• FluTrackers.com Inc. does not provide medical advice. Information on this web site is collected from various internet resources, and the FluTrackers board of directors makes no warranty to the safety, efficacy, correctness or completeness of the information posted on this site by any author or poster. The information collated here is for instructional and/or discussion purposes only and is NOT intended to diagnose or treat any disease, illness, or other medical condition. Every individual reader or poster should seek advice from their personal physician/healthcare practitioner before considering or using any interventions that are discussed on this website. By continuing to access this website you agree to consult your personal physican before using any interventions posted on this website, and you agree to hold harmless FluTrackers.com Inc., the board of directors, the members, and all authors and posters for any effects from use of any medication, supplement, vitamin or other substance, device, intervention, etc. mentioned in posts on this website, or other internet venues referenced in posts on this website.
  • We are not asking for any donations. Do not donate to any entity who says they are raising funds for us.

Discussion thread VI - COVID-19 (new coronavirus)

I was in a medical clinic waiting room yesterday. I mentioned this seems a good place to pick up trends before they hit the news. People were sick there when the last wave was building, then all were well the next month as the curve was going down but before the stats really showed a steady improvement. Now a couple of months later, people are still physically well but angry, really angry - about the mandates.

One of the receptionists was talking with an older man. She said at the last hospital system she worked at, 40-60% of the Covid patients who were coming in sick had been fully vaccinated. Neither she nor the man trusted assurances that the vaccine was preventing serious illnesses. The man wanted more detail about that. He was a veteran who had been sprayed with Agent Orange and he and the receptionist talked about the rotten way the VA is gaslighting veterans about their illnesses. (She had worked there, too.)

The receptionist said that at the last hospital system she worked at, a lot of medical staff was avoiding the vaccine. But the one she was at currently does mandate it so she got one. She said she was very ill for a full week. She was glad her husband's employer did not mandate it.

There was also a lot of anger about the pandemic at a lab I was at recently, too. More free floating anger about how messed up the medical system is right now. People seem ready to snap.
 
NOT MEDICAL ADVICE - If you have any medical questions, consult your medical practitioner.

I said I would post about my personal COVID-19 journey since I have been running this site for 15 years and come across many, many expert opinions, data, studies, etc. on a daily basis.

Tomorrow I am getting the Moderna booster. I really do not like shots. As I said before I get the flu vaccination about 1/2 of the time. I am not someone who rushes to the doctor frequently. I like to find natural items and use those as a first defense.

The reasons I am getting the booster:

1) I am very high risk.
2) I did not have a bad reaction to the first two shots.
3) I employ a multi-layering strategy and a vaccine is included in that strategy - if possible.

I have no idea what is going to happen in the future but there will be more waves of some COVID-19 variant. I plan on continuing a restricted life style until further notice. I do watch for trends in my local area so I can increase and decrease my self imposed restrictions. I always carry a mask.

I know a vaccine booster is not going to "save" me. I have no expectations of this. As I have said many times before it is only ONE TOOL. I will NOT be attending large holiday gatherings inside. I do not expect a vaccine to protect me adequately in those types of situations. The vaccine is a back-up plan to all of the other things that I am doing to avoid contracting the illness. The vaccine is not my first line of defense. I am not taking, or have asked for, any pharma drug for use as a COVID-19 preventative.

I will report back here if I experience any problems with the booster.

I agree with Emily above that people are really stressed out. The governments need to back off. No amount of hassle or media promotion is going to make people get any vaccine/medicine/treatment.

Take of you.

And thanks for viewing us!
 
I just spoke to someone who cancelled my vaccination booster appointment because my local grocery store does not have approval to give the booster from Publix Super Markets, Inc. corporate office despite yesterday's approval. link

Apparently you can sign up for the booster online but not actually get it.

Oh well.....
 
