Mixing booster shots???

[Wendy1985]

Ot is it better to get sick from a vaccine vs not because it is working better?

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

What I question is why people are afraid to feel sick from it since the stronger the reaction the better its working to protect you.

The stronger the reaction isn't better. Everyone's immune system is different. By your statement it would mean someone who didn't get strong side effects their immune system isn't working but that's just not how it works and public health officials have had to tell people over and over that just because you didn't get intense side effects or you didn't get side effects at all doesn't mean you didn't get protection from it since people hear side effects=your body doing it's job and think well the opposite must be true.

I was so curious why I had such a strong reaction to this vaccine and one of the things I was reading the other day was talking about how our immune systems react and respond differently. It was discussing how some people's immune systems go into overdrive TOO much, some just right when it comes to side effects as a result of viruses, bacteria, and vaccines.

I fell into the category of TOO much with respects to the mRNA vaccines as in my body had a big reaction to it. Flu shot? Basically sore arm. Pfizer dose #2 and booster vomiting multiple times, intense nausea for 11-12 hours, teeth chattering chills for several hours, fever of over 102 for hours and hours and several days of a fever overall, arm very sore, swollen lymph node for 8-9 weeks (based off of dose #2 we'll see how long this one I got from the booster lasts), joint pain with aches, days of fatigue (with this booster I'm on day 8 of fatigue/overall get tired out easily), headache, hot flashes, etc.

I can't say I was afraid of these side effects but I did not in any way want them and was anxious about them coming on. Like a dreading feeling. I know the vaccine is doing its job but I could do without these side effects and still get protection from the vaccine. My body just reacts differently to these. What I will say is the booster seems to have produced a slightly milder (and I mean that subjectively because it sure didn't feel mild lol) to dose #2 but I am fatigued/overall tired longer with this booster than I was with dose #2.

Dose #1 I just had hot flashes, mild headache, tiny bit of fatigue and sore arm.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

if I had J&j I would have definitely mixed.

I think with J&J they've been more recommending people get boosted with Moderna or Pfizer. That's usually when mixing has come up as far as recommendations although they still say someone with J&J as their 1 dose could still do their next dose with J&J.

 

[Disney.Dreamin.Dee]

The stronger the reaction isn't better. Everyone's immune system is different. By your statement it would mean someone who didn't get strong side effects their immune system isn't working but that's just not how it works and public health officials have had to tell people over and over that just because you didn't get intense side effects or you didn't get side effects at all doesn't mean you didn't get protection from it since people hear side effects=your body doing it's job and think well the opposite must be true.

While the health officials have said that just because you don't have a strong reaction that does not mean that you are not protected but they have also said those that do have a strong reaction tend to have better protection and it means their immune system is stronger than someone that didn't.
This was particularly true when talking about seniors vs those in their 20's/30's.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

While the health officials have said that just because you don't have a strong reaction that does not mean that you are not protected but they have also said those that do have a strong reaction tend to have better protection and it means their immune system is stronger than someone that didn't.
This was particularly true when talking about seniors vs those in their 20's/30's.

If you're talking about immunocompromised well yeah their immune system is not up to snuff (for whatever reason it is).

The public health officials have not really used the wording "strong reaction" at least in the way you're talking about to my knowledge. When they've spoken in article after article, press conference after press conference is to reassure those who did not receive side effects that it doesn't mean the vaccine didn't work on you.

Your comment was you didn't understand why people were afraid of to feel sick because by getting strong side effects you were saying you get better protection. To my knowledge I've not heard anything that you get better protection just by getting strong side effects. Protection is determined by t-cells, b-cells, antibodies, etc the body's ability to recognize the enemy so to speak. Person A who does not get a fever does not mean their body did not arm itself for the enemy or in a lesser way than someone who did get a fever. Our bodies all just react differently and that includes just how it reacts to a foreign substance. To my knowledge they have looked at organ transplant recipients who basically did not get what they needed from the vaccine and aren't the best candidate for it.

If you have something in writing it would be great to look over that.

