Vaccine/booster days before cruise?

[Sarcrasssstic]

Has anyone gotten their vaccine or booster right before the cruise (like a week before or less)? I know it’s probably silly, but wondering if there is any chance of it affecting the rapid test at the port and giving a false positive!

 

[JLemaire7]

The vaccines don’t have any live virus in them or any virus so I don’t think that’s possible to test positive because of the vaccine.

 

[Kwami]

The vaccines don’t have any live virus in them or any virus so I don’t think that’s possible to test positive because of the vaccine.

Some of the vaccines contain the virus, though none have been approved for use in the US. Some of them are accepted by DCL.

Covaxin and Sinopharm contain inactivated virus:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Covaxinhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinopharm_BIBP_COVID-19_vaccine
Navavax contains a subunit of the virus:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Novavax_COVID-19_vaccine
The more commonly used vaccines including Pfizer, Moderna, J&J, and AZ do not contain the virus at all.

I have no idea if any of these vaccines would produce a positive test result, though. Better to ask a professional, I think.

 

[TRTRguy]

For the initial 2 shots of the 2 dose vaccine or 1st shot of the JJ vaccine you have to wait 14 days until you sail as you have to be fully vaccinated. This does not affect the booster.

 

[WishUponAStarryNight]

My father had his Moderna booster less than a week before we sailed. I was nervous it would impact the test, too. Fortunately, no issues and we all tested negative.

 

[Dug720]

For the initial 2 shots of the 2 dose vaccine or 1st shot of the JJ vaccine you have to wait 14 days until you sail as you have to be fully vaccinated. This does not affect the booster.

This! Second dose of Moderna or Pfizer or only dose of J&J a week before will not let you on the cruise.

 

[stkgator]

Both my wife and I had the Moderna booster just over a week before our cruise - no issues with pre-embarkations Covid tests!

 

[sethschroeder]

I would not wait until before the cruise to get a booster. The last thing you need is to have poor symptoms as a result of the vaccine and now you feel miserable to start the cruise.

I would simply go get the vaccination earlier. If my booster "time" came up right before the cruise I would simply talk to my doctor about getting the booster earlier or simply wait until when I got back from the cruise.

 

[Sarcrasssstic]

I would not wait until before the cruise to get a booster. The last thing you need is to have poor symptoms as a result of the vaccine and now you feel miserable to start the cruise.

I would simply go get the vaccination earlier. If my booster "time" came up right before the cruise I would simply talk to my doctor about getting the booster earlier or simply wait until when I got back from the cruise.

That’s the other thing I’m worried about. The only appt available is 6 days before cruise. Is that enough time for any symptoms to be gone?

 

[iannovich]

I had the Moderna booster last Tuesday (original vax was 2 shots of pfizer). My side effects were gone within 48 hours: sore arm, a little fatigue and woke up with a headache that an Advil cured. I'm usually tired and wake with a headache often enough that I'm only positive the sore arms were actual side effects.

YMMV, but I also had the booster in one arm and the flu shot in the other, so I had really set myself up for a challenge. We sail Friday. The appointment was 10 days before this sailing, but it was the soonest I could get the Moderna booster that I wanted. My preference would have been a couple of weeks before sail date to really let the booster get up to speed, but I also wanted to be certain I had it before we left.

 

[Dug720]

That’s the other thing I’m worried about. The only appt available is 6 days before cruise. Is that enough time for any symptoms to be gone?

It's really going to depend on you and how you react to them. I got Moderna - dose 1 was ONLY a very sore arm; dose 2 I hardly knew I had gotten anything; booster a slightly sore arm. NO other symptoms. My parents got Pfizer and no symptoms. My sister got Pfizer for main doses and had a headache and was tired and got Moderna for her booster and had more symptoms there for a couple of days.

I know others (mostly Pfizer peeps) who were sick for days.

 

[Kwami]

It's really going to depend on you and how you react to them. I got Moderna - dose 1 was ONLY a very sore arm; dose 2 I hardly knew I had gotten anything; booster a slightly sore arm. NO other symptoms. My parents got Pfizer and no symptoms. My sister got Pfizer for main doses and had a headache and was tired and got Moderna for her booster and had more symptoms there for a couple of days.

I know others (mostly Pfizer peeps) who were sick for days.

