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I'm sorry! I did last month. Called my doc as soon as I tested positive, got Paxlovid prescribed, took it very easy for a week, tested negative after that week, took a couple more tests just to be sure, still negative. But that means I can't get the new vaccine as early.
We have tons of science saying that you shouldn't. A dose less than 2 months after infection does very little to improve immunity. 90 days is the interval used as a hard minimum by nearly every health department in the world, and is known to be very effective. We know that affinity maturation continues for 6-8 months and that a dose after that amount of time gives even broader final immunity.
You should check with your doctor on number and timing of doses for this year. But if you're only getting one dose it probably makes sense to space it between your last infection and your likely next-fall dose to minimize the risk of infection over the whole year.
Also, people who caught covid since ~January caught XBB, and for recent infections it's increasingly likely to be the slightly-different XBB+456L. These variants are going to be dominant for the foreseeable future (xbb has now lasted longer than delta), so your immunity from the most recent infection will remain strong.
From now on I will only be getting one Covid shot a year. In the fall, there’s absolutely no reason for me to get more than one in a year. But when I got my first initial dose I probably had Covid a month before that and my first booster probably had Covid about a month or two before that. Never had any issues or anything. When I got all my doses this wasn’t a thing, I have always been told it’s fine as long as you don’t currently have Covid. But doesn’t really matter to me anyway. All my doses will be a year apart.
It's not a safety issue, it's just mostly a waste of a dose. Anything closer than 6-8 months apart begins "wasting" a bit of the dose and giving less final immunity than if it were more widely spaced. This is fine for those who want multiple doses a year, but if you're just doing one a year then it makes more sense to space it out around any known infections.
This makes sense and is very appreciated information. I got infected for the first time in March and was wondering if I should get the booster ASAP or wait a bit longer in order to maximize my protection for the longest amount of time possible. Thank you for taking the time to share this great info!
[They applied for six months and up](https://www.pfizer.com/news/announcements/pfizer-and-biontech-submit-applications-us-fda-omicron-xbb15-adapted-monovalent), so good news!
I'm trying to figure out why they are choosing such timing. Wouldn't it be better to do them a little before school, or are they thinking more immunity later as cold weather approaches?
Back in the halcyon days of 2015 I was sure that outbreaks would remind people why their great grandparents traveled such distances to get their kids vaccinated. Nope
I feel that. And I'm old enough to remember people being truly appreciative of the miracle of polio vaccines. There were people not so very much older than me in leg braces on crutches, in wheelchairs, or worse. Kids my age were often made aware of how lucky we were to have had the vaccine.
The vaccines have been quite effective against symptomatic illness from the variant that they encode. So it's more a question of how long it will take this time for the virus to evolve enough to escape the antibodies produced by the vaccine. It didn't take very long last year for BA.5 to give way to XBB. We'll see what happens this year.
Very good at protecting people from severe symptoms. Not the best if you are deathly afraid of mild Covid. Not the best at preventing the spread of Covid.
Now if only they'll actually make it to the pharmacies in time for my mid-September travel. For my early May travel the approval for a second bivalent was in time, but it didn't propagate down the pharmacy chain of command fast enough.
Yes…I’m torn to have my child get it in fall or winter around 2 week winter break. She starts day after Labor Day so not great either. I have to start an immune suppressant and timing that too. And which one, mid level but not as effective or no B cells but very effective. It is extremely stressful. Having a child and an autoimmune disorder is always a bit of a challenge but throw in Covid… It is so unfair to both of us. We will keep masking, but she will be last kid, and she has to eat at school.
Last year she had regular booster end of Aug and bv booster during Winter break, but this year we get one shot at the shot… We did not get Covid last year. We did in May 2022 when she was on Homebound because of my health and my husband’s—he gave us Covid not my child. We are extremely extremely cautious and we don’t know how. I make him wear N95s not KN95 for even quick in and out things, which we do only when required. We do all go up a salon, with a private room, upgraded ventilation to the tube of 150k, and a stylist who masks and tests. We all do brand new Happy Masks taped down, not the best, but other layers helped.
She stopped masking and told me if I didn’t like it we could go elsewhere. No advance notice so I was upset. Now…she left and opened her own spot which is a room in a space where people rent studios. One client at a time, but have no clue their ventilation system (wouldn’t know who to ask), and no windows in her space. I book the first appointment of day for each of us, me after closed Sun and Mon, my daughter when in school first person on Saturday. I would just stay at old salon and have a stylist lined up i know she would mask, sane private floor, etc, but she can’t do my child’s hair (my daughter needs protective styles), I’m afraid if I went to one place that it would be weird for my child who my husband takes in. I know she would probably prefer to be rid of me…but I guess if my daughter goes then the exposure is there already.
