Immunity does not last forever after recovering from COVID, and diminishes with time. If you don't have to pay for it - and you shouldn't if you have insurance - why not get it? There's no way of knowing if what you might get is the newest strain or another variant anyway, is there?

I'm seeing reporting that COVID's on the rise again.

There seems to be some conflict of information here also - the CDC says that the new variant is an offshoot of the previous, so the vaccine will actually help prevent serious illness.

Also, we have been hearing that it is fine to get the flu and Covid vax at the same time - perhaps you have an issue that caused your MD's office to tell you to wait (for example, I react so strongly to the Covid vax, and not as strongly but still an uncomfortable day after the flu vax, so I will not get them together.)

Perhaps you should ask your MD why he tells you that the latest vaccine won't help, but is still advising you to get it?

The booster shot that's available now was, as far as I know, developed for the Omicron variant, and the newest variant is from Omicron, so it's supposed to help protect folks who get it. But, as Elmer said, you should be talking to your physician about this.

Not sure why you were advised not to have the flu and COVID jabs together. I did. Two nurses coming at me simultaneously from left and right. It's common practice here. Very efficient use of everybody's time and no after effects

I got mine together as well. Just one nurse, though.

I suspect we're starting to see the effect of holiday gatherings in the way of increased hospital admissions for the virus -- and more ICU patients within hospitals -- and yet more people diagnosed with Long Covid.

Got masks?

We've gotten a total of 5 covid shots, the last one in Oct, also got the flu shot but in Nov. We're going to wait until next fall for what looks to become an annual covid shot. More than likely by next fall there will be a new updated shot for whatever mutation pops up in the coming year. Until then it'll be N-95 masks when going out among mixed crowds, shopping, Dr appts, etc. during any present or future covid surges.

This thread’s reminding me I haven’t gotten a shot in well over a year I think. Also my longest run without covid since the start of the pandemic. Hmmm!

(don’t freak out, i’m not seriously suggesting anything)

I'm surprised to hear that it was suggested that you wait between the flu shot and the covid vaccine. Many do get them together. I wouldn't get them together but that's just my preference.

My DH got his flu shot in the fall and then he got covid before he could update his covid vaccine. We just googled the latest government guidelines and followed those.

I got my flu shot and 2 weeks later the current covid vaccination that was available in the fall. Like vgkg I'm going to treat it as the flu and get an annual covid vaccination.

We had 2 grandchildren born in the fall so we are back to wearing masks in public which help protect us not just from covid (well maybe) but also from colds and the flu.

I was advised to wait 2 weeks between. It gives shot a chance to do it’s thing.

Also if you get a reaction, how would you know which one was responsible?

I stand corrected - i got covid and flu shots in October. Must be why I haven’t caught it! 😉

Whew! FOAS I just about freaked out! 😁

This just came across my newsfeed earlier today...

https://fortune.com/well/2024/01/12/covid-jn1-pandemic-world-health-organization-warns-dangers-repeat-covid-infection-cardiac-pulmonary-neurologic/amp/

COVID levels are up to 19 times higher than reported, WHO says as it warns of the potential dangers of repeat reinfection: ‘We don’t know everything about this virus’

Because most people have some immunity to COVID, “we don’t necessarily know how often we’re getting infected,” a WHO spokesperson said.

BY ERIN PRATERJanuary 12, 2024 3:45 PM EST

COVID levels are two to 19 times higher than numbers being reported around the world, a WHO official said Friday, citing wastewater data.

The news comes as the organization warns of the yet unknown dangers of repeat COVID infection, which can occur without symptoms.

Because most people have some immunity to COVID due to vaccination and/or prior infection, “we don’t necessarily know how often we’re getting infected,” Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove, head of WHO’s emerging diseases and zoonoses unit, said at a news briefing in Geneva.

“Five years, 10 years, 20 years from now, what are we going to see in terms of cardiac impairment, pulmonary impairment, neurologic impairment? It’s year five in the pandemic, but there’s still a lot we don’t know about it.”

The concerns regarding COVID infection are multipronged, she said, and include potential acute implications like hospitalization and death, the development of long COVID, and “even longer-term effects” like those she referenced.

It’s estimated that 6% to 10% of those infected with COVID will go on to develop long COVID, she added.

“It’s real,” she said of the condition. “It’s not in someone’s head. This is actually a real condition that needs to be studied properly.”

The pandemic continues

Whether we acknowledge it or not, the world is still in a pandemic, Van Kerkhove said, citing the virus’s lack of a seasonal pattern, which many respiratory pathogens have, and its continued, rapid-pace evolution.

What’s more, hundreds of thousands around the world are currently hospitalized with the virus, and around 10,000 died from it last month, she said—likely untold more. COVID hospitalizations and ICU admissions rose by 42% and 62%, respectively, in December.

This world is currently experiencing a surge of JN.1, a highly mutated Omicron spawn some say deserves a new Greek letter from the WHO, like Pi or Rho. In the U.S., it’s currently fueling the country’s second-largest wave of the pandemic.

COVID’s ongoing impact remains underappreciated, Van Kerkhove said. Death figures are based on data from only 50 countries and territories still reporting to the WHO, out of 234, she said. Hospitalization figures come from only 29. And only 21—less than 9%—still report ICU data.

Of the 10,000 COVID deaths reported to the WHO in December, “more than half were from the U.S., and 1,000 were from Italy,” she added. “We are missing deaths in countries from around the world. Just because countries aren’t reporting deaths doesn’t mean they’re not happening.”...

eld6161 - And that's why I won't get them together. It's my own little ignorant theory. I think it's suggested that people get the vaccinations together so that at least they have them

Wow, Carol, I’ve been wondering about people not knowing it, when conversations about protecting others come up. I suppose transmission rate will be lower with asymptomatic people who aren’t coughing, but still. Last year my mom had it, at 93, and no one would have known had she not been tested.

FWIW, I spaced out my vaccines by 2 weeks. I figured I didn't want double the soreness in my arm.

I tend to agree that advising people to get them together, since it's safe for most folks, is a way to ensure people get both by making it more convenient.

Lily - as others have suggested you need to speak with your doctor. But if it makes you feel any better DH is one (hem/onc) and both of us get the shots whenever they're available. In September we each had all three shots (RSV, flu, Covid) at the same time - flu and Covid in one arm, RSV in the other.

Maire...You were very smart to get it all done at once. I wish I had known that but apparently there were different protocols. UPMC's recommendations were different. I did get the RSV shot after I was done with covid and will get the covid shot next week if I can schedule it.

FWIW I find it easiest to get my vaccinations at CVS.

Were getting them at either Rite Aid or CVS which are beside each other. Making the appointment tonight.

Lily - There were differing recommendations from various sources which made it difficult for a non-medical individual to know the best way to proceed.

One of the reasons many health groups (including the CDC) were pushing for all 3 vaccines at the same time was simply to try to get the most number of people vaccinated.

We've done it both ways - flu and Covid same day, and leaving a couple of weeks in between. The last time I had flu and Covid same day, same arm, I had a rash at injection site. Short lived, not a terrible reaction by any description. We had no way of knowing which shot or if a combination of the two. DH had opted for one each arm and he had no reaction to either.

This year we left a space of about 2 weeks in between the two shots. We would have gotten them together but the newest Covid vaccine was slow in arriving here and none of the clinics had any the day we went for our flu shots 😊