More from the WSJ this morning:


Covid Booster Shot Authorization Leaves Many With Questions

For doctors, the queries are coming fast and furious: Am I eligible for a booster? After six months or eight months? What if I got Moderna or Johnson & Johnson?

Americans have reached the booster angst stage of the pandemic—and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s announcement on Friday backing extra shots for some people, but not all, has left many with more questions than answers.

In August, with the Delta variant surging and breakthrough infections rising, the Biden administration indicated boosters would be widely available in the U.S. starting this month. After heavy debate among scientists, the CDC ultimately endorsed boosters for a narrower group. Yet its guidance left plenty of room for interpretation about who qual- ifies, doctors say.

“The patient portal is being overrun with emails from patients,” says Mark Fierstein, a primary care physician at NYU Langone Ambulatory Care Lake Success in New York. “There’s a lot of questions. The confusion is because every day someone comes out and says something a little different.”

“The booster conversation has people’s heads spinning,” says Laura Morris, a family physician in Fulton, Mo. She says some patients have been asking about boosters all summer, including whether they are really necessary. Several asked about them Friday; she gave two patients, both in their 70s, the extra shots.

The CDC said Pfizer vaccine recipients who are 65 and over, as well as people ages 50 to 64 with certain underlying medical conditions, should get boosters. It also laid out other groups of people who may get boosters, based on their risk levels and potential benefits, prompting a host of new questions and decision-making. For recipients of the Moderna and J&J vaccines, the FDA and CDC have said that they need more time to review data.

Lucy Ballentine, a 33-year-old in Washington, D.C., is pregnant. Pregnancy and her age likely put her in the category of people who the CDC said “may” receive a booster, but the agency didn’t explicitly say they “should” receive a booster. Ms. Ballentine says she’s interested in getting a booster shot but has questions for her midwife. She wants to know whether she should get one before she gives birth, or wait until after.

If her midwife says she should get it while pregnant, Ms. Ballentine says, “I want to pass on as many antibodies as possible.”

The biggest gray area now is for people ages 18 to 49, doctors say. “That is definitely the group that probably needs to have the most counseling and probably we need to take a closer look at what their individual risk is,” says Dr. Morris.

In that group, doctors say it’s important to look at occupation, where people live and work, who they are commonly exposed to, and their health. Dr. Morris says she has a healthy patient in that age bracket who cares for her mother who is severely immunocompromised. She wanted a booster earlier this week but Dr. Morris told her to hold off; now, she says she’d recommend that the patient get one.

Cameron Wolfe, associate professor of medicine in the division of infectious diseases at Duke University health system, says the guidelines give doctors a lot of flexibility for 18- to 49year-olds. “We’re going to use this in a fairly permissive fashion. If someone is interested and tolerated the first two doses and it’s been six months, I think this is open,” he says.

Some of the questions to consider, he says: “What sort of work do you do? Who’s at home with you who might be at higher risk? Can you afford a couple of weeks off if you get sick? How did you tolerate the first two doses? Have you had Covid before?”

Many people who don’t obviously qualify now are anxious to know when they will. Lauren Lipowicz, a 41-year-old real-estate agent in Lower Merion, Pa., is eager for a booster and will ask her doctor when she might be eligible.

“I want it now,” she says, adding that she won’t get one until she qualifies. “I don’t have an underlying condition and I don’t believe I qualify for having a high-risk job, but if they tell me I can, then I will be the first in line,” she says. She got Covid in August 2020, and got vaccinated this year. “I don’t want to ever have to go through that again,” she says of the virus.

Erica Aikey, a 20-year-old Boston University student who received her second Pfizer shot in June, wants to know when, or if, boosters will be available for people her age. “I’m in in-person classes, in a big city,” she says. “I’d like to put myself in a healthier position.”

Starting to sou d like the roof issue. Those who did not get theirs for free except deductible saying that everyone who did was a scam rather than a
Loophole where insurance companies had to finally pay out because their policies allowed full replacement value for hail or
Wind damage regardless of age. Of course, new
Policies will no longer provide those words.

I got my Moderna booster at Publix two weeks ago.

I received my Moderna booster at Publix at Southern Trace two weeks ago.

