Gifted. From today!
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Pfizer, Moderna and Novavax are now working to update, test and mass-produce their vaccines, which will then need to be officially authorized by the F.D.A.
Does anyone know if that’s how the flu vaccine works every year?
FDA's Critical Role in Ensuring Supply of Influenza Vaccine | FDA describes the process for annual formulations and manufacturing of flu vaccines in the US.
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New shots come out mid September.
Look into this. Shop for Israeli made COVID spray, Enovid
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I’m on vacation in 6 weeks and have had 4 shots, the last booster being the Moderna Bivalent in 10/22. You can’t get another booster unless you’re 65. I’m so ticked. Looks like I’ll be wearing a mask on the plane, train and crowded places.
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I am 60 and also had 4 vaccines. Now I have Covid.
Me too
Timely question. We leave for a Europe trip at end of Sept. Our last booster was Sept 2022. We both had Covid this winter (though interestingly from different sources - hubby stayed healthy when I had it the seems to have picked it up three weeks later at a friend’s house). We have same PCP, put a question into the office on Monday… waiting for reply.
I went to 4 different places and got the same answer. Have to be 65 to get another booster right now if you’ve already received the bivalent. They did say that it will possibly change soon like in the fall for under 65, but my France trip is also at the end of September and it will be too late for that. I’m sure the one from last fall has already waned quite a bit.
My friend returned from Greece last May and got it over there. I’m just a bit bummed having to wear a mask again.
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I am a pediatrician who strongly supports immunizations. However, there IS an association between the Covid mRNA vaccines and development of autoimmune hyperthyroidism (Graves disease). What with paxlovid available, I do not recommend 4th and 5th doses.
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If the XBB.1.5 booster becomes available mid-September or earlier, getting it as soon as it is available should give enough time for some added protection for your late September trip. Infection appears to boost long term baseline immunity compared to before infection, and also appears to give a temporary extra strong immunity for the first few months afterward (the latter has probably faded by now from an infection last winter, but it means that someone who has recovered from infection may want to wait some months before getting a vaccine in order not to waste the vaccine).
Last winter’s main variant was probably BQ.1.1, a BA.5 descendant, so the current XBB descendants predominant now are somewhat different from your infections and the outgoing BA.5 + ancestral booster. The XBB.1.5 booster will be closer to the current variants than your infection and the outgoing booster, though the current variants are already somewhat different enough that breakthrough is possible.
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Where do you think you picked it up?
If you’re under 65 , you may not be able to get it automatically.
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However, it looks like COVID-19 infection is also associated with increased risk of Graves disease.
Also, the decision whether to use Paxlovid must be made early in the infection, before knowing whether it will be a serious one.
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CVS website only wanted to know when I had my last shot (Sept 2022) and I think it knows my age (61). It seemed to indicate I would be eligible. But I did not go through the further steps to set up an appointment, so it might have disallowed later in the process.
Timeline (if I am reading my vaccine card correctly):
- 3/15/2021 Moderna #1 (at King Soopers, not on CVS database)
- 4/12/2021 Moderna #2 (at King Soopers)
- 11/15/2021 Moderna booster (CVS)
- 5/23/2022 Moderna booster (CVS) - before road trip / elderly visits
- 9/26/2022 Moderna booster (CVS) - before wedding trip
- early March 2023 - COVID, fairly mild case
Thank you, everyone, for your thoughts, advice, and links!
I guess I will wait and see how things progress, and ask for Paxlovid if I test positive.
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I made an appt several months ago online at CVS as well, not knowing the 65 years requirement. I checked in, and then they came out and told me the age requirement. I said I have had cancer, did that matter? They gave it to me, granted I was 64. I am not imuno compromised, but they didn’t ask. 
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I have found surprising resistance to prescrbing paxlovid. My husband is over 65 and has asthma, so high risk, and his doctor didn’t want to prescribe it. Why does that doctor think he knows more than the cdc??! (I am annoyed).
Meanwhile, since I couldn’t reach my doctor, I took myself to the ER where the doctor there also said they don’t like to prescribe it. Argh!!
ER doctor’s reason was because of the rebound effect. I want to ask them, but what about the huge drop in mortality and severe illness? And a big reduction in long covid? I will 100% take a little rebound over death/hospitalization/long covid!
And yes, I know you can have a rebound with covid by itself.
I want to ask them – are we reading the same studies? I am careful about the experts that I trust; I particularly like Eric Topol and Michael Osterholme.
Ok rant over (for now)
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Rebound is only because it should be a 10 day prescription. Presumably, the person who took paxlovid and rebounds would probably have had serious illness without paxlovid.
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We just got back from Niagara Falls, Canada