FDA NEWS RELEASE


Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update: FDA Takes Additional Actions on the Use of a Booster Dose for COVID-19 Vaccines

For Immediate Release:October 20, 2021


Español

Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration took action to expand the use of a booster dose for COVID-19 vaccines in eligible populations. The agency is amending the emergency use authorizations (EUA) for COVID-19 vaccines to allow for the use of a single booster dose as follows:
  • The use of a single booster dose of the Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine that may be administered at least 6 months after completion of the primary series to individuals:
    • 65 years of age and older
    • 18 through 64 years of age at high risk of severe COVID-19
    • 18 through 64 years of age with frequent institutional or occupational exposure to SARS-CoV-2
  • The use of a single booster dose of the Janssen (Johnson and Johnson) COVID-19 Vaccine may be administered at least 2 months after completion of the single-dose primary regimen to individuals 18 years of age and older.
  • The use of each of the available COVID-19 vaccines as a heterologous (or “mix and match”) booster dose in eligible individuals following completion of primary vaccination with a different available COVID-19 vaccine.
  • To clarify that a single booster dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine may be administered at least 6 months after completion of the primary series to individuals 18 through 64 years of age with frequent institutional or occupational exposure to SARS-CoV-2.
“Today’s actions demonstrate our commitment to public health in proactively fighting against the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Acting FDA Commissioner Janet Woodcock, M.D. “As the pandemic continues to impact the country, science has shown that vaccination continues to be the safest and most effective way to prevent COVID-19, including the most serious consequences of the disease, such as hospitalization and death. The available data suggest waning immunity in some populations who are fully vaccinated. The availability of these authorized boosters is important for continued protection against COVID-19 disease.”

“The amendments to the emergency use authorizations to include a single booster dose in eligible populations are based on the available data and information and follows the input from the members of our advisory committee who were supportive of the use of a booster dose of these vaccines in eligible populations,” said Peter Marks, M.D., Ph.D., director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research. “We are also taking action today to include the use of mix and match boosters to address this public health need. We will work to accrue additional data as quickly as possible to further assess the benefits and risks of the use of booster doses in additional populations and plan to update the healthcare community and public with our determination in the coming weeks.”

Authorization of Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine Booster Dose

To support the authorization for emergency use of a single booster dose of the Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine, the FDA analyzed immune response data from 149 participants 18 years of age and older from the original clinical studies who received a booster dose at least 6 months after their second dose and compared it to the immune responses of 1,055 study participants after completing their two-dose series. The antibody response of the 149 participants against SARS-CoV-2 virus 29 days after a booster dose of the vaccine demonstrated a booster response.

The FDA also evaluated an additional analysis from Moderna comparing the rates of COVID-19 accrued during the Delta variant surge during July and August 2021, which suggest that there is a waning of vaccine effectiveness over time.

Safety was evaluated in 171 participants 18 years of age and older who were followed for an average of approximately six months. The most commonly reported side effects by the clinical trial participants who received the booster dose of the vaccine were pain at the injection site, tiredness, headache, muscle and/or joint pain, chills, swollen lymph nodes in same arm as the injection, nausea and vomiting, and fever. Of note, swollen lymph nodes in the underarm were observed more frequently following the booster dose than after the primary two-dose series.

Ongoing analyses from the FDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) safety surveillance systems have identified increased risks of inflammatory heart conditions, myocarditis and pericarditis, following vaccination with the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, particularly following the second dose. Typically, onset of symptoms has been a few days following vaccination. The observed risk is higher among males under 40 years of age, particularly males 18 through 24, than among females and older males.

The Moderna COVID-19 single booster dose is half of the dose that is administered for a primary series dose and is administered at least six months after completion of a primary series of the vaccine.

Authorization of Janssen (Johnson and Johnson) COVID-19 Vaccine Booster Dose

The authorization for emergency use of a single booster dose of the Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine is based on the FDA’s evaluation of immune response data in 39 participants from a clinical trial including 24 participants who were 18 through 55 years of age and 15 participants who were 65 years of age and older. The study participants received a booster dose approximately 2 months after their first dose, and the results demonstrated a booster response.

