Hey folks,
I had my Covid booster yesterday (Moderna). Not feeling 100% but the side effects aren't as bad as when I had the second shot earlier in the year. Plus a day or two of feeling crappy is a small price to pay. With the holidays coming I'm relieved to have this behind me, and with cases rising in some areas, it's nice to have this added protection.
Anyone else get the Moderna booster?
@lynnventura I did a few weeks ago. I felt slightly off for a day or so. Nothing horrible maybe just a little tired. I’m grateful to have it especially since I hear of breakthrough cases cropping up. I got mine a week after my flu shot but many people are getting them at the same time. Stay well.
I received the booster yesterday (11/22, Pfizer)- Felt a bit tired, and mild soreness at Jab spot. I asked the person giving the shot how many are getting it- he said around 100 per day (Local Wallgreen's). I said "Better then horse meds" and he laughed. No indication of turning into a Zombie, or becoming magnetic ? . Relieved- but remaining cautious, of course...
This is a Covid discussion check in.
So who here is confused by the latest recommendations (or lack there of) for another round of boosters? Nothing on whether they will help with the latest Omicron or whether anyone should get them, just statements on who CAN get the shot.
Has anyone received a second booster yet? I have not.
We now have Omicron BA.2 which also has the nickname "Stealth Omicron". It is making up the majority of covid cases now in the U. S. and depending upon which media source you read, it is either more easily spread or less easily spread that the original Omicron.
That leads to more confusion.
Masks. Where are you guys with masks right now?
I still wear them often, but not all the time. When I do wear one, I am often one of the only ones wearing a mask.
And might I say, there is a nasty stomach flu going around. My daughter had it a few weeks ago. You don't want it. You might want to mask up just to avoid the stomach virus.
Seriously, the lack of clear guidance is annoying.
According to my reading, Omicron BA.2 is more contagious, but contrary to initial reports, not associated with more severe disease. The mRNA vaccines offer protection against severe disease and death but offers somewhat less protection against infection from the BA.2 variant than from previous variants. So, we are more likely to get the BA.2, but if vaccinated, no more likely to be hospitalized or die from it.
Yes, there has been no change in the vaccine formula so a fourth booster would be just like the 3rd. The reason to get a fourth, and I will, is to boost waning immunity. After four months from the last booster injection, immunity drops sharply.
I still wear masks in pubic because BA.2 is just beginning to circulate. I, too, am often in the minority, but I don't mind. I have begun to be with a few vaccinated friends indoors without a mask. I think we will see a bit of a spike as the BA.2 makes its way across the country but I doubt folks will be willing to return to masks and restrictions.
Even mild cases can cause long Covid and other problems so I believe that some caution is still warranted.
@lovendures I've been watching John Campbell youtube videos for months now. Campbell actually presents real data and understands that one cannot make "black and white" absolute recommendations with a constantly evolving and changing situation. I trust him more than most other sources. He agrees with the general worldwide consensus that BA.2 is more contagious but no more harmful than original Omicron.
He also suspects it wouldn't be a bad idea if everyone did get Omicron because there is evidence that natural infection activates more parts of the immune system. He speculates (with data) that the an optimal situation might be for healthy people to get two or 3 vaccines to make sure they are protected from severe disease, then to actually catch a light case of Omicron to fully activate other components of the immune system. For myself personally, I have not made up my mind on the 4th vaccine. i suspect I've inhaled enough Omicron virus here and there to at least give my immune system a "heads up" even though I've never been sick or tested positive. I may go ahead and get the 4th vaccine but I'm not entirely sure it's necessary, for me at least.
My husband just got the 4th vax yesterday , mainly because he's had a little health issue going on and doesn't want to chance even a slight case of Omicron.
About recommendations on the 4th vaccine: THere are no consistent recommendations about it because there really just isn't enough data to point in a reliable direction. This whole thing is a science experiment in real time, on the fly. We can't know if the 4th vax is necessary until enough people get it to build up a database of comparison between those people and people who didn't have a 4th vax.
What evidence does exist indicates that a 4th vax *probably* won't do any harm and *may* do some good for people with impaired ability to fight the virus. That's why they're leaving the decision up to the individual for now.
As for masks: Most people don't mask here anymore. One exception is my husband, who almost always wears a mask in indoor public spaces. I still do in grocery stores if there are a lot of people present but if there's nobody but me in an aisle, I might take it off for a few minutes.
What I'm really happy about is that I finally feel safe going to the gym to work out, and there's just no way I can exercise with a mask. At the times I go there's hardly anyone else there anyway. I feel like absolute crap when I don't get good exercise, and I get the best results with weight machines and a stair-stepper or extremely inclined treadmill.
I got my second booster on Wednesday. It affected me like the previous booster....headache and chills during the night but other than being tired the next day I felt ok. My husband is immunocompromised so he got his second booster about 6 weeks ago. He had less reaction to his than I did. He got Pfizer and I got Moderna. He rarely goes out and when he does or if grandkids come over he wears a mask and now that I'm freshly boosted I will only wear a mask in a crowded indoor situation. I will be glad when it's able to be combined with the annual flu shot. I'm feeling optimistic that the worst is behind us.