Have you had your latest Covid vaccine yet? (Edited…not a booster)

[Scarlett]

Are they calling it a booster?  Shrug. Covid vaccine.

Dh had his yesterday about 5 pm. He felt terrible this morning and was so sick by noon he wanted to come home but couldn’t manage the 45 min drive until about 4. He has been in bed since he got home with fever and chills and headache.  This is pretty typical for him. 
 

I got mine today about 5. I don’t usually have as bad a reaction. Fingers crossed. 
 

 

Edited October 6, 2023 by Scarlett

[Starr]

I got mine and had a couple of days of symptoms, tired, chills, headache , nausea to differing degrees. Still glad I got it. 

[Frances]

Had mine about eight hours ago and nothing yet except a slightly sore arm. Trying to stay super hydrated as I think that helps with  side effects, especially the bad headache I had with the first one.

[Tap]

Nope, and I won't based on symptoms from the last covid vaccine I had. So far, my vaccine responses have been as bad as, or worse than the times I had Covid.  My work used to require them, but now they don't. Unless something drastic changes, those will be the last I have. 

I am pro-vaccine and support anyone who wants to get it.....will even encourage it. Just hasn't worked well with my immune system. 

[Kassia]

21 minutes ago, Tap said:

So far, my vaccine responses have been as bad as, or worse than the times I had Covid.  

 

This is what my dd says and why she refuses to get more boosters.  The booster reaction was definitely worse for her than actual Covid.  DH and I haven't had Covid yet but always got vaccinated and will probably get the booster closer to the holidays when our risk is much higher due to our kids coming in from all parts of the country.  My other kids will probably all get the booster before then.  

[Kassia]

2 hours ago, Scarlett said:

Are they calling it a booster?  Shrug. Covid vaccine.

Dh had his yesterday about 5 pm. He felt terrible this morning and was so sick by noon he wanted to come home but couldn’t manage the 45 min drive until about 4. He has been in bed since he got home with fever and chills and headache.  His is pretty typical for him. 
 

I got mine today about 5. I don’t usually have as bad a reaction. Fingers crossed. 
 

 

Hope DH feels better soon and that you don't have too bad of a reaction.  My DH has had a few bad reactions and gets grumpy about the booster (he has strong reactions to all vaccines - tetanus was the absolute worst for him), but he still gets it.

 

39 minutes ago, Frances said:

Had mine about eight hours ago and nothing yet except a slightly sore arm. Trying to stay super hydrated as I think that helps with  side effects, especially the bad headache I had with the first one.

Fingers crossed!  🙂 

[Carrie12345]

Not yet, but I want to handle it and flu soon for everyone. 
Ds booked his flight to spend his first Christmas with us in 5 years. There are so many things that could derail (deplane?) that, I really want to reduce the risks I can!

Our household has run almost the full spectrum from fine to really icky on the shots so far. Expecting similar this time.

[SKL]

Not planning to get this one, unless it's required for travel.  I'm pretty sure Covid already ran through our household this past summer (again).  This strain is reportedly much milder, so I think our prior 3/4 shots + 2 Covid infections + basic immune system are enough prevention for now.

[Ottakee]

Only 1 of mine has gotten it so far and she just had a sore arm.

Planning on it for all of us but want to wait 2-3 weeks yet

[Pawz4me]

I have an appointment with my PCP in a couple of weeks and plan on getting both the Covid and flu vaccine then. I qualify for the RSV, too, but I don't know if they'll let me get all three at once. 

[QueenCat]

I had mine last week. No issues afterward, other than a sore arm.

[MEmama]

I'm eager to get it but haven't found any available near me yet. I have a flu shot appt coming up and will try to get both at the same time if it's in stock.

DS is coming home for the weekend soon (!!!!!!!!) for a Big Event and I'd really like have had the booster before then. I'd prioritize it over the flu shot this early in the season, if it comes to that.