Overall, approximately 9,000 clinical trial participants have received two doses of Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine administered at least two months apart and of these, approximately 2,700 have had at least two months of safety follow-up after the booster dose. Janssen’s safety analyses from these studies have not identified new safety concerns.

Earlier analyses from the FDA and CDC safety surveillance systems suggest an increased risk of a serious and rare type of blood clot in combination with low blood platelets following administration of the Janssen COVID-19 vaccine. This serious condition is called thrombocytopenia syndrome (TTS). People who developed TTS after receiving the vaccine had symptoms that began about one to two weeks after vaccination. Reporting of TTS has been highest in females ages 18 through 49 years. In addition, safety surveillance suggests an increased risk of a specific serious neurological disorder called Guillain Barré syndrome, within 42 days following receipt of the Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine.

Authorization of “Mix and Match” Booster Dose

Today, the FDA is also authorizing the use of heterologous (or “mix and match”) booster dose for currently available (i.e., FDA-authorized or approved) COVID-19 vaccines. Following a presentation of clinical trial data from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, the Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee’s discussion of information submitted for consideration, along with the agency’s evaluation of the available data, the FDA has determined that the known and potential benefits of the use of a single heterologous booster dose outweigh the known and potential risks of their use in eligible populations.

A single booster dose of any of the available COVID-19 vaccines may be administered as a heterologous booster dose following completion of primary vaccination with a different available COVID-19 vaccine. The eligible population(s) and dosing interval for a heterologous booster dose are the same as those authorized for a booster dose of the vaccine used for primary vaccination.

For example, Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine recipients 18 years of age and older may receive a single booster dose of Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine, Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine (half dose) or Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine at least two months after receiving their Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine primary vaccination.

In another example, Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine and Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine recipients falling into one of the authorized categories for boosters (65 years of age and older, 18 through 64 years of age at high-risk of severe COVID-19, and 18 through 64 years of age with frequent institutional or occupational exposure to SARS-CoV-2) may receive a booster dose of Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine (half dose), Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine or Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine at least six months after completing their primary vaccination.

The agency recognizes that health care providers and COVID-19 vaccine recipients will have questions about booster doses. The individual fact sheets for each available vaccine provide relevant information for health care providers and the vaccine recipients. The agency encourages health care providers to also follow the recommendations that will be provided by the CDC following a meeting of their Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices and formal recommendations signed by the CDC director.
Related Information
https://www.fda.gov/news-events/pre...al-actions-use-booster-dose-covid-19-vaccines
 
sharon sanders said:
I just spoke to someone who cancelled my vaccination booster appointment because my local grocery store does not have approval to give the booster from Publix Super Markets, Inc. corporate office despite yesterday's approval. link

Apparently you can sign up for the booster online but not actually get it.

Oh well.....
Click to expand...

They are awash in appointment availability at this minute. I could have had another appointment for tomorrow but I chose to move it to Monday. We will see if I am allowed to get it.
 
sharon sanders said:
They are awash in appointment availability at this minute. I could have had another appointment for tomorrow but I chose to move it to Monday. We will see if I am allowed to get it.
Click to expand...

I'm hopeful you'll be fine until then since you had the Moderna vaccine and you are cautious. There's a new study that shows how short the protection of Pfizer is vs Moderna. It was looking at cancer patients, but control HCW group was pretty much out of gas after 6 months of Pfizer protection.

https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.10.20.21265273v1

Impaired Neutralizing Antibody Response to COVID-19 mRNA Vaccines in Cancer Patients
Cong Zeng, John P. Evans, Sarah Reisinger, Jennifer Woyach, Christina Liscynesky, Zeinab El Boghdadly, Mark P. Rubinstein, Karthik Chakravarthy, Linda Saif, Eugene M. Oltz, Richard J. Gumina, Peter G. Shields, Zihai Li, Shan-Lu Liu
medRxiv 2021.10.20.21265273; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.10.20.21265273

