So the downside of the vax

[BlsdMama]

Because of my antibody issue, I’ve decided to chance Covid over the vax. Either has significant risk for me.  DS is living with us for two weeks until his new lease. 11 kids have come down with it at CFA so far. He’s vaxed so unlikely to show symptoms if he’s carrying. 
Awesome. It’s a no win. 

Edited August 1, 2021 by BlsdMama

[Ottakee]

Hope you are all safe.  People with special medical concerns like you are why the rest of us need to do our part.

I realize you have no good choices.   Same thing with some of my kids friends with special medical needs.  They and their doctors are weighing the options.

[Storygirl]

I'm so sorry. Can he get tested in your area, or are you in one of those places that will not test vaccinated people?

[kbutton]

1 hour ago, BlsdMama said:

DS is living with us for two weeks until his new lease. 11 kids have come down with it at CFA so far.

Are these people he works with that have gotten sick? Does he mask? Can he stay in his room/bathroom when he's home?

1 hour ago, BlsdMama said:

He’s vaxed so unlikely to show symptoms if he’s carrying. 

This is true, but it's also true that he's less likely to get it. Delta is a game changer, but it's not entirely ineffective, especially if he is masking in public and keeping to himself at home.

[Ausmumof3]

Yep!  I am now stressed about carrying it because I’m partially vaccinated 😞 can’t win.

Just masking and being cautious again.

[TheReader]

Oh, I'm so sorry! Praying he stays healthy, as well as you/the whole family. 

[MercyA]

[Mrs Tiggywinkle]

I have a relative with myasthenia gravis and she’s been advised by her specialty team not to get the vaccine.  She was pretty hopeful that she’d be okay since we have such a low Covid rate(1.6% right now, but truthfully people aren’t testing much) and are inching gradually towards at least 50% of the eligible population being vaccinated.  The news that vaccinated people can still transmit and breakthrough cases are more common than we originally hoped is honestly devastating to her. 
 

You’re in my thoughts. This is truly a no win for anyone.

[Tap]

I have a mild autoimmune condition (Sjogren's). The first shot of Pfizer was nothing at all to me. The second shot, kicked.my.butt! I was off work for a day (a Friday) and recovered over the weekend. My mild symptoms lingered for a while.  Of my 20 coworkers, who all got it in Dec 2020, I am the only one who had bad symptoms. I would absolutely take the vaccine again, but that is not the same for everyone. 

DD22 has an autonomic nervous system disorder and a whole lotta other health issues. But, oddly enough, she is really healthy and has a great immune system. We also believe she is in the beggining years of  Sjogrens. She is choosing to not get vaxed partially due to my reaction and the stories of others with autoimmune issues like me. Those of us who have amped up immune systems, seem to be having worse side effects from the vaccine. She will get COVID eventually (she may have already had it) but honestly, we are worried less about that for her than the immunization. I say that as someone who is 100% pro-vax.  Some people, just should not introduce foreign substances in thier delicate systems. Too much can go wrong and once it is in, there are no take-backs. That being said, she has severe asthma so we know that if she gets COVID, she will be flared for a while. 

I am sorry your son has an increased chance of getting sick. I hope that your autoimmune condition is one that seems to help you not get the more common illnesses. (((((hugs)))) for any extra stress this is causing you and yours!

[KSera]

3 minutes ago, Tap said:

She will get COVID eventually (she may have already had it) but honestly, we are worried less about that for her than the immunization. I say that as someone who is 100% pro-vax.  Some people, just should not introduce foreign substances in thier delicate systems.

I'm sorry, that sounds scary. Is she able to be careful enough to still try to avoid it in hopes she doesn't actually ever have to contract it?

I keep trying to think of how to ask the question I have about the above in a sensitive way, because I'm genuinely curious to know, but am afraid the question will sound confrontational, which is not at all how I intend it. You don't have to answer if it's too much of a pain, but I'm curious to learn more about how sometimes covid might be safer for someone with an auto immune condition than the vaccine is. I don't doubt that can be the case, but I'm curious what that mechanism is.

[Tap]

9 minutes ago, KSera said:

I'm sorry, that sounds scary. Is she able to be careful enough to still try to avoid it in hopes she doesn't actually ever have to contract it?

I keep trying to think of how to ask the question I have about the above in a sensitive way, because I'm genuinely curious to know, but am afraid the question will sound confrontational, which is not at all how I intend it. You don't have to answer if it's too much of a pain, but I'm curious to learn more about how sometimes covid might be safer for someone with an auto immune condition than the vaccine is. I don't doubt that can be the case, but I'm curious what that mechanism is.