UPDATE I found one for the weekend! It's perfect timing, a couple weeks out before the Big Exposure event. 

Edited September 28, 2023 by MEmama

[Lady Florida.]

I got mine a few weeks ago. No reaction at all, not even a sore arm this time.

[Kassia]

1 hour ago, MEmama said:

I'm eager to get it but haven't found any available near me yet. I have a flu shot appt coming up and will try to get both at the same time if it's in stock.

DS is coming home for the weekend soon (!!!!!!!!) for a Big Event and I'd really like have had the booster before then. I'd prioritize it over the flu shot this early in the season, if it comes to that.

UPDATE I found one for the weekend! It's perfect timing, a couple weeks out before the Big Exposure event. 

all good stuff!  🙂 

[MEmama]

8 minutes ago, Kassia said:

all good stuff!  🙂 

And the booster is available now where he lives too, so I'm working with him to get an appointment booked hopefully for this weekend too. I thought he might have to jump through hoops to be eligible this early but it seems that appointments are available for all adults. YAY! 

[Scarlett]

Although I can agree some have reactions as bad as current Covid strands, I will say that you never know if you will be that person  who gets long Covid or it affects your lungs.  My dad had Covid in April and he now has nodules in his lungs. 
 

The lung doctor decided/recommended they not biopsy it just yet because he believes it is from Covid.  
 

 

Edited September 28, 2023 by Scarlett

[Heartstrings]

I had planned on but we all got Covid right before it became available.   Now I’ll wait a few weeks.   That’s the 2nd time we’ve gotten Covid in the house and it was terrible.  The initial symptoms weren’t as bad as the first time, but they lingered for weeks.  My daughter still has fatigue and a cough a month later, so do  I.   

Edited September 28, 2023 by Heartstrings

[Scarlett]

1 minute ago, Heartstrings said:

I had planned on but we all got Covid right before it became available.   Now I’ll wait a few weeks.   That’s the 2nd we’ve gotten Covid in the house and it was terrible.  The initial symptoms weren’t as bad as the first time, but they lingered for weeks.  My daughter still has fatigue and a cough a month later, so do  I.   

This was the same with my dad.  That lingering cough and fatigue/shortness of breath a full month after he tested positive was what led us to get him a CT scan.  That is when they found the nodules. 

[Jaybee]

Dh and I got ours last week, but we took a big whammy in getting flu, covid, and 1st shingles shot at the same time. Arm soreness and fatigue for me with some slight nausea. Flu-ish feelings for dh for a day or two. I have gotten the flu and covid vaccines together for several years without problems, so I think it was the shingles that cause reactions for me. But I was just ready to get it taken care of.

[Grace Hopper]

So how many shots have y’all had so far? I’ve had four, the initial two and two boosters, the last one a little over a year ago (right before the bivalent came out).

We’ve had covid in the house but I’ve never had it - I’ve had a couple of colds over the past three years but none were very bad and never with a positive covid test. I do plan to get a flue shot in October and I need my second shingles shot before the year is out. I also have regular allergy shots. 
 

So I find myself wondering if I should get one. I’m not opposed to it, it all just seems like a lot to put into my body in a short period of time. Any thoughts?

[Grace Hopper]

4 minutes ago, Jaybee said:

Dh and I got ours last week, but we took a big whammy in getting flu, covid, and 1st shingles shot at the same time. Arm soreness and fatigue for me with some slight nausea. Flu-ish feelings for dh for a day or two. I have gotten the flu and covid vaccines together for several years without problems, so I think it was the shingles that cause reactions for me. But I was just ready to get it taken care of.

I was typing when this posted. So maybe I’ll combine the flu and covid, then do the shingles later. I need to pin down the date of my first shot and make that next appointment. 