Most of what I've seen said essentially this: "Vaccine side-effects shouldn’t be taken as a measure of the effectiveness of the vaccine. Despite the varied immune response to vaccines, most people achieve immunity against the coronavirus on vaccination, regardless of the presence, absence and severity of side-effects."

Here's another comment I found: "it's not so much that sicker is better, but it just means that it's a vaccine that causes a reaction. Everybody - 95% of people who get it, almost 100% of people will get some reaction. Many of them that's an asymptomatic reaction, but others is more symptomatic. It's really just kind of a reflection of how unique each of our systems are, what other immunities we have," "You know, a lot of the antibodies cross react and we have cross reactivity so it's really a mosaic. Each of our immune systems is a mosaic composite of all that we've been through and all that we have and all we've recently been dealing with. Our individual response varies. Everybody gets gets the appropriate immune response. The symptoms vary just like they do with with pretty much every infection you could think, from all the way from asymptomatic to potentially severe. That's all a sign of our individual immune systems responding to that to that exposure."

And here's from the article I was reading about: "We talk a lot about how this is your immune system working, and [with these side effects] it's showing you that it's working. And that is true, but if a person does not experience those immune side effects or immune symptoms, that doesn't mean that their immune system isn't working." How I like to put is that there are different degrees of how loud our immune systems are. Some people's immune systems, like mine, are just really loud, obnoxious even. And then others just go along quietly, do their job and don't make a fuss. And they're doing what they're supposed to, but they're not going to make a fuss about it. So if you don't experience some of these obnoxious immune effects, don't worry about whether or not you got a good vaccine, or is it working, or is something wrong with your body. It has nothing to do with that. It's just different degrees of loudness."

 

[anniemae]

I went Pfizer on all 3 as I like consistency. But from what I read I do think Moderna has a slight edge on efficacy. My parents tripled with Moderna.

if I had J&j I would have definitely mixed.

gotta admit since getting booster feeling invincible again. I just hope we get to a point we don’t need this every 6months to keep efficiacy up or I know a lot won’t keep up with it.

I was wondering this too. Once we are boosted with the third dose, are we set for the long term? Or will the effectiveness wane in 6 months. It seems nobody knows yet.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I was wondering this too. Once we are boosted with the third dose, are we set for the long term? Or will the effectiveness wane in 6 months. It seems nobody knows yet.

I don't think there's been enough time to know because they've only really just started boosters in what October/November. The 6 month-ish mark was something they could only determine after time. From what I saw at least discussing Moderna and Pfizer was they saw a decline in antibodies month over month (just more so with Pfizer) and kinda determined 6 months was around when it dropped enough that a booster could really bring it back up (remember when it was 8 months that was the timeline but the FDA or CDC can't remember which declined at that time due to data).

They'll continue studying to know if the booster was enough to keep the levels up longer or not although I know some of the initial attention is being shifted towards Omicron and vaccine effectiveness/booster concerns.

 

[GreatLakes]

My doctor told me if you are fully vaccinated you can mix. I got J&J originally but my doctor isn't using them for their booster. I would like to get it again but I might have to go with one of the mRNA options since they are easier to find. As a runner I'd lean Phizer due to the myocarditis risks from Moderna.

We have 2/3 of our house COVID positive now (my rapid was negative but I have a PCR tomorrow) and feel perfectly fine so even if I do have it the original J&J seems to have done its job for me.

 

[Moliphino]

My parents had Moderna first and got Pfizer for the booster, my sister and I both had Pfizer first and got/are getting Moderna boosters. Gotta catch 'em all.

 

[tinkerhon]

Got sick and a fever after all 3 Moderna shots.
What I question is why people are afraid to feel sick from it since the stronger the reaction the better its working to protect you.

Totally agree--- !

 

[tinkerhon]

My doctor told me if you are fully vaccinated you can mix. I got J&J originally but my doctor isn't using them for their booster. I would like to get it again but I might have to go with one of the mRNA options since they are easier to find. As a runner I'd lean Phizer due to the myocarditis risks from Moderna.

