Anyone thinking about skipping the latest booster?

[WoolyMammoth55]

I've had 3 jabs in total so far, and the last one made me REALLY poorly - couldn't get out of bed for a few days, crazy fever, hallucinating.

They didn't stop me getting Covid, which I've had 2 positive tests for since the first jab, and which was mild compared to how bad I was after the last booster!

I've been invited for the next booster and just can't see why I'd get it. I've had 3 jabs already so must have some protection, right? And since I keep getting it despite the jabs, I'm fairly likely to get it again in the next 6 months whether I do or don't get jabbed?

I can't see the upside.

I'm studying hard for a career change and have 2 little kids. If I had a reaction like last time I'd really struggle to keep all the balls in the air...

I'm being offered the booster because of my high BMI but don't have any co-morbidities, blood pressure good, not pre-diabetic, generally well.

Curious to know what others are thinking?

Weird isn't it. I was surprised when they told me I'd already had it, tried to work out when it was but I just pinpoint when it could have been.

Indeed. Getting Covid 2 times + 3 vaccines means that your immune system is already well prepared. Some people use to disregard the actual illness when they debate if another booster is necessary. But every contact with the virus or the spike protein counts, and the natural immunity created by the illness is better and deeper.

"Each time you catch it, your immunity gets stronger and broader" - Dr. Adam Finn
https://www.bbc.com/news/health-66848549

Wouldn't be MN COVID thread without it!

There's robust, replicated evidence from many independent sources that demonstrates SARS-COV-2 vaccines are effective in reducing harm from infection. If you are still denying it at this point, you really are ignoring the evidence in front of you.

This does not mean anyone needs to have it if they don't want to, but it is why boosters are currently being offered to target populations worldwide.

EDIT: to answer @WoolyMammoth55 , if I was offered a booster I'd take it, as I'm happy to outsource my health decision making to experts who have synthesised all available evidence. I didn't have any kind of side effects though, so might be thinking twice if I'd had your experience.

I had 3 boosters and have had covid twice. Think I'm good for now.

I would have it but not much chance I will be offered it.

My daughter and I had ours and the flu jab last Saturday . I’ve got multiple health conditions and could potentially be very ill if I caught it , and she got offered it due to one of her conditions . I’ve had all the jabs I’ve been offered so I think I’m up to 6/7 now . That said none of my family have had covid including our son who teaches in a large secondary school so we may be naturally immune .

HCPs can and do report side effects where they actually believe these to have been caused by a prescribed medication.

Where a HCP believes a presenting symptom is not a side affect (in this case they do not believe shingles is related to the COVID vaccine) they neither report it nor advise the patient to report it. My GP told me with total confidence that the two things are not related - and he may well be right. But certainly most patients won't bother filling in a yellow after being assured that there is no relationship.

I had a mild dose of Covid in 2021, just before I was called for the vaccination. I then developed Long Covid. I'd take a few days of a bad reaction to the vaccine any day....
Do you want a few days of feeling rough because of the vaccine or 2 and a half years of not being able to function normally? Lots of LC sufferers get tired after a shower some days. The other evening we had to leave a restaurant just after ordering dinner because, out of the blue, I was suddenly crippled with exhaustion and had heart palpitations. I put on make-up and look normal most days but I'd not be able to work as a teacher any more. LC has robbed me of normality. There are over one and a half million of us. Have the vaccination.

These sort of reports are becoming daily including vaxx injury, being all to preponderant.

www.bmj.com/company/newsroom/flawed-body-of-research-indicates-true-long-covid-risk-likely-exaggerated/

There's junk science on both sides now (minimising the risk of COVID, and exaggerating it), and I completely agree a lot of the long COVID literature is not robust.

However, this does not take away from the fact that SARS-COV-2 vaccine recommendations are based on good quality evidence showing the benefits outweigh the costs - both in terms of side effects, and practically in terms of roll out- to the groups currently offered it.

More than 5.55 billion people worldwide have received a dose of a Covid-19 vaccine, equal to about 72.3 percent of the world population. As with any vaccine there are unfortunately a very small number of people reporting side effects however it’s a tiny percentage of the number of vaccinations given.

I haven’t had any and neither did anyone in my home , we never had covid either despite working through the lockdown .

I won’t be invited, I wish I could have it though. I wonder what the rationale is for it not being available like the flu jab, this year anyway.

Our dd (12) has had no vaxxes, apart from one baby vaccine and one flu vaccine in 2015 which made her very ill. No flu vaccines, no covid vaccines and she didn't catch the mild dose from us.

I assume financial. It's about 10x the cost of the flu jab.

aren't they free.

For the individual yes, but the government has to pay for the doses themselves, and the costs of rolling out an additional seasonal vaccine.

This one of the things that's factored in to who is offered what vaccines - it's always a balance of benefits versus costs, on a population level.

That doesn't mean that an individual wouldn't benefit from getting a booster, it's just that in terms of health economics, it's not worthwhile for the government.

Please can I ask how you were diagnosed for Lond C? Did you have blood tests, etc?

There is no established biomarker for long COVID, so it's generally a diagnosis made on history and by excluding other things, similar to something like CFS.

Bloods, chest x-ray, looking at heart rate/blood pressure and measuring oxygen levels could help identify issues that the infection has caused, but it's by no means definitive.

My friend has it. Basically she tested positive for covid 15 months ago and has never recovered

Why asking as I had blood test prior to covid infection like a couple of weeks prior and then few weeks after, my ferritin levels dropped drastically after infection, so upping Ferritin supplement has helped with the fatigue drastically.

She needs a basic full blood test imho

Can't believe people are still jabbing 🤔🤣

Yeah, it is hilarious that vulnerable people care about their health and want to to tale steps to avoid the possibility of being made seriously ill.

I thought all of us vaccinated were supposed to dead by now. Or does the timescale keep being extended?

I'm a nurse and won't be having anymore. Have had cardiac issues since Covid kicked off and was admitted with a heart rate of over 160 two days after the last vaccine. Then inappropriate tachycardia for months. Tinnitus, muscle twitching, vestibular problems.
Had Covid two weeks ago and was in bed for two days but no more vaccines for me.