Should I get the booster? Talk to me!

[M1RR0R]

I’m so conflicted so I could do with some (calm not scaremongering) advice. I know how hysterical some people can be so I’m prepared

• 28
• No health conditions but a bit fat
• 2 moderna jabs
• Covid positive on 11th November
• Slight snuffly nose with covid

I haven’t had the booster yet & I just don’t want it! I don’t want the side effects & because I’ve not long had covid I feel it’s unnecessary. DH is trying to talk me into it but I just can’t see any reason why it would benefit me or my family. Best case scenario is a sore arm but my second moderna floored me!

I’d be happy to get the booster next winter and I get the flu jab every year (I even pay) but I’m viewing having covid as my ‘booster’ this winter. What would you do? Thoughts?

Could you post some actual evidence to support those statements you are making

www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-vaccine-weekly-surveillance-reports

Get the booster and thank your lucky stars that you live in a country where that option is available to you. If you're really concerned about it talk to the doctor.

Thanks everyone. Interesting. I’m definitely torn.

No plans for a holiday anytime soon so not really an issue. DH only had a sore arm but no guarantee the booster won’t affect me worse, I was quite bad after my 2nd moderna.

Like I said, happy to get yearly boosters, if needed, going forward but in my head coronavirus positive was my winter booster. I know the strain would be different but surely it would give some antibodies otherwise how does the booster work then? It doesn’t make sense how having actual covid doesn’t offer the same protection as a booster.

I’m not rushing out to get it but it’s a no for not & I’ll reevaluate in a few weeks.

I've just had the Moderna and thankfully have no side effects, I did with my first two which were both AZ. I've also had Covid recently but that was presumably delta, so took the booster in case having delta doesn't help much against omicron.

Also, I don’t think I’ll be able to get a GP appointment to discuss with a Dr. I would feel bad about wasting NHS resources doing that regardless!

Get the booster and be grateful it is available. You are right don't trouble your GP with making the decision you would be wasting NHS resources. If you decide against the booster you may have to avoid travel and large events. However as all the other people who post on MN about not having the vaccine you are never interested in travel/holidays/going out so that will not be an issue.

But I have had the vaccine @PaulGallico - I’ve had 2! Then I’ve also had covid fairly recently.

But no, not able to travel & no plans to go out out as family life takes over. I guess if I did it would be a no brainier, but no specific benefits for ME as an individual right now that I can see 🤷‍♀️

Vaccination is about controlling the disease and protecting the whole population.
Routine tests and operations are delayed while the hospitals try to cope with covid.
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/general_health/4439009-bowel-issues-terrified-it-s-cancer
It's not about you getting a sore arm or feeling rough for a couple of days.

[quote sirfredfredgeorge]Could you post some actual evidence to support those statements you are making

www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-vaccine-weekly-surveillance-reports[/quote]
That does not support the statements you are making. The only thing it supports is that vaccine effectiveness wanes- which we knew. But the data makes it clear that this information must be interpreted with caution as it’s too early to tell.

*Because the added benefit of a booster is less than the benefit of the first two?
So almost all of the benefit has come from the first doses, the booster adds little. *

What evidence is there for this statement when the figures regarding hospitalisations make the benefits of boosters abundantly clear.

The protection against infection from the booster against omicron is not particularly good anyway - and it fades quickly.

So an initial effectiveness of up to 75% against symptomatic disease is “not particularly good?”
*
And of course there's always a risk with any vaccine, even a days worth side effects are probably not worth it,*

Perhaps you should research the effects of covid and long covid versus vaccinations.

let alone the reduced immune response against other viruses you get

What does this mean? Are you suggesting vaccines affect your immune response to other viruses? Where is the evidence for that?

What evidence is there for this statement when the figures regarding hospitalisations make the benefits of boosters abundantly clear.

But hospitalisations might be equally low WITHOUT boosters?! We can't know this.

In South Afrika hospitalisations remained very low through the omicron and hardly anyone was vaccinated let alone boostered?!

Perhaps omicron is intrinsically much milder?

It will be interesting to watch hospitalisations in the US as a relatively large prop of the population is unvaccinated let alone boostered.

