Good plan. That’s how my husband got his Paxlovid after his doctor’s office was giving him BS about the drug’s expired emergency authorization. Duh! The drug got FULL FDA approval.
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H got covid after a recent trip to Europe. His doctor prescribed Lagevrio (molnupiravir) because he’s on blood thinners. (This is the second time he’s had covid. Had Paxlovid the first time and went off the blood thinner. Then had a rebound and had to miss a family vacation.)
We both had the latest booster before the Europe trip. He was not very sick and tested negative in five days. I didn’t get it but it’s just us two in a big house so we stayed apart for those five days.
It seems that my elderly (and in super poor health) in-laws’ luck may have run out. H asked if we could come out next week to visit since the kids will be in town. Her D and two kids (who SIL watches) all have covid (and 1 also has strep). SIL tested positive today (for the 4th time since 2020) and she thinks FIL may be getting it, and MIL was throwing up yesterday, so she might have it too. Needless to say, we won’t be visiting yet again. This is the 7th time since July that we’ve tried to visit and they’ve been sick with some respiratory or stomach virus. They’ve been like this for the 30 years that I’ve known them! I can’t imagine…
FIL/MIL escaped the first 1-2 times (Can’t remember exactly when they moved in with SIL). I got them the first series of shots and the first booster, since FIL asked me to. But I haven’t done anything since they moved in with SIL. They are very vax reluctant/resistant and I don’t want to bring it up. So unless they happened to get it at one of their doctors’ appointment, I doubt they’ve had anything since 2021.
I had my 6th COVID shot yesterday afternoon. Last one was the booster over a year ago. All have been Moderna. I also had COVID in Jan. 2023. I didn’t combine with flu shot which I got a month ago. Today I have somewhat sore arm (years ago a nurse told me to rotate arm for 15 minutes after shot to reduce sore arm so I always do this- pinwheels, flapping etc. Not sure if it actually helps, but if it doesn’t it’s a little bit of arm exercise). Also lethargic, severe headache and chills. Although I just woke up from a two hour nap and feel better. Those were my reactions to the first ones I had but later ones I only had slightly sore arm.
Unfortunately, routine vaccination has been dropping, so many places in the US may no longer have herd immunity against measles, which can be bad for anyone unlucky enough not to get immunity from vaccine.
Note that a measles infection can erase prior immunity against viruses that one has been previously infected or vaccinated.
H and I had our 7th covid shots in early Oct (at were pfizer and all others Moderna), to help keep us healthy with S’s wedding later that month, plus travel (we went to NYC and are now in OKC and NM).
We had covid in mid-July, right after my mom’s funeral—me, H and our kids. I’m still masking in crowds and for travel but eating at restaurants. We have been very healthy except for the brief covid we weathered with each of us taking Paxlovid.
I have no issues taking all the vaccines recommended but prefer taking them one at a time so I can tell if I’m reacting to any of them. We have had 3 shingles vaccines, the flu shot, RSV and all the covid shots.
I had an issue where they ran a titer and I also did not have immunity to measles and rubella. Had a lot of difficulty getting the vaccine because I was a woman of child bearing age. I had to fight for it.
Flash forward. After birth of first child they came in and said “are you aware that you are not immune to rubella” I told them exactly when I had the vaccine. Doesn’t matter, they gave me the vaccine again.
After birth of second child they came in and said “are you aware that you are not immune to rubella”. Are you kidding me? Another shot.
Years later I’m at a physical and relaying this story. My Dr. says let’s just run a titer and see what it says now. Run titer and nope, not immune. Another shot! Ran a titer 3 months later……….not immune. Another shot.
3 months later showed an immunity. Haven’t run a titer since so no idea if it “stuck” this time.
Anyone vaccinated for measles between 1963 and 1967 may not be protected because the vaccine used then was not very effective. I had my titer checked and it was low. My doctor gave me an MMR booster.
Are the Covid shots officially FDA approved? Or are they still under emergency use?
Pfizer Cominarty and Moderna Spikevax have full FDA approval for age 12+.
