latest Covid vaccine

[sugabear]

Has anyone received conflicting messages about whether or not to get the latest vaccine? My husband asked his primary nephrologist and he told him to just get the flu vaccine, then later he told him to get the Covid vaccine if he’s going to be traveling. This is the doctor who has previously told my husband not to get the Covid boosters. This is not an anti-vax doctor., but his concern is how necessary some of these vaccines are. The transplant clinic encourages everyone to get the vaccine, so they told my husband to get it. Has anyone else dealt with this?

[SN23]

My son is going to get Covid and flu together tomorrow as advised by his transplant team. Have not heard any other view on this. His doctor told him he does not need RSV though. Just take precautions.

[SN23 in reply to SN23]

He did not have any side effects to the Covid and flu shot other than a bit fatigued on the first day.🙏

[Tankjsl]

I got all 3 vaccines - flu, RSV and Covid. I had no side effects. All my doctors recommended that I get them. Sometimes age helps determine whether to get it too. I’m 71. I think it’s better to be safe than sorry. Best of luck and good health.

[littlelinda50]

I have not but I personally am not getting the new vaccine. I only got 2 covid vaccines and that was because it was required to do my externship. I have not gotten a flu shot since like 2001. I know once I start working in my field I will be required to get the flu shot. My problem with all these vaccines they say for us to get is that we might not even build antibodies because of our immune suppressants. I think that even though our transplant centers say to do all these vaccines it's up to us as individuals to decide what we feel comfortable doing. Hope this helps

[SOct91]

it’s an updated vaccine so yes. I have never ever been told my transplant team and nephrology clinic to not get a vaccine unless it’s live. Certainly yes to Covid, flu, also pneumonia and shingles. I’m quite shocked he’d say no/not necessary. I was part of a Johns Hopkins transplant focused study around the vaccines and attended their latest webinar. Transplant folks still have a 20% hospitalization rate from Covid. Those not vaxxed higher. 🤷‍♀️

[GardnerADK in reply to SOct91]

Hello SOct91, Since you were part of the John Hopkins transplant focused study with covid19 vaccine, curious how you live now? My spouse had his kidney transplant almost 5 yrs ago and his transplant team has him getting all the flu and covid19 vaccines that come out available. We are still living 98% of the time (me too as his wife and h ealthy) like it's March 2020. We are concerned that if he gets covid19 he'd lose his kidney or die or something else we don't know about. I am very concerned about bringing the virus into our home. I am an extrovert and him more an introvert and this living style has put me in my first in life depression since 5/2020 to now. Curious how you live day to day. We have not had anyone inside our home in almost 5 yrs and once a month we might go into a friend's house for a few hours with everyone taking a home covid test (us too) beforehand. These friends are not social butterflies. Friends that are social butterflies, we don't do such a thing. Please write back. I would love to visit a virus doctor to get their thoughts on if we are living too rigid or what. I realize it is a choice we have made with serious consequences.

[SOct91 in reply to GardnerADK]

hi there. First of all being in the study showed I did have a good response to the vaccine, but only after 5 shots. I feel for you. The balance of risk and living life has been the top priority since this all started. Initially, the goal was to feel safe enough that if I did get Covid, I wouldn’t die. I’ve had the flu (many a time), pneumonia, mono, PTLD, heck even encephalitis, and I’ve survived. The strains and new remedies have reached a place where I feel much better about that so over time I’ve loosened up some. If a strain came out that was worse I’d reassess. Still a fear of hospitalization and long Covid but the Johns Hopkins webinar presented a risk continuum of factors and age/years post transplant/type of immunosuppressive meds / comorbidities /vaccine status are the factors. I’m lucky that I’m youngish and many years post transplant and have no other comorbidities (aside from ckd due to the transplant itself). I am on cellcept though. My husband is required to go in office and has throughout the pandemic. He masks up in meetings. I work remotely. When we travel, and we do still travel, we wear full N95 masks and sanitize everything. I insist on outdoor stuff whenever possible, friend gatherings, dining outside, etc. people who care about me know my situation and know to test or cancel if anyone so much as sneezes. I don’t do bars/even busy restaurants, concerts, or other crowded inside places. We have 4 nephews ages 6 and under (so germ machines) but we’re not NOT going to be a part of their life. It is hard. I have anxiety. But ultimately I’d rather do things I really want to in life (travel mainly, and spend time with family and friends) than not. You aren’t alone in this

[GardnerADK in reply to SOct91]

