Best time to get Booster jab if you’ve had Covid recently

[WombatChocolate]

I know you can’t have the booster for 28 days after having Covid.

I assume that if you’ve recently had Covid, your natural immunity is high.

I also know that the protection from the vaccine wanes after about 6 months.

My 28 days is up in mid Nov and I will be over 6 months since 2nd jab.

Should I go immediately I’m eligible for booster
OR
Should I wait a few weeks as I have some natural immunity and then go, because the ‘waning’ will happen later?

It feels like my natural immunity and booster jab protection will ‘overlap’ if I go immdedaifely, and that come May, my protection will be dropping off again. However if I wait until perhaps January, I will still have that fuller protection until July.

Do you get what I mean?
Is this a foolish way of thinking? Go immediately or go a bit later? With all other jabs I’ve been there on first day I could.

I'm thinking about the same thing! I'm not sure who to ask in real life...

I am wondering this too, partly as I also reacted very strongly to the vaccine so don’t fancy being ill for six weeks, and partly as we had Covid on our house, but I didn’t catch it - so will that have boosted my immunity ? I wish I could find out !

I’m in the same boat.

I was also poorly for both my Astra Zeneca jabs, really not looking forward to having another jab especially after being so ill with covid.

We are thinking of not getting the jabs until January.

covid.joinzoe.com/post/do-i-need-a-covid-vaccine-if-ive-had-covid

Pressed send too soon! Basically that link suggests waiting. Tim Spector from the covid Zoe research team says our immunity will be high right now. I would only be offered a booster through my job, not because of age or health, so I'll probably wait.

Same question here and was poorly with both my jabs.

Someone asked this exact question on the BBC Q&A with Jonathan Van Tan last week.

He said yes get your booster, we need as many people with as much immunity as we can as we head in to Winter.

I had COVID in October and did the 2 antibody tests and have antibodies from an infection and the vaccine but how do we know how easy it will be to get boosters in 6 months time! 🤷‍♀️

The results from the booster look so good I'm tempted to get it - I can't bear the thought of getting it again!

Oh bother - DH has just had his booster only two weeks after testing positive (showed next to no symptoms). We didn't think - and the system obviously didn't pick it up. We should have thought.

Perhaps he should phone 119 for advice?

I has Covid right at end of September, I should have had booster 23rd October, I had it last week instead. I feel it was the right decision for me, I had no side effects (I was ill after first jab).

I had my booster exactly 28 days after getting Covid, and this coincided with my 6 months ending. The booster is Pfizer so no point comparing it to bad reactions with AZ (both my jabs were AZ). I was fine with the booster, slightly sore arm that evening but other than that, right as rain.

I don't see the point of overthinking. The booster was available to me so I took it. If I need another booster in 6 months' time, then I just get another booster. People can get Covid more than once so even having had Covid, it doesn't mean you're protected. The complexities of Covid and immunity are still under debate by the scientists themselves. When I had my booster, they were quite open that they're not fully sure how a Pfizer booster really works in detail with AZ jabs as not enough people have had it yet for them to really see. Everyone's learning as we go along. I don't see the point of trying to second guess the scientists/doctors based on what we read in the press, unless you're a medical professional of course. I'm not.

I asked my surgery when I cancelled my booster appt with them. They said get it at 28 days, so I've used the online system to book it for 30 days time.

I asked my surgery the same and they told me 90 days!

@Porseb

I asked my surgery the same and they told me 90 days!

Sounds like they've mixed that up with not having a PCR test for 90 days

It's almost as if GP receptionists aren't medically trained. Haha. I'll ring again when I'm feeling up to the 20 minute hold music.

@Lowenna1469

Oh bother - DH has just had his booster only two weeks after testing positive (showed next to no symptoms). We didn't think - and the system obviously didn't pick it up. We should have thought.

Perhaps he should phone 119 for advice?

Obviously it’s absolutely fine to call 119 for reassurance. It might help to read the relevant paragraph in the Covid green book about why the gap is recommended. It’s essentially to avoid confusing things of you might have Covid and Covid jab symptoms at the same time and some people feel more unwell with Covid two weeks in so waiting four weeks means you’re most likely recovered again. It sounds like your son has a very mild course so while the ideal situation might have been to wait, he won’t have come to any harm. See “precautions” on 28 www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-the-green-book-chapter-14a

Not son. Your dh.

I’m in the same situation and am going to wait until after Christmas I think, I don’t feel like I need to rush to have the booster for at least 3 months after having Covid last month.

Also trying to decide about this! Covid in October with some lingering heat palps (same happened after AZ jab). So I’d rather not have booster atm but obviously don’t want to risk getting it again- highly unlikely within 3 months I know 🤷‍♀️

I know two people who have had Covid twice in 5 or 6 weeks

I would get the booster asap to see you all through the worst of the winter / Spending more tome with people in the run up to xmas etc

@Lowenna1469 They should have asked your DH whether he had covid during the past 28 days before giving the jab. Just watch out for possible side effects, but shouldn’t make much difference.

DH is in this position. We all have covid at the moment; he cancelled his booster and is looking to book again after Christmas. I had my booster 2 weeks ago and got a covid positive last week 🤦🏼‍♀️

Ds (in discussion with us) is going to wait until 3 months before he gets his 2nd dose but that’s because he’s right on the borderline of age where just 6 months younger and it would be advised to wait.

I’d be tempted to wait slightly longer for a booster if I’d just had Covid but I don’t know the science behind that, it’s just gut instinct.

Same here. We had covid in October. 6 months from 2nd jab ends at the end of November. Was really ill with both AZ jabs and then really ill with covid as well.

I'm in the same boat.

I was really poorly after AZ. I've just had covid a few weeks ago. I can't face feeling ill over Christmas so I'm going to wait.

I heard on the news having covid is like one shot in terms of vaccinations so its arguable having it is equivalent to the booster/3rd jab anyway.

I was due my booster on 10th November with appt booked. Got positive covid test on 4th November. I called to cancel (through the GP) and asked about this. They told me to book it as soon as the 28 days was up, so I have it booked for 4th December.