Latest Spring covid vaccine booster - was yours original or bivalent?

[Appletree12345]

I had my 6th vaccine yesterday, which was Pfizer. When I checked the batch number I found it was the original vaccine not the latest bivalent version designed to be more effective against Omnicron. As the original virus is no longer circulating, what’s the point in having this vaccine booster? Did anyone get the bivalent this time? I had Moderna bivalent last Autumn for my 5th. I am interested to know as will raise with my local GP and NHS. Thanks.

[vonniesims]

Pfizer

[TheBoys]

gosh. That sounds terrible. I’d raise with your GP.

[springcross]

I don't blame you for raising it with your GP and local NHS, how odd is that!!

[Madmusiclover]

Yes mine was the new one. Leicestershire.

[Biker52]

Can you explain how you checked, please? Thank you.

[Appletree12345 in reply to Biker52]

I searched with the batch number which is on the card they give you after your vaccine. There are various web sites. Easiest is put the question into bard.google.com/. Is Pfizer batch gf1234 bivalent? And you will get the answer. My son told me about this Google site.it’s a new concept using AI to answer questions. Quite amazing! You can also find the expiry date of your batch and how many adverse effects reported for the batch. Not sure ai want to know 😀

[Poshcards in reply to Appletree12345]

I wasnt given a card, haven't had one since jab no 2 and I have had 7! x

[Bails67]

I had the latest one. I took my medication box with me ( humira).They did check several times that I was eligible.

[Georgecat in reply to Bails67]

My husband is on Humira. They gave him the Astra Zeneca . Is it still available.?

[Bails67 in reply to Georgecat]

it was my six vaccine and I was told I had to have the new vaccine, I am under 75.

[Neonkittie17 in reply to Georgecat]

I didn’t think AZ was being used for over a year now? (I’ve not been given it even when it was available.)

[Runrig01]

I had the Pfizer Cromarty vaccine. How are you able to check? Seems odd, hope you get answers 🤗

[Appletree12345 in reply to Runrig01]

Search your vaccine batch number at bard.google.com/ it will be on the card they gave you after vaccine. My card just says Pfizer booster. Not Comirnaty which is bivalent and I didn’t get a leaflet this time.

[Runrig01 in reply to Appletree12345]

this seems a very strange site, and wouldn’t say it’s reliable. Having checked it is a chatbot, so basically AI. My batch number comes up saying it’s a mobile phone or a Japanese AC adapter. Mine is definitely the Comirnaty vaccine.

[Appletree12345 in reply to Runrig01]

Agree it’s a new test site from Google and you have to be very specific with your question or it throws up many possible answers. I will check from other sources. Hopefully it’s just local clinic didn’t bother to fill in my card fully or give me a product leaflet.

[Runrig01 in reply to Appletree12345]

I would imagine if the Comirnaty are expiring in Aug, I would hw r thought all the original would have already expired. 🤞hopefully just a mix up

[Neonkittie17 in reply to Appletree12345]

I understood/understand that at the end of 2021 Pfizer decided to use brand/trade name of Comirnaty and that it’s always been its trade name/brand name, but Pfizer is what we were used to hearing the vaccine being called. This is what the sister in charge of the large walk in centre I’ve been going to told me when I saw her. She gave me the vaccine info sheet (at my Spring 2022 vaccine, which wasn’t a booster as I was behind on the vaccines and followed a different pathway.) I noticed straight off it said “Comirnaty” on the heading, so checked with her this was just the trade name as I couldn’t start reading it there and then and she explained the above.)

I was told too the first time I was going to be given the bivalent, and I’ll have a look on my vaccine sheet to see if they were updated to say that. It was recorded on my card they gave me as bivalent for my two boosters I’ve had so far since the vaccine was tweaked and says so on the NHS App/batch number online too.

[Sheila_G]

I don't know which one I had but suspect it was the bivalent as 1) I was asked if I was immunosuppressed and when I said yes they went to get a different vaccine which was Pfizer but they didn't say which one and 2) I was ill after this one but fine after two previous Pfizers

[Connie49 in reply to Sheila_G]

Ditto for me, too, Sheila. Exactly the same scenario.

[BoneyC]

I had a 7th Covid vaccine yesterday. The literature handed out states it was

Pfizer Comirnaty Original/Omicron BA.4-5.

As it includes the word 'Omicron' I assume it is a modified version of the original Pfizer vaccine. When I asked is it the up to date one, the vaccinator said 'yes'.

Just thinking, did Pfizer stop manufacturing the original vaccine once they tweeked it with the later Omicron variants? If they did the surely the original Pfizer vaccines left over would be out of date by now?

[Appletree12345 in reply to BoneyC]

I searched batch expiry date and mine is August 2023, so perhaps they are using up the originals on some people. I’m immunosuppressed but not 75+yrs.

[Runrig01 in reply to Appletree12345]

I searched my batch number on Pfizer’s site. Mine also expires August 2023, but is definitely the Comirnaty vaccine

[Appletree12345 in reply to Runrig01]

Great. I will check with my gp but not open weekend.

[Bails67 in reply to Appletree12345]

I am under 75 and had the new vaccine . I took my Humira box with me.