We have 2/3 of our house COVID positive now (my rapid was negative but I have a PCR tomorrow) and feel perfectly fine so even if I do have it the original J&J seems to have done its job for me.

Was going to get J & J booster, until I read that the antibody level increase was only 4x- compared to PZE @. around 45-50x and Moderna was 76x- (from the study that I read)

 

[ronandannette]

Well no one likes to purposefully feel bad. It's probably what's kept me from getting my Shingles shot. But ultimately, I'll get it, just as I did with these vaccines.

The Shingrex vaccine hit me so hard and lasted so long that I reported myself for symptomatic Covid testing. I’d still take it again tomorrow though because I’ve seen people devastated by shingles and I’ve always dreaded it.

 

[wenrob]

Got sick and a fever after all 3 Moderna shots.
What I question is why people are afraid to feel sick from it since the stronger the reaction the better its working to protect you.

That’s a myth.

I know two people who won’t get vaccinated specifically because they’re afraid of the side effects. One believes it can actually make them sick as in give them the virus. We’ve been round and round about this over the years with the flu shot but there’s just no convincing them and the other is afraid they will have a strong reaction and they don’t want to feel that way. I certainly didn’t want to feel sick but personally felt it was the better alternative.

 

[Snowflakey]

We get to choose what we want for our boosters when we make the appointment. I'm sticking with Pfizer.

 

[tennisfan]

I had Pfizer for all three vaccines. In the UK we don't get a choice except they decided early on that 40 & under would have Pfizer or Moderna (which was licensed late into programme) due to the slight risk of clots with Oxford Asta Zenica. Only Moderna and Pfizer have been licensed for boosters so far and when I went to walk in clinic it was Pfizer given.

I was entitled to get booster early in the plan due to being in healthcare, only had reaction to 2nd vaccine. My parents had all 3 Pfizer and no issues with any of them, except my mum when she had her 2nd one too.

 

[_19disnA]

Got the same booster shot at the original one. Think that is the best plan unless you happen to live someplace where getting the same brand isn't possible. I stopped reading all of the random articles being published that mostly contain conjecture & speculation. Even some in the medical field continue to write dubious articles that reputable doctors don't agree with. Even if you get the vaccine, still seems wise to continue to follow the recommended safety/health guidelines as long as covid is around. Will wait 6 months to see if any additional boosters are needed and/or what the covid situation is at that time. The situation isn't something I need to follow by the hour.

Some people have had more a reaction then others. Everyone we know had little to no reaction from any of their vaccines.

 

[mefordis]

I was wondering this too. Once we are boosted with the third dose, are we set for the long term? Or will the effectiveness wane in 6 months. It seems nobody knows yet.

I keep reading every 6 months you'll need another jab. Immunocompromised are being encouraged to get the 4th jab, then it will be open to everyone else.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-jersey-59512253

 

[DisneyHardin]

The Shingrex vaccine hit me so hard and lasted so long that I reported myself for symptomatic Covid testing. I’d still take it again tomorrow though because I’ve seen people devastated by shingles and I’ve always dreaded it.

I came down with shingles right before Christmas last year and it was the most painful thing that has happened to me. I went to the ER because I was in so much pain and had no idea what was causing it. I'm only 43, so I wasn't even eligible for the Shingles Vaccine.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Ot is it better to get sick from a vaccine vs not because it is working better?

Not sure what you're asking. If you are asking "does having a reaction or not having a reaction to the vaccine mean it's working better?"

If so, it doesn't matter. Some people get reactions and others don't. And both groups will have the same effectiveness.

 

[anniemae]

I keep reading every 6 months you'll need another jab. Immunocompromised are being encouraged to get the 4th jab, then it will be open to everyone else.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-jersey-59512253

figured this was the case. Wondering if it will be this way for the kids too. I know that right now 18 and over are approved for getting boosters, they want to include 16 and 17 year olds but it has not been approved yet. I wonder about the under 16 crowd.