Lucky! I had a fever and chills for two days after each dose. I've got a booster coming next week and I'm not looking forward to another sick weekend.

 

[Dug720]

Lucky! I had a fever and chills for two days after each dose. I've got a booster coming next week and I'm not looking forward to another sick weekend.

Sympathetic heart!!

 

[GlassAct]

You will absolutely not test positive, but if you have a fever they will deny you boarding.

A week out, very unlikely to still have any side effects, but if you get it 48 hours before you may have a headache or small fever. You do have to disclose either of those symptoms on the health survey before boarding.

 

[sethschroeder]

That’s the other thing I’m worried about. The only appt available is 6 days before cruise. Is that enough time for any symptoms to be gone?

The vast majority will not feel any symptoms that long after but you should talk with your doctor or if you don't have a doctor call the CDC Covid line at 1-800-232-4636

Also if you are in the US you should be able to walk in to a Walmart near you and get the shot this afternoon I suspect or somewhere.

If you are lost as to where to go there is a covid vaccine website as well if I am not mistaken to find places to get a shot.

Lastly if you really are lost put what city you are in and people can help you on here get ideas of where to check to get a vaccination today.

 

[LeiaOfAlderaan]

The only appt available is 6 days before cruise. Is that enough time for any symptoms to be gone?

I think you would be a rare case if you were still having side effects 6 days later. I’m sure it does happen but I don’t think it’s very common. I’m the only person I know who had any side effects from their booster (my underarm swelled up like a balloon and was very sore) but even that was gone in about 5 or 6 days. I still could have cruised and been fine with some pain relievers.

I would still try to get an earlier appt if possible just to have more protection. I think the Israeli study showed a big decrease in infections 7-10 days after boosters were given.

 

[Sarcrasssstic]

I think you would be a rare case if you were still having side effects 6 days later. I’m sure it does happen but I don’t think it’s very common. I’m the only person I know who had any side effects from their booster (my underarm swelled up like a balloon and was very sore) but even that was gone in about 5 or 6 days. I still could have cruised and been fine with some pain relievers.

I would still try to get an earlier appt if possible just to have more protection. I think the Israeli study showed a big decrease in infections 7-10 days after boosters were given.

Thank you

 

[Starwind]

This article has an explanation of why the two mRNA vaccines (Pfizer & Moderna) will NOT cause a false positive on either PCR or antigen tests: https://www.forbes.com/sites/corona...o-test-positive-for-covid-19/?sh=50684e38b3ec

The two Covid-19 vaccines (Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna) currently authorized for use in the United States are mRNA-based vaccines. They do not consist of the entire genome of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes Covid-19. Instead, these vaccines are made of a small region of the viral genome, which enters the host cell and “tricks” the cell into making a specific viral protein (i.e., the Spike protein) against which an immune response is generated. RNA molecules are inherently unstable, being targeted by enzymes that can degrade the RNA within hours. Therefore, mRNA-based vaccines will not cause a Covid-19 PCR test to be positive. Similarly, these vaccines will not cause rapid antigen tests to be positive, since the proteins produced following vaccination are not expressed in the respiratory (i.e., nasal) tract, which is sampled for Covid-19 PCR or antigen testing.

The article itself has some additional info.

 

[Juan M]

Has anyone gotten their vaccine or booster right before the cruise (like a week before or less)? I know it’s probably silly, but wondering if there is any chance of it affecting the rapid test at the port and giving a false positive!

Our son, who turned 6 on our 11/14 Fantasy cruise got his first dose of Pfizer on 11/06. No issues with the PCR test before cruise or either of the rapid tests done at the port and onboard the ship.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

I had some pretty strong reactions to my first 2 Pfizer vaccines last January (including a massive, itchy, rash all over my trunk that was reported to VAERS website) but nothing at all with the booster. In fact, my flu shot was given several days before the covid booster and that hurt longer than the covid booster.
I planned it for 15 days prior to our cruise but I would do 6 days prior. Probably not any less than 5 days, just in case. Also if you're going to get it 6 days prior, I would pack and do as much as possible before getting the booster. Then, if you do feel a little crappy, you won't have a lot of preparing to do while you're not feeling well just prior to leaving.
As others said, it can't cause a false positive.