I felt so terrible after my second Moderna, I'm not really hot to get a booster. I'm in my late 50s but not high risk.

I've been working at a school since last summer but didn't do much else until I got my shots. We traveled quite a bit over the past few months seeing family. So, either my immunity is good or I am just really lucky. I know that can change.

I'll get my third Moderna shot when I am notified that I am eligible. Since I had my second shot in March, I believe I will have to wait until November.

I have not yet had my flu shot, and I heard on the news that it is best to wait until late September or early October in order to have immunity throughout the flu season. If you get the flu shot too early, it may wear off before the season ends, they said.

I seem to recall hearing that there need not be a waiting period between getting the flu vaccine and the COVID vaccine.

The first time around we were called in by our healthcare provider as soon as we were eligible. We'll wait until that happens for the booster as well. I've now known a few healthy "older" people who've had breakthrough infections who have fully recovered, some with very minimal symptoms. Since the booster still isn't going to be 100% effective in preventing illness I'm not so sure it's going to be as beneficial as people are hoping. I think it's most important for immunocompromised or other truly high risk people to get it. For those who are generally healthy I don't think it's really going to change their situation much other than maybe increasing a false sense of security that they're not going to get infected. I was just thinking yesterday that you might be better off getting it at this point - you probably would have 100% effective immunity at least for a few months. That is just my speculation and opinion however - not based on any reputable source.

I need to look to see when the six month mark is for me and I’ll get the shot based on current recommendations. I’ve not been too thrilled with the inconsistency of the messaging as well. I guess it’s to be expected with a new virus.

It is 7 months for us actually today since our 2nd Pfizer. We are over 65 and DH has a host of health issues. We were away for a few days so I thought when we came back I would schedule something. I am probably going to schedule it but I too am leaning towards getting the Moderna . I did hear that one ( if approved) has its dosage for the booster to be 1/2 or 1/3 of the original.

When I went for my annual check up a few weeks ago and got my flu shot, my PCP was saying she was thinking she would prefer the moderna for the 3rd as well.

Who knows. Additionally, they are saying 6 months after? 8 months after? A bit confusing for the layman.

'One other thing I did hear ( I think from my man Dr Scott Gottlieb)- that although mixing is not being advised, it is safe as they had to check if just common error of giving a different vaccine than the original would be a problem.

I will probably end up with the 3rd Pfizer but as of now am undecided. ( will definitely get a 3rd though)

Here is data on J and J boosters:

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/09/21/jj-covid-vaccine-booster-shot-is-94percent-effective-when-given-at-two-months.html

Since it turned out to be the weakest of the three, I’d like to get it (booster). I’ll be six months out in Nov, but I doubt they’ll be available by then.

Not sure if they are doing the third (booster) dose here yet, but I am calling today. I'll link part of an article that says no need to wait between covid vax and flu shot but you may prefer to do so (side effects) but two weeks between is adequate. I'm going to see if we can get our flu shots this week.

We do not qualify yet for the third dose, other than I was able to get my first dose early due to a medical condition, and even though the Mr. didn't qualify, they let him get his at the same time. I'm hoping that might happen for the 3rd dose too.

booster + flu shot

"The shot is a totally new medical treatment. It's fine for what it does but proving it is not the same as the vaccines that shot dead virus cells in us, which caused our bodies to fight against a threat."

@arcy_gw, to be clear, the shot is not a "totally new medical treatment". The technology started in the early 90s. If by "proving it", you mean proving the shot's efficacy, well, that's done in the same way as any other medical treatment: peer-reviewed studies.

Is anyone going to get an antibody test before getting a booster?

Very smart question Allison!

No, I won't be getting an antibody test. This is posted on the CDC website:

• people 65 years and older and residents in long-term care settings should receive a booster shot of Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine at least 6 months after their Pfizer-BioNTech primary series,
• people aged 50–64 years with underlying medical conditions should receive a booster shot of Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine at least 6 months after their Pfizer-BioNTech primary series,
• people aged 18–49 years with underlying medical conditions may receive a booster shot of Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine at least 6 months after their Pfizer-BioNTech primary series, based on their individual benefits and risks, and
• people aged 18-64 years who are at increased risk for COVID-19 exposure and transmission because of occupational or institutional setting may receive a booster shot of Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine at least 6 months after their Pfizer-BioNTech primary series, based on their individual benefits and risks.

I need to check our cards for our vaccine dates, but I believe we won't be at the six month mark till late October. (ETA all listed age groups from CDC website)

For our part, we will not be able to go on our planned holiday ski trip to Europe if we do not get a b00, so we will def get one.

Waiting to hear from Moderna. Next shot will be flu. I have no desire to get a booster and flu shot together.

I spoke with a county health official the other day about eligibility and was told that they are asking for no documentation of immunocompromise. They are giving boosters of J&J, Moderna, and Pfizer.

Even our governor here in CT said that it is all self-reported. I believe that is because they do not anticipate shortages and want to encourage the behavior.

