Booster jab and “fully vaccinated”

[Knittingupastorm]

I’m assuming the answer to this is yes, but will the group being offered booster jabs still be counted as “fully vaccinated” if they don’t have the booster (or before they have the booster). For example, some jobs require you to be fully vaccinated, and fully vaccinated people don’t have to self isolate if they’re a contact. Will people offered the booster remain in the fully vaccinated group, regardless of booster status?

I’m only asking out of general interest, I’m 29 and my job doesn’t require me to be jabbed so it doesn’t affect me either way.

Not forever. Just like if I have let my flu jab lapse I'm no longer vaccinated against flu. If the protocol becomes, say, eight monthly, you'll need to keep it up in order to maintain vaccinated status.

@heldinadream

Not forever. Just like if I have let my flu jab lapse I'm no longer vaccinated against flu. If the protocol becomes, say, eight monthly, you'll need to keep it up in order to maintain vaccinated status.

So is there a point in the next few months once boosters have been rolled out a while, when over 50s who have been double vaccinated but not had the booster will have to start self isolating again if a contact of a positive case?

I don't think they have decided anything yet. Van Tam was asked in the press conference yesterday and he said it would be for ministers to decide, from his perspective all he could say was that if you are offered a booster and refuse it, then you won't be optimally protected. The booster programme is a one-off thing at the moment anyway, not necessarily something we'll see repeated every year.

I'm not in the UK but our EU green pass is valid for 9 months after our vaccination.
After which you are no longer considered fully vaccinated for Green Pass purposes.
So, without knowing for sure, as they are just starting to roll out boosters here for HCPs who had their first vaccines in January, I'd guess it's a ~9 mth thing. Depending of course on which country and which vaccine.

I am wondering how 'boosters' will affect vaccine requirements, too.

Lots of people say the vaccine requirements are 'temporary' but I'm willing to bet that the US Federal govt or Los Angeles school district will never remove the requirement for staff/pupils. Will they expand it to include boosters; how recent??

What if care home workers refuse the boosters?
NHS staff long resisted having flu booster every year... will that happen again?

Who TF knows.

My one regret at moment is that I didn't get my 2nd covid jab at least 2 months later.

Interesting question. I am in a vaccine booster trial so I've wondered about this too, especially with regards to other countries' requirements.

I'm 45 so my age group is not being offered boosters yet, but I have had a booster vaccine of some kind this month. The trial will end in March. I don't intend to leave the trial, but I hope I won't be penalised if "fully vaccinated" is changed to mean that you've had 3 jabs.

If my age group is offered a booster before March and I don't take it because I want to try and stay on the trial (in the interest of science etc), I hope there would still be one available for me when the trial is over, especially if it turns out that the vaccine I've had is not effective. It's definitely a covid vaccine - either one that's already in use or a brand new (untested) one.

I think in Israel you're no longer classed as fully vaccinated and eligible for their Covid pass unless you take the booster when offered.

Will be interesting to see what happens with travel in 2022, in terms of vaccine passports expiring (most countries require you to have received the second dose within the previous 12 months- but some e.g, Austria are currently 9 months) and quarantine. I fear it's going to be even more difficult to travel than next year than it is now.

Good question OP. I think yesterday’s conference officially confirmed immunity wane is a credible issue, PHE has published the numbers showing effectiveness against symptomatic illness and hospitalisation declines after 20 weeks.

If this is the case then we may theoretically reach a point where you’re only classed as fully vaccinated within a certain time frame until you have your next booster.

This is purely speculative but it would add weight to the need of a vaccine pass of sorts to prove ones immunity status. BJ showed his hand by saying he is against a vaccine passport which probably means plans are afoot to put this in motion in order to maintain a functioning economy.

The idea two injections was all we needed to return to ‘normality’ now seems like a pipe dream.

Fast forward a couple of years, I think we'll be considered vaccinated if we've had the original two doses and say a booster within the last year.

I’m guessing they’ll now have to redesign those vaccination cards somehow too…🧐

Good question. I am double jabbed and CEV. Just had covid quite badly so my immunity is at an all time high. Ideally I'd like to defer my booster for a few months to make the most of natural immunity and maximise the time the booster protects me.
Mind you there's no liklihood of me going anywhere a vaccine passport matters anyway.