Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Covid

Mumsnet doesn't verify the qualifications of users. If you have medical concerns, please consult a healthcare professional.

How long is the booster effective for?

60 replies

Ladylunchalot · 01/01/2022 10:34

Just wondering if anyone knows how long the booster dose is meant to protect you for? I did hear something about Israel introducing a 4th dose but can't see anything about that happening here.
I'm an NHS worker so have had all my vaccines early - had my booster in September. Now starting to get a little concerned that I'm now not as protected.

OP posts:
CremeEggThief · 01/01/2022 16:46

I would disagree it is scaremongering, WiseUpJanet. Blubell's explanation makes sense to me... although I still feel annoyed and a bit cheated about my sister testing positive yesterday, 24 days after her booster.

CremeEggThief · 01/01/2022 16:47

Sorry, 22 days.

Blubells · 01/01/2022 17:51

@WiseUpJanetWeiss I stand by everything I said. It is absolutely true that these 'boosters' are simply another dose of the original vaccine developed to target the original Covid variant. Omicron has many mutations and hence these 'boosters' aren't perfect!
It may raise overall antibody levels dir a few weeks, but by 10 weeks they no longer offer much protection.

Pharma companies are working on Omicron specific vaccines and on vaccines that cover several strains.

Blubells · 01/01/2022 17:52

Sorry for

Blubells · 01/01/2022 18:12

"Among those who received an AstraZeneca primary course, vaccine effectiveness against Omicron was around 60% 2 to 4 weeks after either a Pfizer or Moderna booster, then dropped to 35% with a Pfizer booster by 10 weeks after the booster^
^
Those percentages were a far cry from the vaccine effectiveness for individuals who had delta"

Cookerhood · 01/01/2022 18:26

Can I just say T cells again? It's not all about circulating antibodies. Do people think their blood is chock full of antibodies to everything they have ever encountered, or is it possible that antibodies tail off but the immune system is ready & waiting?

glimpsing · 01/01/2022 18:33

🤷‍♀️I took it because the NHS said I should and I didn't have any strong feelings not to. Tbh it's like that with most things unless research is your life's work.

VerbenaGirl · 01/01/2022 18:36

My FIL is CEV and has just been called for his second booster (fourth dose overall) - all booked in for tomorrow.

amicissimma · 01/01/2022 19:21

The vaccine doesn't set up a force field round you that stops the Covid virus reaching you. It sets up your immune system so that, when you get the virus in your nose and/or throat, your defences swing into action much quicker than if you weren't vaccinated to destroy the virus.

According to how much virus you have on board, how many antibodies you have circulating, how quickly your system can produce all your defence mechanisms and how effective they are, you may conquer the virus almost immediately, in which case you would only test positive for a very short time, if at all, which may not be a time when you test, or you may have virus present for a while and test positive. Or, again, you may destroy the active virus, but test positive on PCR for quite a while because it picks up inactive genetic material.

If your defences overcome the virus promptly you may hardly feel unwell, or not notice any symptoms. If they take a while you may become unwell to some degree while they do their work. If you are unlucky enough that they struggle, you may develop severe disease, but even then, possibly with medical support, most people eventually win out. But, as with any infection, some people, unfortunately, just can't beat the virus and it claims their life, frequently in conjunction with another medical problem.

WiseUpJanetWeiss · 01/01/2022 20:55

[quote Blubells]@WiseUpJanetWeiss I stand by everything I said. It is absolutely true that these 'boosters' are simply another dose of the original vaccine developed to target the original Covid variant. Omicron has many mutations and hence these 'boosters' aren't perfect!
It may raise overall antibody levels dir a few weeks, but by 10 weeks they no longer offer much protection.

Pharma companies are working on Omicron specific vaccines and on vaccines that cover several strains.[/quote]
Yes, I know the vaccines have not changed. Yes, I know they were developed for the original spike protein.

But you're wrong to say the vaccines are not very good. The vaccines aren't perfect, but they are very effective against severe disease, which is what matters.

Cookerhood · 01/01/2022 21:06

I think it's just you & me shouting into the void @WiseUpJanetWeiss

ChateauMargaux · 02/01/2022 13:39

We don’t actually know how effective the vaccine is against omicron at preventing death.. in South Africa where vaccination rates are low, the death rates have remained low, around 50 per day, during the omicron wave despite reaching 400 per day in August and nearly 600 per day in January last year.

shortterm · 03/01/2022 15:21

@Siuan

Antibodies may wane after 10 weeks but they are only the first line of defence. T Cells continue working long term and the AZ vaccine in particular provides a good T cell response.

I recommend US scientist @sailorrooscout for lots of level headed info.

twitter.com/sailorrooscout/status/1476620397424615425
Them: Is there any other vaccine in history that required three doses in a year and yet still didn’t prevent transmission of the virus it was meant to protect against?

Me: Your childhood vaccinations would like a word with you.

If anyone would like a good explanation of immunity I recommend the Royal Institution Christmas lectures on BBC. This year led by Professor Sir JVT and a host of other experts.

Yes, the AZ has been reported to be very good at giving long-term T-cell protection.