Since I am not in a high risk category, I do not mind waiting on a booster. I kinda wonder if a new variant will come up that they may need to tweek the booster for and thus it may be better to wait a while anyway, for me. If I needed it for travel or were in a high risk group, I would probably get in line.

I just went to Rite Aid and CVS websites to see about scheduling a booster. In each case, it asked for date of birth, if you had one or two shots, etc and then it asked if immune compromised. When I answered no to the immune question, it said in both cases the CDC is not advising booster for those without immune compromised (again- I am over 65).

Did I misunderstand something or ????

salonva, over 65 is considered immune compromised according to my mom’s geriatric internist…

My friend walked into a CVS and got a 3rd sh@t….she was leaving for the Netherlands. No questions asked, and she was sick, sick for 2 days. She felt better by the time she left.

I appreciate that advice Roarah - but the crazy thing is in each case date of birth was first question. For the lay person like myself, I find this particularly strange. Why additionally ask about immune compromise and then reject over 65. I guess I need to be better informed.....

And I did think about just walking in and asking and suspect that I woudl be given the shot. Just going to wait another few days to absorb it all.

In my county they do va¢¢ine clinics and no ID or insurance info is required, therefore it would be very easy for anyone to get a third shot if they wanted. I'm not saying that it's the right thing to do, but I'm sure that there are those that have already done this.

I had to edit this post - I can use the "v" word on the Kitchen Table forum but not here??! 🤔

I had moderna and they are not recommending boosters for us, so I'm fine with that. I'm not hot to trot to get a booster anyway as it's just more of the same. I'd feel better if it was something that was more targeted toward delta or mu.

DH will qualify when it becomes available as he is older and has had pfizer shots. But his 6 months aren't quite done yet anyway...

Had my 2nd Pfizer shot March 22. Just called and have an appointment next Tuesday, the 28th, for my Pfizer booster.

@salonva, DH encountered the same thing on the website. However, I read that they would give 3rd shots on a walk-in basis (not by appointment), so that is what he did. The pharmacy was giving the shot rather than the little nurse/ clinic inside. I don’t know if they are changing procedures now or not.

@Annie Deighnaugh moderna is pushing a booster and certain immuno compromised individuals are eligible for it now. Apparently moderna is just weeks behind Pfizer in the approval process.

I know several people here who do not qualify, but have gotten it. Evidently they don't ask questions.

We do not qualify yet. I am not anxious to get a booster since I got so sick with both shots. DH only had a sore arm. When we got our flu shots, the pharmacist said to wait 2 weeks before getting any other vaccines. Before getting a booster, I think we will have our antibodies tested.

ETA: Dr. Rochelle Walensky, CDC Director, has overruled the panel saying that workers at risk including teachers are eligible for a booster also.

I called yesterday and was told my husband didn't qualify but I heard on the news this morning that it had passed for everyone over 65 who last shot had been 6 months ago. I called at 8:15 this morning and the clinic had just got an email at 8. They scheduled him for 10am so he is done. I got Moderna so have to wait.

My dad got something from his doctor’s office that said he was eligible several weeks ago…i think he got it maybe a week later? He was super confused when it was aporoved yesterday….he’s like, ”why did they give it to me before it was approved?” 🤷‍♀️😂

The whole thing has been super confusing, and I consider myself very informed. I can’t imagine how folks with limited access to varied news sources must feel.

I read a funny article in my Apple news feed today by a woman who got the J&J in the Spring. She was basically lamenting in a comical way about the utter neglect J& J users get from the media, researchers, federal agencies. Kind of the purgatory of vacs, if you will. 😂I’ll try to find it again & post.

I'm going by the moderna press release in Aug that said after 6 mos there was very little loss in efficacy of the moderna shots, so I'm in no hurry.

That’s how I feel, nini!

And while J&J rarely gets mentioned, there's another circle of purgatory, even farther from the news media ... those in US who are in the Astra Zeneca trial. "Fully vaccinated" with a vaccine widely approved, but not in the US. Talk about being in a minority, lol.

Our hospital system says everyone can start scheduling next week. Both MIL and DH will schedule. DH has been in person every day since the pandemic so he certainly qualifies for a booster although many people forget about professional offices that are non-healthcare because they probably assume they are working remotely and they are not/cannot. He got his second shot the end of March.

Edit: And don't get me started for those of us in clinical trials. We are left in the dark as well. Nothing from my site yet. But I was vaccinated end of May, so I have time.

Right, Lukki, we are kind of building the plane as we fly it.

Allison0704, from what I've read, the antibody tests do not tell the whole story. Even though those can wane after a few months, it's really the longer term T-cell and B-cell memory cells that would activate in the presence of a threat. And I've not seen these data public yet, but I've been so super swamped and then under the weather myself.

@OutsidePlaying, per CDC, no need to wait between COVID and influenza vaccinations.

