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Related: Culture Forums, Support ForumsI asked my pharmacist about the COVID booster shots this morning
When I got my flu shot this morning I asked the pharmacist about the COVID booster shots.
He said they (Walgreens) are following federal guidelines and will not be giving boosters until the end of September.
Except = He said the Pfizer vaccine is available now for people who are immune suppressed such as cancer and HIV/Aids folks.
After the end of September those non immune suppressed who are over 65 can get a booster
and some in certain medical condition.
With the Pfizer exception,
he said No boosters until the end of September.
He also said as I had the two Moderna shots earlier,
my booster must be a Moderna -- no mixing vaccines.
I know some here and on my other non-DU forums have received a booster shot already.
Maybe some pharmacists are following the guidelines and some are winging it ?
Personally I'll follow the guidelines.
SWBTATTReg
(21,859 posts)MiniMe
(21,677 posts)and other unvaccinated folks. I am retired, fully vacc'd, and very careful when I rarely go out. I would rather see the kids get vacc'd before I take another shot.
Ocelot II
(115,280 posts)There seems to be plenty of vaccine to go around, and anyhow the kids will get different doses - maybe in different batches. Go ahead and get the booster when you can; the more people that are vaccinated or boosted the better for everyone.
MiniMe
(21,677 posts)And I had Moderna. Now I have to wait at least 3 or 4 weeks because I had my flu shot last week.
Binkie The Clown
(7,911 posts)Maybe a booster will be less necessary.
https://www.post-gazette.com/news/health/2021/09/18/Big-gap-between-Pfizer-Moderna-vaccines-seen-for-preventing-COVID-19-hospitalizations/stories/202109180045
Data collected from 18 states between March and August suggest the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine reduces the risk of being hospitalized with COVID-19 by 91% in the first four months after receiving the second dose. Beyond 120 days, however, that vaccine efficacy drops to 77%.
Meanwhile, Modernas vaccine was 93% effective at reducing the short-term risk of COVID-19 hospitalization and remained 92% effective after 120 days.
StarryNite
(9,366 posts)I think it's important that he said no mixing vaccines. There are some on here who tell people who have gotten the J&J that they should go get one of the others as a booster. I don't think people on here should play doctor or scientist. We have to wait for the real doctors and scientists to make those kinds of recommendations. Just because there are instances of some people who have mixed and matched and didn't have any adverse side effects certainly doesn't prove it's safe for the general population.
LisaL
(44,962 posts)NT
lark
(23,003 posts)I'm 69 and was thinking of calling Walgreens today about the booster. I can wait 2 weeks, no problem. I had the Pfizer shot which is better against Delta and had Covid before that, and don't have any of the big risk factors - especially since I lost weight. So 4 more weeks of always masking isn't a burden at all for me and as long as the vaccination rate isn't higher here, I'll probably just continue on like I have been - just feeling more secure.
Ocelot II
(115,280 posts)I'm not immune-suppresed, just old, and I got Pfizer. So I guess I'll be at Walgreen's door on or about October 1.
LisaL
(44,962 posts)I already got one.
left-of-center2012
(34,195 posts)Tomconroy
(7,611 posts)An emergency basis for the immune suppressed. It is the same shot as the original ones. Some pharmacies may have only one or the other so you might want to call ahead.
I haven't heard anything about mixing the two types. I don't know if there is a rule.
The Pfizer approval for over 65 and some others should come very soon.
Tomconroy
(7,611 posts)As your original shots but if that isn't available then you are good to go with the other brand:
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/recommendations/immuno.html