Wary of covid autumn booster

[kalgoorlie]

Hi,

You can read from my profile that I am aware that there COULD be a link between the Pfizer jab (Comirnaty) that I had in November 2021 and the onset of PMR soon after.

I had had two AstraZenica jabs prior to this earlier in 2021 with no adverse effects whatsoever.

While on 6mg prednisolone, in September the following year 2022, I had the Moderna Spikevax booster. I had no adverse affects or flare whatsoever.

With this in mind, I went to my GP for my autumn covid booster this evening.

I was hoping they would be offering the Moderna Spikevax. But no it was the Pfizer. They said it was the same as the original one, but I had thought they had bought out a new bivalent one last year...

Anyway, I declined the vaccine, due to my concern that it may trigger PMR again.

The nurses could not advise but understood my dilemma, and it was purely my decision.

I am going to try to find a vaccine centre offering the Moderna Spikevax and will check back with my GP too in case they are sent this vaccine in a future batch this autumn.

Do you think my decision is a logical one? As I was on 6mg pred when I had the Spikevax last year could the pred have dampened my immune response to that vaccine? And now that I am pred-free could the Moderna as well as the Pfizer trigger PMR again???

Interested to know if others who are now pred-free have this dilemma!

Thanks

[PMRpro Ambassador]

I can only say that ANY vaccine may trigger PMR - as can illness, injury, stress, chemical or environmental factors and a range of other potential triggers, in conjunction with a genetic predilection to do so which is felt to be associated with a Scandinavian genetic heritage. Some patients believe their PMR was triggered by the flu vaccine, others have had multiple flu jabs with no detrimental effect and then PMR develops out of the blue. Others have never had a flu jab but develop PMR, It is considered to be a response to a life-time of insults to the immune system - due to any or all of the factors I mentioned above. No two people have identical histories, there is no single trigger that could be identified, Some doctors have said that it was there waiting to happen - and if it hadn't been the vaccine it would have been the next thing that upset the immune system,

Once you have had PMR it never goes away entirely - the potential for the immune system to go haywire again remains. So yes, another vaccine could make it flare - but so could having Covid itself as well as the potential to develop Long Covid. Or it might be stress, like a bereavement, or an illness or a car accident. You don't know.

[kalgoorlie in reply to PMRpro]

Thank you. Comprehensive reply as ever. I guess I just shouldn't worry about what might or might not trigger PMR again. But the vaccine is under my control so I will try to find the Spikevax, as Megams says, it's a gut feeling. If I get PMR again after that, well ho hum, life is full of risks...

[nallufl24 in reply to PMRpro]

You are so right PMRpro!

[Megams]

~I would like to add to follow your gut level feeling - you know your body better than anyone.

PMRpro has articulated an answer covering the intricates of PMR from its inception to reasoning/causes etc. These all add up & fit together.

I certainly know that a tetanus booster containing diphtheria/whooping cough (the latter I was unaware of) tipped my a/i over the edge into PMR journey.

Go well with your decision~

[Whist]

I would nit chance it you have done well to come off pred it is an evil addictive medicine .

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Whist]

It is NOT an evil addictive medicine. It is a powerful antiinflammatory drug that saves lives and sight in GCA and gives people their life back. It is NOT addictive - you body may become dependent on it physiologically but that is not the same thing at all.

[Whist in reply to PMRpro]

To be physiologically dependent is another name for addiction

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Whist]

No it isn't. Or at least not in the sense addiction is usually meant. It isn't any different from a patient requiring insulin or thyroxine because their body isn't making any. Are you going to class them the same?

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer in reply to Whist]

…. it is an evil addictive medicine .

You may not think that if you had already lost the sight in one eye - and it saved the other one.

[Whist in reply to DorsetLady]

No I think it has some benefits but I eventually suffered mental health problems. after a long struggle to come off it. It is classed as a physiologically dependent medicine which is another word for addictive this is not explained when it is prescribed for PMR.

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer in reply to Whist]

I’m sorry to hear that..

[humo1969]

all my problems started after having the pfizer jab back in january 2012

i was in hospital with myocarditis the week after having the covid vacc and later developed PMR

i have been advised never to have an MRNA vaccine ever again

I'm a nurse so do work in risky areas but not having the covid booster