If cases stay mild there among the unvaccinated we'll have some evidence that omicron is intrinsically milder.

I would get the booster.
It is very common that when a new vaccine is introduced, that only after rollout over time are the scientists then able to determine if any boosters are needed, and if so, how many and when.

Flu...boost annually
Tetanus....need 3 initial and then booster every ten years
Chickenpox...originally thought 1 was all needed, found out need 2 for life immunity
Same with HPV

So if a booster is recommended for a new vaccine, there’s good reason for it.

Yes, dont overthink just do it & move on

Up to you. If you don't want it don't get it. No one is forcing you.

So if a booster is recommended for a new vaccine, there’s good reason for it.

But the current 'boosters' are simply the original vaccines developed two years ago to target the original covid virus.

The current virus variant, omicron, has unfortunately changed quite a lot since then. Hence the short period of effectiveness .

Personally I'd like more evidence of how mild or otherwise omicron intrinsically is. Maybe the lower hospitalisations are simply due to it being much milder?

Good question @M1RR0R .

I have omicron and am not boosted. What's the point in a booster for me?

The pharma companies are currently developing more up to date all-encompassing vaccines - those might be useful if Omicron does turn out to be serious for many?

Get on with having your booster. Definitely do not consult your doctor about it. They do not have time to waste on you. They have properly sick people to deal with.

You cannot conclude that omicron is milder intrinsically due to reduced hospitalisations because there are now huge levels of immunity both from vaccines and infection.
In South Africa there have been huge levels of infection as well- just like here.
I have covid at present with zero symptoms as do my parents in their late 70s. My Dad also has zero symptoms despite his age and underlying conditions. My mum has a very light cold - she also has multiple underlying conditions and is also very overweight. Vaccines work.
The two people I know unvaccinated (in their 30s and 40s) who have had covid recently, both were incredibly ill- one was close to being hospitalised. As we are in London it is likely omicron. I know many people with it at present- many with no or very mild symptoms. All vaccinated and boosted. The levels of infection are quite staggering locally - and it is an area with not great vaccine rates as affects much of London.
Why would anyone want to take the chance of not having that added protection when we can see by the data the difference in proportions of those affected? It is disproportionality the unvaccinated and to a lesser degree, the unboosted, but still the booster group is doing the best.
In other parts of the country, delta is still prevalent too and we KNOW that boosters work against it very well - better than omicron.

I had a booster 3 weeks ago and have Covid currently presenting as a mild cold. Dh had his 2 weeks ago and seems to be fending off his close contact with me so far. Other than sporadically opening windows for air changes, we are living normally, so he is a very close contact!

For minor side effects, those I know that had AZ then Pfizer/ Moderna have reported a bit more than a Pfizer/ Moderna only combination. While I felt tired and slightly tender after my booster, it was better than the effects of AZ1.

With the shift from Delta to Omicron and currently very high rates, I would err on having the booster.

Yes I think everyone should unless there are medical reasons not too. 2 jabs are not enough against omicron even if you have already had it. If you have all three you are less likely to catch it and so to pass it on. What would probably be a mild illness to you could've somehing much worse to someone else.
Yes the booster may make you ill for a day or two. But it might not. And honestly I think it is everyone's duty to society as a whole to have it.

Sorry and just to be clear- those who have mild or no symptoms are boosted or haven't got contracted it at all, despite the children in the household being positive for instance.
Two of my children were incredibly ill with it just before Christmas- thankfully short lived but I've never seen either of them so ill- despite them having previously had covid. Having seen that in those it is supposed to be "mild" for- I'm incredibly grateful for my vaccines. My husband - has not caught it at all.

So many posting replies that don't seem to take into account the fact that the OP has recently had and recovered from COVID itself. This WILL have had the same, or even better, effect as a third injection.

Obviously if the question was 'I've never had COVID but am worried about getting a third jab' then the answers saying 'just get the bloody jab' would make sense.

But that is NOT what the OP is saying.

Obviously the public health messaging needs to be simple and clear: GET THE BOOSTER. However this does not take into account individual circumstances and, if you've recently had COVID, delaying the booster might be a very sensible choice.

Yes