I noticed that…and wondered if that means my little pharmacy that gives Moderna will give me the booster at full dose!
“what is likely to be most protective…”
I’d vote for:
- J&J x2, and
- Moderna x2.5
(Yeah, I get those aren’t any of the approved solutions.)
I’m for locking this team in a room with some branding/comms pros and not letting them out till they learn how to message consistently, clearly, and concisely or hand the job off to people who can do it.
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How long are any of these boosters/mix and match supposed to offer additional protection? Same as the first round - 6-8 months. Less time? More time? Is it a booster or a third dose? Are we going to go back in 3 months? The whole thing just isn’t very reassuring.
For all but the immunocompromised (whether it be disease, pharmacologically, or age induced), the data is pretty clear that the mRNA options are both still very protective against significant disease without a boost/3rd dose. That should be very reassuring!
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The problem after vax isn’t serious acute disease, it’s long-term illness, even in the non-hospitalized, which is starting to be called PACS (post-acute covid syndrome). What it comes down to is that we still don’t know what this disease is. It’s clear it’s a real marauder, but we don’t yet know what that means for people longterm. And part of the problem there is that the grants funding the earliest post-covid clinics, which are barely a year old, tend to fund them as pulmonary centers, but the science has moved on faster than science funding comfortably moves.
The CDC still has to approve the Moderna and J&J additional shots. What I don’t think they knew they had to decide today at their advisory committee meeting was the mixing and matching. Although the FDA advisory committee had a presentation on that last week, they didn’t vote on that last week (several members expressed concern that J&J recipients were a concern). But now that the FDA has gone ahead and approved mixing and matching, the CDC’s advisory committee will have to vote on that today. So as soon as the CDC director signs off, then the Moderna, J&J and mix and match boosters will be approved. The FDA approval is only part of the process.
I’ve also read that there is a huge push to make boosters a “should” for anyone over age 40. That will be dealt with after the 5-11 year olds get their Pfizer approval, which should happen at the very beginning of November (again, the FDA does their approval, which will be done after their 10/26 advisory committee meeting, and then the CDC’s committee meets at the very beginning of November, with the CDC’s go-ahead shortly after that).
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I went ahead and scheduled H & me for our 3rd Moderna tomorrow evening. We will be 8 months from our second shot on 10-26. H is exposed pretty much every day, and I’m not much better in my workplace. We have another one of those 2 hours meetings with 40 people sitting shoulder to shoulder next week. I’m sure very few would have masks and probably not many vax’d. They have cancelled the last couple, so I’m crossing my fingers next week will also be cancelled. If not, I’ll use vacation time even with a 3rd dose.
Two doses of either mRNA vaccine still, even for the earliest vaccinated like myself, significantly reduce the risk of any infection. The risk of long term effects for those unfortunate enough to be infected after two doses is cut in half. There’s no data one way or the other suggesting that a third dose will change that. That said, I’ll probably get my third dose in November.
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H is on his way to get his booster (Pfizer) as I post. He had zero issues with the first two and tends not to have issues with stuff anyway. We’ll see this time.
I am currently training for a marathon on November 13, so I’m waiting until that’s through before I get my booster. I don’t want to risk side effects while training, as I am much more likely to have issues.
We’ll be flying again in (3) weeks. Would love to get that booster at least 1 week before flying ( 1-2 weeks from now). We had 2x Moderna vaccines which are now about 8 months old. I haven’t found any locations that allow scheduling the booster if Moderna. Computer systems still block appointment times as ineligable if your first vaccine was Moderna. I’m guessing there might be a backlog in 1-2 week appointment times once approved by CDC, and adding children to the mix, so hoping to schedule one now if possible.
Anyone know locations that allow you to schedule the Moderna Booster? (tried CVS & Walgreens).
Nowhere right now. The EUA hasn’t been granted yet. News outlets are saying though that it could be as early as Friday.
There are data pointing strongly to a much-reduced incidence of infection, which would mean a much-reduced incidence of having to worry about longterm effects. The data increasingly say that covid is, for many if not most, long.
Please link them. Thanks.
This chart shows the results when mixing the vaccines. mrna1273=moderna, bnt162b2=pfizer, ad26=JJ
All went up significantly except JJ followed by JJ (second row, first column)
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Just came from the doctor and she said that the system will notify me when they have the boosters. I did get a notice for the first shot and it came right when my age group was called up. I said I’m comfortable with waiting as I had moderna and that seems to be holding up. She agreed.
And then I got a flu shot and a shingles shot. Boo.
Shingrix hurt more than any vaccine I’ve ever had. You have another to look forward to. 
That said, having treated plenty of patients with shingles manifestations in their eye, give me a sore arm for a week any day!!!
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I am one of those ‘shingles in the eye’ people. It hurt so much I actually asked the doctor if I should have my eye removed!
I have been asking pharmacists and eye doctors for years if the shingles shot would prevent more outbreaks. "Umm, don’t know, can’t say for sure… " I asked after my last outbreak and she said no, that it is a different type of shingles that the shot prevents (also had that but it really didn’t hurt that much). Got it anyway to prevent ‘regular’ shingles, and figure it couldn’t hurt for my eye, even if it doesn’t help.
So far Shingrix is the only shot that has been bad for me too - both times, and both for 24-48 hrs really tired and achy. I expected the same with Pfizer’s vaxes, but nada except a sore arm for those. Time will tell what a Moderna booster will do (once authorized).
My mom had Shingles more than once. Seeing her go through it was all I needed to know dealing with the vax was a much better option. I feel the same way having seen oldest son deal with Covid prior to vaxes being out there.
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Herpes Zoster, affectionately known as Shingles, is reactivated Varicella-Zoster (chickenpox), no matter where it happens. Shingrix very effectively reduces it’s reactivation, no matter the dermatome. It is different than primary Varicella-Zoster infection though. Which might be what they were referring to.
I think Shingrix will reduce active reactivations, because it’s recommended now for post-shingles patients.
The eye is a bit of a different story though because you can have persistent inflammation or relapsing/remitting inflammation essentially forever, even if the virus isn’t active. It can happen anywhere in the eye, even in the retina, but the cornea is the most common. I don’t want it anywhere, but having seen every ocular manifestation, that’s the last place I want it!
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