Advice please - to get booster or not?

[Ahhbiscuits]

I had Covid in 2020 and was nowhere near as ill as I was after both vaccines.
The vaccines made me so incredibly unwell and gave me the most absolutely HORRENDOUS migraines I’ve ever had. To the point with the first vaccine I was seriously contemplating calling an ambulance as I couldn’t move.
As a lone parent with two children under 5, I really really cannot face going through it a third time for a booster.
My boosters booked for next week but cannot decide whether to cancel it or not.
Any thoughts or advice welcomed.

I don’t think it’s a fair summary, dogwog.

The vaccines don’t seem to be making a dent in transmission nor infection.

But they do still offer substantial protection against serious illness. If you’re likely to become seriously I’ll, a booster is worth having.

The way I looked at it was this. I would get covid at some point. While it was likely to be 'mild', what the medical profession refer to as mild could still be extremely unpleasant. Maybe up to two weeks feeling fluey and sick? Not life threatening, but certainly highly undesirable and unplanned, and could strike at an inconvenient time. And worse case, I could be unlucky enough for it not to be mild. Compare this against the known unpleasantness of the vaccine side effects, and for me it was better the devil I knew.

Speak with your GP but I would say go with your gut as it's your choice at the end of the day.

First two jabs were fine, booster was not great and just had COVid but was fine luckily.

Who knows - this thing really is Russian roulette

I'm not doing it again after having an awful reaction to the booster - the worst headache/migraine of my life for two days and then it struck again 5 days later. I've never been in such agony.

I had AZ for the first two and Pfizer for my booster. I was also unwell with a bad headache for 4 days after having the first jab.

I felt traumatised by the pain after the booster and there's no way I would chance it again.

Thanks everyone. After much deliberation (and help from your comments) I’ve cancelled it. As I wrote above, I’ve had Covid once and wasn’t a patch on how unwell the vaccines made me.
I’m aware there’s different strains and it could affect me differently if I got it again, perhaps if I had a partner or family to look after my children for a day or two I’d get the booster. But as a lone parent I don’t feel it’s justified to put myself through it a third time.
Both times, the vaccine after effects actually scared me with just how shockingly painful the migraines were, I had genuinely thought I’d need to phone for an ambulance. And even once I’d semi recovered, I had an absolutely pounding headache for two weeks following.
Just don’t feel comfortable at all with them anymore.

But again, thank you to everyone for your comments

i had my booster today. Go for it. I dilled and dallied abit but glad ive been today.

Talk to GP for advice.

@bluetongue

I wouldn’t get it in your situation. Your side effects sound awful to the point of being worse than Covid for many people (especially with a Omicron).

you dont know how bad you will get it though until it comes upon you.

The thought of being in hospital is awful and thats if they can even find you a bed.

I had Pfizer for my booster without any side effects

I'm not going to have any more. I was so conflicted over having the booster and finally gave in as I felt I was giving it too much headspace. I had a seizure. I've seen a consultant today and he said it was highly likely the vaccine caused it. He strongly urged me to have further jabs but not Moderna (the booster). I just don't want to risk it happening again though. Aside from the obvious risks from the seizure, it means I can't drive and it just makes life so much more complicated.

That must have been very scary for you. Did the consultant also explain how very rare it was? That even patients who routinely suffer from seizures have reported no increase in their symptoms after the vaccine? And that Covid itself is massively more likely to cause them?
Hopefully he did and that has put your mind at rest. Are you having further investigations?

Tbh he didn't seem overly surprised. I reported it via the yellow card scheme, and had a reply saying that there is a study at the moment into cases such as mine, and could they pass on my details. I told my consultant today and he knows of this guy as he has worked with him before.
Yes, it is rare, but it does happen. The Nhs site has been updated to reflect this.