Yeah, I don't want to feel cr@ppy from my flu shot and my covid booster at the same time.

@gsciencechick is correct, unfortunately, antibody tests have NOT yet been demonstrated to effectively measure actual immunity to COVID-19.

https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2021/08/28/1031287076/antibody-tests-should-not-be-your-go-to-for-checking-covid-immunity

I got shingles #2 and flu a couple of weekends ago. It was definitely the shingles one that made me feel lousy.

gscience it right, it is the tcell immunity test that really needs to be checked. I have been saying that here for months. So glad others are now speaking up. Sometimes, people call them both antibody tests, when there is really a difference. I think Allison probably meant the Tcell antibody test, not just the Antibody test that is really just useless, imo.

To carry the plane analogy further …. we lose altitude but don’t crash and the pilots get us back on track … repeat. The fact that we are staying the course albeit with turbulence should help all of us have confidence in the pilots. c

DH and I are both over 65 and have appointments next Friday at Walgreens for the booster—-about 10 days short of our 8-month mark.

Since it has come out that Moderna has longer-lasting and stronger protection, I‘m thinking it would be better to get the Moderna booster but not sure they will allow it since we got Pfizer. My dr says no problem mixing the two and CDC says it’s OK if your original is unavailable.

@gsciencechick is correct, unfortunately, antibody tests have NOT yet been demonstrated to effectively measure actual immunity to COVID-19.

I questioned my rheumatologist about this a few months ago and she said the same. She advised getting the booster as soon as it became available. So I did. Got the Moderna booster a couple weeks ago. Dh doesn't fall into a category yet.

This link clarifies some of the definitions questioned in the OP:

https://www.ynhhs.org/patient-care/covid-19/Vaccine/booster

Yes, I was talking about the T-Detect antibody test.

Where I am, Ontario, the eligibility is fairly clear but the challenge is to keep up with the changes to who is eligible for a third dose. “Boosters” have not been approved, but vulnerable people with certain health conditions or on specified classes of immunosuppressants can get a third dose 2 months after dose 2 if they have a letter from their specialist or hospital program. Residents of long-term care homes and some retirement homes will also be getting third doses. In a while I expect that third doses will become available to all those over 65 and perhaps higher risk workers.

For doses one and two, Pfizer and Moderna were treated as interchangeable, mainly because of vaccine supply issues. Both are available now for third doses. I have a hospital letter and got my third full-strength Moderna shot today, 3 months after dose 2. My whole arm is very sore already and I’m not looking forward to the side-effects tomorrow, but I am sure glad to have had the third shot. I will be even happier when my 75 yr old DH and our friends are triple vaccinated.

Starting this week the provincial government is requiring proof of vaccination for entry to non-essential public places. For example, if you want to eat in a food court or restaurant, enter a library or community centre, go to a game or a concert, you will be denied entry without proof of full vaccination. I’m not sure what’s on the list of essential public places, but likely it’s the same ones not shut during lockdowns, i.e. grocery stores, pharmacies and a limited number of other services. This is expected to encourage the last 12-15% to get their shots.

Vc01, my sister was also in the Astra Zenica trial and was at 10 months since her vaccination. She got a Pfizer booster last week after talking to the trial folks and her doctor. There was a study done in Canada with the AZ vax and Pfizer booster that showed they did very well (the trial folks told her about that), so that was the reason for going with Pfizer. She thinks she will still go in for the last blood tests, but they will note her booster. You might want to talk to the folks where you got your vaccine and your doctor.

My DH got a booster and flu vaccine last week -- nothing more than a sore arm. I will get mine when I can. The son (Moderna) who is a teacher got covid just a week into classes, so they say his immunity is peaked for about 90 days. He will likely get the booster near the end of the year and hope at least some of his students can be vaccinated by then too.

Well, I did go back to the sties last night, and they had updated the requirements and the ability to schedule the booster (CVS , Rite Aid, and Walgreens). For some reason CVS was being wonky, so I went to the Rite Aid site and scheduled a booster for me this morning.. I went and was done with it before 10 am. DH is holding off only because he has the remnants of a cold and wants it gone before he gets the booster.

I got a Moderna 3rd shot yesterday at CVS. Today they stopped giving them. My friend who has cancer and their 90 year old mother who is also immuno-compromised were turned away today even though they had appointments. They were told Moderna isn't authorized yet, however they were giving them both without authorization for the past few weeks. In addition, you can still make an appointment on line and then they send you a cancelation later. I think the City Health Department is still giving Moderna 3rd shots. And you wonder why people don't trust the vaccine. This is complete madness.

MIL was able to get an appointment at Walgreens this afternoon, so yay. Dh will wait for our hospital system next week for scheduling.

Edit: DH's 6 months is this upcoming week, so we assumed he would not be able to schedule until it's 6 months. He looked at CVS and they asked for his second shot date, and we realized we had a few more days for 6 months.

Got the baster at walgreens today, walk in. very crowded— in a red state but blue town.