Covid Booster

[Bluesloth1]

I have just seen on a MPN Facebook post that some people are being advised to get blood tests following getting the vaccine to check platelet levels. Have others been asked to do this and do we know why it is the case? It was the new Moderna vaccine given as an Autumn Booster in the UK.

[Trocken]

It’s interesting, I’ve never been advised to have a blood test following my previous vaccines. However had my 6th vaccine on Monday and was asked to get a blood test a couple of days later. I’m not having it until next week as feel dreadful now, it’s like I’ve had covid again, after covid my levels rose but then came back down after a couple of months. I’m intrigued to know why all of a sudden we’re being asked to get blood tests?

[bikersteve]

no idea , I never had any jabs , there was no possibility of me having something that had not been tested on anyone with mpn , the blood clot issues that followed with so many peoole proved I was right , I never had covid either ,

[cortez1944 in reply to bikersteve]

You were smart not to get the vaccine. I did, and I felt awful for a long time. Then started to get dizzy. I went to doctor and they gave me a blood test. I had very high platelets. They sent me to the hospital and I had every kind of an exray and test. They said I was very healthy, but the high platelets told them something is wrong. Sent me to Oncology for a bone marrow test. I was told I have a very early stage rare blood cancer. I am now on a chemo medication to get the platelets down.

[EPguy in reply to cortez1944]

You may have discovered your MPN the way I did. I had infection with the 1st Covid version and it brought up the MPN symptoms in a big way. In your case a similar immune reaction may have done that.

[Nmom in reply to bikersteve]

My son has ET and has chosen to not get jabbed. He’s 20. He had Covid in January and was down about a week. The first 2-3 days were the hardest- tired and achy. He got Covid again in August and it was like a 48hour cold. He chose to battle Covid as a fairly healthy young adult vs what we were reading about jabbed young men having clotting events. It’s a risk/reward decision everyone needs to make.

[JSKly]

I had the autumn booster with flu jab. I had a severe reaction. Tremors plus complete loss of muscle use in legs for some hours. I was asked before jab if I had had shingrax recently. I had not but had shingles badly some effects still with me.

I’m 86 and this was scary.

[Superwoman in reply to JSKly]

the strange thing was I had the Shringrix jab then had two months later the fourth Moderna jab That night I had uncontrollable shaking, with shivers and a very high Temperature, was never like that with the Astra Zeneca or Pfizer ones. At the moment cannot get booked in anywhere for my fifth jab even though I have been told to get and walk in ones are not easy to get to.,

Jean

[Fizzydog]

I had my 6th covid19 vaccination together with my flu one on Saturday they have wiped me out totally exhausted & feel terrible. Mine in Wales was Pfizer not sure of the difference between the two. I’ve not been told to have a blood test but the fact I feel totally wiped out maybe because my platelets have risen. I feel like I’ve got a bad case of flu at the moment & I was totally fine before having the vaccinations.

[AndyT]

I had my 6th jab (Moderna bivalent) and my flu jab simultaneously on Sunday and wasn’t asked to get a blood test. No side effects apart from a bit of tenderness at the injection sites.

[HazeBlue]

I’m not having it until I speak with the haematologist next time he rings.

[Threelions]

Haven’t been asked to have a blood test but wow! What a reaction to the Moderna booster. I felt terrible for about 5 days including very high temperatures and am just starting to feel ok again. It still doesn’t put me off having future boosters but it certainly made me feel rough.

[JPUK1]

I had my 6th jab (Moderna bivalent) and flu jabs together on Saturday. No mention of blood test. I had two sore arms for a couple of days and felt under the weather a bit on Sunday, but otherwise OK. I am ET JAK2 + and not (as far as I know) had covid. I felt worse after injections 4+5 (both Moderna) which both gave me flu symptoms for a couple of days.

[Wyebird]

I haven’t but I’m going to ask about not having any more covid jabs. I’m fed up of being I’ll after them.

[Exeter21 in reply to Wyebird]

I am not having another booster. My husband family & friends who are fit have been wiped out for a week & still not well. Moderna vaccine.

[havashan]

I had the Moderna bivalent 3 weeks ago. No reaction other than a sore arm for a few days. I try never to combine 2 vaccines or any vaccine with Pegasus on the same or consecutive days. Have not been advised to have a blood test.

[DJK12]

Had covid (Moderna) and flu vaccines on Saturday. No mention was made of having a blood test. I was also at clinic on Thursday and mentioned I was having it and consultant didn't suggest it. Perhaps some randomised testing is happening for research purposes?

I was mildly under the weather on Sunday - shivery and tired - but nothing paracetamol couldn't cope with. In fact reaction and tenderness of arm far milder than Moderna boosters 4 and 5.

[Loubprv Volunteer]

hi

I d just like to add a positive swing to anyone who’s read the first few replies and might be worried.

When the vaccine first came out I dithered I must admit. However, my absolutely brilliant Mpn specialist ( Prof Tim Somervaille) put his pen down, looked me in the eye, and said “ Louise, let’s get this into perspective. Have the vaccine, it’s a million times preferable to getting covid, which WILL make you seriously ill - and possibly leave you with long covid”

I listened to him. I have never been urged to have a blood test.