Unfortunately, the very most frontline NHS staff (and oldest general population) who qualified first for vaccines in Dec 2020 were given Pfizer 1st dose (so had to have Pfizer 2nd dose, and obviously Pfizer 3rd dose/booster).

So NHS staff most at risk, whose boosters are now over 3 months old and according to studies from other countries now confer much less protection, have only ever had Pfizer.

And yet, still no word from government on when these people might get another booster, even though they are testing positive and being absent from work at increasing numbers, jeopardizing the NHS (and their own health), despite Germany, Israel etc already starting on these 4th doses. I know 2 doctors who died due to the delay in authorising the booster doses in the summer (government left it until September to agree, 9 months after some NHS staff's 2nd dose) and the government seems willing to repeat this mistake.

Sparkle275 · 03/01/2022 15:42

My DH had his booster in November then 3 weeks later caught covid off DD and he felt dreadful and he's still trying to get over it. Neither of our children are vaccinated (too young) and their symptoms were not as bad as ours. I'm also double jabbed.

Blubells · 03/01/2022 16:16

Yes, the AZ has been reported to be very good at giving long-term T-cell protection.

That sounds good. Why do double vaccinated people (with AZ) then need boosters?

Cookerhood · 03/01/2022 18:32

Circulating antibodies are the first line of defence (& easy to measure), T cells kick in later, as do B cells which make more antibodies. T cell immunity is much less affected by the new variants so if T cell immunity really holds up with AZ this will be good news.

shortterm · 04/01/2022 21:43

@Cookerhood

Circulating antibodies are the first line of defence (& easy to measure), T cells kick in later, as do B cells which make more antibodies. T cell immunity is much less affected by the new variants so if T cell immunity really holds up with AZ this will be good news.
AZ was not available in Dec 2020 (not licensed until Jan 2021), so most frontline NHS staff and those in their 80s and above have only ever Pfzer.

I think the JCVI headed by Andrew Pillock (sorry may have misspelt that) are taking a worrying approach to not boosting the immunity of the most exposed and/or the most vulnerable.

Keeping on about AZ giving long-lasting T-cell immunity is no use to the most exposed NHS staff and most elderly in the population who have never had an AZ vaccine.

And again, if you are frontline NHS or very elderly, you probably had your booster in September = nearly 4 months ago now. Yet still the JCVI think the antivaxxers are more deserving of their time and attention.

Bobholll · 04/01/2022 21:48

I think everyone is COMPLETELY missing the point that while data might suggest a decline in effectiveness of catching covid, protection against serious illness & death remains really high. And frankly, who gives a shit if you are vaccinated & catch it so long as you don’t need hospital or die. That’s the entire point.

shortterm · 04/01/2022 21:56

If your job is to treat Covid patients, it is incumbent on the NHS (and JCVI) to ensure that you are properly protected.

Having waning protection from your booster back in September is not the best protection and, according to several other highly-developed countries, these people should be given a fourth dose.

If you job to to treat mainly unvaccinated people and you are exposed to very very very high viral loads (more than the supermarket or classroom) then you should be given the same fourth dose as healthcare workers are being given in Germany and Israel, on good sound scientific basis.

PS it's not mandatory so stop trying to prevent other people getting the protection they need

shortterm · 04/01/2022 22:00

who gives a shit if you are vaccinated & catch it

I give a shit.

My booster is nearly 4 months ago.

My CEV and CV family's boosters are over 3 months ago.

MerryChristmas21 · 04/01/2022 22:02

@Blubells

Yes, the AZ has been reported to be very good at giving long-term T-cell protection.

That sounds good. Why do double vaccinated people (with AZ) then need boosters?

You really need to find another site to spread your ant vax nonsense.

For OTHER people genuinely curious, it's because they work differently. A-Z will give you longer term secondary (Tvcell) protection, whereas Pfizer/Moderna will boost your primary defence.

LookslovelyinSpringtime · 04/01/2022 22:13

Ten weeks according to the news. So I’m not going to bother. I’m going to wait for AZ to develop one effective against Omicron.

WineGetsMeThroughIt · 04/01/2022 22:29

Booster looses effectiveness after 10 weeks. The CEO of Pfizer said weeks ago they were working on an omicron version of the booster since the current booster jab is for the original strain. Makes you wonder what the point of getting it is when the original variant and delta are almost non-existent now 🤔

nypost.com/2021/12/24/booster-protection-against-omicron-drops-within-10-weeks-study/

www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/booster-effectiveness-wanes-after-just-22564510

So start to think about getting some time off for your 4th vaccines now 😑 www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/millions-could-early-fourth-jab-25779546.amp

Or consider that if omicron is basically now as mild as a cold, and more similar to a cold. Has the world ever been able to successfully vaccinate against a cold? No. Take some paracetamol. Rest. Recover, And get on with the rest of your life.

This is madness now. So much scaremongering going on its unbelievable

Blubells · 05/01/2022 09:27

You really need to find another site to spread your ant vax nonsense.

What nonsense am I spreading? I'm simply asking critical questions on whether the benefits and costs of boosters?

I'm vaccinated btw. Smile

containsnuts · 05/01/2022 10:06

Andrew Pollard, chairman of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunization said:

"We can't vaccinate the planet every four to six months. It's not sustainable or affordable. In the future, we need to target the vulnerable."