Got my booster!

[dreamshark]

 I waited a few weeks for the rush to settle down. I wasn't particularly in a hurry because

1. My first vaccines were Moderna, which turned out to provide the best immunity overall. 
2. My 2nd shot was April 1, so I wasn't even at 6 months when the FDA okayed the boosters (and it seems to be more effective to wait longer than 6 months before boosting)
3. I decided to get the J&J this time, and that was not easy to come by. 

I decided to mix and match for several reasons. While the J&J vaccine was clearly the least effective of the three in the first round, the rather sparse data available suggests that J&J maintained its efficacy over time better than the mRNA vaccines. This is probably because it's a  completely different vaccine technology and produces a slightly different type of immunity: not as many antibodies, but more T and B cells. In that way it resembles natural immunity. And, as we all know now, the best immunity is hybrid immunity. I'm not eager to get my long-lasting hybrid immunity by actually getting infected, so I figured the J&J was the next best thing. Anyway, that's my theory.

minnehaha , if you are still looking for tips on the easiest/quickest way to get boosted, the Cub Pharmacy at 56th and Nicollet couldn't have been easier. They had all 3 vaccines and you could pick whichever one you wanted. I signed up online this morning for an appointment and just came back from getting my shot at 7pm this evening. There was no line at the pharmacy counter, and the store was not crowded so it was a good time to do a little fill-in shopping while waiting the 15 or 30 minutes to see if I had a bad reaction (which I didn't, needless to say). Anyway, that's done. 

No, I did not get a flu shot at the same time. That strikes me as a bad idea unless there is no other practical choice. Besides the likelihood of having two sore arms instead of one, if you do happen to have an honest-to-god allergic reaction (as one of my DW friends did to her flu shot) how would you know which shot you were reacting to?

Comments

[quadong]

Did your DW friend have an allergic reaction to this year's flu shot even though previous flu shots were fine for her? And if so, what does that mean? Never get a flu shot again? Try each year, but reserve time for trouble afterwards?

I'm getting Nora her Covid and flu shots at the same time, because who wants to drag a kid to the pharmacy for something unpleasant twice (even if she appears to be looking forward to it (!!))? Also, that's what the docs say to do.

[dreamshark]

Why do you suppose the doctors say to do that? I assume it is because that increases the chances that you will get both shots, not because it is actually best practice to get your immunizations that way. Remember, official public health advice is based on trying to optimize the public's behavior to improve public health. It isn't necessarily about giving each individual the best advice for their situation. It's a broad brush.

[quadong]

Oh definitely. But in this case, it makes sense for me exactly for the reason you say. I actually am much less likely to get her the other shot if I had to go again as a separate trip, especially because at the moment you have to make an appointment -- no walk-ins.

[dreamshark]

Most of the pharmacies around here seem to be doing walk-in flu shots. The very Cub where I had to make an appointment for the COVID booster had signs up for free walk-in flu shots.

[redbird]

This got me wondering, so I googled, and the reasons for giving childhood vaccines in combination--two or more in the same syringe and thus a single injection--also include "reduced trauma in the infant." Not mentioned but I think relevant is reducing parent/caretaker time and effort in taking children to get each vaccine.

The reduced trauma may not apply for multiple vaccinations at the same doctor/pharmacy/clinic, like covid and influenza. They're still researching combining the flu and covid vaccines, but it looks like the main cautions about combining vaccines are for live virus vaccines, which none of the covid vaccines available in the US are.

[dreamshark]

Multiple vaccines combined into the same shot are a different question. I think that allergic reactions are usually to the chemicals in the shot itself, not to the vaccine payload. So fewer shots means fewer chances for an allergic reaction? But the reason they do that for infant shots is probably convenience and reduced trauma, as you say. There are so MANY infant inoculations and since they are meant to be given on a fixed schedule that makes it easier for everybody.

One reason I'm surprised that the health establishment is now pushing so hard for people to get the flu and COVID shots at the same time is that a year ago they were REFUSING COVID vaccinations to people who had had another vaccination within 2 weeks beforehand. There didn't seem to be any scientific justification for this and you didn't find out that was the policy until you showed up for your scheduled vaccination and got turned away. Anyway, that's what happened to my son.

[minnehaha]

Ah, good. Will look into this.

K.

[bibliofile]

Happy booster day!

[maruad]

We haven't been okayed for boosters at my age group here, yet but I did get my flu shot and pneumonia* shot done though my doctor wouldn't give them at the same time. It was okay as the pharmacy at the Co-op handled the second with ease.


* Apparently once I turned 65 I was eligible. Also not the proper name but I am too lazy to look it up. Also it is a one time shot which is nice.

[dreamshark]

Interesting that you couldn't get the shots at the same time, since that's the opposite of the "problem" I am growsing about - being pressured to get multiple shots at once even if you don't want to. Did the doctor say why?

FWIW, the CDC says it is fine to administer them both together.

https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd/pneumo/hcp/administering-vaccine.html#:~:text=the%20same%20visit.-,For%20Adults,to%20help%20prevent%20the%20flu.

[maruad]

I am pretty certain it was inexperience on her part. She is very young. I wouldn't be surprised this is the first year of her being in a private practice (instead of being an intern). There will be some hiccups because of this but she listens well, pays attention to what I am telling her and thinks about stuff. It's a trade off. My last family physician was fairly jaded in some ways. Don't get me wrong, I think he was a good doc but he had become a bit set in his ways before he retired.

[arkuat]

Thanks! I had scheduled a booster with my HCP for Nov 22, then canceled that after scheduling one with Walgreens on Nov 17, which I also canceled after scheduling one for 6 PM today at a Cub!

[arkuat]

I had a good experience with the Cub pharmacy at Lake & 26th Ave. My original vaccination was Pfizer, and like you I decided to boost with J&J. There didn't seem to be any difference in availability between the two at this location.

[dreamshark]

Well, that makes two of us! Time will tell whether data supports that as the best choice. But it doesn't sound like there is any wrong choice; any valid vaccine apparently hits the immune system with a 2x4 and gets it churning out COVID antibodies again. If there's any difference, it's probably in which combination produces the most durable immunity and it may be a year or two before anybody knows the answer to that.

I'm glad the Cub tip was helpful. I'm planning to get my flu shot at Cub tomorrow, combined with a little shopping. My local HP clinic demands advance appointments and has nothing available until DECEMBER 9, which I find shocking. Cub takes walk-ins. Capitalism isn't all bad.