Good to know. I'll remember this when I go get my booster shot... :icon_wink::icon_wink::icon_wink:

Well, it looks as if they're revising their policy and NOW are following the CDC/FDA guidelines,,,

Once again, a booster for Moderna has NOT YET BEEN APPROVED!

My husband got a Moderna shot for the immunocompromised at Publix two weeks ago.

They are learning as they go. That is science! Of course they hoped two shots would do it. Things can change daily and if they didn’t then it would be a concern! The Israel studies show that you can have break through cases so need a booster. They are ahead of us. Nobody could know that in advance

Adding to the confusion:

Third shot, booster, third dose, et al being used interchangeably.

Approval, authorized, emergency authorization all used interchangeably.

Many make an assumption that if one has received their third dose, they are cheating/lying.

Many make an assumption if the provider gave the third dose they were not following the rules.

Right or wrong individual opinions.....like this post!

still the best place is your OWN DOCTOR

I don't know about that. Seems my PCP was not sure of the protocol for the Moderna vaccine. I was given an appointment for a third Moderna shot and as it turns out, I am not eligible at this time because I am not immunocompromised. I am over 65 but that is not enough criteria to qualify for the Moderna booster/3rd shot. As I have already posted upthread, I did cancel that appointment when I realized I was NOT eligible at this time.

Just this morning on The Today Show (NBC), during their reporting of who is eligible for the Moderna or J&J booster, there was HUGE text on the screen in red that said "NOT ELIGIBLE YET". So...........long story short......those who have already received a booster shot of Moderna or J&J, should not have received them YET. Confusion has led us to this.

A family member just had his follow up visit and his doctor told him NOT to get a booster as he had plenty of antibodies. And he is diabetic, over weight and has hyper tension. AGAIN: His doctor told him NOT to get the booster.

Personally speaking, I have no plan to get the booster until at least my doctor says I should. Why would anyone take a medicine if they do not need it? I will get my antibodies checked way before I decide whether or not to get a booster. Seems like a slip-shod way of approaching something that may or may not happen. Kind of like taking an anti-venom shot before you go into the woods, just in case you get bit.
I have been reading about an Canadian study that has been done regarding side effects of the vaccine. Don't get me wrong, I have my shots and I will probably get a booster IF my doctor thinks it necessary. ONLY if he thinks it is necessary. But back to the Canadian study, they have found a percentage of serious side effects from the vaccine. Once again, I am just interested because it is good to do your due diligence when taking a medicine that is fairly new.
"..Canada’s University of Ottawa Heart Institute revealed that 1 in 1000 recipients of the vaccination suffer from heart inflammation also known as myopericarditis. "
"..15,997 doses of Moderna vaccine, and 16,382 doses of Pfizer vaccine administered over the study period, for a total of 32,379 doses. .. a mixture of first and second doses."
"32 patients were identified over the period of interest. Eighteen patients were diagnosed with myocarditis; 12 with myopericarditis; and 2 with pericarditis alone." (I have no idea what any of those are, but they seem serious to me.)

You may suggest that only 1 in 1000 show these serious side effects, based on the study. I agree, but.... if you are under 65 what are the chances of you even suffering from the virus, let alone dying from it? If you are over 65, then it is probably worth taking the chance, since an infection by the virus is so dangerous. Whether or not this study is valid or just more scare tactics, the point I am making is that I plan to consider my next step seriously and slowly, not jumping on the band wagon of getting a booster that I may not even need. I am going to get a blood test to see how much defense I have to the virus before joining the lemmings that are rushing toward the proverbial cliff.
I am not attempting to tell anyone NOT to get the booster, only to seek professional advise rather than joining a herd in a stampede to get there when you may be just as safe taking your time.

Are there reliable antibody tests? For a long while there weren't. It seems that it's not something routine and that if you ask your doctor to get one they might refuse or say you don't need it. They (the CDC) just want you to keep getting multiple boosters for all eternity, not knowing what it may do to your immune system.

To keep getting a powerful dose of antibodies to a specific spike protein might cause your immune system to eventually attack itself. I've heard scientists and doctors discuss this as a possibility, or the opposite, that it's a form of therapy and eventually your system will not reject the spike protein from the virus much like when you receive allergy shots so your body eventually accepts the allergen as normal. Both are scary scenarios.