Thanks for you indepth response. My spouse had very serious problems 14 months after transplant Nov 2018 including a rejection/hospital stay and reversed. He still sees his transplant team every 6 months after almost 5 years. He is a cancer survivor of 30 yrs now and now age 64. Prior to finding he had PKD from his mom, he was healthy and did anything and never ever got sick. We've been married over 40 yrs, no kids and don't live family. His diabetes has worsened being on the 3 antirejection meds. He takes prednisone, Tacrolimus and Cellcept too. Took 14 months to get doses to work right in his body, it was a nightmare those first 14 months. I am healthy and stopped doing 95% of everything I used to do without a thought due to not risking this virus to enter out house. I've seen one of the John Hopkins webinars around Feb 2022 and don't know if that is the one you mentioned. I've stayed informed with this one hospital from the start to be knowledgeable because transplant team and his local nephrologist were not helpful at all during the start and through the pandemic on what to do. All they said was get the vaccines, so he did. I'm in my first depression in life due to living so isolated and being an extrovert. I see a counselor but it has not helped. I do assorted things to help myself but so far little has helped. I'm learning who my true friends are indeed the past over 3.5 yrs too. Thanks for writing. It helps alot. The biggest disappointment is the 14 months of serious problems which eventually got resolved for my husband had him being a couch potato due to problems in blood chemistry. Now his energy is no where what it was. He felt better before the transplant than he does now. THe choice to have the transplant did not result in a better life for him. Big thank you to you for writing.

[Kbressler NKF Peer Mentor NKF Ambassador]

My nephrologist told me to get both flu and COVID shots. Had both of them two weeks ago without incident.

[Powerfalcon]

I am 64 and got the RSV, flu and COVID shot two weeks apart. I need to get the shingles vaccine but my transplant team suggested waiting until 2024 because you want to activate your immune system in increments, not all at once. I didn't have any major side effects from the vaccines. Because I had covid in 2022, we don't know if the antibodies are from that or the vaccines, so it is hard to know if this new booster is different. Hard decisions to make and personal ones as well. Good luck.

[PuggyWuggy]

Hi. I got the RSV vaccine and then two weeks later I got the Covid 19 booster and the flu shot together. My primary care doctor and nephrologist both highly approved. I was just told to have the RSV vaccine about two weeks before or after the other two.

[ShyeLoverDoctor]

1,180,115 people dead from covid in the USA. . And that’s probably a vast undercount. For pity’s sake, why would you not get a vaccine tailored to the new variant? Not only that but immunocompromised transplant patients do not have a good response to vaccines. This photo is a slide from a doctor’s presentation I attended via zoom last week. NO, I’ve never heard any doctor I trust recommend not to get a booster. Either you believe in vaccines or you don’t. Please see attached photo.

Immune response to covid vaccine: dialysis patients, healthy people , transplant patients

[sugabear in reply to ShyeLoverDoctor]

That's why I asked. I wanted to see if other people had the same issue. We have appointments to get the new booster. We are pro-vaccine. Thank you for your "passionate" response. Perhaps direct that energy towards someone who needs to hear it.

[ShyeLoverDoctor]

Would you like to hear about my father who got polio the year before the vaccine for it was invented and was left crippled for life? I will acknowledge that some people have a negative reaction to vaccines. It’s rare but does happen. To me the benefits outweigh the risks and I will get any vaccine that I can. Ever. A doctor who discourages anyone to not get a vaccine is not one I respect or trust.

[sugabear in reply to ShyeLoverDoctor]

I don't know that aggressive behavior is persuasive for most people. Also, if you notice in my original post, I pointed out that he changed his recommendation when my husband said he would be traveling. I was just curious if anyone else has had a doctor tell them not to get the Covid vaccine or a booster. I am not really interested in using this platform to scold or judge others.

[Porter20]

I just got the higher dose flu yesterday. My doctor says she does not have the Covid anyway you have to get it at the drug store. She recommended it and 2 dose shingles as I had the first prior to transplant. I am almost 2 years post transplant.

[Parkerbarker]

Im on the fence,i got no flu vaccines ever, three covid vaccine yet still got covid twice first time just a bit of fever and tiredness but second time it kicked my ass was in the hospital but i was fighting cdiff and cmv at same time too so not sure if that why it so bad second time.Husband has gotten all flu,4 covids as my husband and hasnt gotten.So im not sure what is the right course of action but my imnune system being so low at tge time caused me to get cmv which im still trying to get rid of viral loads compketely so worried if system fighting immune response to covid vaccine will cmv numbers go up again

[sugabear in reply to Parkerbarker]

I’m hoping you find relief soon. Thank you for sharing.