"Moderna mRNA-1273 outperformed Pfizer BNT162b2 vaccine in mean NT50 by 2.8-fold for HCWs (p = 0.0053) and 2.1-fold for cancer patients
(p = 0.0044) (Fig. 1e). This is consistent with our previous findings that Moderna mRNA-1273 vaccinated individuals exhibit higher NT50 levels compared to Pfizer BNT162b212."
Moderna vs Pfizer.jpg
 
sharon sanders said:
They are awash in appointment availability at this minute. I could have had another appointment for tomorrow but I chose to move it to Monday. We will see if I am allowed to get it.
Click to expand...

Publix can argue whether I am immunocomprised or not, but they can not argue that I am 65.



CDC Expands Eligibility for COVID-19 Booster Shots

Media Statement
For Immediate Release: Thursdayday, October 21, 2021
Contact: Media Relations
(404) 639-3286

Today, CDC Director Rochelle P. Walensky, M.D., M.P.H., endorsed the CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices’ (ACIP) recommendation for a booster shot of COVID-19 vaccines in certain populations. The Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) authorizationexternal icon and CDC’s recommendation for use are important steps forward as we work to stay ahead of the virus and keep Americans safe.

For individuals who received a Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, the following groups are eligible for a booster shot at 6 months or more after their initial series:
For the nearly 15 million people who got the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine, booster shots are also recommended for those who are 18 and older and who were vaccinated two or more months ago.

There are now booster recommendations for all three available COVID-19 vaccines in the United States. Eligible individuals may choose which vaccine they receive as a booster dose. Some people may have a preference for the vaccine type that they originally received and others, may prefer to get a different booster. CDC’s recommendations now allow for this type of mix and match dosing for booster shots.

Millions of people are newly eligible to receive a booster shot and will benefit from additional protection. However, today’s action should not distract from the critical work of ensuring that unvaccinated people take the first step and get an initial COVID-19 vaccine. More than 65 million Americans remain unvaccinated, leaving themselves – and their children, families, loved ones, and communities– vulnerable.

Available data right now show that all three of the COVID-19 vaccines approved or authorized in the United States continue to be highly effective in reducing risk of severe disease, hospitalization, and death, even against the widely circulating Delta variant. Vaccination remains the best way to protect yourself and reduce the spread of the virus and help prevent new variants from emerging.

The following is attributable to Dr. Walensky:

“These recommendations are another example of our fundamental commitment to protect as many people as possible from COVID-19. The evidence shows that all three COVID-19 vaccines authorized in the United States are safe – as demonstrated by the over 400 million vaccine doses already given. And, they are all highly effective in reducing the risk of severe disease, hospitalization, and death, even in the midst of the widely circulating Delta variant.”

https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2021/p1021-covid-booster.html
 
NOT MEDICAL ADVICE. If you have medical questions, consult your medical practitioner.


Well, Publix gave me the booster shot! lol

I felt nothing. So far no reaction at all. It is the 1/2 dose of Moderna.

I really had no choice. I am high risk. I think the best strategy for me is to layer protections.

THE VACCINE BOOSTER IS NOT GOING TO SAVE ME. It is only ONE TOOL.

As I said before, I use masks, limit my inside exposures, and generally use social distancing as a rule. I also, carry hand sanitizer, and gargle with a mouthwash after outside exposure to people if they come into my comfort sphere. If I need to visit a doctor's office, I have a jazzy pair of goggles I wear. I really don't care how dumb I look to others. In fact, one doctor thanked me.

I also listen to my instincts. I was going to shop at the busy grocery store but getting the shot took so long that I felt I had been in the store long enough. About 1/2 of the shoppers did not have any mask on. No one was wearing an N95. I had been in there about 45 minutes so I said - screw it, and left. Nothing solid. Just a feeling.

The problem we now have is that all of the millions of people who got the vaccines earlier this year have waning antibodies of some degree. They don't know if they are protected anymore, or not. It remains to be seen what length and strength of immunity COVID survivors have. Do mild cases have any antibodies?

