Covid booster question for immunosupressed.

[OhYouBadBadKitten]

I've totally lost track! For those of us who had a fourth vaccine dose late last year: Are we also going to be asked/be eligible for another booster? If so, how long is the interval between the fourth and fifth dose supposed to be?

Yes I believe we are, at six months after booster, blowed if I can find it though. I only had my 4th dose 21st Feb so I don't expect it to be any time soon.

It's 3 months: see p28 about halfway down:

assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1057798/Greenbook-chapter-14a-28Feb22.pdf

Seems to say six months?

The spring booster campaign 2022
In February 2022, recognising the small decline in observed vaccine effectiveness against
hospitalisation for COVID-19 after the booster dose, JCVI recommended a spring booster
campaign for individuals at higher risk of severe COVID-19. Many of the oldest adults received
their booster vaccine dose in September or October 2021, and protection against severe
disease is expected to continue to wane gradually by the autumn. As a precautionary strategy,
an extra spring dose is being advised, to sustain protection whilst JCVI continues to review the
epidemiological situation, ahead of an expected booster programme in autumn 2022.
The committee recommended that a booster dose should be given around 6 months after
the last vaccine dose to:
● adults aged 75 years and over
● residents in a care home for older adults, and
● individuals aged 12 years and over who are immunosuppressed (defined as
immunosuppressed in tables 3 or 4).

The vast majority of people aged over 75 will reach an interval of around six months from their previous dose between March and June 2022. Although vaccination should ideally be offered around six months from any previous dose, operational flexibility may be used. For example, individuals in care homes or housebound patients may be offered the booster alongside other residents providing there is at least three months from the previous dose. Immunosuppressed individuals who have received an additional primary dose may have received the booster (fourth) dose more recently. These latter individuals and other eligible people who received their last vaccine more recently should also be offered the booster during the spring campaign providing there is at least three months from the previous dose. This will ensure they have additional protection against a potential summer wave and will align with their peers to facilitate an autumn programme.

Thanks all! So it seems to be 3-6 months so that we can then have the autumn one with the appropriate gap.

I had my fourth booster/jab in February. I am still working from home. But rates here are sky high at the moment and I am expected back in the office (just for the hell of it with no good reason in the next couple of weeks) and I am worried my 4th jab will be waning by then.

Has anyone who is immunosuppressed managed to get an antibody test to see how effective their vaccines have been?

covid.joinzoe.com/post/vaccines-and-the-immunosuppressed

(Asking for DH who got his 4th vaccine in January)

I had a test which showed precisely zero spike antibodies

I haven’t had a test how do you get one?

Yes I was told six months when I had my fourth jab a few weeks ago.

@TypicaIMe, I think you're referring to the next booster?

@IVNO, that's awful
How/where did you book the antibody test?

I had it done when I was at a chemo type appointment. I didn't ask for it, they just did it

I paid for a test. At the time I had two jabs and just been hospitalised with covid. My ABs were off the scale. I presume they weren't up to much before I had covid.
This was 7 months ago and obviously I had Delta. I was immensely reassured at the time but not so much now.

An update on getting an antibody test if you're immunosuppressed:

DH (who has a blood test every 3 months to monitor his condition) asked his GP if he could be tested for Covid antibodies and the GP has agreed to include it in his next test. Always worth asking...