5th COVID shot?

[jijic]

Hello! I'm writing with a small quandary - In Germany, they've just rolled out the B.1 booster, but it doesn't seem we'll have the B.4/5 one anytime soon. I've had four shots and COVID; my most recent shot was in June, so I'm eligible for another one. I've got some upcoming work travel (with long flights) so I'm wondering if I should get the B.1 or a standard one ASAP for extra protection, knowing that (due to German policy) I won't be eligible for another shot until January...or if I should wait a month or so until I can get the B.4/5 one when I visit the US.

(And yes, I've got excellent masks for my travels!)

[LeoPa]

If I had to fly I would get what is available before I do.

[SeymourB]

jijic -

I found this article that seems to indicate that the German BA.1 is still effective for BA.4 and BA.5:

science.org/content/article...

Omicron booster shots are coming—with lots of questions

30 Aug 2022

"Human data are only available for the companies’ boosters targeted to BA.1. At a June meeting of FDA’s vaccine advisory committee, both the Pfizer-BioNTech collaboration and Moderna presented data showing that the shots had side effects similar to those of the original vaccines—including soreness at the injection site and fatigue—and induced strong antibody responses to both the original strain and Omicron BA.1. The companies also showed that the BA.1 vaccines prompted significant antibody responses to BA.4 and BA.5, although lower than that to BA.1."

That article cites:

fda.gov/media/159496/download

Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 Omicron-Modified Vaccine Options

So I do think you're better of with the BA.1 vaccine than the original. How much better depends on too many variables. There are so many timing variables and constantly new variants, even the mental exercise of determining the real-world effectiveness of a shot is not possible. Studies will have many qualifications and assumptions, and as ever, will not include people with CLL/SLL. So we do the best we can.

=seymour=

[Bikram21]

If you just had your last Covid vaccine only 3 mths ago and will be in the US next mth, I’d wait. I just had the latest booster this week . It had been 6 mths since last booster. I’ll receive Evusheld next mth.

[jijic]

Just to update, I waited and got the BA.4-5 in the US