Poll: Are you going ahead with a Booster vaccination?

[lenora]

Understandable, Blueberry. I had the Pfizer vaccine all 3 times. I don't know if you can mix the AZ with Pfizer or Moderna (you can here), but you sound too ill to receive another one at this point.

You tried....that's all you can you do for now. I hope you'll soon make some progress. Yours, Lenora.

 

[blueberry]

Understandable, Blueberry. I had the Pfizer vaccine all 3 times. I don't know if you can mix the AZ with Pfizer or Moderna (you can here), but you sound too ill to receive another one at this point.

You tried....that's all you can you do for now. I hope you'll soon make some progress. Yours, Lenora.

Thanks for that lovley compassionate reply, Lenora, much appreciated.

 

[Jadzhia]

I remain unvaccinated, and I'm at peace with that decision, no plan to change. I had Covid asymptomatically over a year ago, still have antibodies now. My immune system is very over-reactive and I think must have clobbered the virus when it showed up. I am still very curious about why some people only have mild or asymptomatic illness, whilst others get very ill. Ditto with getting the vaccine, why are some people badly impacted whilst others barely notice it.

 

[lenora]

Hello @Jadzhia.....you're OK with COVID if you're immune systems is still showing antibodies, but where do you stand with the variants of it? Just asking. Do you wear a mask when out or when people visit you, do they?

Personally, I'm getting tired of the mask wearing business, but it's just part of the battle....I DO NOT want COVID or any of the off-shoots of it.

Not only COVID but the flu and worst of all, shingles. If there's something I ran for it was the new shingles vaccine when it was offered. Four times is quite enough to go through that business and the older you are the greater the chances of getting it are. So another winter of masks and social distancing.....we've had four members of our family get COVID and one recently had the Delta strain. Stay well. Yours, Lenora.

 

[Jadzhia]

Hello @Jadzhia.....you're OK with COVID if you're immune systems is still showing antibodies, but where do you stand with the variants of it? Just asking. Do you wear a mask when out or when people visit you, do they?

Personally, I'm getting tired of the mask wearing business, but it's just part of the battle....I DO NOT want COVID or any of the off-shoots of it.

Not only COVID but the flu and worst of all, shingles. If there's something I ran for it was the new shingles vaccine when it was offered. Four times is quite enough to go through that business and the older you are the greater the chances of getting it are. So another winter of masks and social distancing.....we've had four members of our family get COVID and one recently had the Delta strain. Stay well. Yours, Lenora.

Hello Leonora - sorry to hear about the Covid in your family - I hope they've all recovered.

I'm not too worried over the variants, don't think they are too different from the original in terms of molecular structure (so antibodies should still work). You'll note that vaccines have not (as far as I'm aware) been tweaked for the Delta variant, because they are still effective against it. I should still have enough immunity

As I'm mainly house bound I haven't had to wear a mask often, apart from when I needed to go to the Dentist about a year ago. That was probably the most disinfected place I'd been in, no other patients just one person in at a time. Was given a surgical mask to wear. But yeah, I am not keen on masks, after about 10 mins they tend to make me start coughing - not a good look in a pandemic! If someone visits (had a friend stay recently) they don't wear masks. It's normal life in our house. Mind you I don't think much mask-wearing is going on in our neck of the woods. It's fairly rural and relaxed.

I'm currently doing an online Virology course (so very interesting! Wonderful (and scary) stuff). Inevitably we asked about Covid and whether boosters might be required for years to come, if immunity wanes quickly. (respiratory viruses tend to have far shorter-lasting immunity than, say, viruses like Measles). The answer was 'we don't know BUT as the original SARS did result in T cell immunity lasting 17 years, even if B cell immunity wears off within months or a couple of years, we will still have long-lasting T cell immunity'. But it's a 'watch this space' situation.

Shingles vaccine is offered in the UK at 70 years old, seems rather late in the day to me!

 

[lenora]

Hello @Jadzhia.....One of the people in our family who had COVID thought he still had antibodies, and came down with the Delta variant. That was much harder on him than the original COVID. He's fine again....and while three others have had it, there have been no repeats. Thank you for asking.

Yes, viruses can be scary, can't they? It seems there is a bacterium or virus for everything out there & could make one a bit paranoid. I'll admit to washing my hands rather frequently....when you see some of the damage you seem to go one of two ways.

Yes, 70 does seem old to offer the shingles vaccine....especially since the new one provides such good protection. I believe we can get it after age 50 here, but it could be 55. Anyway, it's worth it. Yours, Lenora.

 

[keenly]

Nope. No chance.

 

[Bronc]

Why are the public health authorities ignoring the huge body of evidence regarding the highly protective effects of vitamin D? A new study from Germany examined by Dr.John Campbell reveals how high vitamin D levels are highly protective against severe illness and death. A growing number of studies reveal that low vitamin D levels are common in those who have a severe disease outcome.

Meanwhile, a new review of 12 medical studies, including 5 RCTs, reveals that high dose vitamin C boosts the immune system and significantly reduces covid symptoms and duration of illness.

http://www.vitaminc4covid.com/12trialreview/

 

[Bronc]

I remain unvaccinated, and I'm at peace with that decision, no plan to change. I had Covid asymptomatically over a year ago, still have antibodies now. My immune system is very over-reactive and I think must have clobbered the virus when it showed up. I am still very curious about why some people only have mild or asymptomatic illness, whilst others get very ill. Ditto with getting the vaccine, why are some people badly impacted whilst others barely notice it.

Part of the answer maybe due to low levels of vitamins D and C. There is growing body of evidence to show that low levels of vitamin D in particular are associated with worse disease outcomes than those with high levels.

 

[Jadzhia]

Part of the answer maybe due to low levels of vitamins D and C. There is growing body of evidence to show that low levels of vitamin D in particular are associated with worse disease outcomes than those with high levels.