[Scarlett]

5 minutes ago, Jaybee said:

Dh and I got ours last week, but we took a big whammy in getting flu, covid, and 1st shingles shot at the same time. Arm soreness and fatigue for me with some slight nausea. Flu-ish feelings for dh for a day or two. I have gotten the flu and covid vaccines together for several years without problems, so I think it was the shingles that cause reactions for me. But I was just ready to get it taken care of.

I thought they wouldn’t give the shingles shot and Covid at the same time.  Maybe that has changed. 

[Scarlett]

Just now, Grace Hopper said:

I was typing when this posted. So maybe I’ll combine the flu and covid, then do the shingles later. I need to pin down the date of my first shot and make that next appointment. 

Last October Dh and I got Covid and flu.  This time we just got Covid.  I have never had the flu and that was my first flu vaccine. 
 

I do want to get shingles.  We keep putting that off for some reason. 

[Grace Hopper]

Just now, Scarlett said:

I thought they wouldn’t give the shingles shot and Covid at the same time.  Maybe that has changed. 

I was advised against it (combining the shingles vax with anything). My doc also wants any immunization spaced between allergy shots. 

[Scarlett]

Just now, Grace Hopper said:

I was advised against it (combining the shingles vax with anything). My doc also wants any immunization spaced between allergy shots. 

And that makes it hard to fit them all in.  

[Grace Hopper]

Just now, Scarlett said:

And that makes it hard to fit them all in.  

Yes! I’m having flashbacks to the days of trying to schedule four kids’ different activities at the same time! 😂

[Kassia]

20 minutes ago, Scarlett said:

Although I can agree some have reactions as bad as current Covid strands, I will say that you never know if you will be that person  who gets long Covid or it affects your lungs.
 

 

I absolutely agree.  I wish dd would reconsider but her mind is set.  Long Covid scares me as well as any other long-term effects.  

[Jaybee]

8 minutes ago, Scarlett said:

I thought they wouldn’t give the shingles shot and Covid at the same time.  Maybe that has changed. 

They told me (at two different places) it was not a problem. When I was talking to the pharmacist about it, he said that I might feel bad both times either way, so it was just up to me. I decided I'd rather just deal with it. I made sure I didn't have anything on the schedule that was important, and went for it.

[Jaybee]

8 minutes ago, Grace Hopper said:

I was advised against it (combining the shingles vax with anything). My doc also wants any immunization spaced between allergy shots. 

I think I saw something on the papers about not taking allergy medicine when getting the vaccines. Unfortunately, I saw it afterwards, and had taken a Claritin the night before.

[SKL]

15 minutes ago, Grace Hopper said:

So how many shots have y’all had so far? I’ve had four, the initial two and two boosters, the last one a little over a year ago (right before the bivalent came out).

We’ve had covid in the house but I’ve never had it - I’ve had a couple of colds over the past three years but none were very bad and never with a positive covid test. I do plan to get a flue shot in October and I need my second shingles shot before the year is out. I also have regular allergy shots. 
 

So I find myself wondering if I should get one. I’m not opposed to it, it all just seems like a lot to put into my body in a short period of time. Any thoughts?

We had the initial 2 in 2021 and I got the booster in late 2021 (the teen booster wasn't available).  We all had Covid in early to mid 2022.  We all got another shot in December 2022 in advance of travel to Asia (strict rules there).  Covid ran through our house again in summer 2023, but it was milder than the shot side effects.

[Malory]

34 minutes ago, Scarlett said:

Although I can agree some have reactions as bad as current Covid strands, I will say that you never know if you will be that person  who gets long Covid or it affects your lungs.  My dad had Covid in April and he now has nodules in his lungs. 

I am sorry about your dad. Was he vaccinated before he got his Covid infection?

We've all had covid at least two times, and the cases with Omicron were mild. Since the covid vaccine/booster is not proven to prevent infection or long covid, and not without risks, we will pass.

[scbusf]

7 hours ago, Tap said:

Nope, and I won't based on symptoms from the last covid vaccine I had. So far, my vaccine responses have been as bad as, or worse than the times I had Covid.  My work used to require them, but now they don't. Unless something drastic changes, those will be the last I have. 