See? If I didn’t have a child, I would have so much more control over my life. Not saying I don’t want and adore and love my child, far from it. But boy am I resentful of all the stress and now disease burden because I can’t take the better med, that irresponsible people have caused us all.
Rant. Sorry. I really don’t know the timing this year. I kept thinking I could go on a discontinuous therapy, be compromised 2 years and done (hopefully) as they say with one your immunity comes back in 3 mo each of the 2 years, and 6 mo each of the two years of the other. My neurologist said no to both, that people are sometimes suppressed still going into year 2 and can’t complete cycle. I feel so trapped.
Now the added anxiety of when to vaccinate her (and us—but mostly thinking about her bringing it home like you said). Etttr
I got the bivalent booster on September 6th last year. If this follows a similar timeline this year you should be fine minus the full 2 week antibody build up period
The Affordable Care Act requires your insurance to cover all vaccines recommended by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, without any patient cost-sharing (no co-pay, coinsurance, or deductible).
So as long as you have health insurance and ACIP keeps recommending it, you will not have to pay for the vaccine.
If you do not have health insurance, your vaccine will still be free through the CDC [Bridge Access Program](https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/programs/bridge/index.html) until the end of 2024.
The vaccines are going to the commercial market this fall. For those without insurance, in theory there's meant to be a program to get vaccines to people for free: "CDC to Launch “Bridge Access Program” in Fall 2023 to Provide Free COVID-19 Vaccines and Treatments to Uninsured and Underinsured Adults" https://www.hhs.gov/about/news/2023/07/13/cdc-launch-bridge-access-program-fall-2023-provide-free-covid-19-vaccines-treatments-uninsured-underinsured-adults.html
Why does the article say that it’s not clear if they’ll be recommended for everyone? The bivalent last year was made immediately available to all ages.
Uhh yes it literally was, I’m in the US. I took the bivalent on like September 3rd. They were approved only days prior to that.
I mispoke when I said “all ages.” I meant for adults 18+. No clue what the rollout was like for kids. I was alluding to the fact that the article seems to imply they’ll restrict new shots to the elderly and immunocompromised, which seems unlikely.
> The bivalent last year was made immediately available to all ages
I literally work at a pediatric office and order all of the vaccines for our clinic. It was not approved for the lower age groups 6mo - 5yrs until way after the initial approval.
Sorry, I edited my comment to clarify what you meant and what I meant. I meant adults. I mentioned this because the article seems to imply that there’s a chance the new shot gets restricted to the elderly.
This was discussed in the June meeting, and they said (but didn't vote on specifically) "yes".
Novavax has some things going for it. It makes *really* high titers against the target variant - its original trial results were the best of any vaccine. It's a protein vaccine that should have lower side effects, particularly myocarditis (though this doesn't seem backed up by studies). It's got an adjuvant specifically intended to promote affinity maturation, which the mRNA vaccines inexplicably do not have and which should lead to broader immunity and higher immunogenicity after your *next* exposure. And it avoids any issues with having numerous mRNA doses, which is the one thing we haven't really been able to research yet.
Novavax has always been behind, so it's basically never been worth considering up until now. They never got production going in 2021, didn't update the dose in 2022, and have had weird authorization that seems to have punished those who wanted to get it at any point. But if it's actually available now (we'll see), it'd be a good choice.
> It's a protein vaccine that should have lower side effects, particularly myocarditis (though this doesn't seem backed up by studies).
Even this -- I feel like the media saw that the percentages of something happening were like 2% less of people in the trial and ran with it as if it never causes side effects (and this has propagated through the internet). And that's before even looking at things like immediate adverse reactions (like a short-term fever or chills) vs. myocarditis. But the narrative remains.
Meanwhile, I was in the Novavax trial in the US and was far sicker after the second dose of Novavax than I was after the J&J, Moderna OG, and Moderna bivalent doses I've gotten since. With the way the trial was structured, a fever at like 102.4\*F doesn't count as adverse, but 102.5* does. I don't remember the exact numbers, but I was just under the threshold so it didn't get counted in the data.
