It's Flu/RSV/Covid season! Latest news

[MacMadame]

It's that time of the year again in the Northern Hemisphere at least.

This year, in addition to the normal flu vaccine, there is an RSV vaccine and a new COVID booster that is targeted to various still circulating Omnicron variants.

If you want to know if you should get the COVID booster, this is a good article:

Should you get a COVID booster? Here are 7 things to consider.

When and whether to get a COVID booster should depend on your health status, risk tolerance, timing of last infection and other personal factors, experts say.

www.usatoday.com

It mentioned that a lot of adults who are not particularly at risk for flu, still get a flu vaccine every year because they don't want to deal with time off from work and play so these people should consider the COVID vaccine for the same reason. I have to say, having finally gotten COVID last month, that it did impact my life by making me miss at least one really fun activity and one day of work and that I continued to test positive for 13 freaking days where I felt restricted in my leaving the house so I wouldn't infect anyone.

Another interesting factoid is that the world has seen surges of COVID every summer (winter in the Southern Hemisphere) and winter but every year the surges are smaller each year. So that's good. (And also predicted.)

In terms of the RSV vaccine, I haven't had time to look into it and my medical group is offering appointments for Covid booster and Flu shot together but NOT the RSV shot. I wonder why.

 

[allezfred]

I want to get the flu vaccine, but the pharmacy I normally get it at doesn’t seem to be offering this year. Will have to wait a few more months for a Covid booster…..

 

[once_upon]

I think RSV vaccines are recommended for children under a certain age (maybe 2?) And for over 65 or at high risk of complications. Maybe they are not wanting to do a "everyone" appointments? Or don't want to deal with filing paperwork

Edited to add - I'm waiting until Tuesday to get them because we are going to KC with friends this weekend

 

[Prancer]

In terms of the RSV vaccine, I haven't had time to look into it and my medical group is offering appointments for Covid booster and Flu shot together but NOT the RSV shot. I wonder why.

They may not have the vaccine. Pharmacies and walk-in clinics get priority because more people get their vaccines that way than from doctors' offices. This has been a problem with flu vaccines in the past. I finally just defaulted to going to the pharmacy because it was so common.

I think the age cutoff for RSV is 60, not 65.

 

[Vash01]

I need to get a flu shot. It may be too early to take the C19 shot because I got one in August - before the new version was released.

 

[Judy]

I just got both the flu and new Covid shot 2 hours ago at my little pharmacy which is about 6 min from me. I don’t usually get the flu shot this early but whatever it’s done. My last Covid shot was just before Christmas last year so I was due.

 

[DFJ]

I'm in Vancouver. Had Covid booster #5 last month. Flu shot next week. Checked out the RSV vaccine that I'll get in November (for a whopping $280). Yikes.

 

[myhoneyhoney]

My employee returned last week from a funeral in Florida and of course she has Covid. Poor thing, at least she’s doing well, just a mild runny nose. It’s annoying her because otherwise she feels fine.

 

[MacMadame]

My employee returned last week from a funeral in Florida and of course she has Covid. Poor thing, at least she’s doing well, just a mild runny nose. It’s annoying her because otherwise she feels fine.

Yes, similar. Except my nose never runs. It's all post-nasal drip which leads to a sore throat and a ton of coughing. But I wasn't going to run around coughing around people while testing positive for Covid. After was different but people still gave me side-eye.

 

[made_in_canada]

I'm in Vancouver. Had Covid booster #5 last month. Flu shot next week. Checked out the RSV vaccine that I'll get in November (for a whopping $280). Yikes.

Did you book your flu shot through the government portal thing?

 

[DFJ]

Did you book your flu shot through the government portal thing?

No. Just popped in to the drugstore.

ETA: Didn't book my Covid booster thru the government portal either. Again, just stopped by my pharmacy.

 

[rfisher]

I did the flu last week and am getting Covid next week. There is some reduction in efficacy if you take them together. The study I read concluded that many people wouldn't come back for another shot and combining them was better than not getting them at all. I prefer to maximize the benefit so I'm spreading them out two weeks apart. There's been a lot of research about vaccine combos in animals and humans and you have to consider risk versus benefits. I'm not at risk of not getting a second shot and prefer the benefits if I'm going to get stuck. A good friend did both flu and Covid together and it knocked her on her butt for 24 hours.

 

[Judy]

I did the flu last week and am getting Covid next week. There is some reduction in efficacy if you take them together. The study I read concluded that many people wouldn't come back for another shot and combining them was better than not getting them at all. I prefer to maximize the benefit so I'm spreading them out two weeks apart. There's been a lot of research about vaccine combos in animals and humans and you have to consider risk versus benefits. I'm not at risk of not getting a second shot and prefer the benefits if I'm going to get stuck. A good friend did both flu and Covid together and it knocked her on her butt for 24 hours.

This is the first time I’ve done both together. I’m just never going to get a reaction. I’m on my 6th short now for Covid and nothing. Some people do and some don’t. Apparently you’re supposed to have a bit better immunity if you do react but .

 

[Prancer]

A good friend did both flu and Covid together and it knocked her on her butt for 24 hours.

I did flu and COVID together last year and had no problems at all.

I did flu, COVID, and RSV together this year and yeah. Not a fun Friday for me.

