Hi - I have ET & take Hydroxycarbamide - no probs so far luckily.I have received a letter recommending I take a 4th 'booster' dose of the Covid vaccine. I am reluctant to do this without fully knowing my blood profile results & immunity level. I have asked my MacMillan nurse for advice & she stated it's up to me - my latest bloods are satisfactory. What are anyone's thoughts ? Has anyone had a 4th vaccine?
Still wearing masks, sanitizing everywhere I go & still sanitizing shopping....but going out & enjoying life too..
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Annula
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Hi Annula, I live in Scotland and did not hesitate to have my 4 th jab on 16 Jan. Have felt much safer and ventured out much more than previously.I have ET - on Hydroxycarbomide and Warfarin
I also had my 4th jab last Monday. First 2 were AZ followed by 2 Pfizer. Apart from a slightly sore arm I have had no other reactions. I am on HU, baby asprin and warfarin. I am 72 and otherwise in good health.
Hi Annula, I Iive in South Wales and had my 4th covid vaccination in mid January. This meant that I have had 2 astra zeneca, 1 pfizer and the last was moderna. I did have a very sore arm the evening after the maderna but otherwise felt OK. I have PV, take hydroxycarbamide and aspirin and am 69 years old. I didn't hesitate in having any of the covid vaccinations.
Yes had the 4th dose classed as the booster this week. Have now had 2x astra zeneca jabs, 1 Pfizer and 1 moderna. The 3rd dose doesn't show on the covid pass but the 4th shows as the booster.
Absolutely had my 4th dose. Like you still sanitising and mask wearing etc, but with the lifting of mask mandate we vulnerable people are again being put at risk. Anything that can help me to say safe, and a small jab isn't a big deal.
I’ve had my 4th (all Pfizer) I didn’t hesitate. It is a lot of vaccines in a year, but I’m also full of a lot of drugs (Anagrelide). I’m still wearing a mask, avoiding crowds, have groceries delivered to avoid supermarkets, still sanitising. But the choice is yours.
Hi Annula I received a phone call from the vaccine centre here in Basingstoke and had my 4th vaccine and only felt a little heady next day all fine now x
Hi Annula,I had my 4th Pfizer jab in early January, and as usual it was painless and problem free. Before getting the 4th jab I read around the subject (but only from trusted sources - no Google!). The most convincing case for me was an article by Blood Cancer UK which said that blood cancer sufferers, including MPN, need 3 jabs to achieve the same level of protection that other people get from 2, and that therefore the 4th jab is essential.
Like most of us I continue to wear a face mask in public areas and avoid crowds like the plague (sic)
Dear John,Nice to "see" you. Hope you have been keeping well. You are lucky to have pain and problem free vaccinations!
As we live in the same area, I was wondering if you went, of your own volition, to a walk in centre or were you invited by the NHS to have your 4th Covid jab? I haven't been contacted yet and my 4th jab is well overdue.
Mind, I'm not in a hurry to get it at the moment as I'm still getting over the side effects from my Shingrex vaccination which I had last Thursday! And there's a second one to look forward to as well, in two months time!
Hi Caroline,I had to 'persuade' my GP that it was essential that I had the 4th jab (I found it best to talk about having blood cancer rather than MPN so that they understood!) They gave me a link to the SM vaccination centre, who then gave me a slot the following day.
I didn't think Shingrix was available in England. My GP didn't have it listed, but that was a year ago. If I feel an overwhelming desire to have someone stick another needle in me, I might see if they can get it now🤕
Hi John,Thank you for your reply. It looks as though I will have to be proactive as and when I am ready for a 4th jab.
According to the administering nurse, the Shingrix vaccine has only fairly recently been approved for use by the NHS. It costs about £120 a shot and you need two. So it is more than twice as expensive as the live one.
I asked my haematologist about it and he sent a letter to my surgery saying that I would need the Shingrix one and they kindly obliged.
Thank you John for your reply. It's most encouraging to hear positive thoughts on the 4th vaccine. Think I will take it when I am due.Thanks to everyone for comments & thoughts.Stay safe everyone!!