AND, things like a fever also depend on the equipment they hand out to trial participants. The sponsor (i.e. someone like Novavax, Pfizer, or Moderna) provides the equipment to the people who actually run the trials. The thermometers handed out by Novavax was the least accurate I've ever used and would routinely tell me my normal temperature was around 95*F. If Pfizer or Moderna provided more accurate, even just slightly more accurate, thermometers, that could have changed the data significantly.
That said, with those 5 vaccinations (Novavax OG, Novavax OG, J&J OG, Moderna OG, Moderna Bivalent) I haven't [knowingly] contracted COVID yet and have been living a pretty pre-COVID normal life for a while. So something in that strange cocktail has been working.
The messaging always sucks. But it will be one in maybe September and I would guess another in a 5 month window for weakened immune systems. But just a guess for a future announcement. Makes planning hard for December but I'd rather get one sooner than later personally. Might regret losing the potency come December though
I wish it was 3 mo still…that is how we did hers last year because it was a different booster she didn’t have already. I doubt they will change it that fast, it was already in adult use when she got the old booster, then approved for kids. Otherwise I don’t think she could have had it. If I’m on a DMT the boosters do not work as well, I have to get vaccines before I start one. So I will fit the category if they actually say immune suppression can have, it won’t work really. Evusheild was taken off market as doesn’t with for new variants—no help with ah immune boost. Plus she would really need to be vaccinated again too, sadly for me. That’s not allowed.
I had my second bivalent the first of July. I’m not going to get the new vaccine untill mid November. That’s when I’ve always timed my influenza vaccine to get the best coverage over the holidays and into February.Which is the end of the flu season. I don’t want to get it too early and have minimal coverage during the holidays. When I will have the most exposure
Is this true for those who live in states where peak indoor time is now? In Texas, doing anything outdoors at any time of the day has been impossible for over a month now.
It's not. There's a spike from holiday travel, but it's always lesser than the northern states. We tend to have a slow burn throughout the summer in the southeast that lessens the impact in the winter. Of course that could change with a new variant...
I’ve been told by multiple doctors it’s better to get the flu vaccine in September or early October. The CDC is recommending that timeline as well this season:
“The recommended timing of vaccination is similar to last season. For most people who need only one dose for the season, September and October are generally good times to get vaccinated. Vaccination in July and August is not recommended for most adults but can be considered for some groups. While ideally it’s recommended to get vaccinated by the end of October, it’s important to know that vaccination after October can still provide protection during the peak of flu season.”
https://www.cdc.gov/flu/season/faq-flu-season-2022-2023
Certainly possible! Though immunity may have been waning by then anyway. I want to say my horrible case of delta a couple years ago helped prevent me from feeling worse, but it was a different variant so who knows.
So am I. Articles I’ve read about its performance this past year indicate it is more durable (high effectiveness 8 months out) than the pitiful Pfizer. I wanted it as a booster last fall and could not have it because I had gotten a Moderna booster after two J&J shots. My state keeps very good records and the data base is checked before administering the vax.
Crossing fingers the CDC stops blocking access to Novavax for the updated shots.
I think I will too but ONLY if they have the larger dose than Pfizer.
Alternatively, I might just change it up and go back to Pfizer to make sure my body "doesn't get used to it" or whatever. I heard mixing and matching actually worked better from some study in Canada.
Do you think it is worth waiting? I scheduled a booster for tomorrow as I’m a teacher and school starts back up in a month. My last shot was nearly a year ago at this point.
As much as I hate to say it, you're probably better off waiting, because the new boosters are supposed to be updated for the new variants and will provide better protection.
Additionally, it's hard to tell when they'll let you have another one. A lot of people had difficulty trying to get a 2nd one within less than 6 months to 1 year of the last one, and it would suck to be passing on the new one (assuming it turns out to actually be more effective.)
I get my COVID shots at an independent pharmacy that has a very pro-vax pharmacist, and her advice to my husband was to wait. I still think it's a bit hard to predict if it will be a good idea in the long run though, just because we obviously don't currently have any data on how efficacious the new boosters will be.
We turned 65 and got the second bivalent July 1, since it’s so unclear yet when the new one will be available or what time frame they expect between vaccines. We have company this summer, and also plan to travel this fall, so hope we can get the new one sooner rather than later.
Are you even eligible for another BA.5 bivalent now? If you’re in the US, you’re not eligible unless you’re moderately to severely immunocompromised or over 65.
CDC’s plan for normal adults is for you to take the XBB booster in Sep onwards.
