The new Omicron booster - experience?

[SKL]

What are the reactions to this booster so far?  How do they compare to the reactions to the original Covid vaxes?

Any concerns about getting other routine vaxes at the same time as this booster?

ETA, any concerns getting the vax while recovering from:

• Concussion;
• Root canal;
• RSV;
• or while on Amoxicillin?

Does it matter if we had Covid about 5 months ago?

How long before the booster is considered effective (i.e. how much time before travel do I need)?

Other info?

Edited November 30, 2022 by SKL

[desertflower]

I can only answer your first set of questions. 
I had the same symptoms. Low grade fever, little bit of body ache and sore arm. 
dh had same symptoms. None. Lucky duck.

Ds had same symptoms- same as mine

older Dd had different symptoms. She had a low grade fever this time. But no congestion

younger dd had no symptoms which she had mild symptoms the first time around

[stephanier.1765]

I just had a sore arm but that's pretty much all I get from vaccines. 

[Kassia]

Reactions:

 

Mildest of all for me and DH (and he tends to react strongly).  

Ds1 and Ds2 felt lousy for a short time and felt their reactions were similar to previous Covid vaccines.  Their girlfriends had no reactions and didn't with the others either.  

[teachermom2834]

My dh got the new booster at the same time as his flu shot. He had no side effects even though his initial Moderna vaccines had him in bed for a day. 
 

In other anecdotal data- he contracted covid about six weeks after the booster along with me. I didn’t have the booster. I would say he had more mild illness than I did (though I don’t know he would admit that. Lol). So it didn’t prevent him from contracting the virus six weeks post shot. Possibly mitigated the severity.  

[Jaybee]

I got mine with the flu shot. Only very mild arm soreness. No other symptoms. I believe two weeks is still the standard for optimum immunity.

 

[MEmama]

7 minutes ago, Jaybee said:

I got mine with the flu shot. Only very mild arm soreness. No other symptoms. I believe two weeks is still the standard for optimum immunity.

 

Same, got mine with the flu shot. No reaction at all, same as the others for me. I swear by super-hydrating before getting vaccines, though ofc it could just be luck. 🤞

I waited several weeks before getting my shingles shot in order to not overload my system (no reaction from it either other than a sore arm for a few days).

[scbusf]

I got the new booster and the fly vac at the same time. I was down and out (headache, fever, fatigue) for almost 3 days, which is similar to how I felt after all my other Covid shots. 

[Insertcreativenamehere]

I got both two weeks ago, at the same time. I felt fatigued for a day or two but was otherwise fine. 

[kokotg]

I had nothing but a sore arm (got it at the same time as the flu shot)...I had mild fatigue with the others, so I guess less of a reaction with this one...but I didn't have serious side effects with any of them. Same for my husband and all of my kids except one who said he felt cruddy the next day (after not having much reaction to any of the others); he's the only one of us who has had covid (but it was back in January)--not sure if that's the difference or not. 

[mommyoffive]

 my little got it at the same time as the flu shot no reaction except sore arm.

My one got the 12 and up booster for the first time.  no reaction.  Did not get flu shot at the same time.

my teens reacted to it mildly the same the did with other booster. Tiredness, sore arm, feeling off for a day or two.  

I had a horrible reaction to the booster and flu shot last year.   So this year I didn't get them at the same time. Spaced them 2 weeks per the pharmacist recommendation.  It went much better.  I can't even remember right now which one had the bigger reaction.  But it was a headache that who knows if that was from the shot as a I get headaches. 

Top of my head you need 2 weeks to start getting a immune response from a vaccine.  But I would have to look that up.

We drink lots before and after.  Workout right after the shot.  And move our arm a lot right after the injection.  

Teens had Pfizer because that was all that was an option at the time.  I would have gotten my dd Moderna but not ds.

Everyone else had Moderna.  Dh, me, and the 3 youngest.

 

Edited November 30, 2022 by mommyoffive

[Innisfree]

I got mine at the same time as my flu shot, and in almost exactly the same spot on my arm. For a few days there was a lump maybe an inch and a half across. It was a little sore, but the reaction was certainly less than after my first shot, and about the same as after the later ones.

[mom2scouts]

I have not have the latest booster and probably won't get it. Our entire (vaxxed) family did have Omicron last Christmas. My 80 year old mom is extremely healthy (no meds or medical issues), but she decided to get it because of her age. She had a sore arm and fatigue after her first few Covid shots, but the recent booster made her so sick she couldn't get out of bed for two days. I'm not sure what's up with her reaction this time, but she says she won't get any more boosters after that experience.

