COVID booster shot...

[Blue4Life]

Israel had been offering booster shots, five month after  the second shot, for fully vaccinated people since August 1st, this year. The roughly one month result of the booster shot seems very promising, quote:

A new study conducted in Israel shows that individuals given a third COVID-19 vaccine dose are nearly twenty times more protected against serious illness and more than ten times more protected against infection, compared with those who received their second dose at least five months previously.

Source

New England Journal of Medicine journal published the study, released yesterday:

Protection of BNT162b2 Vaccine Booster against Covid-19 in Israel

The booster shot increases the level of antibodies higher, than previously seen after the second COVID shot:

Source

This is great news for reducing breakthrough infection rates. The US still did not approve the booster shot, but the decision on the subject is due today.

[LennG]

Israel has shown that a third shot will help boost immunity. I think that is a given. Why wouldn't more antibodies, or whatever, help a person from getting a disease. The question is, at what cost, in the sense that it is still a debatable issue if some is really needed at this time, and what, if any, after effects there maybe for another shot.

Myself, if they say it is safe and will offer more protection, I'll be on that line to get one. I am 75 and a cancer survivor. As of now, I am healthy, but if I can get more protection and I believe it will have no after effects, as I said, I will get it.


Then, of course, this is the top laugh getter on late night comedy these days

https://junkee.com/nicki-minaj-swollen-balls-vaccine/308624

[jimv]

I'm waiting to hear from my doctor.

[Blue4Life]

@Lenny...

Weather or not you will get the booster shot, I hope you'll be doing just fine and wish you well either ways. You may want to discuss the booster shot with your doctor, prior to standing in line.

In my mind, studies had shown, that the efficacy of the Pfizer vaccine is reduced after five month to 47%, quote:

While Pfizer's own data shows a decrease from an initial 96% efficacy to 83.7% efficacy after four months, the company also cited data from a study by Kaiser Permanente Southern California, which found that efficacy against infections declined from 88% during the first month after full vaccination to 47% after five months.

Breakthrough infections may not result in serious issues, or none at all, but fully vaccinated people can spread the virus just as well as unvaccinated people. In CT, the breakthrough infection rate is around 38% of the new infections. Being able to reduce it by about 90% would also help controlling the spread of the virus. The Israeli study had not been small scale, quote:

The research includes data from more than 1 million Israelis. Among those who hadn

[LennG]

Otto

We have had the Moderna vaccine and from what I read today, it has supposed to have held up better, as for now, than Pfizer.

AS I said, I could have gotten a booster last month when a friend of mine, also a cancer survivor, got his. I even posted on the board a few questions about it. MY wife and I decided to wait and see what is recommended. If it is said that we should get a booster, we will.

[MightyGiants]

The FDA advisory panel rejected the Pfizer booster for 16 and up but voted to approve for those 65 and over (I don't approve of this panel's reasoning/methodology but I won't go into it).  The FDA usually follows the advice of the panel.    The CDC is also reviewing and will make recommendations of its own.

The FDA panel in a week or two will consider Moderna (which was slower getting their data to the FDA


J and J still hasn't submitted their data

[LennG]

That is exactly what I heard a little while ago.

From what we understand, if we had Moderna, we need to stick with that. If that is so, we will wait until it gets approved.

[MightyGiants]

That is exactly what I heard a little while ago.

From what we understand, if we had Moderna, we need to stick with that. If that is so, we will wait until it gets approved.

I have heard that there is a good chance if Moderna does get approved for a booster shot, it could be a half dose (compared to the first two) booster

[Jolly Blue Giant]

I got the J&J shot back in April and have been somewhat discouraged about all the news that doesn't distinguish between Pfizer, Moderna, and J&J as to "booster shots". Finally, this morning in the Syracuse news, there is actually a news item that discusses J&J booster shots (https://www.syracuse.com/coronavirus/2021/09/johnson-johnson-booster-dose-of-covid-vaccine-is-94-effective-against-symptomatic-infection.html

From what I understand (and don't quote me on this), if you get a booster shot, it has to be the same product as the shot you got the first time. Not a doctor - I am just spouting my opinion here!

[Blue4Life]

FDA authorized booster shots for Pfizer:

• individuals 65 years of age and older;
• individuals 18 through 64 years of age at high risk of severe COVID-19; and
• individuals 18 through 64 years of age whose frequent institutional or occupational exposure to SARS-CoV-2 puts them at high risk of serious complications of COVID-19 including severe COVID-19.

Source

I've got my Pfizer second shot, back in March, and eligible for the booster.  At the advice of my better half, I'll schedule it when it becomes available. The first two shots didn't cause any issues for me, other than minor discomfort around the shot. I hope that the third one will be pretty much the same...

Edit: Added link to FDA...

[jimv]

We're waiting to hear from our Doctor.