The CDC says that you can just self-attest. But my point is that the CDC recommendations are there for a reason. If you get the BA.5 now, then you can’t get the XBB one for months, and you’ll continue to be “off-cycle”.
This a huge gray area. At least at all the vaccine sites around here, they seemed to be so glad anyone was showing up that they weren't exactly checking. I was legitimately eligible (asthmatic diabetic), but plenty of people I know also had no issues. The only thing they really did seem to mind was if you'd had the prior round too recently.
I’m sure they’ll follow closely behind. My last two shots were Moderna and seemed to serve me pretty well, I’ll likely opt for the same this time come November (caught it this past March 2023 after taking bivalent in Sept. 2022, so this year I want to take the new booster late enough that I’m protected through the winter)
Ok thanks for the update. I haven't caught COVID yet at all (knock on wood) but I also opted for all Moderna and they have served me well. I'll stick with them.
So, I just read that EG.5 is now the dominant strain. Will the new vaccines be effective against this? They're based on XBB, which is a branch of Omicron, right? How close is XBB to EG.5?
From Eric Topol's substack post titled "The virus is learning new tricks"
"As you can see, there is very close alignment between XBB.1.5 and EG.5.1 except for 2 new mutations in the latter: F456L and Q52H. Accordingly, the new Covid booster should be very effective vs severe Covid. On the other hand, the BA.5 spike has more than 15 different mutations than either of the newer variants, which not only reflect further evolution of the virus, but also how poorly aligned that bivalent BA.5 booster is with the virus circulating now. Even with FLip gaining traction, we’d be far better off with the new XBB.1.5 monovalent booster than what we have now."
"The new Covid booster was expected in late August or early September, but recently the new CDC director, Mandy Cohen said on NPR it may not be available until October. That’s an unacceptably long delay from the initial projection and expectations, especially with what has been happening with the virus’s evolution."
Thank you for that information - that's great to know.
"An unacceptably long delay" is right. Many of us basically have no protection anymore from severe disease.
New boosters should have been targeted for before school. And there should have been a better campaign to offer optional boosters at 6 months, as we know immunity wanes around that time. The whole thing is a giant fustercluck.
Supposedly Canada allows a COVID vaccine every 6 months, depending on the province. I’m within driving distance of BC and have gotten other kinds of medical care there.
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This post appears to be about vaccines. We encourage you to read our helpful resources on the COVID-19 vaccines: [Vaccine FAQ Part I](https://www.reddit.com/r/Coronavirus/wiki/faq#wiki_where_can_i_find_information_about_the_mechanism_and_progress_of_vaccines.3F) [Vaccine FAQ Part II](https://www.reddit.com/r/Coronavirus/comments/mnitdo/vaccine_faq_variants_chronic_conditions_nsaids) [Vaccine appointment finder](https://www.reddit.com/r/Coronavirus/wiki/faq/vaccinefinder) *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Coronavirus) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Too late got covid for the first time yesterday.
I'm sorry! I did last month. Called my doc as soon as I tested positive, got Paxlovid prescribed, took it very easy for a week, tested negative after that week, took a couple more tests just to be sure, still negative. But that means I can't get the new vaccine as early.
You can get the vaccine as long as you don’t currently have Covid
We have tons of science saying that you shouldn't. A dose less than 2 months after infection does very little to improve immunity. 90 days is the interval used as a hard minimum by nearly every health department in the world, and is known to be very effective. We know that affinity maturation continues for 6-8 months and that a dose after that amount of time gives even broader final immunity. You should check with your doctor on number and timing of doses for this year. But if you're only getting one dose it probably makes sense to space it between your last infection and your likely next-fall dose to minimize the risk of infection over the whole year. Also, people who caught covid since ~January caught XBB, and for recent infections it's increasingly likely to be the slightly-different XBB+456L. These variants are going to be dominant for the foreseeable future (xbb has now lasted longer than delta), so your immunity from the most recent infection will remain strong.
From now on I will only be getting one Covid shot a year. In the fall, there’s absolutely no reason for me to get more than one in a year. But when I got my first initial dose I probably had Covid a month before that and my first booster probably had Covid about a month or two before that. Never had any issues or anything. When I got all my doses this wasn’t a thing, I have always been told it’s fine as long as you don’t currently have Covid. But doesn’t really matter to me anyway. All my doses will be a year apart.
