Booster vaccines

[Jilldrog]

I’ve been reading posts for some years but as yet haven’t posted myself. I’ve just had a text from surgery to ask me to have my 3rd Covid jab at same time as flu jab. I think I may have read on this site that if one has PMR it’s not good to have both jabs at same time. If so I will have to go quickly to get my flu jab at a pharmacy. Please advise

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer]

This was a previous post…….

healthunlocked.com/pmrgcauk...

It’s your choice really, but if you’re not sure, it might be sensible to leave time, say a week, between the two.

The letter was probably issued as a blanket mailshot, so maybe check with GP if possible.

[PMRpro Ambassador]

I don't think there is any evidence one way or the other specifically for PMR. In theory it should be fine as they give a lot of multiple vaccines to children and they will also give the flu jab and the pneumonia one at the same visit for older adults. In practice and for patients with a dodgy immune system - who knows!

[MrsNails]

I think it’s a personal preference really, as they don’t really know. l was never a great fan of being given multiple jabs at the same time especially for the children & after young James Reaction l would never let him have more than one at a time! I won’t have both together but l only have the one arm they can use anyway as l have no sentinel nodes in one arm so that’s a bit of a Get of Jail Card & one of other ladies said the same thing the other day 😉

[Mazxstitch]

I had my third vaccination last week. One of the questions I was asked was whether I had had any other vaccination in the previous 2 weeks. I think it is preferable to not have then together.

[MrsNails]

You may find this helpful :-

gov.uk/government/publicati...

[MaritimeMags]

I am on exactly the same frame of mind particularly as a much older friend has felt very unwell after having booster and flu jab at same time. Do I pop along to chemist and have my flu jab, say, month earlier than my booster at my Surgery?I think I may well do this. 🙂

[Nextoneplease]

Well… as I couldn’t get through on the phone to the doctors surgery, I sent an eConsult asking when I’d get my third primary Covid vaccine.

GP phoned today and told me it’s the same as the regular booster - half a Moderna dose. Well, said I, that’s not what it says in the JCVI guidelines…..so she looked them up, sounded very flummoxed, said she’d have to consult a colleague as she wasn’t aware of third doses for immunocompromised…... At least she was honest…..

Anyway the upshot is that they’re not doing third doses, so I’ll book a standard booster. Better than nothing, I guess 😊

UPDATE The NHS website won’t let me book a booster as it’s not quite 6 months since my second vaccination……

[Jilldrog]

I’ve tried to get my flu jab first but local pharmacies tell me that it’s not available with them until next week, which will be only days before the Covid jab. I’ll have to try to get a doctor at surgery to call me back re this"

[Lochy]

I’m based in Edinburgh and got my invitation for my third COVID vaccine and I had it yesterday. They’re doing them on the outskirts of the city and everyone has to go there. There was no mention of the flu jab on the letter but upon arrival they said I’d be getting both! I’d already had my flu jab at my pharmacy as had no idea how it was being offered. The nurses also explained this was a third dose and I’d be invited for a booster in six months. I had no idea about that. The GPs in Scotland have nothing to do with this and if you ask you get told they have no information about it and don’t even know who has been invited and can’t request anything for anybody! It’s truly remarkable that when getting my vaccine yesterday I was mixing with a lot of fellow ‘vulnerable’ people in a large hall. Many very elderly in wheelchairs and with walking sticks. I don’t think many of us felt comfortable but we have no choice.

It was moderna for this dose after two Astra Zeneca and today I don’t feel great. All my old PMR pains are aching so I’ve popped the paracetamol and sitting in front of the fire as feeling a bit shivery. I’m keeping everything crossed that these are 24 hour symptoms and not a flare. I do feel concerned about the possible effects of the vaccine on our systems but am a firm believer in them and had no hesitation in getting all my doses. It’s the same old problem as if we have any unusual symptoms our GPs aren’t going to be of much help and our rheumatologists probably have no idea either as this is all so new.

It is a very lonely journey at times for all of us and I know if it wasn’t for this forum I’d be floundering! Back off under my rug on my sofa 😁