I had my 4th vaccine at the beginning of January with no problem at all (I have now had 4 Pfizers). Ten days later I tested positive for Covid and had a very high temperature and a headache for 24hrs but after that everything returned to normal, so I say “Thank goodness for the vaccines.”The NHS app does not recognise the 4th dose, so I phoned 119 and a couple of weeks later they phoned me back to check my vaccination record. They said that the system isn’t set up as yet for the extra dose, but she has amended my records and I now have officially recorded, one 1st dose, TWO 2nd doses and a booster dose.
I’m still fighting to get my 4th Vaccination! Should have had it at beginning of January but no notification from NHS and no help from GP Practice . Asked Haematologist on last telephone consult and she’s finally advised GP I should have it, in letter regarding my ET . Should have received it, so hopeful I’ll hear this week and I will definitely have it! I’m still being very careful. Husband doing weekly shop (which I’m still spraying and wiping with Anti-Bac before storing away). Still wearing mask on rare occasion I go into a shop. Regards, Fran
Yes - I had my 4th booster. My haematologist sent a letter to my surgery. They weren't doing them at the time, so I went to a walk-in centre (a pharmacy) and I had to get a copy of the letter, which would have been better sent to me, but yes - if your haematologist says it's up to you, go ahead, because my haem wanted me to have it. I don't think an injection could make that much difference to our bloods.
Only wearing a mask when required. Masks are for people who are putting themselves at risk of covid, in order to protect US. Wearing masks does little for us except save us from the cold weather.
HiIt depends which mask you wear, most masks protect other people but proper FFP3 masks with a proper seal protect the wearer, I have FFP3 and bought a kit to test the seal, I am happy it protects me.
Thanks for that information, ainslie. I have been avoiding people for so long I haven't needed a mask and wouldn't have a clue where to look for one that protects me. I will make a note. 👍
I agree - I read some GP surgeries were supplying staff with FFP3 masks and bought a supply. As you say the seal is much better and much more protection than fabric ones or the blue ones supplied in hospitals.
Hi AnnulaAt my 4th jabs appointment l was offered Moderna but decided l would stick with Fizer, l have to say lve not been too well since this 4th jab but unsure whether how lm feeling is down to my ET or 4th jab side effects.
Good morning, yes i had my second booster last week. I am glad to say I feel well and no side effects. I too am ET and taking hydroxycarbimide. Hope you feel able to make a good choice for yourself but I am glad to have extra protection. Take care.
I have ET , on Hydroxycarbamide and aspirin. I had my 4th vaccine on 22nd January . I've had 2 Astra Zeneca followed by 2 Pfizer. I had problems getting the 3rd vaccine and having read the info on blood cancer.uk I complained to the local health trust which prompted the local vaccination hub to contact me and offer me a 3rd vaccine , by then 6 months after the 2nd. They told me to ring them for my 4th vaccine if I wasn't contacted for it , I wasn't ! so contacted them and had it 3 months to the day after no 3. Just a localised ache for a few hours and some fatigue for a couple of days , All 4 vaccines are recorded on my NHS record so certainly in England the system can cope. Now venturing into venues with more people , like church and the village hall . still wearing mask and regularly testing.
Currently I am trying to decide whether to have 4th shot, I have had 2 Astrazenica plus 1 Pfizer. I tested my antibodies one month post 3rd shot and they were around 2000 and according anything over 0.9 is a pass, that was Testing For All. I don’t know how “real” these results are. I plan to do the test soon as it’s about 3 months since the 3rd shot. I think 4 shots in a year is a lot , it seems the shots don’t stop us catching it and Omicron appears to be quite mild , allegedly yet another vaccine is in the pipeline for Omicron , it may arrive too late as Omicron may fizzle out soon. If another variant comes along do we need another vaccine? There is also a school of thought that vaccines may lower natural immunity, I don’t know how factual that is.If I test my antibodies and they are still high I may wait and see if Omicron disappears or not. I have PV and on Rux 17.5mg BID, I am very careful, wear FFP3 medical mask, clean groceries and avoid socialising indoors. The above is just my thoughts and not advice to others.
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