Booster or not

[Jabinderarm]

Personally I know too many people with adverse reactions now to taking the Injection. Such as clots, breathlessness , stomach pains, shingles , headaches .. I’m worried about taking the booster. Haven’t felt right since my second ?

All the things you list are commoner with the disease than the vaccination.

If you want the best chance of avoiding them, get the vaccine.

I've just postponed mine - was booked in for 30 Dec but don't want to risk feeling rough on NYE. I've rebooked for second half of Jan. had the first two jabs in May and July this year.

Stories of side effects are often hearsay, and often exaggerated. You don't hear the stories of all the millions of people who get their booster with no side effects at all.

Things like shingles being linked to the booster... really?? Just because 2 things happen close together, it doesn't equal cause and effect.

Just get the booster and protect yourself.

And to the PP who has postponed to late Jan - I totally get not having it before NYE just in case (I waited until after a very intense week at work when I knew I couldn't afford to be under the weather), but why not just get NYE done and go next week?

I’ve had both of mine and the booster and apart from a sore arm for a couple of days, I’ve been absolutely fine. I’m far more concerned about long covid so I want to avoid that at all costs!

@Jabinderarm

Personally I know too many people with adverse reactions now to taking the Injection. Such as clots, breathlessness , stomach pains, shingles , headaches .. I’m worried about taking the booster. Haven’t felt right since my second ?

Jeez I don't know anyone who's had anything other than the usual bit of shivers etc.

The things you mention are more likely to happen if you get infected than from vaccination.

If you’re too scared of those side effects to get vaccinated are you planning to isolate forever?

I don’t know anyone who has had more than a sore arm and felt a bit tired for a day or two.

I do know people who have died, been hospitalised and been really ill due to covid.

Personally I know, or have known, more people with serious consequences or death from COVID than I have with more than a temperature /headaches from the vaccine.

I have students desperate for a 3rd jab already having seen parents die, a pregnant mother in a coma and multiple family members in hospital.

Do the recent threads send reports about hospital what times and ambulances not make you think "Shit, I need to do everything to stop myself and my loved ones being ill?"

Yes get the booster, better than the after effects of Covid.

Not for me. I have had two, now they are talking about a fourth already.

I was on a vaccine trial and now having to have 2 primary courses to be fully vaccinated for travel. So had novavax, then had 1st Pfizer in November and felt like absolute death, so ill for over a week. I'm still going for my 2nd Pfizer at the beginning of January and then a booster in April. Sensible people will have the vaccine/boosters. Non sensible people will listen to anecdotes about how xyz happened to a friend of a friend etc.....

If you don't feel comfortable and don't want it, then don't get it.

I had mine on The 23rd I was worried I’d ruin Christmas and be I’ll but other than a sore arm for about 4 hours I had nothing at all.

I think it’s like online complaint’s, you only see and hear the bad ones.

Felt rough for about 12 hours and then fine. Just get it and don't be daft.

Worst reaction I've known someone have personally is a day of feeling shivery and tired. Most have had a bit of a sore arm. Some had a headache. But generally very little and certainly no worse than flu vaccine reactions on the whole.

However I also know several people who have been symptomatic with covid and have had a week or two of feeling really rough, like a full on heavy cold/flu with lingering tiredness and breathlessness.

Covid put me in hospital. I was rushed to hospital with a very real risk of heart attack or stroke. I now have really high blood pressure, which can only be controlled with two lots of daily medication. That's it for life now. I was off work for over 7 weeks. It's over a year and I have ongoing breathlessness, chest pains, fatigue, and more.

Remember that people who have negative experiences are likely to be more vocal to those who have none. That's human nature. We always talk about negative experiences than positives, whether that's a meal out, a holiday rental or - as now, vaccines.

Whilst there is a risk of reactions to the vaccines, there are greater risks of reactions to covid as well. Its worth checking the risks of blood clots, feeling rubbish, fatigue etc with both.

I vaccinate people. I always ask them how they got on with previous vaccinations & the vast majority say they either had nothing or a sore arm. A few have flu like symptoms. Amongst my friends and family mist had no adverse reactions after the booster, a couple felt a bit under the weather for 12 hours.
Better than the alternative but it's up to you if you don't want it. Irresponsible in my opinion, but that's just me. If you don't want it you don't need to find excuses, just don't have it.

I know of lots of people who've had anaphylaxis after their jabs.

But that's because I have severe allergies and carry an epipen and am in anaphylaxis support groups.

I'm not so stupid that I think these vaccine reactions are representative.

Read the yellow card data and analysis for an objective overview.

OP, if you personally have suffered from side effects from your second jab that have persisted long-term, I think you should discuss with your GP before getting a booster.

I'd love to see a study about the efficacy of these 'boosters'. The current vaccines/boosters were developed to target the original Alpha (?) variant.

How do people who are 1) unvaccinated, 2) double jabbed and 3) triple jabbed actually fare when infected with Omicron?

@Cookerhood would you jab someone who had palpitations after 2nd pfizer? No other chest symptoms

I don't know anyone that had anything more than a headache or sore arm from the booster (easily sorted with a couple of paracetamol)

How do people who are 1) unvaccinated, 2) double jabbed and 3) triple jabbed actually fare when infected with Omicron?

Boosted do very well by all accounts. Have a look at @sailorooscout on Twitter, she's shared some very informative data on this over the past few weeks (unfortunately my MN app doesn't seem to let me post links, not sure what I'm doing wrong!)

Had a Moderna booster 3 weeks ago following 2x AZ. AZ1 wiped me out completely for a day, I was 500m away on a gentle walk and nearly fainted as the energy fell out of me and staggered home bench by bench.

The booster gave a few days of a dead arm and the day after was a lethargic, only doing the essential type of day. My period was slightly delayed too.

It's awkward as people have had different combinations of vaccines, and you just get what the centre has that day.
Many side effects replicate the range of side effects from Covid.

I Currently have Covid which is currently presenting as a standard cold. Hopefully the booster was worth it to minimise the symptoms. The irony is that I had a quieter than usual week with only one known social contact. It is most likely that I picked it up while trawling the supermarkets for the big food shop. The rates are soaring towards their peak in much of the country so the chances of exposure to infection are currently high. Most people are reporting milder infections because most people are vaccinated/ boosted, and that is having a positive effect on keeping society open in England.

As a general, vaccination/ boosters are worthwhile, but for specific, personal concerns, I'd be trying to look up more personal/ specialised advice.

@emmabombemmauk it wouldn't be up to me, it would be up to the clinical lead at the site. I'm just a volunteer jabber.

I will have my booster when it suits me. I only had my last jab end of August. No way am I having one every 3 months