In the end, you need to evaluate your personal risk and act on it. People have different ideas of what to do and I respect that.


Take care of you.

Thank you for following us!
 
So far nothing really going on. After about 4 hours my arm started to ache where the shot went in. It ached for about 24 hours. Yesterday I felt a little tired like I was coming down with something. Today, all good. Like I said, in my opinion for myself, I feel I really had no choice. I have the responsibility to take care of myself. I can not depend on the whole of society to protect me (which is impossible).
 
It sounds like the half dose was just right for you. At least it seems like they still have protection. Then as a backup as far as approved medical treatments, there are the monoclonal antibodies if available.
 
https://www.medpagetoday.com/infectiousdisease/covid19vaccine/95280
CDC: Some Immunocompromised People Can Get a Fourth Dose
— But boosters not required for this entire population, updated interim guidance says

by Molly Walker, Deputy Managing Editor, MedPage Today October 27, 2021
Click to expand...

This is confusing to me. It seems like they are recommending a full 3rd Moderna dose to moderate to severe immune compromised, then the half dose later as a booster.

https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/covid-...es-us.html#considerations-covid19-vax-booster
People who are moderately and severely immunocompromised and COVID-19 vaccine booster dose

Moderately and severely immunocompromised people aged ≥18 years who completed an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine primary series and received an additional mRNA vaccine dose may receive a single COVID-19 booster dose (Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, or Janssen) at least 6 months after completing their third mRNA vaccine dose. In such situations, people who are moderately and severely immunocompromised may receive a total of four COVID-19 vaccine doses. A person who is moderately or severely immunocompromised and has received two doses of an mRNA vaccine and ≥28 days has elapsed since the second dose, should receive an additional mRNA dose immediately (if Moderna COVID-19 vaccine is used, administer 100µg in 0.5ml), followed ≥6 months later by a single COVID-19 vaccine booster dose (if Moderna vaccine booster is used, administer 50µg in 0.25ml).

Moderately and severely immunocompromised people aged ≥18 years who received a single dose Janssen COVID-19 vaccine primary series should receive a single COVID-19 booster vaccine (Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna or Janssen) at least 2 months (8 weeks) after receiving their initial Janssen primary dose. If the Moderna vaccine is used in this circumstance, the booster dose and dose volume should be used (50µg in 0.25ml). A patient’s clinical team is best positioned to determine the appropriate timing of vaccination. A person who received one primary dose of Janssen COVID-19 vaccine should not receive more than two COVID-19 vaccine doses as detailed in Appendix A.
Click to expand...
 
France -

Translation Google

Covid-19. Departments, age groups: who is affected by the current rebound in the epidemic?

The rebound of the Covid-19 epidemic observed in France in recent days is particularly marked in some departments. However, they do not all have the same characteristics, especially in the age groups affected by the circulation of the virus.

Ouest France
Erwan ALIX.
Posted on 11/04/2021 at 6:42 p.m.
...
In hospital, the over 60s

In hospitals, the elderly still constitute the majority of patients treated for severe forms of Covid-19.
...
We see that the increase in patients treated with coronavirus infection corresponds to the age groups above 60 years.

However, the vaccination rate in the departments where the incidence rate is increasing is high, at the same level as the national average, with vaccination coverage of 86.8%. However, only 31% of those over 80 received a booster dose.

The increase currently observed in France as well as the situation in Germany show the benefit of continuing to administer booster doses, but also, despite vaccination coverage, of maintaining barrier measures.
...

https://www.ouest-france.fr/sante/vi...9-24374b064259
 
how long does it last ? again 6 months ? J+J claims that their vaccine doesn't wane but all the data
that I had seen shows waning.
Heterologuous seems better , but also with J+J or AZ as booster ? Not tested.
Moderna is better than BNT but 3*BNT is better than 2* Moderna

http:/magictour.free.fr/debt2.GIF
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top