I had my 5 th Pfizer vaccine a month ago. I ve always refused the cheapie Astrazenica ( which is made up largely of l histidine a precursor to histamine - I have histamine intolerance.

We have to be our own project managers.

Yes it made me feel really under the weather for 3 days. I did however get over it and wonder how gritty I d be feeling with long covid.

I caught Covid in March and barely knew I had it.

Since April 2022 we have flown 3 times playing holiday catch up. The worst thing that’s happened to me is a broken nose!

It’s up to you folks but I honestly suggest instead of taking the mostly negative advice of info on the forum, seek out your haematologist .

If he or she brushes your worries aside, look for an Mpn specialist who understands our worries and will actually listen and talk to you.

We all know how eager the medical profession are to fill us with medications and vaccines to keep the hospitals empty.

That to me speaks a thousand words. Covid will be around for a long time, and our immunity to it, post vaccine, drops after 6-8 months - according to the head of vaccines at Blackpool teaching hospital. Yes, I quizzed her too.

Stay well.

Louise 😊

[ainslie in reply to Loubprv]

I am curious as to how the Prof knows Covid will make you seriously I’ll and the implication that the vaccine will stop you getting long Covid. You might get seriously I’ll with the current variants but generally it’s very unusual and as far as I am aware there is no evidence to show that the vaccines reduce the risk of getting long Covid, hopefully someone can prove me wrong on that. My local nurse is young,fit and slim and has had all the vaccines and has long Covid twice , I have had 3 Vaccines and pro them generally but wary of the current ones as they are for the original Wuhan and BA 1 both of which are long gone. I haven’t seen any science as to why the current vaccine will work on the new variants, would like to see that science if anyone has it as it may sway me to get jabbed.

Did the Prof explain the logic, wishing you good health 😀

[Loubprv Volunteer in reply to ainslie]

hi! I think Tim s take on it (as is mine) is that we are less likely to be seriously ill if vaccinated. I trust him implicitly - he works in the largest cancer hospital in the uk and so has massive experience. Would much rather be guided by him than those who are against vaccination for various reasons.

My post was merely meant to be positive about vaccinations. I won’t be having anything except Pfizer but am heartily glad to be have been offered the 5 I ve had - if only to feel comfortable round my grandchildren and the general public.

At the end of the day - how ill is ill? I felt decidedly ropey after my 5 th vaccine but battled on and walked the dog on the fells- others may have had a few duvet days. Illness I think is a bit like pain threshold - we all handle it differently. I don’t at all mean to be disparaging Ainslie and totally understand everyone’s views but sometimes the posts on here tend towards the negative rather than the positive. Xx

[friendofpiglet in reply to ainslie]

I believe the current booster jabs, Pfizer and Moderna are bivalent: i.e. half directed at the older varients and half at the Omicron variant.

Getting mine tomorrow happily.

[EPguy in reply to ainslie]

Moderna has found the current ba.1 bi-valent helps against ba.5:

"BA.4/5 neutralizing titers were 776 for mRNA 1273.214... compared with 458 for the currently authorized booster"

pharmacytimes.com/view/mode...

These are not huge improvements, experts are lukewarm on it. But it is better than the mono-valent (original only)

mRNA 1273.214 is the ba.1 version. There is mRNA-1273.222 which is specific to ba4/5. This one should provide some further improvement over the Ba.1 version, but clinical data is not robust yet. Either is worth having against Ba.5.

Ba.1 (1273.214) is current in UK, USA is using the Ba.5 (1273.222).

[ainslie in reply to EPguy]

thanks for finding this info I will have a good look at it

[Exeter21]

I am leaving my booster for a while . I had Covid in August & really rough on it . My husband just had booster Moderna & daughter aged 32 works in pharmacy. Both were very Ill after it for a week & bed bound off & on . Usually fit so I am in no rush for it. I have ET Jak2 positive. Lots of my friends have been v rough after this current booster.

[beetle]

I was asked if I had idiopathic thrombocytopenia. That is apparently low platelets with unknown cause. The nurse obviously didn’t know what it was and googled it while I was there. Apparently the new Moderna vaccine can cause a flare up of this condition. I explained that my thrombocytopenia was from MF and treatment but she still wrote that I had ITP. I tried again to explain again that mine was not idiopathic but she still recommended that I get a blood test in 5-7 days! As I’m scheduled for one in 8 days anyway I thought that would do! They obviously don’t have sufficient understanding to deviate from the script! Best wishes, Jan

[EPguy]

There has been safety concern on the J&J and AZ vaxes for these issues so these "adenovirus" type vaccines are no longer regular options:

"...risk of thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome (TTS) following receipt of the (J&J) vaccine"

cdc.gov/vaccines/covid-19/c...

But this is not part of the mRNA vax (Moderna, Pfizer) history that I've seen. So it's possible since AZ was widely used in UK they are now watching this more carefully even if it's not a singif risk with current vaxes.

[Ratton]

I had my 5th covid ( booster) last week - and mentioned I had ET to Doc on duty -she asked me what my reading was for platelets and I told her (250) also mentioned which drugs I take. She said okay to have the Spikevax booster!