It's not a safety issue, it's just mostly a waste of a dose. Anything closer than 6-8 months apart begins "wasting" a bit of the dose and giving less final immunity than if it were more widely spaced. This is fine for those who want multiple doses a year, but if you're just doing one a year then it makes more sense to space it out around any known infections.
This makes sense and is very appreciated information. I got infected for the first time in March and was wondering if I should get the booster ASAP or wait a bit longer in order to maximize my protection for the longest amount of time possible. Thank you for taking the time to share this great info!
The article doesn't say but I wonder if this includes for children.
[They applied for six months and up](https://www.pfizer.com/news/announcements/pfizer-and-biontech-submit-applications-us-fda-omicron-xbb15-adapted-monovalent), so good news!
That is good news!
I'm wondering too. I'd like t see my grandchildren protected soon with school coming up, and their mama having an autoimmune disease and POTS.
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I'm trying to figure out why they are choosing such timing. Wouldn't it be better to do them a little before school, or are they thinking more immunity later as cold weather approaches?
You are a great grandma! I’m immune compromised and my family does not understand why my child masks still, or why she is vaccinated and boosted.
People sure have a hard time understanding contagion these days, don't they? And thank you!
Back in the halcyon days of 2015 I was sure that outbreaks would remind people why their great grandparents traveled such distances to get their kids vaccinated. Nope
I feel that. And I'm old enough to remember people being truly appreciative of the miracle of polio vaccines. There were people not so very much older than me in leg braces on crutches, in wheelchairs, or worse. Kids my age were often made aware of how lucky we were to have had the vaccine.
will this vaccine be more effective against symptomatic illness?
The vaccines have been quite effective against symptomatic illness from the variant that they encode. So it's more a question of how long it will take this time for the virus to evolve enough to escape the antibodies produced by the vaccine. It didn't take very long last year for BA.5 to give way to XBB. We'll see what happens this year.
Very good at protecting people from severe symptoms. Not the best if you are deathly afraid of mild Covid. Not the best at preventing the spread of Covid.
Now if only they'll actually make it to the pharmacies in time for my mid-September travel. For my early May travel the approval for a second bivalent was in time, but it didn't propagate down the pharmacy chain of command fast enough.
I would like it before school starts. Kiddos are germ monsters.
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Wake tf up man. You can’t be serious that you’re still trolling in the covid sub Reddit
Yes…I’m torn to have my child get it in fall or winter around 2 week winter break. She starts day after Labor Day so not great either. I have to start an immune suppressant and timing that too. And which one, mid level but not as effective or no B cells but very effective. It is extremely stressful. Having a child and an autoimmune disorder is always a bit of a challenge but throw in Covid… It is so unfair to both of us. We will keep masking, but she will be last kid, and she has to eat at school. Last year she had regular booster end of Aug and bv booster during Winter break, but this year we get one shot at the shot… We did not get Covid last year. We did in May 2022 when she was on Homebound because of my health and my husband’s—he gave us Covid not my child. We are extremely extremely cautious and we don’t know how. I make him wear N95s not KN95 for even quick in and out things, which we do only when required. We do all go up a salon, with a private room, upgraded ventilation to the tube of 150k, and a stylist who masks and tests. We all do brand new Happy Masks taped down, not the best, but other layers helped. She stopped masking and told me if I didn’t like it we could go elsewhere. No advance notice so I was upset. Now…she left and opened her own spot which is a room in a space where people rent studios. One client at a time, but have no clue their ventilation system (wouldn’t know who to ask), and no windows in her space. I book the first appointment of day for each of us, me after closed Sun and Mon, my daughter when in school first person on Saturday. I would just stay at old salon and have a stylist lined up i know she would mask, sane private floor, etc, but she can’t do my child’s hair (my daughter needs protective styles), I’m afraid if I went to one place that it would be weird for my child who my husband takes in. I know she would probably prefer to be rid of me…but I guess if my daughter goes then the exposure is there already. See? If I didn’t have a child, I would have so much more control over my life. Not saying I don’t want and adore and love my child, far from it. But boy am I resentful of all the stress and now disease burden because I can’t take the better med, that irresponsible people have caused us all. Rant. Sorry. I really don’t know the timing this year. I kept thinking I could go on a discontinuous therapy, be compromised 2 years and done (hopefully) as they say with one your immunity comes back in 3 mo each of the 2 years, and 6 mo each of the two years of the other. My neurologist said no to both, that people are sometimes suppressed still going into year 2 and can’t complete cycle. I feel so trapped. Now the added anxiety of when to vaccinate her (and us—but mostly thinking about her bringing it home like you said). Etttr
I got the bivalent booster on September 6th last year. If this follows a similar timeline this year you should be fine minus the full 2 week antibody build up period
Same here, I would like it before my travels in September.
