Hi all ,had my Pfizer booster jab yesterday, went to bed that evening shivering & feeling nauseous.Had a lie in as cracking head & aches all overšHad similar with my first Astra Zeneca but fine with the second one š¤
Just wondering if anyone has had same bit annoying as husband had no symptoms( not that Iām wishing it on him š)
I instantly think the worst š. Dee X
Hi, I've literally just been for mine (Pfizer again), so I'll let you know if anything untoward happens.
Interestingly, the woman who did the injection said that it was my 3rd vaccine and not a booster. She said that the government guidance was for people who are extremely clinically vulnerable to have a third vaccine 8 weeks after the 2nd one, and a booster 6 months after that.
Has anyone else been told that, as I've never heard anything about it. I was also told that clinicians are supposed to inform their patients of the guidance.
Yes I have also had a third with booster due in 6 months time . I was told it was because I had been on chemo and due to a poor immune system the protection would not be as good . X
Do you mean 8 weeks after the second vaccination, as I had my second one at the end of April, and haven't been offered the third yet. I was told 6 months after.
Jenny
Here's the guidance, which I've just found:
gov.uk/government/publicati...
It seems that the information is not being filtered down to G.P.s., as I had never heard of this. I'd not noticed it reported in the media, either.
At least people on here know now to approach their G.P. for this 3rd vaccine, if they're within six months of chemo.
Thanks for that. I note it says "at least 8 weeks after", so I am well past that time. I will chase this up with my surgery.
Jenny
I was told the sameāin the US at my cancer center.
I asked my nurse specialist and she was not aware of it as a rule but said it may have been applied to specific patients who had either certain cancers. I am having to have a blood test before mine. This is due to it being scheduled for day 12 of my treatment cycle. To make sure my platelets are back up. (I had to ask if I needed it. Seemed common sense to check. )It wasn't automatically offered, but then my oncolgy team would only know I was having booster because I told them!!)
Hiya. The guidance, if I remember, appears to say that anyone who has had chemotherapy (or other immune suppressing therapy) in the preceding 6 months needs a 3rd vaccine, and a booster 6 months after the 3rd, because scientific evidence shows that chemotherapy etc. patients have not had the same response to the first 2. It also says that this 3rd jab must be timed at least 2 weeks after the last chemo, or done within a natural break from treatment.
I googled this issue again, and found this link in the Daily Mail, which I don't normally read:
dailymail.co.uk/health/arti...
This article doesn't explain the whole list of people eligible for a third dose of the vaccine, but at least it raises the issue of the lack of information about it.
If I had read my NHS text properly, I would have brought up these issues with the G.P.
I hope your platelets are up enough to have the 3rd booster. If not, I'm sure there won't be a problem in re-arranging to a later date.
Hi just 're read the government link you posted and it does not mention 'chemo therapy in general and is specific to treatments causing immune deficiency, which is not all chemo. Whilst you are temporarily at risk with weakened immunity from most chemo, once platelets are back up at about day 11-14 you aren't and wouldn't warrant you needing this third vaccine then a booster. The advice seems to be more specific for individuals who are known to have continually impaired immune systems due to their treatment or existing immune responses.
Hi again. I have had 6 chemos (3 carbo and then 3 carbo and added paxol) over the last 6 months, so I must fall in the category below, as the text I was sent definitely said it was the 3rd vaccination, and the vaccinator did explain that too. I wonder which or both drugs are the relevant ones?:
"those who were receiving or had received in the previous 6 months immunosuppressive chemotherapy or radiotherapy for any indication"
Isn't all chemotherapy immunosuppressive? I imagined it was. I really don't know enough about other chemo drugs, but I guess I assumed they all suppressed the immune system in some way.
Also, I didn't have bloods before my 2nd vaccine (the first vaccine was before my diagnosis, the 2nd just after my first chemo ), and I had to have most of my subsequent chemos delayed, because it took weeks for them to be up enough for the next chemo cycle. So, for me, I reckon I definitely needed a 3rd vaccine to try and ensure that I had a response this time, as my bloods may not have been good enough at the time of my 2nd jab.
I had problems with both platelets and neutrophils raising enough to have each of my next cycles. Presumably neutrophils also have to be right before a vaccine would work?
Yes is sounds as though it is very specific to timings and type of treatment.Like everything else with COVID it is not clear or concise and the scientist are still learning stuff. Hope you get it sorted . I had my government letter stating 'shielding' is no longer officially guidance and just to follow my own levels that I am comfortable with so back to what I was doing on my 1st line treatment in 2019!! Sensible precautions!! Good luck with your treatment. X
Thanks Tilly. Same to you. Good luck!
