I have CLL and am taking venclexta. Am I eligible for a Covid-19 booster shot?

[BobTerry62]

bob&terry62

[sweatbee]

BobTerry62,

I understand if you have had your original two shots you are now eligible for a booster (USA).

CVS Pharmacy is now scheduling booster shots. I scheduled myself one for tomorrow. Yea!

Blessings,

Hal

[AussieNeil Partner Administrator]

Given Venclexta suppresses your B-cell count, you are arguably more in need of a booster vaccination than if you weren't in treatment.

Neil

[lankisterguy Volunteer]

I have been on Venclexta / Venetoclax since 2016 and made a reservation on line yesterday morning & got the shot yesterday afternoon. There were two questions, online, for the reservation that asked whether I had an immune deficient condition and if I was taking an immuno suppressive drug. I checked yes for both-> CLL & Venetoclax-

The pharmacist had me fill out a paper version of the same questions and I checked those as the only YES boxes, she glanced at it very briefly and gave me the shot. No proof or explanation needed- no fine definitions stated, only whether I had a condition and/or took a drug.

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And I assume that anyone not in treatment / watch & wait, would check only the first box for a immune deficient condition and not the box for a immuno suppressive drug.

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The hurdle seems very low.

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Len

[kc1953 in reply to lankisterguy]

The hurdle is so low as to be nonexistent. My guess is that with the surplus of vaccines sitting around the government and private distributors are thinking they might as well use them before they loose them. The criteria for who qualified seemed limiting in the CDC announcement, but I believe they intended to cast a wide net on immunosuppressed. The unvaccinated and under vaccinated are petri dishes for Covid mutation.

[Teddo in reply to lankisterguy]

Hello Len

Do you know if Dr Furman is recommending the booster shot for all his CLL pts? In the Patient Power webinar last week on skin cancers in CLL pts, Dr Woyach said the Ohio State CLL docs are 100% for it.

Thanks.

Teddo

[lankisterguy Volunteer in reply to Teddo]

I'm not certain, but I did send him an email about getting my 3rd last Saturday. I will ask for his comments Len

[dvd1955 in reply to lankisterguy]

Are the booster shots free?

[1935husband]

In Illinois both Walgreens and CVS take walk-ins for the 3rd shot Our first doses were with Moderna at Walgreens and they told us they no longer carried Moderna, only Pfizer, so went to CVS down the road and got the extra Moderna shot.

Just fill out the sheet showing immuno-compromised.

[lankisterguy Volunteer]

CVS had me enter my Medicare and Supplement policy numbers, But I believe NY & NJ are providing the shots for free at the state run sites. Whether CVS or Walgreens will provide the shots to anyone lacking insurance, I don't know, but I expect you can find out by registering online.

Len