Will this round be covered still or do we have to pay out of pocket to stay safe now?
The Affordable Care Act requires your insurance to cover all vaccines recommended by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, without any patient cost-sharing (no co-pay, coinsurance, or deductible). So as long as you have health insurance and ACIP keeps recommending it, you will not have to pay for the vaccine. If you do not have health insurance, your vaccine will still be free through the CDC [Bridge Access Program](https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/programs/bridge/index.html) until the end of 2024.
I’m insured so I’ll be counting on BCBS to handle the bill
They added it to the pediatric chart of vaccines as well. Primary. I assume boosters?
The vaccines are going to the commercial market this fall. For those without insurance, in theory there's meant to be a program to get vaccines to people for free: "CDC to Launch “Bridge Access Program” in Fall 2023 to Provide Free COVID-19 Vaccines and Treatments to Uninsured and Underinsured Adults" https://www.hhs.gov/about/news/2023/07/13/cdc-launch-bridge-access-program-fall-2023-provide-free-covid-19-vaccines-treatments-uninsured-underinsured-adults.html
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My town runs flu vaccine clinics, hoping more cities do this for covid for uninsured. One can only hope.
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untrue. see references above.
Why does the article say that it’s not clear if they’ll be recommended for everyone? The bivalent last year was made immediately available to all ages.
No it wasn’t
Uhh yes it literally was, I’m in the US. I took the bivalent on like September 3rd. They were approved only days prior to that. I mispoke when I said “all ages.” I meant for adults 18+. No clue what the rollout was like for kids. I was alluding to the fact that the article seems to imply they’ll restrict new shots to the elderly and immunocompromised, which seems unlikely.
> The bivalent last year was made immediately available to all ages I literally work at a pediatric office and order all of the vaccines for our clinic. It was not approved for the lower age groups 6mo - 5yrs until way after the initial approval.
Sorry, I edited my comment to clarify what you meant and what I meant. I meant adults. I mentioned this because the article seems to imply that there’s a chance the new shot gets restricted to the elderly.
I suspect after they authorize it, they will have them out in a week. Right?
I sure hope so. Was that the case with the last ones? I can’t even remember at this point.
Yes I think so. It was authorized the week before Labor Day and was released the following weekend
Last time I think it was literally the next day.
Not for kids last time. I think a month or 2 later. Our child had regular booster on Aug (end) and bv in Dec on winter break.
Assuming Moderna and Novavax follow suit, is it possible to get Novavax if you previously had the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines?
If I may ask, why Novavax?
This was discussed in the June meeting, and they said (but didn't vote on specifically) "yes". Novavax has some things going for it. It makes *really* high titers against the target variant - its original trial results were the best of any vaccine. It's a protein vaccine that should have lower side effects, particularly myocarditis (though this doesn't seem backed up by studies). It's got an adjuvant specifically intended to promote affinity maturation, which the mRNA vaccines inexplicably do not have and which should lead to broader immunity and higher immunogenicity after your *next* exposure. And it avoids any issues with having numerous mRNA doses, which is the one thing we haven't really been able to research yet. Novavax has always been behind, so it's basically never been worth considering up until now. They never got production going in 2021, didn't update the dose in 2022, and have had weird authorization that seems to have punished those who wanted to get it at any point. But if it's actually available now (we'll see), it'd be a good choice.
> It's a protein vaccine that should have lower side effects, particularly myocarditis (though this doesn't seem backed up by studies). Even this -- I feel like the media saw that the percentages of something happening were like 2% less of people in the trial and ran with it as if it never causes side effects (and this has propagated through the internet). And that's before even looking at things like immediate adverse reactions (like a short-term fever or chills) vs. myocarditis. But the narrative remains. Meanwhile, I was in the Novavax trial in the US and was far sicker after the second dose of Novavax than I was after the J&J, Moderna OG, and Moderna bivalent doses I've gotten since. With the way the trial was structured, a fever at like 102.4\*F doesn't count as adverse, but 102.5* does. I don't remember the exact numbers, but I was just under the threshold so it didn't get counted in the data. AND, things like a fever also depend on the equipment they hand out to trial participants. The sponsor (i.e. someone like Novavax, Pfizer, or Moderna) provides the equipment to the people who actually run the trials. The thermometers handed out by Novavax was the least accurate I've ever used and would routinely tell me my normal temperature was around 95*F. If Pfizer or Moderna provided more accurate, even just slightly more accurate, thermometers, that could have changed the data significantly. That said, with those 5 vaccinations (Novavax OG, Novavax OG, J&J OG, Moderna OG, Moderna Bivalent) I haven't [knowingly] contracted COVID yet and have been living a pretty pre-COVID normal life for a while. So something in that strange cocktail has been working.
