Osterholme, and all the virologists on the “This Week In Virology” podcast. Good decision, and hope you feel better soon!
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Malfunctioning monocytes may be behind long COVID breathing difficulties.
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Thank you @ucbalumnus for sharing the interesting information you find.
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Anyone looking for the J&J / Janssen vaccine instead of the Pfizer, Moderna, or Novavax vaccines will need to go find it outside the US: Administration Overview for Johnson & Johnson's Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine | CDC
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Moderna beats Pfizer among two-dose COVID vaccine recipients aged 60 and over: For Journalists - Northwestern University appears to be the source for the mdlinx.com page.
Not an unexpected result, given the larger amount of mRNA per done in the Moderna vaccine than the Pfizer vaccine. However, the difference was only seen among older people with the initial two doses; those who were boosted or who were younger did not see a significant difference.
The actual research paper, linked from the northwestern.edu page, is here:
I was surprised that amount of vaccine would make any difference. I’m also not surprised that there was less effect after the initial doses given the rise of the various COVID variants afterwards and the vaccine formula continuing unchanged until the introduction of omicron as well as the rise in natural immunity as covid infections spread regardless of vaccine status.
I was also happy to read that these benefits accrued to those who were most at risk of significant disease or death from Covid.
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Although, in the early days, when people were getting their initial vaccine doses, choice of vaccine was mainly by “what happens to be available” rather than other considerations (not all of which were known then).
If someone could send a message back in time to the first half of 2021, they might recommend preferring specific vaccines for some groups:
- Older people: Moderna
- Younger women: not Janssen (due to increased risk of TTS)
- Younger men: not Moderna (due to increased risk of myocarditis)
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Still never had Covid. Pfizer 2 shot series. No booster and will NEVER get a booster. If they combine flu shots and Covid like I’ve heard talked about or make the flu shot MRNA I will quit getting flu shot and I get a flu shot every single year and I have for the last 25 years.
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If you do not like mRNA, you can get Novavax (a protein subunit vaccine, similar in concept to Flublok for flu and Shingrix for shingles). However, another non-mRNA vaccine, Janssen (a viral vector vaccine), is no longer available in the US.
With your and your family’s history of reactions to the shots, I can see why you’d make that decision. I might do the same in your situation. Do you think it’s the mRNA that was the culprit or a reaction to the covid particles (or whatever it’s called.)
As much as I am pro vaccine for most people, I’m pretty sure that they screwed up my cycles in a bad way. But then again, covid itself screwed it up as well.
Thanks @ClassicMom98
I guess I’ll never know if it was the MRNA but I’m not willing to take the chance again.
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Does anyone know if/when we are supposed to get another booster? I’ve had 5 shots (original 2, and then 3 boosters) but haven’t had one in a while. Forgot to ask my doctor at the beginning of May.
My first 2 were M and I did have a little bit of a reaction (but not like many others experienced) but the boosters were P and no reaction at all. In fact I forgot I even got them until I took a shower and the band-aid was there on my arm.
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Current recommendation for adults in the US is that if you have not had the bivalent (original + Omicron BA.5) booster that became available starting September 2022, then get one dose of that, regardless of prior vaccination history. Those age 65+ may get a second bivalent booster 4+ months after the first one.
Currently, only Pfizer and Moderna offer bivalent boosters, so if you are unable or unwilling to get an mRNA vaccine, you would be unable to get a bivalent booster in the US. Neither Novavax (protein subunit) nor Janssen (viral vector) has come out with an Omicron vaccine. There do not appear to be Omicron versions of other vaccines available in other countries either.
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Roche COVID at home test kit recall & getting replacement kits
By the way, to double check if your covid tests are covered by COVID at home test Roche recall AND get free replacement tests sent, go to:
Pilot COVID-19 At-Home Test Voluntary Recall.
The website will instruct you to enter your lot #, let you know if kit was recalled and has an online form to complete to get replacement test kits mailed to you.
I tried going back to store where I had purchased kits but they were out of stock.
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Pushed immunocompromised DH to go on vacation by car, ended up eating (gasp!) inside restaurants with social distancing. He wanted to wait a week to ensure not getting covid after returning home, and after consulting with oncologist, we’re going to nephew’s wedding via plane. Maybe there’s light at the end of this tunnel after all?
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Wear an N95 or similarly high filtration mask, and turn on the ventilation nozzle (with the filtered airplane air) to full aimed directly in front of your face. And hope that you are not sitting next to someone with COVID-19 or any other airborne contagion, and that the airplane ventilation system is running as much as possible.
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Some news from YLE: Catch up quick: COVID-19 - by Katelyn Jetelina
WHO recommends a fall booster targeting XBB. US FDA will meet in June on the subject.
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A little more detail on the WHO fall booster recommendation: a WHO advisory group recommends targeting XBB.1.5 and/or XBB.1.16, according to WHO recommends new COVID shots should target only XBB variants | Reuters . These are the two what WHO lists as variants of interest: Tracking SARS-CoV-2 variants .
In the US, XBB.1.5 is currently the most common variant, with XBB.1.16 in second place (but XBB.1.16 is increasing, while XBB.1.5 is decreasing): CDC COVID Data Tracker . XBB.1.9.1 and XBB.1.9.2 are also increasing in the US.
The WHO advisory group also recommends not including the original virus in new vaccines.
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