The issue with the immunocompromised isn’t that the vax is fading more quickly, it is that it was never effective for a substantial portion of them from the beginning. Almost all regular patients show some antibodies after the first dose; per John’s Hopkins, between 20 and 50% of the IC do not, even after the second dose. Hence a third dose in an attempt to get ahead some antibodies working. Those IC who wait are assuming they had the same reaction to the vax as others; that may or may not be true.
I am perplexed here by the government not looking at the big picture, which is overall community public health. We need to do whatever we have to to get the unvaccinated vaccinated, before we do a third round of shots. (With the exception of those whose shots “didn’t take” and don’t have any antibodies.) The spread won’t truly stop until we have more overall people vaccinated. I also feel that getting those younger kids vaccinated is a big part of the picture. Once the 5-12 group is covered the numbers should drop dramatically. Also, we need to think global here. There are countries where the shots are still had to come by and they have low vaccination numbes. These shots would be better used to get those places better covered by vaccinations. It helps the entire world. For example, if India had been better vaccinated, maybe the delta variant wouldn’t have happened?
This is not an either/or situation. We have millions of vaccines in sitting in freezers, so we can easily do both. (My guess is that there won’t be a big run on boosters, but even if there is, we have millions of vaccines ready to go. Indeed, Biden just donated 500 million to WHO.)
Blockquote We need to do whatever we have to to get the unvaccinated vaccinated, before we do a third round of shots.
I don’t see how this can be done without force. In my area, we had hundreds (even thousands at the peak) of unused slots each day since mid-March. We opened it up to the general public well before other areas. In addition to the drug stores & mega clinics, we set up pop up clinics at all the major manufacturers, churches (especially POC churches), and housing project complexes. We even had a phone number to call where the City would pick you up, take you to your shot, and drop you back home for free. And we are still only at 35-40% fully vaccinated. Even worse, only ~15% of kids 12-18 are vaccinated. It’s not because people can’t get there. They don’t want it. And to try to force people to get it now? That could become very ugly.
@Roycroft yes technically the immunocompromised are getting third shots, not boosters.
I am immunocompromised in the view of my doctor. That means, yes, my response to the first two may not have been inadequate. But I am still waiting to get a third shot/booster.
Even for the immunocompromised, whatever immunity we did get also wanes!
@compmom, all good, you do you. I was just explaining why the recommendation between 2nd and 3rd shots for the IC is 4 weeks, versus 6 plus months for all others. I promise I do not care whether or when anyone else gets a booster.
I guess since I live in a part of the country that is highly vaccinated, it is difficult for me to understand parts of the country that aren’t (yes, my own shortcoming). I don’t know how to motivate people, but I don’t think we have exhausted all our education and incentive ideas yet.
At least not for the hard-core anti-vaccine types – probably the only thing that may convince them is seeing someone close to them get a severe case of COVID-19.
A distinction without a difference. The third dose is the same volume of stuff as the 1st and 2nd. The rest is just a label.
Note, however, that Moderna and Pfizer are working on a true booster that will specifically target Delta. And Moderna is trialing a true booster that is half concentration of the first two.
I signed up to take part in an antibody study. I got the results today.
The number could be anywhere from 0-2,500. I am at 573. My blood was drawn three days after my third shot so I doubt that it had any effect. However, the fact that I am IC and was more than six months out from my second shot at the blood draw, I feel like likely did have an effect.
The A-student me is sad that my number seems “low.” I mean, if this were a test, I’d flunk, right? What I don’t know (I don’t think anyone knows) is whether there’s a minimum at which I should feel “protected.” My neighbor, who takes a different immunosuppresant than I do, was at less than 20. That makes Adult me wants to just shut up about my 573.
I also had 0 antibodies from an actual infection so it feels great to know that I, in fact, never had Covid. ETA: I suppose I could’ve had Covid way back in the day and those antibodies have faded?
I will get a text reminder in three months to get retested. I will be really curious what my number is then.
I just looked it up and booster shots count to get the $100 gift card, so I’ll take my mother on Sunday to a mobile clinic near us. She’ll like that. They will ask no questions and she’ll just get the booster. She has cancer so is suggested to get the 3rd shot.
@CTTC Most of the people I know in the medical field, myself included, will be 8 months out in mid September, and the over 65 year olds the next couple of weeks. Throw in the immunocompromised that can get theirs as early as 30 days after the second, you are talking about a whole lot of people ready for their 3rd vaccine over the next month!
My circle of family, friends and most coworkers are ready and willing to get their 3rd shot. From the elderly, IC, school teachers and the young, our sleeves will be rolled up and our mask worn.