Yes I feel Vitamin D and research into preventing Covid has been sidelined. Dr John Campbell's been talking about it for ages.

 

[bertiedog]

I have just checked my vitamin d level and it is very good at 114 mol/l. Its a private test but done through the NHS Birmingham and inexpensive around £30. I usually try and get a reading at this time of the year to give me an idea as to how much vitamin D I need to take. Obviously it's not a lot going by this reading but I am pleased it is at a good level.

Pam

 

[erin]

Not had any of the vaccines and not intend to get vaccinated as long as I am allowed. I traveled to a very high covid city and back few weeks ago. I go out regularly, shopping, eating out etc. and mix with crowds. Try to wear masks as little as possible. I mean only when I have to. Not caught covid as yet.
Last week my brother called and sounded awful, all family had flu. He is obese and also a smoker, none of them vaccinated. They look after a grandson who is a primary school student. He said had a very bad cough, fever and couldn't smell. I was very scared for him. They all had it whatever this was, none of them got tested. His grandson was OK in 3 days, wife was fine 5 days but he suffered 7 days badly. Now a bit better but not totally recovered. They only used paracetamol and high doses of vitamin C. They are not sun friendly all very pale and don't take vitamin D supplement.
On the other hand, my neighbour died of covid age 59 and another age 66 had a heart attack and died after the vaccine. Both health and fit. Somehow, I am more scared of the vaccine than the covid. So I decided not to get it.
Myself and my husband, my brother and his family and one sister in law are the the only unvaccinated human beings that I know so far. All the neighbours and friends and rest of the family had all the vaccines and the boosters. Most had terrible reactions and few are seriously unwell.

 

[RyeRyeBread]

I'm getting my booster sometime next month,
but I got both the 1st and 2nd Pfizer vaccine *before* I got sick.. so, I don't yet know how I react to it.

A little concerning, but, I would gladly take that risk in order to prevent the spread of covid, and to protect myself and my loved ones.

 

[bertiedog]

I would love to feel OK about having the booster, but I am still unrecovered from the aftermath of my second AZ shot in April. Ive had to leave my job and I mostly live in bed now, with rare forays into the outside world. I darent disable myself further at this stage as my partner is currently caring for his terminally ill father and is not well himself- so would not be able to care for me. My spoons now go on looking after myself, so Im going to have to wait for my condition to improve before considering the booster.

I am so sorry to hear that you are having such a difficult time and hope that you will soon improve. Also that your partner is ok as he is also having such a stressful time.

Are you getting an support from a doctor at all?

Pam

 

[bertiedog]

I will test my antibody level again this week as Yorktest have a Black Friday deal so it is only £38. If they are non existent I suppose I will have to have the booster but I haven't been well since having the "Super cold" just over 2 weeks ago. My energy is terrible since then and I think my immune system is still over-reacting because I can start aching all over with very bad leg muscle pain/weakness and also my throat feels very sore and swollen once the aching starts up.

Really another vaccine is the last thing I feel I want at the moment.

Pam

 

[andyguitar]

I suppose I will have to have the booster but I haven't been well since having the "Super cold" just over 2 weeks ago.

Are you certain it was a cold and not covid? Most Docs say that if you had covid you should avoid the vaccine for a couple of weeks.

 

[Jadzhia]

I will test my antibody level again this week as Yorktest have a Black Friday deal so it is only £38. If they are non existent I suppose I will have to have the booster but I haven't been well since having the "Super cold" just over 2 weeks ago. My energy is terrible since then and I think my immune system is still over-reacting because I can start aching all over with very bad leg muscle pain/weakness and also my throat feels very sore and swollen once the aching starts up.

Really another vaccine is the last thing I feel I want at the moment.

If your antibodies go up then you've probably had Covid again (make sure you get a test that includes the nucleocapsid antibody as well as spike) - am not sure whether 2 weeks post infection is long enough, though, I think you might need to wait another couple of weeks to see the antibody rise.

Vaccines (and infections) use up our vitamins/minerals so if you are depleted then having a booster will just make you feel worse, I'd imagine. Better to give yourself time to recover, that's what I'd do.

 

[bertiedog]

Are you certain it was a cold and not covid? Most Docs say that if you had covid you should avoid the vaccine for a couple of weeks.

Well I did 2 lateral flow tests over 5 days (one of which was the latest version which is very easy to do) and they were both negative. I caught the virus from my son who did one sneeze 2 metres away from me but he also had been unwell for 10 days and he had caught it from a friend's children so pretty sure it was a severe cold virus. I haven't had a cold like that for 20 years. At the time because I had zero energy and felt so bad I also wondered if it could be Covid but I didn't have loss of taste or any muscle aches at the time.

The muscle aching is something that has developed over the past week and it only comes on when I have overdone something which wouldn't have caused me any problem prior to that virus like having a shower and washing my hair and then not resting immediately after. I don't have any aching/sore throat first thing in the morning btw.

Pam

 

[Gingergrrl]

How are you feeling today @bertiedog?

Have you taken any extra steroid as a stress dose while you are sick (or do you feel that this would not help)? Sorry if you already said this and I missed it and I hope that you feel better soon

 

[Sushi]

I had a booster dose of Pfizer a few weeks ago.

My reaction to each successive dose was slightly worse, so my reaction after the third dose was a little worse than the reaction after my second: aches, chills, and fever for about two days,

I also had it a couple of weeks ago and my reaction to the Pfizer booster was much stronger than my reaction to either of the first two. I had a REALLY bad headache and muscle aches and my temperature went up 5 degrees—but all this only lasted 36 hours. My doc said it was typical of a strong immune response. I know from testing that parts of my immune system are overactive, so that probably explains it.