Yes, the updated COVID boosters are finally available! I’m scheduled to get my Moderna booster in a week. As was the case with my first booster, I picked Moderna because of the studies showing the Moderna vaccine to have somewhat better efficacy than the Pfizer vaccine.
Surprisingly, I had no difficulty getting an appointment for this updated booster. In contrast, when I became eligible for my first dose in the spring of 2021, there was a massive free-for-all, and I felt like I was the last person to get vaccinated. (Now I wish that had been true, because that would have meant that everyone was vaccinated. This would have greatly dampened each of the surges ever since.)
I’m shocked that there is so little buzz. even in this forum. For the first time ever since the start of this pandemic, the general public now has access to a vaccine geared towards the currently dominant variant. At the time the original vaccine became available, the alpha variant was already the dominant one, so the vaccine was already one variant behind. Until now, the available vaccine was multiple variants behind.
For those of us who get the updated booster, there will be a pause in the pandemic. This will be the safest we’ve been since at least February 2020. I’m not sure how long the pause will last. While I still expect another winter surge, I believe that (for those of us who get the updated booster) it will be the least dangerous winter in 3 years. I recently began going to the barbershop again because the wastewater viral load has dropped substantially since the recent peak. Depending on how much of a new surge there is and how effective the updated booster is against it, I may even go to the barbershop this winter rather than have to cut my own hair (which I did during this summer’s surge, last winter’s surge, and before I completed my initial two doses).
The updated booster will take full effect in me by the end of this month. Then I can drop many of my physical distancing precautions and go to parades, a renaissance fair, corn mazes, etc. I will NOT stop masking up in stores or other risky places. And I will still avoid junk foods and restaurant foods during this coming winter.
At this point, those who are going to get jabbed will get jabbed, and those who won’t, won’t. There’s very little to discuss except perhaps those who routinely get the flu shot but didn’t get the COVID because… well… reasons, will start getting both because the docs will be like, “Well, as long as you’re getting the one, might as well do both and have done with it.”
My plan is to get a flu vax tomorrow.
I got my flu vaccine last Friday. I decided to get it while the vaccine providers were less busy. Also, I prefer to get the flu and COVID vaccines at different times so as to minimize the side effects.
I’m going to take my third booster this week, but hold off on the flu shot a bit until it gets a bit colder so that its effect will last through the winter. We are likely to head on out in mid-January and we’ll likely top off the COVID thing at that point - around four months from now.
Thanks for the reminder! I just went to the pharmacy website where I got all of my other Moderna COVID shots and I’m scheduled for the Moderna Bivalent booster this Friday. Looks like I’ll be on the couch on Saturday…
'38Packard
traveling to a “must go” wedding in ATL in October - so need latest jab for sure.
I am a bit leery of taking flu and covid vaccine at he same time. Because if you have some problems or an allergic reaction ,you will not know which was responsible.
I’m scheduled for the Moderna Bivalent booster this Friday. Looks like I’ll be on the couch on Saturday…
Hopefully, you can get through with only very minor side effects.
I guess I’m lucky, because my vaccine side effects have always been very mild (just arm soreness) and never put me out of commission. The arm soreness seemed to be shorter-lived for this year’s flu shot, last year’s flu shot, and my first COVID booster. Perhaps the reduced side effects have just been luck, or perhaps my all-healthy-food diet, the daily Brazil nut (selenium), and the Vitamin D3 supplementation helped to reduce the inflammation.
My plan is to get a flu vax tomorrow. Then hit the covid vax in a couple weeks.
My grand plan crashed and burned.
Planned to lunch at Tim Horton’s, which is right in front of the grocery store where I obtain vaccinations.
But, the dining room door of Tim’s was locked.
“Trip isn’t wasted, I’ll head over to the store to get my flu shot” I said.
Chugged up to the pharmacy counter, where there is a sign “walk up flu shots”. The girl said I would have a long wait, hours, as they are really backed up.
“I’ll make this trip pay yet” I thought, as I said “as long as I’m here, I’ll ask, when are you getting the Omicron vax?”.
She said “We have it. That’s why we are so backed up”.
I said “interesting, the news only said Walgreens and CVS had it”.
Appears that the “news” was probably paid by Walgreens and CVS to name them specifically, implying no-one else had the vax.
Shinyland, my Shinyland, where the corrupt media will gladly pass off advertising as “news” for a bit of coin.
I generally get my vaccinations at Costco (no line at pharmacy) or by appointment using pharmacy on-line tool (CVS)
Went to the store’s web site tonight, made an appointment for tomorrow afternoon to get the covid jab. The way the girl talked today, I expected them to be booked out a week.
Their vax menu only had one option for covid, so, presumably, they will give me the new combo original/omicron version. Then I can get my flu shot in a couple weeks.
With any luck, I will be over the side effects in time for an event on Saturday.
I would certainly ask if it was the bivalent version before you get the shot.
I did ask, twice. Both people confirmed it is the Omicron jab.
Learned the answer to all four lines on my vax card being filled: they had an adhesive strip with the make, lot number and a space for date of vax, which they stuck on the back of the card.
I looked at the adhesive strip. It says. “Pfizer BI/VI GH9702”. I suspect the “BI/VI” denotes the bivalent vax, as that notation is not on the strip from any other shot.
I’ve gotten my covid vaccinations at sites set up by FL Dept of Health. They had large sites set up in local parks and shopping mall parking lots where everything is done drive through. Very efficient and quick. I also did all my COVID tests at those drive through sites (except for the home covid tests of course). For the rapid tests, the results were texted and emailed to me before I even got home. For the PCR tests, results were texted and emailed within 24 hours.
I did get my two shingrix shots and my flu shot last year at a local grocery store. Also quite convenient.