RA - 2nd COVID-19 Vaccine

[AKA13]

Plucked up the courage to post for the first time!!

The government announced, as part of plans to tackle rising cases of a variant, CEV's are to be offered their second COVID-19 vaccine earlier i.e. at 8 weeks. Admitting, I was late with my first dose due to contracting COVID. It has been 9 weeks since my 1st dose and with no contact from NHS. So I called 119 and booked my 2nd dose for tomorrow. I was wondering if anyone has been contacted to get their 2nd jab earlier? Also, anyone had any peculiar side affects with AZ?

[Marionfromhappydays]

I think there's been about 8 weeks between my first and second so yeah was called early.

Had the AZ yesterday and was expecting to feel rough (as I did with the first) but had a headache all day yesterday but thats it. Arm doesn't hurt too bad (after first it hurt for weeks) so I'm really chuffed. I've probably cursed myself saying this ha ha.

My eldest daughter who is 16 was called up 2 weeks ago to have her first Pfizer jab because of me being immunocompromised so I feel my GPs are on the ball.

Sorry to hear you had covid, hope you've recovered totally. Must have been scary, my sister had it and she's normally really tough and she felt like crap !

Lovely to hear from BTW x

[AKA13 in reply to Marionfromhappydays]

Hi, Thank you for your response. Yes looks like your GP is on the ball. I called mine to check why I had not been contacted and was told that it would be done by NHS!

Contracting COVID was scary and not pleasant at all. Due to COVID, I had to come off Methotrexate which resulted in RA becoming active again and many markers in my blood tests gave cause for concern i.e. WBC, CRP, ESR, D Dimer. I have never had a flare since diagnosis 13 years ago.

I am turning the corner with the RA flares. - thank goodness. Post COVID, I still get breathless at times and tired. So the last four months have been gruesome - hence I chased up to get my 2nd dose. Thank you for asking and I hope you stay symptom free after the 2nd jab! x

[Hidden in reply to AKA13]

I’m surprised you needed the vaccine if you’ve had Covid? True there are new variants, but the current vaccines are not set up to deal with them particularly.

[AKA13 in reply to Hidden]

Hi, Medical advice is to have the Covid Vaccine even if you have had the virus. You do have to wait at least a month after contracting it before the vaccine is given. I do trust Dr Jonathan Van-Tam!!

[Lesley_1 in reply to Hidden]

Antibodies slowly disappear hence the annual shots, just like a flu shot. A friend of mine had serious COVID. A year later, zero antibodies

[oldtimer]

I was called earlier than expected for my second dose - I contacted them as I thought it must be a mistake and they were making another for a first injection. It was explained to me that they had the supplies and were keen to use them!

[essexgirl]

I was called early for my second jab so all done now & I think we will have a top up in October

[AKA13 in reply to essexgirl]

Yes it will be interesting to see how the Top Up is rolled out!

[nomoreheels]

Hiya AKA13, welcome. I was called earlier for my second jab but I was late for my first. They'd apparently forgotten to tick a box. I had the Astra Zeneca & had no side effects.

I hope you enjoy being here.

[Helen-NRAS Moderator]

Welcome to HealthUnlocked. If you would like support, information or just someone to talk to, our NRAS helpline is open every week day from 9.30am to 4.30pm nras.org.uk/helpline/ 0800 298 7650. Or have a look at our website nras.org.uk. Kind regards.

[sunnyweek]

Hello, yes I have recently received a text from Swiftqueue, who I booked through originally, to go 4 weeks earlier for my second jab. In line with Government guidelines it says. I had the AZ one and had no side effects with the first vaccine not even a sore arm. Second due in June now not July.

I hope you're feeling well now after Covid.

[Neonkittie17]

I was recommended to go earlier than 12 weeks for my second Pfizer by my consultant who felt due to a comorbidity it was better for me to do so. I went between 5-6 weeks for the second vaccine. Sorry I can’t answer re your side effects as mine was Pfizer. I hope you are feeling better now.

[Hidden]

I had to wait 12weeks but my sister who is fit as a fiddle only waited 8 .

[Nuttyshirlz]

Well I went 10 weeks between both of mine and one of my sons have had their first one yesterday and one of my daughter inlaw is having her first one tomorrow all both are early 30s but also live up north

[Caza]

Welcome. I booked both jabs at the same time I can’t remember how many weeks between them. I didn’t wait for my gp to contact me as they’ve been next to useless throughout this pandemic. I didn’t get any symptoms whatsoever with either jab not even a sore arm.