Hiya, I responded exactly the same and having finished my third course of chemo just 10 days before, I was worried. However after 36 hours I did feel better and my temperature was back to normal.I too was told this was not the āboosterā but a third dose I needed being classed as clinically vulnerableā and that I would be given a booster in six months time. However no one has ever said to me I should have had a third dose 8 weeks after my second one.š¤·
Got my Flu vaccine tomorrow and fear I may respond the same way but believe itās worth it for the protection it will give me.
Jan. xx
Think we should clarify where in the world we are with our posts as this is a global group. Obviously not all countries follow exactly the same protocols which can cause confusion. I am UK on 2nd line chemo and having a 'covid booster' on Tuesday.
No l was actually the same only it was the second one that effected me . Ended up at A &E.They checked me over because l was out of balance and felt dreadful. Doctor actually said she'd felt the same so that was a great relief. I was fine a couple of days after. So hopefully you'll be the same, when you have ovarian cancer you do tend to worry about everything.
Ive still too get my booster lm on holiday and tried to get it done before we left but we were 5 days too early so couldnt get it. Hope you feel ok soon lm sure you will sending love & hugs SheilaFxxx
I had the flu jab and the 3rd covid jab (Pfizer) at the same time and felt dog rough for three days. Kicked in about 6 hours after. Ached from head to foot, raised temperature, felt cold, couldn't sleep. The flu arm had a warm red lump about the diameter of a plum! I also had reactions to the AZ jabs when I got them (though not as strong) and also to last year's flu jab. I always seem to react to any medical intervention š
Hi , I felt dreadful after my second jab ,and my CA125 went up and has stayed up ,maybe thatās a coincidence.So at the moment i think Iāll decline a third one.
Hi. I had my Pfizer booster yesterday. I am on chemo but it was definitely down as a booster. No-one mentioned anything about a third vaccination followed by a booster. I would ask my GP but I haven't been able to speak to a doctor or nurse for months.
Email and Text communications that I have received from the NHS so to book the appointment, all have made reference to the "Booster". The confirmation email stated: "Thank you for booking your appointment for a booster dose of the coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine."
The gap between the 2nd shot of the vaccine and what's now been referred to as the booster has to be 6 months+.
The nurse who gave me the shot confirmed that it was the same dose and make as the previous two.
Unfortunately, I was amongst the unlucky ones as I have had a very bad reaction after I had the shot but it is all over now.
The other confusion was about when to take the flu jab. Some were saying a week after the booster, some two weeks after ect...and I know someone who had both on the same day, one in each arm, and she was absolutely fine with no side effects other than sore arms.
That's interesting. I have looked at the text I got yesterday, and it says that, because I have a significantly weakened immune system, the advice is to have a THIRD dose....not a booster. It then says to contact my G.P. or consultant. I happened to have a phone consult with the G.P. 15 minutes after this, so brought it up, and was offered the third dose the same day when I clicked on the link, so my daughter, who luckily had a day off, drove me there. I hadn't realised it was classed differently from the booster, until the vaccine person explained this to me. Don't know if you saw my link above from earlier, which shows the guidance, which was formulated in August. We're now October, so I don't understand why I've not heard any reports about it.
I was invited to and have now had my booster. I was given the booster by a GP so they should have known but it appears they didn't. I hadn't seen or heard this guidance until today. I should also have had a third dose as have been on chemo on and off throughout. I am going to try to clarify with GP wether booster is same dose as vaccine and if I need another one at some point. I had flu on same day as booster, different arm with no side effects other than two sore arms.
I had the same reactions after the booster. I consider it a good thing to have a strong reaction, as the experts say that means your immune cells are active and the vaccine is effective. They also recommend not suppressing the reactions by taking anything like aspirin, ibuprofen, or acetaminophen, as it could possibly lessen the effectiveness.
Thankyou again all that have replied, very interesting , as usual lots of conflicting advise where our well being is concerned but although I felt really rough for 48hrs am now fighting fit !! š¤Hopefully at least the good to come out of it will be that we will be well protected from Covid,we really donāt need anything else to the list do we āŗļøStay safe all .DeeX
That was pretty much my reaction to my first Pfizer jab. I'm 99% sure that I had Covid just before lockdown (largely based on that reaction). I was fine after 48 hours and another 24 hours of sore arm.
In Ireland we can get it two months after being fully vaccinated. hse.ie/immuno
Iām getting mine next week.
GP Advice 
First chemo treatment coming up 
Cold cap worked for me
Celebrating 