[Boxerlady]

I've just checked my GP records and I had the Omicron one

[Denise64]

Wow interesting thank you for bringing this to our attention I'm due my 7th next week so I will ring up day before and ask the question, so are we saying that the original Pfizer is now of no use at all ? Xx

[Green230461]

How interesting! I am due a vaccine I must admit I just turn up and don’t ask questions maybe I should!

[cathie]

I had Moderna a month ago. In Scotland

[Jacey15]

I got the original too but I didn't find out until afterwards.

[Neonkittie17 in reply to Jacey15]

Oh gosh .. did you tell your GP? I suppose it’s wait till autumn if you’ve had this vaccine recently or if the doc suggests repeating after 91 days. 😑 Sorry to hear this. x

[pippin_fort]

I had Sanofi for my 6th Covid Jab. I had never heard of it. However I caught Covid again before it had a chance to take effect!

[Appletree12345 in reply to pippin_fort]

Sorry to hear, hope you are feeling ok. The Sanofi is different to Pfizer & Moderna RNA type jabs. My understanding is that it is like the flu and shingles jabs and includes an adjuvant to make it more effective. But no use being more effective if it’s too late!

[wishbone in reply to Appletree12345]

I'm not sure how much they intend to use this vaccine, if at all, but there's a lot about the Sanofi vaccine included in a Wales NHS site about the 2023 Spring booster. Do you know if it is bivalent as I can't see any mention of it in the detailed article on that site so I suspect not?

[Briefencounter in reply to wishbone]

I had my 7th vaccine on 1st May . It was the new Sanofi ( VidPrevtyn Beta ) . Allegedly , a monovalent with an adjuvant and designed for the new Omicron circulating . I'm 81 with RA and certainly didn't have the unpleasant after effects caused by the last two bivalent Moderna vaccines . So far I've avoided Covid .

[wishbone in reply to Briefencounter]

Thanks for that and glad you didn't have any unpleasent side effects with Sanofi.

I'm not keen on vaccines with adjuvents due to side effects with the more recent concoctions of flu vaccine. Not saying the Sanofi adjuvant will do the same, but I'm not willing to risk it so hope I'm offered one of the other two vaccines.

[Briefencounter in reply to wishbone]

Thanks for that , wishbone . Interestingly , I have reacted to the last couple of 'flu vaccines which included adjuvants . Previously, I had been fine with the annual 'flu jab . I have been increasingly affected by each subsequent covid vaccine , especially the final two moderna bivalents .

It was a pleasant surprise to sail through the Sanofi. I was seriously considering not having a 7th vaccine, especially as I haven't had covid - yet .

[wishbone in reply to Briefencounter]

No side effects to talk of with any of my approx 15 flu jabs until they decided to add the adjuvant to the over 65 flu vaccine. Two days after my first and only adjuvant flu jab, my formerly mild tinnitus went haywire for a couple of weeks before eventually calming down though has remained a little louder than it was pre-adjuvant jab. I had a word with my surgery about it at the time and my last two flu vaccines have been the adjuvent free under 65 vaccine with no effect on my tinnitus. Just hope they don't decide to add an adjuvant to that one as well because I have heard they are, or were considering doing so.

[Maxadolf]

I’ve just had the Pfizer bivalent vaccine. I wanted to avoid getting the Pfizer product and was advised by the Pharmacy that I would be getting the Sanofi vaccine. It turns out that the Pharmacy alternate ths two vaccines. I just happen to have attended on the day that they were dispensing the bivalent Pfizer product.

My reason for not wanting to receive the Pfizer vaccine was simply because of the levels of side effects alleged. I had no short-term side-effects other than the usual discomfort in the area of penetration of the vaccine. But the alleged long-term cognitive effects are something else. Maybe at my age of 84 I won’t be around to encounter them!

[Chrissycl]

Mine was the Original/Omicron BA.4-5 COVID but when I googled it this what I found, reading it I think.it does contain the new variants ema.europa.eu/en/news/adapt...

[Bella59]

I had Moderna three weeks ago in Scotland.

[CarolKate]

I checked, I had my 6th Pfizer vaccination, it was Pfizer COVID-19 bivalent (COMIRNATY Original/Omicron BA.4-5 COVID-19 vaccine) booster dose vaccine. This is in New Zealand where all vaccines (with only a handful of exceptions) were Pfizer.

I'm pleased you mentioned it, I assumed it was bivalent. I haven't had Covid but I've been careful, I still use a mask 99% of the time.

[Appletree12345 in reply to CarolKate]

Me too, managed to avoid so far but been very careful and still avoid crowded places. Always wear mask, use Envoid, mouthwash, UV air filter at home. My husband is a statistician and his MSC thesis was on the spread of smallpox so he's well informed on probabilities. It's difficult now the ONS has been paused and we can't rely on other data such as hospitalisations as they don't test on admittance any more. I feel the government is misguided if they think nil information will boost the economy. Covid will keep spreading and long term sickness will continue to increase (2.5 million) just announced. Whose tax money is going to fund all the people who cannot work? Keep safe.

[Rainyda]

I have been notified time to get my 6th Moderna booster, (I've only had moderna) but haven't got it as yet. I called my rheumy, and she says she will let me know after my July appt. As I have been on Orencia for 3 months, (takes 3 - 6 months for results) she will do lab work, etc. I did have second thoughts on the 6th, but decided I should get it. Best of luck to you!