I am pro-vaccine and support anyone who wants to get it.....will even encourage it. Just hasn't worked well with my immune system. 

Same here. 

[Heartstrings]

1 hour ago, Scarlett said:

This was the same with my dad.  That lingering cough and fatigue/shortness of breath a full month after he tested positive was what led us to get him a CT scan.  That is when they found the nodules. 

I’m watching it closely.  It seems to be improving, the cough is mostly after sports st this point.  Long term problems are on my radar though.  

[Pawz4me]

1 hour ago, Scarlett said:

Although I can agree some have reactions as bad as current Covid strands, I will say that you never know if you will be that person  who gets long Covid or it affects your lungs.  My dad had Covid in April and he now has nodules in his lungs. 
 

The lung doctor decided/recommended they not biopsy it just yet because he believes it is from Covid.  
 

 

FWIW (and I'm guessing the lung doctor told your dad this) -- Lung nodules are super common. Many people who are perfectly healthy are walking around with them. From what I gather nobody really knows why some people are more prone to developing them than others, but the thinking is that any bad URI can cause them, exposure to smoke or other pollutants, etc. DH has too many too count (that is literally what his CT scan reports say). The only ones they really pay attention to are the ones that grow (which is part of his cancer). That's like two out of "too many to count."

 

1 hour ago, Grace Hopper said:

So how many shots have y’all had so far? I’ve had four, the initial two and two boosters, the last one a little over a year ago (right before the bivalent came out).

We’ve had covid in the house but I’ve never had it - I’ve had a couple of colds over the past three years but none were very bad and never with a positive covid test. I do plan to get a flue shot in October and I need my second shingles shot before the year is out. I also have regular allergy shots. 
 

So I find myself wondering if I should get one. I’m not opposed to it, it all just seems like a lot to put into my body in a short period of time. Any thoughts?

I've had five so far. This next booster will be six. I am immunocompromised.

When the Covid vaccine first came out I was in the middle of getting the Shingles vaccine. Then it was recommended to space them out a few weeks, which I did. I don't know if the recommendation on that has changed or not.

[Heartstrings]

1 hour ago, Grace Hopper said:

So how many shots have y’all had so far? I’ve had four, the initial two and two boosters, the last one a little over a year ago (right before the bivalent came out).

We’ve had covid in the house but I’ve never had it - I’ve had a couple of colds over the past three years but none were very bad and never with a positive covid test. I do plan to get a flue shot in October and I need my second shingles shot before the year is out. I also have regular allergy shots. 
 

So I find myself wondering if I should get one. I’m not opposed to it, it all just seems like a lot to put into my body in a short period of time. Any thoughts?

What I’m hearing, casually from doctors I follow on social media, is that the older vaccines aren’t working well against the new variants because of all of the mutations.   The newest vaccine is a closer match but not perfect.  

[J-rap]

It's not easily available yet in our area for some reason...   I'm getting the flu shot next week, and will probably wait a week or two before I get the new booster.  

 

[Dmmetler]

Last Saturday, along with a flu shot. I teach kids, and have not had a week without several out sick yet. If I could get the RSV vaccine, I would. I had Pfizer since that's what Walgreens here has and my insurance covers vaccines at Walgreens 100%. 

 

The side effects were minimal-a sore arm and a bit of a headache.

[Scarlett]

44 minutes ago, Pawz4me said:

FWIW (and I'm guessing the lung doctor told your dad this) -- Lung nodules are super common. Many people who are perfectly healthy are walking around with them. From what I gather nobody really knows why some people are more prone to developing them than others, but the thinking is that any bad URI can cause them, exposure to smoke or other pollutants, etc. DH has too many too count (that is literally what his CT scan reports say). The only ones they really pay attention to are the ones that grow (which is part of his cancer). That's like two out of "too many to count."