[AKA13 in reply to Caza]

You are very lucky Cazza - not getting any symptoms. I have my 2nd jab today. A little apprehensive as wondering if I will have a hard time afterwards or evade the side effects!

[BoneyC]

I had the Pfizer jab, 11 weeks between the two doses.

[Tottie10]

My GP surgery has been really on the ball and I think it was only 8 weeks between jabs, but my son (17) is registered with another surgery through school and it took a lot of phone calls and emails to my surgery to get a jab for him as there is no link between my CEV status and his patient record at his GP Surgery. Luckily common sense and perseverance prevailed. Good luck.

[Hidden]

What’s all this rubbish about “breaching the 12 weeks”? The research suggests - in fact it has found - that the longer the gap between vaccinations, the greater the antibody level has been. Vaccinations differ and nobody has enough experience or knowledge yet to categorically say “you must not breach 12 weeks”. Some vaccines need a lot longer than 12 weeks between doses. Hep A + B for instance, there is a 6 month gap between the second and third dose and the 3rd and 4th dose (if a fourth dose is needed). Other vaccines just need the one dose, or have years between them!

[Neonkittie17 in reply to Hidden]

Not sure if anyone can say for sure at this point, but the Pfizer boss did say the second vaccine wasn’t tested on a anyone over a month in their trials and he had to say that as it’s what their research was based on. Yes, vaccines are different re their booster doses etc. Time will tell for the Covid ones.

[LoneEra in reply to Hidden]

I imagine she just wanted her second vaccine ASAP - so the comment was based on peace of mind etc rather than vaccine efficacy within that specific timeframe.

[mhlmom in reply to Hidden]

A little snappy...I am no immunologist. Just a person who was told that the second dose should be within 12 weeks of the first one so I followed it up. No need to rant at me about it!

[Neonkittie17 in reply to mhlmom]

💗xx

[Hidden in reply to mhlmom]

I do get a bit tired of all the misinformation that these sort of places are full of. Anyone educating themselves as to the current level of knowledge regarding vaccination intervals from a reliable medical source would have read that the research has shown people who leave a longer gap between vaccinations are producing higher levels of antibodies. I don’t know who could “know” from their so called research that the interval should be no longer than 12 weeks. There hadn’t been any research. Nobody has ever been vaccinated for Covid before. The vaccines were rushed through without first ascertaining the ideal interval because the government decided the priority was to give everyone one dose as quickly as possible. There’s now proof that this was actually the best thing to do. I’ve seen a group on Facebook actually worry a few people sick by stating the vaccine “must be given within 12 weeks!” This sort of posting can be damaging. Your phone call to “make sure 12 weeks wasn’t breached” may have prevented an appointment going to someone who hadn’t even had one dose. You don’t even have to be an expert to think it through and realise nobody could make a statement like that (except the vaccine manufacturers who are trying to sell as much as possible as fast as possible maybe). Incidentally, that was not a rant. You haven’t seen me ranting!

[mhlmom in reply to Hidden]

As someone classed as clinically extremely vulnerable and given that I live in an area so far ahead in the vaccination programme that they are already vaccinating 18 year olds, I think I can honestly say I didn’t deprive anyone of a vaccine. How dare you judge me when you don’t know me. As I said, I am not an immunologist but I would rather listen to the professional advice of my medical team than you about when I should or should not have my vaccine. And, for your information, when I did phone, they told me I should have been called weeks earlier and I had been right to phone. Honestly! Stop being so judgmental. I live with enough crap in my life from aggressive RA without you adding to it 🙄

[Hidden in reply to mhlmom]

I am also classified as Clinically Extremely Vulnerable and have suffered from aggressive RA for a lot longer than you have, so don’t play for extra indulgence. Oh I dare all right, as I’m judging not you but the words you wrote. I’m entitled to respond to misinformation when I see it posted and if you write such nonsense, then this is the reaction you are going to provoke. Get over it! Incidentally I wouldn’t be boasting about the inequality of the vaccine roll out, which is scandalous if your area was vaccinating 18 year olds at a time when older people or those labelled CEV had not even been offered their first jab. I’m also sure that the receptionist who told you it was right to phone, was not doing so because “the 12 week interval must not be breached or we’ll all have wasted the first dose!” What is laughable is that you fail to realise that the overwhelming likelihood is that you aren’t more than very minimally protected as most people on immunosuppressants haven’t made any detectable antibodies at all unless they’ve had Covid and been vaccinated. You need to take a chill pill honey. I’m leaving this forum anyway as I don’t have time for this and the FB group. So there’s no point replying because I won’t see it.