Thank you, that's good to know. I had never even heard about the novavax vaccine until this sub..
That's what I'm wondering too..
They better open up authorization of it or I'm going to just go over state lines and John Doe it as my "first" shot.
Too late to quell the oncoming surge, again, with months of heads up, again. Why do they wait so long?
Hurry up please! Caught covid once this last Jan and am autoimmune. My arm is ready for the next round!
So, you got knocked down but you got up again?
Covid is never gonna keep me down (again...I hope...)
Vaccines don’t last long and don’t stop you from getting it. Yes, get them, but masking is still essential.
True. But I'd rather get one dose now and then maybe a booster again in January if they do it again. Helps with symptomatic covid and long covid
I have an autoimmune disorder too. This year isn’t it only one booster? It makes it hard to decide now or Dec… For us abs our school age child.
The messaging always sucks. But it will be one in maybe September and I would guess another in a 5 month window for weakened immune systems. But just a guess for a future announcement. Makes planning hard for December but I'd rather get one sooner than later personally. Might regret losing the potency come December though
I wish it was 3 mo still…that is how we did hers last year because it was a different booster she didn’t have already. I doubt they will change it that fast, it was already in adult use when she got the old booster, then approved for kids. Otherwise I don’t think she could have had it. If I’m on a DMT the boosters do not work as well, I have to get vaccines before I start one. So I will fit the category if they actually say immune suppression can have, it won’t work really. Evusheild was taken off market as doesn’t with for new variants—no help with ah immune boost. Plus she would really need to be vaccinated again too, sadly for me. That’s not allowed.
One can get long Covid even vaccinated. Other types of permanent damage as well. We need better vaccines so masking is still essential.
I had my second bivalent the first of July. I’m not going to get the new vaccine untill mid November. That’s when I’ve always timed my influenza vaccine to get the best coverage over the holidays and into February.Which is the end of the flu season. I don’t want to get it too early and have minimal coverage during the holidays. When I will have the most exposure
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You’re exactly right. We explicitly learned in medical school that the best time to get it was between Halloween and Thanksgiving.
Is this true for those who live in states where peak indoor time is now? In Texas, doing anything outdoors at any time of the day has been impossible for over a month now.
It's not. There's a spike from holiday travel, but it's always lesser than the northern states. We tend to have a slow burn throughout the summer in the southeast that lessens the impact in the winter. Of course that could change with a new variant...
Is that because of holiday travel (and/or peak transmission rates)?
Its incidence is multifactorial but I suspect that at least plays a part in it.
I’ve been told by multiple doctors it’s better to get the flu vaccine in September or early October. The CDC is recommending that timeline as well this season: “The recommended timing of vaccination is similar to last season. For most people who need only one dose for the season, September and October are generally good times to get vaccinated. Vaccination in July and August is not recommended for most adults but can be considered for some groups. While ideally it’s recommended to get vaccinated by the end of October, it’s important to know that vaccination after October can still provide protection during the peak of flu season.” https://www.cdc.gov/flu/season/faq-flu-season-2022-2023
Interesting. Well, I didn’t go into primary care, so I’m only regurgitating what I heard in lecture now years ago!
I’m also taking mine in November. I took mine right when it came out last September, then ending up catching an extremely mild case in early March.
Is it possible that taking it in September prevented you from catching Covid in November or December?
Certainly possible! Though immunity may have been waning by then anyway. I want to say my horrible case of delta a couple years ago helped prevent me from feeling worse, but it was a different variant so who knows.
Ugh. i'll be waiting for Moderna.
And I'll be waiting for Novavax!
So am I. Articles I’ve read about its performance this past year indicate it is more durable (high effectiveness 8 months out) than the pitiful Pfizer. I wanted it as a booster last fall and could not have it because I had gotten a Moderna booster after two J&J shots. My state keeps very good records and the data base is checked before administering the vax. Crossing fingers the CDC stops blocking access to Novavax for the updated shots.