The pharmacist warned me that people were complaining that the RSV vaccination burned. It did, but I didn't think it was too bad.

 

[once_upon]

I will most likely do the RSV vaccine separately just because it's new vaccine and more likely to cause me issues.

Flu and covid vaccines I've had before with only mild reactions.

 

[rfisher]

I did flu and COVID together last year and had no problems at all.

I did flu, COVID, and RSV together this year and yeah. Not a fun Friday for me.

The pharmacist warned me that people were complaining that the RSV vaccination burned. It did, but I didn't think it was too bad.

RSV is 3rd on my rotation schedule. My friend had never had a problem with covid before and I asked her if she'd got the new Novavax which is not an mRNA, but she didn't know. Her husband looked at the paperwork. I'm had both Moderna and Pfizer and neither bothered me at all so I'll talk about it to the pharmacy tech who gave me the flu shot. He was really good and the shot didn't hurt, bleed or make my arm sore at all. I have to get the shingles vac and I'm not looking forward to it. It's last on the list. I'm sure I need a TDAP booster, but we'll probably make that just T and leave the others off. People really should be able to have titers drawn to see if they need boosters (except for flu and covid which are constantly evolving) but that would mean two trips to the physician's office as pharmacies couldn't do them.

 

[Prancer]

RSV is 3rd on my rotation schedule. My friend had never had a problem with covid before and I asked her if she'd got the new Novavax which is not an mRNA, but she didn't know.

The CVS website and the pharmacist both specified that I would be getting Moderna.

I have to get the shingles vac and I'm not looking forward to it.

Shingles 1 kicked my behind something fierce, but Shingles 2 didn't really bother me at all. I was told that it was usually the opposite and that 1 probably hit me so hard because I've had shingles three times already.

It's last on the list. I'm sure I need a TDAP booster, but we'll probably make that just T and leave the others off. People really should be able to have titers drawn to see if they need boosters (except for flu and covid which are constantly evolving) but that would mean two trips to the physician's office as pharmacies couldn't do them.

Ugh. I remember when I was a kid and thought that I would never have to get a shot ever again after I was 12 or something like that. Yet another way that adulting sucks.

 

[once_upon]

The shingles (both) and the DaPT vaccines really did me in.

I think shingles because I have had shingles. I will always do the DaPT because I've seen what pertussis does to both little ones and compromised adults.

 

[myhoneyhoney]

My daughter got both Covid and flu shot together a few weeks ago before dorm move in. Her arm was sore for a couple of days. She made her Dad do all the lifting

 

[annie_mg]

I got Covid a month ago. It was thankfully extremely mild but I still feel some fatigue.

I live in Germany and there is 0 talk about the booster for non-risk groups. It doesn't apply to us currently anyway since we all just got it.

The RSV one is new and Im not even sure it's available here. I will still ask our pediatrician about my youngest. My eldest got RSV and ended up in the hospital with viral pneumonia

 

[once_upon]

I had Covid the first week of August. I'm exhausted all the time since then, but other than the 10 days that I was positive, we've been going and going.

But I will get the booster, just not this week. Next week.

 

[Judy]

My daughter got both Covid and flu shot together a few weeks ago before dorm move in. Her arm was sore for a couple of days. She made her Dad do all the lifting

Women can be strategically smart .

 

[victorskid]

I am booked for the COVID shot tomorrow afternoon and now have a booking for the over-65 flu shot on Friday evening. I'm hoping for limited reaction as I'm staffing a used book sale on Friday and part of the day Saturday.

 

[barbk]

I had Covid the first week of August. I'm exhausted all the time since then, but other than the 10 days that I was positive, we've been going and going.

But I will get the booster, just not this week. Next week.

I thought you were supposed to wait some time (3 months? 6 months?) after getting COVID before getting a booster.

 

[barbk]

I got the RSV vaccine about a month ago, and my arm had some residual soreness and a bit of a lump for nearly two weeks. I need to get the flu vaccine this week, but I need to get it in that same arm since I sleep on the other arm.

 

[once_upon]

I thought you were supposed to wait some time (3 months? 6 months?) after getting COVID before getting a booster.

From the CDC site, I read you should wait until after your isolation period if you have or had Covid recently. It says you may want to wait 3 months but not necessarily-depends on risk factors or potential for severe illness.

If I get it next week, I'll be close to the 3 month time frame.

 

[oleada]

My 8 month old niece is getting her RSV shot next week! Super exciting. A friend’s one year old was recently hospitalized with it.

I’m getting my flu shot next week, but still have to schedule my COVID booster. Little Oleada already got both.

 

[Vash01]

Got my flu and Covid shot (number 7) today. One on each arm.

I usually get a mild reaction with any shot I take. Will I get double the reaction this time? Will wait and see.

 

[Badams]

I thought you were supposed to wait some time (3 months? 6 months?) after getting COVID before getting a booster.

I got my booster the day I tested negative last October.

 

[sk9tingfan]

Dr. Peter Hotez reports that Alabama is experiencing a measles epidemic, especially at Birmingham Children's Hospital. Anti-vaxxers are jeopardizing their children because the MMR vaccine is safe and effective:

https://twitter.com/PeterHotez/status/1746234128083697881