Booster Vaccines - Covid 19

[KhunLA]

Other: Not vax'd, so no booster

personal choice

One day we'll all have to be vax'd in order to buy or sell.

I think people will either wake, or simply tire of all this and learn to live with this virus as we have with all the others.

[PeteC]

Off topic posts deleted

[sateeb]

[dtaai-maai]

Here in the UK the booster shots appear to be much more closely targeted than the first 2 shots. I've just been given an appointment at a specific time for 17/11, a little over 6 months since my second jab, at a vaccination centre 10 miles away from my home, as opposed to the local hospital a mile away last time. I don't know what vaccine I'll be receiving.

[dtaai-maai]

I've just been boosted here in the UK, with Pfizer, which apparently is standard here after 2 x AZ. I've never had a reaction to a vaccine, so I'm not expecting one now (which in any case I believe to be the best attitude!). I've had the flu jab as well, so hopefully that's me sorted for the winter.

I spoke too soon with regard to the reaction... I developed a sick headache on Saturday that proved impossible to get rid of for 48 hours, accompanied by insomnia for 2 nights. I don't sleep well at the best of times, but my usual 3-hour naps became 30-minute semi-snoozes. All accompanied, less importantly, by a complete loss of appetite (and sense of humour...). Three days during which not a drop of alcohol has passed my lips.

Anyway, everything seems to be back to normal now, touch wood.

[PeteC]

The daughter hit peak protection yesterday, 2 weeks from her 2nd Pfizer. I hit it on Thursday. Now the count down begins towards any needed booster in 6 months.

[Big Boy]

Yes, mine should be due in February. It'll probably become a memorable event in our calendars such as birthdays and Christmas, but twice as often.

[PeteC]

It's a logistical nightmare keeping track of all this and all people, for all countries IMO, not just for Thailand.

At some point this place has to begin charging for boosters, they can't just continue it for free forever. I would hope they also get out of the vaccine acquisition loop and let the hospitals handle it directly. The teething pains are about over IMO.

But....having said the above your normal Thai is not going to want to pay for it, therefore they won't get it unless finances allow and it will be way down their list of priorities. For foreigners though, I would expect to be paying for future boosters here.

[Big Boy]

I agree, we should be paying. However, there are so many sat on the fence, I think many people just wouldn't have bothered if they had to pay. The longer people remain unvaccinated, the longer this beast will take to eradicate.

I would have gladly paid for all of my family to be jabbed, but it just isn't possible at the moment. Those who did manage to pay for Moderna (already sold out before I got anywhere near paying), are either still waiting, or have found another solution.

[PeteC]

What the world could learn from Israel's Covid-19 vaccine booster rollout

https://edition.cnn.com/2021/11/24/heal ... index.html

Jerusalem (CNN) When it comes to Covid-19, it seems where Israel leads, the rest of the world follows. For almost a year, the country has offered other nations a glimpse into the pandemic's future.

Israel has been at the forefront of vaccination rollouts for adults and teenagers, pioneered a vaccine passport and, in recent months, has spearheaded the use of booster shots.

At the end of July, the country began offering boosters to those over the age of 60; since late August, boosters have been available to anyone over the age of 16, five months after their second dose of the vaccine.
Now, a person is not considered fully vaccinated in Israel until they have received a third dose of the vaccine, once they are eligible for it.

More than three months on, Israeli health officials say the data is clear: Booster shots helped bring down the fourth wave of the virus that swept the country in August and September.

At its peak, that wave saw more than 8,000 new Covid-19 cases per day, and more than 500 people hospitalized at a time in serious condition.

The current seven-day average is running at between 450 and 500 cases a day, and there are 129 people hospitalized in serious condition with the virus.

The data highlights stark differences between those with the vaccine -- and the booster -- and those without: On many days over the past month, more than 75% of positive cases were among the unvaccinated, according to data from the health ministry.

Among those hospitalized with Covid-19 it is even clearer: Israeli officials say in October the rate of people over the age of 60 in serious condition who had only had two doses of the vaccine was 5 times that of those with three shots.

And although the caseload has declined overall since then, the differences remain: On Sunday, there were four times as many people over the age of 60 in serious condition who had only had two shots, compared to those considered fully vaccinated with three doses, according to the health ministry.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, has cited such data as a reason why he thinks it will soon be recommended that everyone get boosters once they're eligible.