For dd, if she is around someone at work, and gets a small exposure to COVID, her immune system will likely fight it off and she will be none-the-wiser. Her body doesn't have major reactions when she gets normal-sick. If anything, she seems to get a milder case than those around her. A medium or high level exposure will be unknown, but we hope her history of having minor illnesses will win out. But....when she gets injections, she sometimes has an allergic reaction. Injection reactions are normally mild in her world, but still result in hives and all over itching. Her body doesn't always see allergens as normal invaders and conquers it. It has gone bezerk and she has ended up with severe hives for months, and when things go really wrong, anaphylaxis. She has never had this happen from a vaccine, because you usually get one dose and then is is a year or more, before you get the second dose. (rare examples are different, I am talking about Tdap, flu, chicken pox etc). Just a side note here, you don't typically have an allergic reaction the first time you encounters something, you have the reaction the second (or later) time.  That year-or longer between injections- gives her immune system a chance to chill out before she gets a booster. With the COVID mRna shots, you get the second shot 3-4 weeks later. Her body will still be in full fight mode, and we don't know what it will do. It may be a normal reaction, but it could really send her immune system into a full flare (which is what happened to me).  The JJ vaccine, was a promising idea for her, since it is only one shot, but she is in the age group with a higher risk of clots and she is on BCP, so we don't want her to have the JJ brand. 

[Pawz4me]

48 minutes ago, Tap said:

Those of us who have amped up immune systems, seem to be having worse side effects from the vaccine. 

Not to contradict your experience, just as a FWIW to others reading who may be interested— I have RA and had nothing more than a slightly sore arm from either injection. But I’m on a fairly  strong immune suppressing biologic medication, so that may have been a factor in my lack of side effects. Of course it also might mean I didn’t get a good immune response, although the studies I’ve seen so far indicate that the medication I’m on doesn’t seem to reduce efficacy much. 

Edited August 2, 2021 by Pawz4me

[Jean in Newcastle]

5 minutes ago, Tap said:

For dd, if she is around someone at work, and gets a small exposure to COVID, her immune system will likely fight it off and she will be none-the-wiser. Her body doesn't have major reactions when she gets normal-sick. If anything, she seems to get a milder case than those around her. A medium or high level exposure will be unknown, but we hope her history of having minor illnesses will win out. But....when she gets injections, she sometimes has an allergic reaction. Injection reactions are normally mild in her world, but still result in hives and all over itching. Her body doesn't always see allergens as normal invaders and conquers it. It has gone bezerk and she has ended up with severe hives for months, and when things go really wrong, anaphylaxis. She has never had this happen from a vaccine, because you usually get one dose and then is is a year or more, before you get the second dose. (rare examples are different, I am talking about Tdap, flu, chicken pox etc). Just a side note here, you don't typically have an allergic reaction the first time you encounters something, you have the reaction the second (or later) time.  That year-or longer between injections- gives her immune system a chance to chill out before she gets a booster. With the COVID mRna shots, you get the second shot 3-4 weeks later. Her body will still be in full fight mode, and we don't know what it will do. It may be a normal reaction, but it could really send her immune system into a full flare (which is what happened to me).  The JJ vaccine, was a promising idea for her, since it is only one shot, but she is in the age group with a higher risk of clots and she is on BCP, so we don't want her to have the JJ brand. 

Is it possible to either just get one jab or to space the second jab out a year for someone like her?  (Like K’sera, I am just curious). 
 

I was hesitant to get the vaccine because I knew that chances are I would either not really get covered or would react too strongly. But I am also on a immunoregulator. Ie. It is supposed to tone down my immune system if it starts to overreact and is supposed to boost it if it goes the other way. I didn’t have a bad reaction so I have wondered a bit at how much immunity I have. 

[KSera]

13 minutes ago, Tap said:

That year-or longer between injections- gives her immune system a chance to chill out before she gets a booster. With the COVID mRna shots, you get the second shot 3-4 weeks later. Her body will still be in full fight mode, and we don't know what it will do.

Thanks for replying. This particularly totally makes sense to me. I hadn't thought about that aspect for those that might have allergic-type responses due to auto-immune rather than regular allergies.

[mum]

Just so others who are reading know, I work in a school and all the staff got their vaccines on the same day. At least 50% of them were quite sick for 24-48 hours. Healthy people, most with no health issues. That seems pretty normal for this, and many other vaccines. A robust reaction does not mean that something is wrong. 

[happi duck]

I thought vaccinated or not that people are most contagious before they show symptoms?  So no "warning"  either way?