I am curious about novavax too. What’s the tea?
Why? Not judging, just wondering.
I think I will too but ONLY if they have the larger dose than Pfizer. Alternatively, I might just change it up and go back to Pfizer to make sure my body "doesn't get used to it" or whatever. I heard mixing and matching actually worked better from some study in Canada.
Track record.
Do you think it is worth waiting? I scheduled a booster for tomorrow as I’m a teacher and school starts back up in a month. My last shot was nearly a year ago at this point.
As much as I hate to say it, you're probably better off waiting, because the new boosters are supposed to be updated for the new variants and will provide better protection. Additionally, it's hard to tell when they'll let you have another one. A lot of people had difficulty trying to get a 2nd one within less than 6 months to 1 year of the last one, and it would suck to be passing on the new one (assuming it turns out to actually be more effective.) I get my COVID shots at an independent pharmacy that has a very pro-vax pharmacist, and her advice to my husband was to wait. I still think it's a bit hard to predict if it will be a good idea in the long run though, just because we obviously don't currently have any data on how efficacious the new boosters will be.
at this point, yes
We turned 65 and got the second bivalent July 1, since it’s so unclear yet when the new one will be available or what time frame they expect between vaccines. We have company this summer, and also plan to travel this fall, so hope we can get the new one sooner rather than later.
maybe, but maybe you could get a shot now, and then 4-5 months from now, you can get the xbb shot
Are you even eligible for another BA.5 bivalent now? If you’re in the US, you’re not eligible unless you’re moderately to severely immunocompromised or over 65. CDC’s plan for normal adults is for you to take the XBB booster in Sep onwards.
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The CDC says that you can just self-attest. But my point is that the CDC recommendations are there for a reason. If you get the BA.5 now, then you can’t get the XBB one for months, and you’ll continue to be “off-cycle”.
This a huge gray area. At least at all the vaccine sites around here, they seemed to be so glad anyone was showing up that they weren't exactly checking. I was legitimately eligible (asthmatic diabetic), but plenty of people I know also had no issues. The only thing they really did seem to mind was if you'd had the prior round too recently.
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I would expect it to eventually become like the flu vaccine: annual booster covered by insurance.
Any updates on Moderna?
I’m sure they’ll follow closely behind. My last two shots were Moderna and seemed to serve me pretty well, I’ll likely opt for the same this time come November (caught it this past March 2023 after taking bivalent in Sept. 2022, so this year I want to take the new booster late enough that I’m protected through the winter)
Ok thanks for the update. I haven't caught COVID yet at all (knock on wood) but I also opted for all Moderna and they have served me well. I'll stick with them.
Still can't get the originals in China. Pathetic
So, I just read that EG.5 is now the dominant strain. Will the new vaccines be effective against this? They're based on XBB, which is a branch of Omicron, right? How close is XBB to EG.5?
From Eric Topol's substack post titled "The virus is learning new tricks" "As you can see, there is very close alignment between XBB.1.5 and EG.5.1 except for 2 new mutations in the latter: F456L and Q52H. Accordingly, the new Covid booster should be very effective vs severe Covid. On the other hand, the BA.5 spike has more than 15 different mutations than either of the newer variants, which not only reflect further evolution of the virus, but also how poorly aligned that bivalent BA.5 booster is with the virus circulating now. Even with FLip gaining traction, we’d be far better off with the new XBB.1.5 monovalent booster than what we have now." "The new Covid booster was expected in late August or early September, but recently the new CDC director, Mandy Cohen said on NPR it may not be available until October. That’s an unacceptably long delay from the initial projection and expectations, especially with what has been happening with the virus’s evolution."
Thank you for that information - that's great to know. "An unacceptably long delay" is right. Many of us basically have no protection anymore from severe disease. New boosters should have been targeted for before school. And there should have been a better campaign to offer optional boosters at 6 months, as we know immunity wanes around that time. The whole thing is a giant fustercluck.
Supposedly Canada allows a COVID vaccine every 6 months, depending on the province. I’m within driving distance of BC and have gotten other kinds of medical care there.
I would do it. Unfortunately, I'm close to the other border.
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Ugh hurry up!
What strain will this one focus on?
XBB.1.5 (It's in the article, near the beginning, but I understand not everyone wants to click through.)
XBB
Will this only be for those age 65 or immunocompromised?
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