11/health/us-coronavirus-tuesday/index.html

Not if your physician orders it.

 

[MrsHaloFIRE]

For those of us who were in the military, it was a very routine thing. I have over 50 immunizations recorded in my Air Force shot record, for all sorts of things. Probably meaningless now, but at least they didn't do me any harm.

This. DH has been shot up or dosed with everything. Now he's balking at shingrix bc he doesn't want to catch covid hanging out at the Walgreens pharm