 

I've had five so far. This next booster will be six. I am immunocompromised.

When the Covid vaccine first came out I was in the middle of getting the Shingles vaccine. Then it was recommended to space them out a few weeks, which I did. I don't know if the recommendation on that has changed or not.

What is an URI? I am not sure if the doctor told him it is super common.  I wasn’t allowed in to hear what the doctor had to say.  I think the concern came in because he had a CT 2 3/4 years ago when they had their bad accident and his lungs were completely clear then. Also one of the nodules is over one cm.  
 

My parents told me the doctor wants to do another PET in 3 months.  Which now that I think about it is weird…..why not just do another CT to see if the nodules are growing?  Anyway, the pulmonologist feels it is Covid related but who really knows. 

[Scarlett]

I can’t even remember how many I have had.  I am not immune compromised so I think there was one I was not eligible for. I think this is my 4th one.  I need to find my card and count.

[Scarlett]

1 hour ago, Malory said:

I am sorry about your dad. Was he vaccinated before he got his Covid infection?

We've all had covid at least two times, and the cases with Omicron were mild. Since the covid vaccine/booster is not proven to prevent infection or long covid, and not without risks, we will pass.

He was vaccinated. I shudder to think how much worse it could have been with no vaccine.  
 

My thinking is that the vaccine reduces severity at the least (and is very effective at preventing it for at least 90 days) so seems logical to me it would reduce the chances of long Covid. 
 

 

[chiguirre]

I got the flu and covid shots as a walk-in when I picked up a prescription at Kroger pharmacy. Someone else was there for an appointment and they were thawing them out, so I went ahead. I had sore arms (one shot in each, they were about the same) and fatigue the next day.

[Acadie]

2 hours ago, Jaybee said:

Dh and I got ours last week, but we took a big whammy in getting flu, covid, and 1st shingles shot at the same time. Arm soreness and fatigue for me with some slight nausea. Flu-ish feelings for dh for a day or two. I have gotten the flu and covid vaccines together for several years without problems, so I think it was the shingles that cause reactions for me. But I was just ready to get it taken care of.

Wow! Shingles vaccine alone wiped me out for days--definitely the worst side effects I've had.

Dh typically hasn't had Covid vaccine side effects but he did this time, after combining it with flu.

I just got Moderna yesterday and feel fine, aside from a sore arm and a little fatigue. 

[catz]

My spouse had the Covid booster and had absolutely no side effects with this one.  I will get mine in a couple weeks, we are traveling at the end of October.   He is traveling for work next week so was glad to get it quickly.   

[Acadie]

1 hour ago, Heartstrings said:

What I’m hearing, casually from doctors I follow on social media, is that the older vaccines aren’t working well against the new variants because of all of the mutations.   The newest vaccine is a closer match but not perfect.  

This is what I'm hearing too, that older vaccines--and prior infection--may not provide the protection they did with earlier variants.

And though the updated vaccine is a somewhat better match, we're still heading into uncharted waters with these newest variants. 

I really wanted to get the updated Novovax but the FDA is slow-walking approval again, even though CDC gave it a green light. And with the current surge and everyone in my family traveling, it just seemed like a good idea to get it done now. 

Still might find a creative way to get Novovax in 2-3 months. 

[Pawz4me]

23 minutes ago, Scarlett said:

What is an URI? I am not sure if the doctor told him it is super common.  I wasn’t allowed in to hear what the doctor had to say.  I think the concern came in because he had a CT 2 3/4 years ago when they had their bad accident and his lungs were completely clear then. Also one of the nodules is over one cm.  
 

My parents told me the doctor wants to do another PET in 3 months.  Which now that I think about it is weird…..why not just do another CT to see if the nodules are growing?  Anyway, the pulmonologist feels it is Covid related but who really knows. 

URI is upper respiratory infection. 

