Spring Covid Booster

[Tiggy70]

Hi everyone, it’s a while since I posted (I’ve been recovering from a bad fall in March) but I read the posts everyday. I have a question re the latest Covid booster in the UK. I saw my Gp a few days ago on another matter and mentioned the Covid booster as I was refused during the first round. In his opinion he said we are all having too many boosters and that one in 800 people will have a bad reaction to the vaccine. He said the fact that I had Covid last year is enough to protect me. However yesterday I got a text from the surgery telling me to book a vaccine! I don’t know what to do now? To have it or not have it? Anyone have any thoughts on this. Thanks, Tiggy 🌸

[123-go]

Who refused you the first round booster and why, Tiggy?

Having had Coronavirus will only protect you for around a year, I believe. Have you had a bad reaction to previous Covid vaccination?

I have recently had my Spring booster and will continue having them for as long as they are offered. Have a look here for information from the NHS:

england.nhs.uk/long-read/pr...

[Tiggy70 in reply to 123-go]

It was my Gp surgery who refused me in the first round (a receptionist). It may have been because my last booster was at the end of November 2022. I’ve had 6 vaccinations and no adverse reactions so far except for a sore arm for a couple of days. I had Covid in July 22 so not quite a year ago. The gp who told me last week not to have one may be an anti vaxxer so it may be his personal opinion. My gut feeling is to have one as I’ll be doing quite a bit of air travel over the next 7 months.

[123-go in reply to Tiggy70]

Appalled that it was the receptionist refused you!- doctor’s orders?? I think you should go with your gut especially as you will be travelling: peace of mind is no small thing. You have to decide for yourself, of course. Info here on how/ where to get your covid booster:

nhs.uk/conditions/covid-19/....

[PMRpro Ambassador]

I doubt having Covid last year will be protecting you after a year although I do agree that the UK has been dishing out boosters far too often. Every 6 months now is enough and all we ever got here in Italy. You doc needs to brush up on immunology and how protection fades - even the flu jab starts to wane at the end of the flu season and that is why you shouldn't get it too early.

[agingfeminist]

There has been some research on how long boosters give protection against infection and against serious disease. Much research has been done here in Israel because all our details are logged on computers and there is no problem accessing (and anonymizing) it for research purposes.

Basically it shows a decline in immunity, in all age groups, a few months (at 4 months drops to 25%) against serious disease following a booster.

However, one small study here showed that a fourth booster increased antibodies but didn't give any additional protection against infection. (I think didn't distinguish between infection and serious infection)

But the picture is complicated...depends on what variants are around, what variants the vaccine is effective against, how your immune system responds. More difficult to do research now because the number of serious cases is very small and most people don't report when they test positive on a home kit.

Here, if you want a booster you have to wait a minimum of six months since the last one. But anyone can get one. The uptake isn't great (25% I think). But I get one every 6 months...in the hope that the vaccines are improving and targeting prevalent variants. Over 65s generally do get them every 6 months.

BUT I still keep my distance from everyone. I live alone and any infection in my debilitated state would be bad news. I am a happy hermit, so it is easy.

Wishing everyone a healthy summer

[Tiggy70 in reply to agingfeminist]

Thanks for your reply. It’s difficult to make a decision but I’ll probably go for it. I had the Pfizer bivalent last time and would prefer to have that again but I don’t think I’ll get a choice.

[Sherlock57]

I was very cautious about having a spring booster and listened to people’s comments on here. I took the decision that with my compromised immune system I should go for it. No problems after a couple of weeks - just a slightly sore arm for a couple of days.

I know Covid is quite mild these days but there is still quite a lot of it about where I live in Dorset and I don’t want it!

[CricketMonkey in reply to Sherlock57]

One of the reasons that Covid is quite mild these days for most people is because people have been vaccinated.

[JAC1947]

I too saw my GP for check up and told her I was not having any more jabs as I am convinced PMR started after last booster, Moderna. I have had 5 and had Covid. She replied that she agreed and even she was not going to have one as she had had 4 jabs and caught Covid twice! So no more jabs for me. I wear a mask in supermarkets and am careful who I mix with and keep distance. Good luck.

[Animalover65]

Hi, I asked my Rheumatologist about having a spring Covid booster and he said it was a good idea. I felt quite unwell the night after my first Astrazeneca jab but fine after the following five boosters. Yesterday I had the Pfizer Bivalent booster which I was told was for people with compromised immune systems. I took Paracetamol a few hours before and after the jab as suggested on this site and I feel fine this morning.

[Exflex]

in the U.K. they’re offering Sanofi for those aged 75 or older, and Pfizer if younger and meet certain health risk criteria; for ‘us’ that’s Pred at 10mg or over. I received a text from the NHS inviting me, but I’m on 1mg of Pred. Not wishing to waste my time, or theirs, I phoned the vaccination centre and they ran through my medical situation, and said if you turned up we’d probably turn you away. So I cancelled.

I think the Pfizer vaccination is tailored to BA.4 and BA.5 but not sure about the Sanofi (I will look it up), but since Omicron has evolved to XBB.x.x (XBB.1.19 being the latest) it’s a mismatch for the antibodies needed. The T cells will get a reminder, so that’s about the best you can hope for. So most individuals getting CV19 (Covid) will get I’ll because of the antibody mismatch, but the T cells will come to your rescue and prevent serious illness or death.

I do think we’re getting far too many doses of vaccine, and that once a year should be adequate.

Sanofi is a protein based vax, same outcome as Pfizer but different method. Think it also comes with an adjuvant to give the immune system a kick. Sounds good for those with an autoimmune issue, but it has to be acknowledged that the flue vax for 65+ has an adjuvant.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Exflex]

The only reason flu is once a year is because it is seasonal and the risk is very low in summer wherever you are - if you had a flu jab for the winter in Australia and then travelled to the UK for the wummer, there would be an argument for repeating the jab at the start of UK winter as the immune effect wanes after about 5 months - it lasts for the flu season.

[Suffererc]

I had mine last week. No 7. I was given the Pfizer. No problems whatsoever. Unlike No 4/5 and 6.

Think 4/5 and 6 were given at very short intervals and hence I have/had problems