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Simple FYI for US:
If you last had a COVID vaccination more than two months ago (and no diagnosed COVID infection since then), you are eligible for another booster under CDC guidelines.
As someone in a higher-risk group about to head off to several conferences, I got another booster yesterday. (No improved 5G reception yet, though.)
And, if you have yet to get the bivalent booster (only 16% of US has), then do it! Not only will it help protect you, but it will help protect others -- like me!
And Btw, no, COVID is not "done."
In the US, 300-500 people a day are still dying from it -- primarily older people and those immunocompromised, but some apparently healthy (before) as well.
Plus, long-COVID is indeed a thing, leading to impaired functionality and possible life-long limitations after even mild cases.
And, the more people catching it and passing it on, the more likely some variant arises to be a threat.
So no, COVID is not "done."
@spaf How does this work? I haven't found any information regarding duration in between.
@spaf Thanks for sharing this. I was just wondering the other day if boosters were even still a thing. Now I’m going to look up where to get my bivalent 
!
@spaf I can’t believe I’m relying on social media strangers for this question, but…
If I got the bivalent booster in Sept should I get another one?
@rockfeels
My advice is to consult your doctor.
Most people probably do not need a 2nd booster, but your doctor knows your medical situation and can advise.
The CDC guidance appears somewhat ambiguous overall.
I had my bivalent booster September 2022. I'm 63 years old, have never had a positive COVID test, or any symptoms.
Should I get another?
@gaffa
Ask your doctor, as your particular circumstances make a difference.
@spaf Ok, I got my bivalent booster back in September. I thought I had to wait six months for another, but I see I was wrong!
@spaf It has been months since I got a bivalent and I want to thank you for making me aware I was eligible for another booster.
(I’m in a high risk group due to age and obesity.)
@spaf @hannahshouse2 I had no idea! Thank you for spreading the word.
@spaf
Bugger about the 5G reception, complain to Bill
Do you have a link for that? Surprised me.
@spaf I was in the 16% already when it was like 0% :)
@spaf I've had five total jabs, including one bivalent. Although it's been more than 2 months, I think I'm pausing for a bit.
@spaf this matches the CDC's guidelines (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/stay-up-to-date.html#up-to-date), but the guidelines seem a bit buggy.
If you haven't had a bivalent booster yet, then *absolutely* go get one, but if your last dose was a bivalent booster, then this logic would suggest that you should keep getting re-boosted every 2 months anyway, which doesn't seem to be anyone's recommendation.
Not that I wouldn't do it if it was demonstrated to substantially reduce risks...
@laird My doctor, pharmacist, and the CDC site all recommend that I get the booster, especially given that I am in a higher-risk category.
It doesn't appear to pose anything more than a mild inconvenience to me, but seeing how many people around me are acting like there is no longer a reason to take precautions, I'm going to be as proactive as I can be.
@spaf In my reading this is only people who have not yet had the bivalent. If you have had a bivalent booster more than two months ago you are still considered up to date.
@choong According to the CDC guidelines, more than 2 months from any booster is qualified for another. My doctor confirmed this.
@Crookedlilhouse @spaf @choong
I was also surprised by the q2m statement. I do not think that is published CDC guidance.
The immune system is deeply weird. Too frequent boosting can be counterproductive. The vaccine has not been studied with such a frequent schedule.
@Crookedlilhouse @spaf @choong Yeah this is driving me crazy. I think the rule is that one bivalent is up to date, but it's really, really hard to be sure.
@spaf @choong I'm at the CDC website now and it's confusing. The interactive "Find Out When You Can Get Your Booster" eventually said, "You have completed your primary series and it has been at least 2 months since your last COVID-19 vaccine dose. You (or your child) should get one updated (bivalent) booster using Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna."
That seems to contradict vague wording elsewhere on the same page; I'm going to get another booster.
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/stay-up-to-date.html
@Haldane @spaf @choong This is clever wordsmithing but the clinical considerations makes it clear that CDC only recommends one dose of the bivalent booster for immunocompetent individuals.
(I mean, if you're five months out from your bivalent dose and about to hit high risk situations, I'm not going to stand in your way, but we should be honest about what the CDC is recommending vs. what people may choose to do).
https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/covid-19/clinical-considerations/interim-considerations-us.html
@dave_andersen @spaf @choong I'm just trying to understand what the guideline actually is. I got the quoted text by filling in the questions on the website: "How old are you?" 18+. "How many COVID-19 vaccine doses have you had?" 2 or more. "Has it been 2 or more months since your last COVID-19 vaccine dose?" Yes. Result was the cleverly wordsmithed text above.
@dave_andersen @spaf @choong I went through the questionnaire because the wordsmithing of the "Booster vaccination" text ON THE SAME PAGE was ambiguous (to my eye). I suppose we could all go to the peer-reviewed literature? BUT IT SHOULD BE SIMPLE, CLEAR, UNAMBIGUOUS, AND OBVIOUS, which it ain't.
@Haldane @spaf @choong Oh, I agree. The version on the main CDC page for the public leaves the answer phrased in a way that is somewhat ambiguous. CDC's guidelines for practitioners (the clinical considerations documents) and their vaccine schedule leave no room for doubt that they only intend 1 dose of bivalent booster at this time.
@choong @spaf It seems crazy but their little “find out” tool for when to get a booster makes it look like I’d need the bivalent booster every two months.
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/stay-up-to-date.html
@CheapPontoon @choong @spaf I am all in favor of regular boosters if they help, but how are folks interpreting the relevant section of the CDC site linked to in this thread as saying *more than one* bivalent booster is advised for adults?
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/stay-up-to-date.html
@DavidAnson @choong @spaf yep. Very easy to interpret either way. “You can’t get too many vaccines!”
@DavidAnson @CheapPontoon @choong @spaf Under "Find out when you can get your booster" I answered the questions and got, "You have completed your primary series and it has been at least 2 months since your last COVID-19 vaccine dose. You (or your child) should get one updated (bivalent) booster using Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna."
@spaf Is insurance paying for more boosters? I thought it was only if you’re immunocompromised or 65 and up? I’ve been considering going anyway.
@nazgul
I dunno how it was paid, but I was charged $0 for it
@spaf
The big thing is no matter what, get the bivalent booster. Its time to treat Covid like you do influenza: an annual shot with the proper cocktail for the current strains running around.
I hope they do more research on the vaccine.
I'm a cancer patient With each dose, my lab results improved. Since getting the 2 doses & booster, my cancer has been "stable". My immune system seems to have been boosted.
The vaccine was the only thing different at the time.
Even my oncologist was surprised, since my cancer is aggressive
I've been "stable" for nearly a year now
Wouldn't it be wonderful if the vaccine could be used to treat cancer & other autoimmune disorders?
@spaf The thing that horrifies me is that most of the measures that were used to control tuberculosis could be used to control covid, but they are not being used.
https://adviceunasked.blogspot.com/2023/01/controlling-airborne-diseases.html