1 centimeter is an important number. That’s what gets attention. Smaller ones not so much. 

i don’t fully understand the different scans other than some are better for certain things than others. So it mostly depends on what they’re looking for. There is a combo PET/CT and that may be what he’ll have next time. 

[Grace Hopper]

8 minutes ago, Pawz4me said:

URI is upper respiratory infection. 

1 centimeter is an important number. That’s what gets attention. Smaller ones not so much. 

i don’t fully understand the different scans other than some are better for certain things than others. So it mostly depends on what they’re looking for. There is a combo PET/CT and that may be what he’ll have next time. 

Iirc from our cancer incident years ago, a pet scan is full body and looks for possible sites of metastatic cancer. If a future CT indicates growth, the next steps would likely be a pet scan and biopsy. Perhaps the doc is just suggesting a skipped step with a future pet instead of ct. I think the choice may also have something to do with what insurance wants/will cover. 

[Dmmetler]

8 minutes ago, Acadie said:

This is what I'm hearing too, that older vaccines--and prior infection--may not provide the protection they did with earlier variants.

And though the updated vaccine is a somewhat better match, we're still heading into uncharted waters with these newest variants. 

I really wanted to get the updated Novovax but the FDA is slow-walking approval again, even though CDC gave it a green light. And with the current surge and everyone in my family traveling, it just seemed like a good idea to get it done now. 

Still might find a creative way to get Novovax in 2-3 months. 

I'm planning to ask my immunologist for a prescription for it in a couple of months. She's done that in the past so I could get boosters on the immunocompromised schedule. 

[kbutton]

2 hours ago, Scarlett said:

Although I can agree some have reactions as bad as current Covid strands, I will say that you never know if you will be that person  who gets long Covid or it affects your lungs.  My dad had Covid in April and he now has nodules in his lungs. 
 

The lung doctor decided/recommended they not biopsy it just yet because he believes it is from Covid.  
 

 

 

2 hours ago, Grace Hopper said:

 

So I find myself wondering if I should get one. I’m not opposed to it, it all just seems like a lot to put into my body in a short period of time. Any thoughts?

I’ve been told that even combination vaccinations for kids tie up less than one percent of the immune system. Not sure that’s the right phrasing, but it’s apparently a drop in the bucket for normal immune systems.

2 hours ago, Jaybee said:

I think I saw something on the papers about not taking allergy medicine when getting the vaccines. Unfortunately, I saw it afterwards, and had taken a Claritin the night before.

Yikes. I take insane amounts of allergy meds (physician-directed).

DH had his shot, and two more of us get them this weekend. The last one will wait as he had a summer booster—hoping he can get Novavax.

P.S. read on a Covid cautious FB page that Costco and Rite Aid are both planning to stock it once available.

[Frances]

3 hours ago, Jaybee said:

Dh and I got ours last week, but we took a big whammy in getting flu, covid, and 1st shingles shot at the same time. Arm soreness and fatigue for me with some slight nausea. Flu-ish feelings for dh for a day or two. I have gotten the flu and covid vaccines together for several years without problems, so I think it was the shingles that cause reactions for me. But I was just ready to get it taken care of.

Everyone I know reacted to the first shingle shot. I had my first fever in almost 30 years with it.

[Pawz4me]

43 minutes ago, Grace Hopper said:

Iirc from our cancer incident years ago, a pet scan is full body and looks for possible sites of metastatic cancer. If a future CT indicates growth, the next steps would likely be a pet scan and biopsy. Perhaps the doc is just suggesting a skipped step with a future pet instead of ct. I think the choice may also have something to do with what insurance wants/will cover. 

No, not necessarily true. For DH's type of cancer CT is the gold standard. For whatever reason(s) it picks that type of cancer up better than other types of scans. MRIs are used if brain or bone metastasis are suspected. PET scans aren't used much at all. I really do think it depends on the specific thing(s) being looked for, even down to exactly what type of cancer is being looked for.

 

Edited September 28, 2023 by Pawz4me