Anyone not getting a booster?

[LifesTooShortYOLO]

What are you reasons for not getting the booster?

I’m not impressed that we need a booster, will we keep needing boosters every few months?

I have booked it for later this week but not thrilled about it. I’m not happy that it’s not the same vaccine as your first two and worry about the side effects. I had Pfizer the first two time and would rather have another as I didn’t really have a reaction to it.

Do you personally know any of the pharmacists or nurses who are giving this advice? (To leave a gap between flu/Covid jabs)

I don't know any of the nurses, but have since checked with several pharmacists (without outing myself it was my field before retirement)

Basically they were split; some are prepared to toe the NS line and others consider it their duty - based on their professional expertise - to advise the gap

@LookNorthbyNorthWest

I think our recent medical successes (esp. antibiotics and vaccinations) have blinded us to a harsh truth - human life is fragile, there are lots of diseases that can easily kill us, and we're in a never-ending war to stop them from doing so.

Up until last century we often lost this battle at an early age. Even in rich, advanced nations a great many children never reached 5 years old because they succumbed to an infection of one kind or another. Several hundred years ago, the black death killed around 1/3 to 1/2 of all people alive in Europe.

Covid isn't new. It's old. This pandemic... this is what life used to be like before medical science rescued us. It's not fearmongering to say viruses pose an existential threat to our way of life. History shows us it's a frightening reality. If we want to get back to the security of life from three years ago (and stay there), we can't do it without medical science.

What we must grasp is that Covid could have been worse and we may well see a worse virus in our lifetimes. The technology that has enabled us to create a vaccination so quickly is not a threat, its a wonder of science, and the vaccinations should not he seen as a burden but as ongoing freedom from a way of living our ancestors were desperate to escape. We will need new vaccines against new diseases, with increasing frequency if ongoing deforestation continues in places like China.

The period from the 1940s to the 2010s was an exceptional period, being one in which agressive viral and bacterial diseases were very unlikely to kill most otherwise healthy people. But it was an exception, not the rule. If we want to keep that exceptional period going, we may need to embrace regular vaccines. It's a small price to pay, really, especially considering all the other things we put up with to maintain our way of living.

👏👏👏👏

Can you imagine people from 200 years ago who watched people around them die from what are now preventable and treatable diseases, coming into our world and seeing people whining about not taking a vaccine?

@PizzaCrust

Probably not. Haven’t had any vaccines yet and I can’t see that changing, currently. I’m not an “anti vaxxer” by any means (all my children are fully vaccinated, etc), but I’m sitting on the fence with this once.

3 vaccines is already quite excessive. If it keeps mutating, will people just have to keep getting jabbed over and over and over again? Surely there comes a point where it needs to just run it’s course.

Completely agree that it does need to run its course. But if people die ‘of it’ which let’s face it is highly suspect (co-morbidities, underlying illness etc) then the red tops will tell the braying masses that the government didn’t keep everyone safe. It’s undeniable that covid 19 with all its variants is going to be a cause of death for some people, but many will have underlying conditions. We may need to accept that we will, eventually, die of ‘something’. Sorry that that seems v blunt, and I don’t like it any more than you do, but with our long life expectancy this is one of the downsides. For what it’s worth, I’m triple jabbed. I work in the NHS and it’s been pretty much expected of me and I’m fine with it. I’m going to have the ‘your job is going’ conversation with staff who disagree come January.

I had Pfizer the first two time and would rather have another as I didn’t really have a reaction to it.

I had Pfizer first two and got Pfizer as the booster.

But if people die ‘of it’ which let’s face it is highly suspect

Sweet Jesus.

3 vaccines is already quite excessive.

Why?

If it keeps mutating, will people just have to keep getting jabbed over and over and over again?

Yes, very possibly.

Surely there comes a point where it needs to just run it’s course.

That depends on the consequence of letting a more contagious variant run its course. Health systems and supply chains will collapse if too many people are incapacitated at once, especially if a proportion of those are occupying ICU beds.

My concern is, it will turn people against each other as a form of self-policing. Eventually, everyone is just keep been vaccinated, until the next new variant, and next emotional blackmail, and next booster...

Because I felt terrified after my first vaccine - pain behind my eye, legs and brain fog for weeks. I had my second believing that would be it but I’m not risking it for any more.
Also I work from home, socially distance and don’t see my parents unless I have isolated myself so as an adult I am making my own decisions and not going out partying etc or in crowds. Plus I lft and pcr regularly to check

The thing that upsets me about those not getting a vaccine or a booster is that OK you’re likely to be OK and not suffer much if you get Covid , but what if your are the one who falls really poorly and needs a hospital bed you are putting that bed out of action for possibly weeks, people I know are in desperate pain and in need of surgery that’s just likely to be cancelled AGAIN if this variant takes hold.

How would you feel if your loved ones urgently needed hospital beds for non Covid life threatening illnesses and an anti vaxer or anti booster person had that bed?

We live in this amazing, wonderful time, when people no longer have to die of infectious diseases like TB, polio, HIV, etc etc, in most of the Western world, and people are moaning and whining about being offered (free!) a necessary extra protection during a pandemic!

Meanwhile:

The next generation of vaccines, scientists hope, will not only be a good match to circulating strains but provide far broader immune protection so that they are effective against mutations. One possibility is a vaccine specifically designed to trigger a T-cell response to the viral replication machinery as opposed to the spike protein, which scientists have suggested could result in immunity lasting years rather than months.

www.theguardian.com/world/2021/dec/12/what-makes-boosters-more-effective-than-the-first-two-covid-jabs

I’ll probably take it due to peer pressure + work will mandate it soon, but I’m not thrilled at the thought.

Under 40, not overweight, no health concerns, already had covid at least once before the vaccines, with mild flu symptoms. Positive antibody tests each month. Feel no desire to get a 3rd vaccine in 7 months. Especially since the rate of side effects is so high.

Would never want to put anyone off having it though - if you have any covid risk factors at all, even if just a little overweight, just get the vaccine as your risk from covid is exponentially higher.

@LookNorthbyNorthWest

Good post.

Polio is a good example of this. I know people of my parents generation who had polio as a child. It wasn’t an uncommon disease. However, vaccination has largely eradicated it.

From Wikipedia - polio reduction worldwide “ -reduced the number of cases reported each year from an estimated 350,000 in 1988 to 33 in 2018.[5][6]”.

That’s 33 known cases Worldwide!

Because I had a very bad reaction after my second dose and five months later I have still not recovered. For me the risk very clearly outweighed the benefits (not that I was expecting any particular benefits, I only got the vaccine because we were told to and because travel would have been complicated otherwise) so I am not keen on repeating the procedure.

I took many untested illegal mind altering drugs in my teens and 20s. I’m not going to bat an eyelid about having a few vaccines here and there 🤷‍♀️ I’m happy to have as many vaccines as I’m told.

We are really lucky to have the chance of vaccination. The alternative is so much worse. Please suck it up and get vaxxed. For your sake and for your family.

Is the booster the same size needle?

LookNorthbyNorthWest

Best post of the year. You win MN ✋

@Stillherewaiting

The thing that upsets me about those not getting a vaccine or a booster is that OK you’re likely to be OK and not suffer much if you get Covid , but what if your are the one who falls really poorly and needs a hospital bed you are putting that bed out of action for possibly weeks, people I know are in desperate pain and in need of surgery that’s just likely to be cancelled AGAIN if this variant takes hold.

How would you feel if your loved ones urgently needed hospital beds for non Covid life threatening illnesses and an anti vaxer or anti booster person had that bed?

The same goes for pretty much any admission to hospital

We’ve covered obesity and the insane numbers of beds taken by people who can’t stop eating. Heart attacks, diabetes, cancer etc

Then there’s alcohol

Then there’s smoking

Then there’s adrenaline sports

The list goes on

My risk of being hospitalised because of covid is truly minuscule. I am more likely to be hospitalised by being knocked off my bike. Should I give that up?

Or should we all stop this blame game, there’s usually ‘fault’ somewhere for a lot of illness. But I know my own risk profile and it just so happens I don’t think more vaccines are a needed thing for me. If you want me to reduce my risk of using up hospital space, you’d be much better off making sure I continue trying not to get cancer. Most of my family have died / had cancer and I take steps every day to minimise this. Would you prefer i didn’t do that but have the booster?

@Stillherewaiting

The thing that upsets me about those not getting a vaccine or a booster is that OK you’re likely to be OK and not suffer much if you get Covid , but what if your are the one who falls really poorly and needs a hospital bed you are putting that bed out of action for possibly weeks, people I know are in desperate pain and in need of surgery that’s just likely to be cancelled AGAIN if this variant takes hold.

How would you feel if your loved ones urgently needed hospital beds for non Covid life threatening illnesses and an anti vaxer or anti booster person had that bed?

What if double vaccinated people not wanting the booster have already had Covid with a mild clinical course? Am I supposed to assume that I might catch it again but be less lucky the second time around?

I have a lump in my breast since July and I am not being referred to have it looked at, because of the strain on the NHS. GP is fine to take their chances that it's benign just by factoring in my age and how the lump 'feels' and so on, so it's unlikely to be anything scary - but when it comes to covid we are not allowed to adopt a similar approach? With covid, we have to base our decisions on an absolute worst case scenario, and get the booster? This does not make sense to me.

I think the thing in most worried about it long term issues - something being found in future months / years from having repeated jabs or mixing jabs with such little testing that is devastating health wise to a large number or people including children.

The technology for the vaccine isn't new or under tested. Vaccine injury is a reality but to be honest, it's never stopped us before because vaccination has allowed to live in a different reality to every other generation in history, as North puts so clearly. The long term effects of getting Covid repeatedly, especially in children and pregnant women, are potentially much more concerning.

I don't want it and wont be getting it yet. I guess il have to have it come March/April but for now whilst I have a choice I wont be having it.

What if double vaccinated people not wanting the booster have already had Covid with a mild clinical course? Am I supposed to assume that I might catch it again but be less lucky the second time around?

Matt hancock was on GMB breakfast the other day being grilled about the party. He said hes double jabbed and had covid so apparently fine for Omicron.

He was the health secretary after all so I assume he knows what hes talking about - or atleast I hope so!

@Marypoppins19

Does this mean children aren’t protected now then?

That's what I wondered