And oh, by the way, boosters still do not prevent infection. You can still get and shed Covid-19 and its variants.

The answer to the OP about whether or not the Moderna booster has been approved is NO. Biden got his Pfizer booster today and said the other vaccines have not yet been approved.

Not an opinion at all. And I have made no assumptions.

The MODERNA vaccine has not yet been approved for a booster. That is a fact.

If you are getting one, the Pharmacy/Clinic/Dr's office are not following the CDC/FDA guidelines.

The Moderna first and second doses are not yet "approved"....millions and millions.

Get Vaccine Answers | How we know COVID-19 vaccines… | The Ad Council

"Third Base!"

This is all that I know: my wife and I are part of the Moderna trials through a local company (we spend about 5 months a year in Omaha, NE.) called Meridian. I received the actual vaccine while my wife received a placebo. I got my second shot last October 9th and as of about three weeks ago still had anti-bodies. When Moderna un-blinded the study my wife got her two shots. She got her last shot in March and still has anti-bodies. We received calls just yesterday asking us if wanted a booster shot this Thursday at 7:00 P.M. Of course, we said "yes" since we have fewer anti-bodies now than we had months ago.

We are doing a scheduled follow-up tomorrow in Meridian's local office. This is a standard follow-up and not part of our booster this coming Thursday. We have been very impressed with the efficacy of Moderna's vaccine and Meridian's professional handling of the research study.

After 5 hours of chills in bed I will not take any more Moderna shots myself. I don't know why you need it unless you have health problems. Talked to a doctor that had covid for 9 days. He had only a fever and sweats.

Business Insider posted an article on Moderna.

Moderna Vs Pfizer Charts: Moderna Vaccine May Not Need Boosters As Much

>>Last week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released data sets from hospitals around the country. That data is starting to indicate that people who got Moderna's vaccine are less likely to be hospitalized than people who got Pfizer's or Johnson & Johnson's.<<

One suggested reason from the article.

>>Moderna's shot consists of 100 micrograms of mRNA vaccine, while Pfizer's has 30 micrograms. That may mean lighter side effects for Pfizer's shot but in the long run, the protection might not be as strong.<<

The other possible reason is dose spacing. Pfizer being 3 weeks, Moderna 4 weeks. The UK used even longer spacing, up to 12 weeks and it seems to matter.

If I were guaranteed of having ONLY fever and sweats ( throw in some chills too) if I contracted Covid, I would not have gotten the vaccine. I would also want a guarantee that I would have no long term effects from Covid.

No guarantee??? THAT is why I got myself vaccinated.

The VA sent me an email today if I wanted a booster , you can go to Gainesville no appointment needed or go to VA clinic Appointment preferred but will take walk-ins you must be eligible and it’s Pfizer only that’s the only one they have approved

If you have the Moderna vaccine, there is NO need to get the booster at this time. The moderna has three plus times the agent that Pfizer has, so it is still working.

I'll have my doctor check me for antibodies in Dec and then decide whether I feel it is worth getting it. After the side effects I had from the second shot, I think I would rather go through the virus. I know at least a dozen people that suffered only mild symptoms and none of them are in as good a shape as me.

Not trying to be argumentative, but what guarantees were you given of no long term effects from the vaccine? BTW….I’m not anti-vax, I’m actually pro-vax but those that worry about LT effects from the virus should also question the possible LT effects from the vaccine.

You have an excellent point. I decided to get myself vaccinated because the benefits outweighed the risks. I did a risk assessment and the vaccine won.

And that’s a fair and reasonable response. I’m sure a lot of people are trying to do the same thing. Be safe.

Just stop it, you two!

Reasonable, polite conversation like this has no place on TOTV! :1rotfl::1rotfl::1rotfl:

:BigApplause:

And this is why my wife and I got the 3rd shot.

We had no serious side effects from any of them.

For those that are susceptible to more serious side effects, we do understand your concern.

We also wish to know why some ARE more susceptible to side effects. We both thank our Slovak gene pool.

:1rotfl::1rotfl: