It’s that time of year! Time to talk about Covid booster shots, that is. Last year, I ended up getting the bivalent booster and an extra flu shot because of the lag in availability locally. Those were my last shots, but it’s getting to be time for new Covid boosters and flu shots. It’s now an annual tradition, and the Covid vaccine companies will soon roll out their newest booster shots. So when should people schedule their booster appointments? From the New York Times:
Patients keep asking Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, an infectious disease specialist at the University of California, San Francisco, the same question: Is it time to get another Covid shot? The virus is circulating at high levels across the country. That might suggest it’s prime time for another dose of protection. But updated vaccines that target newer variants of the virus are expected to arrive this fall. Experts said the right time for your next Covid shot will depend on your health status and what you’re hoping to get from the vaccines.
If you’re trying to get the most protection against the leading variants: Doctors say that many people may want to wait for the updated vaccines, which have been retooled to better protect against the current dominant strains of the virus. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recommended that everyone ages 6 months or older receive an updated shot when they become available.
An upcoming vaccine from the biotechnology company Novavax will target JN.1, a coronavirus variant that accounted for the bulk of cases in the United States this winter. The Pfizer and Moderna shots coming this fall will target KP.2, a newer offshoot of JN.1 that’s been circulating this summer. The variants responsible for the largest share of cases in the United States right now, KP.3 and KP.3.1.1, are closely related to KP.2 and JN.1.
The vaccines that are currently available, by contrast, target older Omicron variants that fizzled out as JN.1 took hold this past winter. That doesn’t mean the current shots are ineffective. But when possible, it’s best to get a vaccine that closely matches the variants that are circulating, said Dr. Nathan Lo, an assistant professor of infectious diseases at Stanford University who has studied Covid vaccines.
Yeah, it was the same advice as last year – if you’re someone without any major health risks, you should wait until the early autumn to get the latest booster versions. If you have underlying health issues, you can go ahead and get the currently-available boosters (which were mostly for the Omicron variant, but every little bit helps). The doctors in this Times piece also said that while the current summertime Covid variants are concerning, they’re more worried about the winter months, which is why people should get the latest boosters as soon as they can in the fall. And remember to get your flu shots too! I swear, getting annual flu shots was such a game-changer for me.
Photos courtesy of CDC on Unsplash and Getty.
I wonder why nobody is working on a dual vaccine.
Companies are working on combo vaccines for combinations of flu, Covid and RSV.
I got those three on the same day last fall, two in one arm, one in the other. A single shot would be nice!
I’m traveling next week, so I got a booster last week, combined with the flu shot. Even though it’s not the new variants, I’m hoping it helps give me a little extra protection, just in case.
I have a grown son who has always had the flu shot until last year when he “didn’t bother” with the shot because he wrongly thought that he had built up immunity. He had never had a bad case of the flu, but his luck ran out and he got it. He was so sick, so miserable, and it lasted so long, that he swears he will never miss a shot again!
I’m so old I remember before there were flu shots. If you got it, you got it. And SUFFERED. Now, there are a lot of young people who have never had it and don’t realize how sick it can make you. I get my shot every year still, even though I had so many types when I was younger I apparently have built up immunity. A few years ago, I was heavily exposed to it from people who had the shot but got it anyway. When I came down with it, I had a heavy cold for five days and it was gone. The people I caught it from were much younger than me and were very sick for ten days. It probably would have been much worse if we all weren’t vaccinated.
I got influenza A 15-20 years ago and have never been so sick in my life. I’ve gotten flu vaccines since (a mucous clot in my lung made me feel like i was going to die).
I still haven’t had covid and never want to- looking forward to getting the new booster (not the fever that comes with it, though), and I still mask in public spaces. 🤞🏻
I’ve gotten the flu shot religiously ever since a healthy friend of mine in his early 40’s DIED of it.
Never realized a healthy person could actually die from the flu.
My husband had the flu about 10 years ago and was hospitalized. I seriously thought he was going to die. He spiked a very high fever, was bright red in the face, wheezing, couldn’t speak or follow what we were saying. We were terrified. Luckily he came through, but I think of it anytime someone says “Oh come on, it’s just the flu.” And even if you don’t get a life-threatening case, the flu is miserable! It’s so much worse than a cold.
Also: I get annoyed with people who say “But last year it only offered 30% protection! It was a bad vaccine!” It’s like if somebody was shooting at you and you had a shield only big enough to cover 1/3 of your body, so you just tossed it away and said it was useless. Yes, the flu shot (and COVID shot) can make you feel achy and under the weather for a day or so, but the protection, even if not 100%, could save your life! To me it’s a no-brainer.
My PHP recommended to wait until the new one comes pit. So will do so.
Seeing mine today, so will see what she says.
The FDA is scheduled to approve the updated vaxs (Moderna & Pfizer) by the end of this week. The companies have the shots ready for immediate roll out so they could be available by next week!! Fingers crossed that the roll out is smoother than last year (looking at you CVS).
Got the existing booster a month ago because we were traveling to Europe & did not want to bring covid home again as we did last summer 😾 But I will get the new booster as soon as I can – I think the waiting period is 3 or 4 months after last booster? And good reminder about the flu shot. When we had covid last summer, we couldn’t get that booster for 4 months & delayed getting our flu shots, figuring we’d get them at the same time. Big mistake. Hubby ended up with the worst case of flu A. Thankfully, when my symptoms showed later, I was able to get tamiflu to knock it out before it got too bad. My 16 year old daughter, who did get a flu shot because she had her annual physical, was the only one that was spared.
The last time I had the flu, I thought I was going to die. I always get the shot now!
My son has a terrible reaction to the covid vaccines and refuses to get the boosters because they make him so sick, so I’m really hoping the Novavax becomes available soon. Reports are that there are virtually no side effects.
I will wait till late September early October and will get both the flu and Covid shots.
I’m recovering from covid still. Tomorrow will be 14 days from 1st day of symptoms & I tested negative last Wed. It’s head congestion only now. I think I have to wait 3 months for the booster. Anyone here that could confirm this?
That’s what I’ve read too: we supposedly have immunity for the next 3 months and should wait to get the booster until after that. I had it last month and that weirds me out to have to wait when normally I’m hustling to get it ASAP.
I got a combo flu shot/Covid-19 shot last fall and I got sick. I’m not an anti-vaxxer loon, it was my 3rd Covid booster and I don’t believe the vaccine is evil or anything. But please, please pay attention to your body, and if you’re not feeling 100% DON’T GET IT. I was feeling a tad bit run down, but just thought it had been a long week.
Mine was a freak reaction, but the shot triggered a massive immune response and I am still trying to recover.
I don’t think I’ll get combo shots again if I can help it.
There’s controversy raging, on twitter, over how the Novavax authorizations are always delayed.