Pfizer and Moderna for under age 12, and Novavax have EUA.
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Thank you!
I believe there’s a portion of the population that the MMR just doesn’t work for. It’s why herd immunity is so important.
I think it’s an even wider range than that? I was born in 77 and in 7th grade we all had to get another MMR at school. They just lined us up and did it in the gym.
I grew up in Canada so maybe it was different.
I was in that group. I was fully vaccinated as a child. 40 yrs ago when they first realized those vaccines didn’t work, I got a booster. In 2019, there was an uptick in measles and the ineffective vaccines were back in the news. My blood work did not show any immunity so they gave me a 4th measles shot.
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Good point. Those years apply in the US, but other countries may have offered the ineffective measles vaccines over different years.
I’ve tracked my spike protein antibodies. I’ve also check my nucleocapsid antibodies. The results reflected a response to mRNA vaccinations and a native COVID infection. It has been interesting and informative to watch the change in values.
Fast forward. DH is turning 70 his PCP strongly urged (scared him) into needed another mRNA booster NOW. I asked PCP to run the spike protein and nucleocapsid tests just to see where DH stands (and if he had a super secret asymptomatic COVID infection). PCP says flat out NO. He will not order these tests because ‘no matter the result the treatment plan would be the same – get the new boster. I asked PCP why he is so against these test and again he says ‘because we don’t know what they mean’.
Treading carefully, I ask why our State is picking up the cost and you have to agree to have your results reported to the health authorites. He says ‘because the data is helpful’. Um, okay…so order the tests under the ‘we are doing it for the common good – in the same vein as why we took the vaccines;. Um…still a hard NO
Ask PCP what DH’s vit D level was last time around…Um…never tested for it. Why? Not important for men since they don’t have the bone denity issues.
Now this PCP has been a great doc for 20 years. He is under ‘new management’ and it all sounded like a corporate script. DH was strongly encourage to go to this particular networks’ vaccination clinic. When I asked PCP about Novavax instead of the Moderna or Pfizer options he said ‘that hadn’t been updated for the currently circulationg variants’. Um… yes it has as per the FDA as of October 3, 2023. PCP says ‘oh…didn’t know that’. No poop – guess that is not in your managements’ script.
THIS is why I do my own research. From reputable sites. I actually feel sorry for this PCP because I do think he was constrained in what he could say/recommend. My State tried to pass a law that threatened to pull licenses if a doctor gave ‘misinformation’ (anything other than the CDC script) regarding COVID vaccines. Luckily it did not pass – but maybe the concern still exists.
DH got his antigen tests today – I just asked one of my ‘witch doctors’ to issue the order. Then DH went to get the Novavax jab at Costco. Pharmacista asked ‘why did you choose this one’. DH replies – it’s what my wife told me to do
*Supposedly there have been upward of 80K papers published on COVID since its arrival. NO one can keep up, least of all the overburdened PCP.
- We’ve also has social interactions with this PCP - early on in the transition from an independent practice to absorption into the larges and most predatory health group in our State. He was lamenting the fact that the new rules kept him from spending time with his patients (had to crank thru a certain number in a day) and that he was being ‘graded’ on patient compliance. Compliance meant the patient followed doctors orders - took the med, came for appointment. It did not involve actual change in patient health. grrrrrr
It sounds like it has never stuck long for you, and getting those vaccines are futile. Maybe stay away from any country where rubella is a threat!
A little bit of news on some pan-coronavirus vaccine research, presumably intended to reduce the yearly variant-chasing of current COVID-19 vaccines:
https://www.cell.com/cell-reports/pdf/S2211-1247(23)01260-3.pdf
Other pan-coronavirus vaccine projects are listed in this page from last year:
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I didn’t get my act together to get the booster before my daughter’s wedding last Saturday, and I have Covid. About to start third day of Paxlovid.
I got my flu shot and Covid this morning. So far, so good. I was a Moderna girl until today when I was given Pfizer. My work offers both shots so I took what they had! Kept pretty busy and active during the day - so far no arm soreness.
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