"If you look strictly at the data from Israel, it's very clear that the differences in immunity waning is much more profound in the elderly, but it goes across the board," Fauci told NBC last week.

The lesson from Israel is one that more and more nations are taking on, particularly as cases rise to troubling levels in parts of Europe.

Germany is recommending a third dose of the vaccine for everyone over the age of 18, and in the UK, boosters are available to everyone over 40 as of this week.

In France, demand for booster shots skyrocketed after President Emmanuel Macron announced that a third dose would be required to revalidate the "pass sanitaire," or health pass, which is required on public transport and to enter a variety of public and private spaces.

And in the United States, boosters are now authorized for everyone over 18.

Health experts say the rollout of booster shots across many Western nations highlights the inequity of vaccine deployment in other parts of the world.

In the UK, 88% of people over the age of 12 have had their first dose of the vaccine; 80% have had two doses, and 26% have already had a booster shot, data from November 20 shows.

By contrast, only 10% of people in African countries have had a first dose, on average, according to Our World In Data; only 7% of Africa is fully vaccinated, the data shows.

Fifth wave fears

But the news from Israel is not all good: Though case numbers have fallen since September, the decline has plateaued. And, even more concerning, the R-rate -- the average number of people infected by each person with Covid-19 -- is back above 1, according to health ministry data -- a worrying sign that the virus may be spreading again.

Health experts, such as Professor Eran Segal from Israel's Weizmann Institute, say it is too early to tell whether the country is entering a fifth wave of the virus. But they point to the fact that almost 1.5 million people who have had two doses of the vaccine have not gone back for their booster shot.

"There are more people whose vaccine has faded over time, when compared to the number of new vaccinations and boosters, which has led to a slow decrease in the total [population's] immunity," Segal tweeted last week.

Now Israel is working on holding back that potential fifth wave: Officials are encouraging the unvaccinated to get their shots, and those who are eligible for booster doses to get them. They are also getting children vaccinated, and keeping up with preventative measures.

Many of Israel's new infections are among children aged five to 11, according to Israeli health officials. A campaign to vaccinate that age group began on Monday.

"About 50% of our daily infections are occurring in that age group of below 11," Dr. Ran Balicer, chairman of Israel's Covid-19 National Expert Advisory Panel, told CNN last Friday. "We think this vaccination campaign could actually turn the tide and perhaps bring us back to a downslope if we have a good uptick [in vaccinations], as we hope that we will."

But even with a highly vaccinated population, health experts say it is vital that anti-Covid measures stay in place, especially during winter, as activities move indoors.

Nachman Ash, director general of Israel's Public Health Ministry, told Israel's Channel 13 part of the reason for the uptick in cases is people not adhering to rules like mask-wearing.

"The enforcement is not sufficient," Ash said. "And I see the public is becoming relaxed as time passes and the infection rate goes down, so people are less careful. Therefore yes, we have to increase the enforcement."

Balicer warned that ignoring the waning immunity of those who have had two doses of the vaccine "may, in fact, put people at risk with false reassurance."

"There is no single magic bullet that would suffice to assure surge prevention, especially in winter time," Balicer said. "It is a combination of measures: Indoor masks, population behavior, indoor event restrictions and green certificates, and an effective booster campaign.

[handdrummer]

Soon we'll be revaccinated every 6 months for the rest of our lives.

I wonder what the of accumulation of vaccines in the body will cause?

How many booster shots can you take before it loses its effectiveness?

Does the accumulation of vaccines cause the virus to mutate?

[Dannie Boy]

Soon we'll be revaccinated every 6 months for the rest of our lives.

I wonder what the of accumulation of vaccines in the body will cause?

How many booster shots can you take before it loses its effectiveness?

Does the accumulation of vaccines cause the virus to mutate?

We’ll have to wait a few years to find out!!

[handdrummer]

We’ll have to wait a few years to find out!!

That's comforting.

[buksida]

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I know, not much help to us down here, but there are some who rushed to Bangkok to get the first two so may be interested in the booster.

[hhinner]

^^ This booster is only for those who had 2 shots of either of the Chinese vaccines. I seen to recall that BB (?) mentioned boosters in PKK in the main vaccine thread some time ago.