[1234]

I had the flu and booster at the same time. This was the first time I had the Moderna vax though and I won’t have that one again. I had a miserable 24 hours that started about 12 hours after the vax. It was the worst arm pain I’ve ever had and it just hurt for about 24 hours straight. Had nothing to do with moving it or touching it - it just throbbed horribly and constantly. The shot didn’t hurt at time of injection so I don’t think it was anything the pharmacist did wrong either. Ds felt like he had the flu for about a day and everyone else here had zero reactions to it. 

[Katy]

DH had the mildest reaction so far, he was a little tired & had a headache from 12-24 hours after. No fever or chills this time. 

[mlktwins]

All 4 of us recently had ours (not combined with the flu shot).

We all had mild reactions - just like all of our previous shots.

Mostly a sore arm, a little tired and achey, no fever, and 3 of us had a lump for a day or 2 in our armpit.

We did these at least 2 weeks before we were going anywhere we would be extra exposed.

We have done all Pfizer. I'm scared of the Moderna -- LOL.

ETA: Scared of Moderna because of the side effects I've read about on this site and also because I have teenage boys and am worried about the heart thing.

Edited November 30, 2022 by mlktwins

[ShepCarlin]

Got mine with my flu shot back in September. No issues except for the sore arm. I had issues with the second shot but this one was easy peasy. I have no idea why, just lucked out I guess. Husband and both sons had no side effects either. 

Edited to add it was Pfizer.

Edited November 30, 2022 by ShepCarlin

[SKL]

ETA, any concerns getting the vax while recovering from:

• Concussion;
• Root canal;
• RSV;
• or while on Amoxicillin?

Does it matter if we had Covid about 5 months ago?

[prairiewindmomma]

I got the booster and had about 24 hours of a light fever, sore arm, fatigue. I got COVID 10 days later. The booster takes a full two weeks to really kick in. 
I had a really rough go of things with COVID. 
 

I got other shots at the same time.

The Shingrix (shingles) shot was tougher on me than the omicron booster, fwiw.

 

[mlktwins]

9 minutes ago, prairiewindmomma said:

The Shingrix (shingles) shot was tougher on me than the omicron booster, fwiw.

 

I agree with this. It was the same for me!

[KSera]

The bivalent booster was by far the easiest here. Those that had no reaction to the others still didn’t, but those of us who had fever and chills with the second and third shots did not this time. I felt like maybe I was starting to feel something that evening and then went to bed and felt totally normal in the morning. This was my first Pfizer, so it probably felt like a wimpy dose to my body after the Modernas. 

[Jean in Newcastle]

Just a sore arm.  Less reaction than I had to previous shots.

I was told 2 weeks for it to kick in.

I was told to wait 3 months after having had Covid to have the booster.  (I haven't actually had Covid but it was on the information sheet that I was given).

The last questions are best asked of your doctor or a nurse line. 

[freesia]

I had super mild arm soreness and that’s all. It was my first Pfizer dose. I’ve always gotten Moderna and had some kind of reaction. 

[mom2scouts]

33 minutes ago, prairiewindmomma said:

I got the booster and had about 24 hours of a light fever, sore arm, fatigue. I got COVID 10 days later. The booster takes a full two weeks to really kick in. 
I had a really rough go of things with COVID. 
 

I got other shots at the same time.

The Shingrix (shingles) shot was tougher on me than the omicron booster, fwiw.

 

Sorry to go off topic, but can I hear more about your experience with this? I had chickenpox as an adult. It was bad. Very, very bad. I probably should have been hospitalized, but I was too sick to even think about going to the hospital. I want to get the shingles shot and I keep talking myself out of getting it or finding reasons to put it off because I'm afraid of a bad reaction.

[KSera]

6 minutes ago, mom2scouts said:

. I want to get the shingles shot and I keep talking myself out of getting it or finding reasons to put it off because I'm afraid of a bad reaction

Not the poster you asked, but I have heard the same about Shingrix being a doozy. My aunt got shingles a couple years ago with long lasting nerve pain before she knew about the new shingles shot. The nerve pain lasted about a year and was severe. In some people, it never goes away. It was awful, and was enough I will be lining up for shingrix as soon as I’m eligible. I was frustrated her doctor never even offered it. 

[mommyoffive]

47 minutes ago, SKL said:

ETA, any concerns getting the vax while recovering from:

• Concussion;
• Root canal;
• RSV;
• or while on Amoxicillin?

Does it matter if we had Covid about 5 months ago?

I would call a doctor about all those issues.

Getting Vaccines If You Had or Currently Have COVID-19

If you recently had COVID-19, you may consider delaying your next vaccine dose (whether a primary dose or booster) by 3 months from when your symptoms started or, if you had no symptoms, when you first received a positive test.

Reinfection is less likely in the weeks to months after infection. However, certain factors, such as personal risk of severe disease, or risk of disease in a loved one or close contact, local COVID-19 Community Level, and the most common COVID-19 variant currently causing illness, could be reasons to get a vaccine sooner rather than later.

Stay Up to Date with COVID-19 Vaccines Including Boosters | CDC

[Starr]

I always have some reaction to covid vaccine/boosters. The pharmacist suggested I wait a couple of weeks for my flu vaccination. Dh had both the same day and was a little tired and had some discomfort at the injection sites.

[kbutton]

2 hours ago, SKL said:

ETA, any concerns getting the vax while recovering from:

• Concussion;
• Root canal;
• RSV;
• or while on Amoxicillin?

I would ask a pharmacist about this, and if they don't know, maybe your doctor.

I had a shorter course of adverse symptoms this time, and I had no headache this time. My symptoms were a bit more intense but short-lived. I had previously done all Pfizer, but I did Moderna for the bivalent booster. My DH has done all Moderna, and the difference in symptoms in our household fell very much along brand-name lines. Pfizer seemed to give a more slowed down (dragged out) but less intense set of side effects with Moderna being more intense but shorter. Pfizer seemed to generate more headaches for all household members than Pfizer. My DH is not prone to headaches, but those of us who are noticed a difference.

2 hours ago, SKL said:

How long before the booster is considered effective (i.e. how much time before travel do I need)?

I think it's two weeks like others have mentioned. Anecdotally, DH was delayed in getting his booster, so he had two weeks, and two of us had four weeks. Our other kid had an extra original booster two months before, so we planned to wait until closer to Christmas for him. We got Covid for the first time at that point, and DH had a harder time than those of us who had a little longer spacing since out booster. He also tends to get more sick when he gets sick than the rest of us, so it's hard to know, but I would say that 3-4 weeks might be more optimal for protection before exposure than two weeks, but I am sure something good is happening at two weeks.

27 minutes ago, KSera said:

Not the poster you asked, but I have heard the same about Shingrix being a doozy. My aunt got shingles a couple years ago with long lasting nerve pain before she knew about the new shingles shot. The nerve pain lasted about a year and was severe. In some people, it never goes away. It was awful, and was enough I will be lining up for shingrix as soon as I’m eligible. I was frustrated her doctor never even offered it. 

Your poor aunt! I had very mild shingles in high school and do not want to repeat the experience. I don't have pain in that site on the regular, but I do think it left me with some very mild nerve damage--I get some odd sensations there that I don't get elsewhere. 

It's on my to-do list to get the day after my 50th birthday, lol! (I think that's the current age recommendation.)

1 hour ago, mlktwins said:

We have done all Pfizer. I'm scared of the Moderna -- LOL.

ETA: Scared of Moderna because of the side effects I've read about on this site and also because I have teenage boys and am worried about the heart thing.

Moderna, for us, was shorter and more intense on the side effects, and we didn't have the Pfizer headache either. I would do it again. With Pfizer my reactions would come and go over several days (at least for the first two), and it was inconvenient to be sidelined unexpectedly--I would get so tired that I couldn't stay awake for anything.

My 18 y.o. had the bivalent Moderna with no issues. We might stick with Pfizer for our younger son, but only because he already has some heart issues. No shade to those who choose otherwise, but we felt like the data on more diversification was worth the relative risk.

[PronghornD]

With the first vaccine, I did not hydrate enough. I had severe insomnia and a very spacy feeling. I think the insomnia lasted a couple of nights.

With all subsequent shots, I've guzzled tons of water. No insomnia. Maybe a little feeling of being quite not myself but nothing very noticeable at all.

My advice. Down a couple of big glasses of water when you get home. Down another an hour or two later. Then try to keep drinking more than usual all day.

[prairiewindmomma]

1 hour ago, mom2scouts said:

Sorry to go off topic, but can I hear more about your experience with this? I had chickenpox as an adult. It was bad. Very, very bad. I probably should have been hospitalized, but I was too sick to even think about going to the hospital. I want to get the shingles shot and I keep talking myself out of getting it or finding reasons to put it off because I'm afraid of a bad reaction.

Plan it for a Friday afternoon and a low key weekend. I had moderate arm swelling (not unheard of for me, but worse than usual), a bit of fever and chills, and I pretty much slept a lot for a couple of days.

I have a hella wonky immune system; I have relatives for whom they had no bad response to the vax. Dh didn’t have any issue at all either. 
 

The vaccination requires a booster 6 months later.

After watching friends and family with shingles, I am Team Vax 100%. The lingering nerve pain issues are something I want to avoid, let alone the risk of long term vision issues if you get it in the eye. 

[AmandaVT]

Reactions - mildest for most people I know that have gotten it, even DH, who was laid up for 1-2 days after the prior ones. DS and DH got both the covid booster and flu shot at the same time and were fine.

DH had covid in July and was told he was fine to get the booster after 3 months. 

 

[Eos]

Mildest for me.  I did two Pfizers, then two Moderna boosters which were pretty effect-inducing, but got this one as a Pfizer with almost no side effects.  I was expecting much worse.  Yes, my darn tinnitus is flaring from it - that is perhaps the most consistent side effect I've had with all of the shots.

[Bambam]

3 hours ago, SKL said:

Does it matter if we had Covid about 5 months ago?

I had COVID about 4 months ago. When I went for my well-check, I asked my doctor about the timing of the COVID booster. 
Finding out I had no travel plans for Christmas, she said she would advise waiting 6 months (after COVID) and then seeing what the local COVID scene was like. If cases were high or trending up, consider getting it then. Otherwise, wait till cases are trending upward.  She said it would provide excellent protection against catching COVID for maybe 6-8 weeks, and then it would be back in the prevent-severe-illness/hospitalization category. 

 

[Miss Tick]

1 hour ago, Bambam said:

then seeing what the local COVID scene was like. If cases were high or trending up, consider getting it then.

Do you have any tips on how to do this? I'm not sure where to get reliable case numbers anymore.

[catz]

18 minutes ago, Miss Tick said:

Do you have any tips on how to do this? I'm not sure where to get reliable case numbers anymore.

If you have local wastewater surrvelliance, that can be a good source.  

Locally at least the waste water has corresponded with the ups and downs in test numbers and hospitilizations for the most part.  So though the numbers certainly aren't accurate or complete, they do seem to be reasonably reflective/representative.  That may be different in locales that are more test averse or with lower testing availability.

Edited November 30, 2022 by catz

[Bambam]

14 minutes ago, Miss Tick said:

Do you have any tips on how to do this? I'm not sure where to get reliable case numbers anymore.

Our state now does only a weekly update, so it is getting harder to get good info. 
I'm going to keep an eye on that + our hospitalization status. Our local hospitals are low on staff (again!), so I'm not 100% sure that will be accurate. 

[Not_a_Number]

9 hours ago, prairiewindmomma said:

I got the booster and had about 24 hours of a light fever, sore arm, fatigue. I got COVID 10 days later. The booster takes a full two weeks to really kick in. 
I had a really rough go of things with COVID. 

DH had the booster and got COVID 6 weeks later. And was then sick for a good long while. 

I'm taking longer than him to recover, but then that happens with basically all the respiratory illnesses, so I don't know if it's the booster or my general tendency to bronchitis (and my stupidity in pushing myself too hard too early.) 

He was only off for a day or so, like with the other shots. He doesn't react strongly to them. 

I'm very curious how people's reactions post-Omicron are, because I do plan to get booster after 3 months are up.

[Spy Car]

5 Covid shots (all Moderna). No issues. Little arm tenderness.

2nd Shingles shot yesterday. I feel like death.

Had shingles at 50. Took this guy to his knees. Most pain ever. Torture.

First shot nothing. This one not good.

Not. having. a. good. day.

Bill 

 

[JenneinCA]

I got the latest bivalent booster on Monday.  It did the same as all the other boosters…. Fever, body aches, feel horrible.  It starts about 12 hours after the shot and lasts 24 hours.  I am mostly better today.  But yesterday was awful.

 No one else around me is having significant reactions.  Lucky me…

[City Mouse]

I got the Covid booster, flu, and 1st shingles shots on Friday.  I pretty much spent Saturday in bed, but was ok after that. The Shingles was the worst of the three, but I was expecting that.

[Spy Car]

15 hours ago, Spy Car said:

5 Covid shots (all Moderna). No issues. Little arm tenderness.

2nd Shingles shot yesterday. I feel like death.

Had shingles at 50. Took this guy to his knees. Most pain ever. Torture.

First shot nothing. This one not good.

Not. having. a. good. day.

Bill 

 

Okay, I’m back to “normal.”

Glad I did it—because getting Shingles is no joke—but for me the second shot was a 24 hour wipeout.

Bill

[Not_a_Number]

19 minutes ago, Spy Car said:

Okay, I’m back to “normal.”

Glad I did it—because getting Shingles is no joke—but for me the second shot was a 24 hour wipeout.

Bill

Glad you’re back to normal, though!

[Spy Car]

16 minutes ago, Not_a_Number said:

Glad you’re back to normal, though!

Posting yesterday and feeding my non-human animals were literally the only productive things I did yesterday.

Otherwise, I was out.

I'd heard the second shot of the Shingles shot was more  likely to provoke a reaction, but did not expect to be incapacitated. 

But let me reiterate--I had shingles 14 years ago and it absolute torture for me. I think of myself as a tough guy with a high pain threshold. It was brutal. So if a one-day wipeout protects me from a repeat of that, then well worth it.

Thank you for the well-wishes.

Bill 

[dsmith]

13 minutes ago, Spy Car said:

Posting yesterday and feeding my non-human animals were literally the only productive things I did yesterday.

Otherwise, I was out.

I'd heard the second shot of the Shingles shot was more  likely to provoke a reaction, but did not expect to be incapacitated. 

But let me reiterate--I had shingles 14 years ago and it absolute torture for me. I think of myself as a tough guy with a high pain threshold. It was brutal. So if a one-day wipeout protects me from a repeat of that, then well worth it.

Thank you for the well-wishes.

Bill 

I had shingles in high school, and it was absolutely the worst kind of torture! I thought I was protected, but I guess not? I'd better investigate the odds of getting it again and just get the vaccine.

[catz]

10 minutes ago, dsmith said:

I had shingles in high school, and it was absolutely the worst kind of torture! I thought I was protected, but I guess not? I'd better investigate the odds of getting it again and just get the vaccine.

One thing with Shingrix it isn't always covered until you're a certain age by insurance.  It's a fairly expensive vaccine to pay out of pocket for.  If you have history of Shingles, maybe a doctor can order it for you and get it covered.  Just thought I'd mention it, my mom got billed for it and ended up paying like 600 dollars for the series at some point.   

[prairiewindmomma]

They changed the Shingrix shot guidelines recently, opening it up for the immunocompromised under age 50. Otherwise, you need to be 50.

If you don’t have insurance coverage, GoodRx will show you the cash price for the injection in your area. In mine, it’s between $180-200 at over a dozen pharmacies….so $400 total. 

[Spy Car]

16 minutes ago, dsmith said:

I had shingles in high school, and it was absolutely the worst kind of torture! I thought I was protected, but I guess not? I'd better investigate the odds of getting it again and just get the vaccine.

AFAIC, if Shingles were some sort of state-actor, it would be eligible to be brought up on war crimes charges. No joke.

Calling it "torture" is not hyperbole.  

Being incapacitated for a day is not something anyone relishes, but you and I unfortunately are aware just how ghastly Shingles can be. Nerve pain is excruciating.

I am glad I had the two doses. I did not anticipate the second shot would be quite so incapacitating, and I might have considered the "timing," but I'm very relieved to have the protection.

Having Singles again is not something I'd ever wish to experience again.

Bill

[Happy2BaMom]

Whole family had Covid in July. I was told to wait 3 months following Covid to get the next booster.

We all had flu shots + bivalent about six weeks ago. DH was down for an afternoon (no longer), kids largely skipped through with sore arms, and I (who had previously been wiped out for 2-3 days from previous Covid shots AND who cleared my scheduled anticipating the same).....experienced exactly ZERO side effects. Not even a sore arm. 🤷‍♀️

I just had a replacement root canal done. I hate to say they are no big deal anymore, but....they really are kind of no big deal anymore (if you go to an endodontist, which I highly recommend). The technology they have now is way ahead of what they had even 20 years ago. I wouldn't let that impact the timing of vaccinations.

I wouldn't worry about RSV as an adult. I would with a kid and would check with a doctor about timing there.

A concussion is not something I would worry about in relation to getting a vaccination. It's an injury, not a systemic response to a viral invader. 

And I personally would wait to be vaxxed if I was taking an antibiotic. Not sure if a doc would say that, tho.

Edited December 8, 2022 by Happy2BaMom

[SKL]

Well my whole household got the Covid booster last weekend.  My kids and I also got the flu shot at the same time.  There was general fatigue / muscle pain the day after.  Some had measurable fevers.  One kid had a very bad headache, and while I'm not sure that was the vax, she also had a hard time with the original series.  My other kid and I ran a 5k 1.5 days after the shots.  I think we were still somewhat affected, but not to the point of being unable to do normal things.

Anyhoo ... glad we got that done and behind us.