Another COVID vaccine?

Whitewavemark2

I have the flu vaccine every year - because the virus changes over time and last years vaccine will no longer be effective. Of course I know that it doesn’t prevent me getting flu, but hopefully it lessons symptoms and crucially keeps me out of hospital.

Now in the last paragraph, alter every mention of flu to covid, and you understand why I get the covid jab.

Simples😊

This is me too

I will, we’ve both had them all so far that we’re eligible for.
I have Covid right now, but I’m not in bed.
I’ll be getting the shingles one soon too,

Whitewavemark2

I have the flu vaccine every year - because the virus changes over time and last years vaccine will no longer be effective. Of course I know that it doesn’t prevent me getting flu, but hopefully it lessons symptoms and crucially keeps me out of hospital.

Now in the last paragraph, alter every mention of flu to covid, and you understand why I get the covid jab.

Simples😊

Thirded. Despite taking all the Covid vaccines, I got Covid twice. Mild form, no worries, just loss of smell for a short time.

since then, not even a sniffle.

CariadAgain
The last "contact" I had was my doctors practice (which had been told at the outset never to mention the jabs to me/don't offer them) sent me a letter saying they had made me an appointment for a flu jab and - by the way - whilst you are there "How about having a Covid one too?". Cue for me phoning them and querying why I'd had that letter and stating I wouldn't be attending/they need to cancel that appointment they had made for me - as I don't do flu jabs either.

I’m not trying to be argumentative but I’m wondering if you also informed your GP that if you become seriously unwell with covid that you don’t wish to receive any treatment or medical intervention of any kind.

My daughter is a nurse in a major city hospital and there are currently many patients around the hospital who have Covid. The most seriously ill group are in the care of the elderly ward.

If there's another Covid vaccine on offer, DH and I will have it. If it keeps us safe as much as possible why not?

During Covid I was shielded from the virus because I have a chronic chest condition. I had all my vaccines, the last one over a year ago.
I have never had a positive Covid test and if I've had Covid I barely noticed it.
A few months ago I received a text message saying I could have a vaccine because I am immuno-compromised. That isn't true.
I haven't had another vaccine because I feel I don't need it yet. I will go and have one in the winter. Meanwhile people who are genuinely at risk can have my vaccine.

M0nica

I have all vaccines. End of. This coming winter DH and I will pay to have RSV vaccination as well - we are 'out of age' to get it on the NHS.

I can remember the days when the whooping cough vaccine came in. My two sisters, one only weeks old, caught it and it nearly killed both of them. The GP managed to get a shot of vaccine for me before I showed any signs of the illness and I didn't get the illness. My closest friend has had a lifetime of respiratory illnessess following lung damage caused by whooping cough when she was 6 years old.

It is noticeable that almost all those who are most vociferous about not having vaccines are too young to remember when many of these vaccines were not with us and they can sustain their vaccine 'purity' because they can benefit from the herd immunity that arises when most of those around them have been vacinated.

Incredibly well expressed Monica. I agree that so many people are unaware of the value of vaccination because they haven't lived through, or with knowledge of, what common diseases can do, including kill many people.
Conspiracy theories are rampant now, I gather that many people are saying the man who survived the Air India plane crash didn't exist or was bogus in some way. Sad.

I’ll be 75 in October and will happily take anything that’s on offer for Covid or any other nasties. Not only for my own sake but in the hope of protecting family members and friends who are much more vulnerable than I am. I see no good reason not be vaccinated.

We have had all ours an will continue to do so.

Of course the vaccine has changed ; that's because COVID has mutated since the initial outbreak .

The same happens every year with flu vaccine.

That's one reason we will continue to take both covid and flu vaccine, so that our protection remains as up to date as possible.

The other is, that with advancing age, the human immune system weakens which means any infection has the potential to severely impact major organs. This is why older people are more vulnerable in an outbreak if infectious disease.

If older people are admitted to hospital, for any reason, by reason of age they are more vulnerable to hospital acquired infections.

It just makes sense for older generations to make the most of every opportunity to stay as healthy as possible for as long as possible. Vaccination is just one of the defences available.

It may not prevent covid infection, but it should make infection less severe, avoiding the need for hospital admission.

Nope- not having any more. Just had Covid- hardly any symptoms, apart from tiredness.

My immune system after chemo is not as strong as it could be so I will continue to have all the vaccinations I can as does DH. And most of my friends of the same age 75s to 80s.

These threads always stir up differing opinions. Some quite surprisingly aggressive. But OP you just have to make up your own mind!!!!!

The latest version of Covid is called Nimbus. Sounds quite pleasant, but heard its not. And the latest vaccine is effective against it.

MOnica said "It is noticeable that almost all those who are most vociferous about not having vaccines are too young to remember when many of these vaccines were not with us"

I would add, that we're the same generation who remember
the days before legal abortion. I do. There were and are dreadful reasons why women under huge stress should never, ever have means to procure a DIY late termination at home.

I am worried that this change in the law, made with the very best intentions to protect women, will have an unintended consequence for some.

That uninformed women may misuse the information that has lately come to public notice, resulting in desperate diy terminations late in pregnancy. "It's free, it works and nobody will ever know"

We may see a return of the tragic, terrifying consequences of illegal and DIY abortion that younger generations have been protected from.

I had the first 2 vaccines, as I worked in a care home. I caught covid a few months after the first. Was incredibly ill, off work for nearly 2 months.
Had covid again few months after 2nd vaccine, not quite as ill but so weary. My GP thinks I have long covid.

So I didn't have anymore and won't be having any in the future.
Don't have flu jab either. I'm nearly 64 and I've had (real) flu twice in my life.

If others want the vaccine that's up to them

I agree. We are so lucky to have these opportunities to prevent us getting ill. I have heart problems and the last thing I need is to get covid. My friend's son has serious heart problems as a result of the covid virus. I will be first in the queue for the jab.

Just to be clear n- I agree with whoever said "how soon we forget"...

Calendargirl

How soon we forget.

Only 5 years ago, we would have been queuing up to get a jab that we thought would prevent us getting the dreaded Covid. But no sign of one for some time.

The fact we hear so little about Covid now is because of the jabs, maybe?

This was the post I was agreeing with.

Sago

A big fat NO from me, I had the two I had to have in case I had to travel but no more.

I am fortunate enough to have never had Covid🤞.

I always have the flu vaccine.

Could you explain your reasoning please.

I’ll have it again when it’s offered, my son just had covid, and he was quite unwell with it - which bears out the reports that the latest strain is quite nasty.

Luckygirl3

Sago

A big fat NO from me, I had the two I had to have in case I had to travel but no more.

I am fortunate enough to have never had Covid🤞.

I always have the flu vaccine.

Could you explain your reasoning please.

My once fit and healthy SIL ( ex Team GB )had blood clots in each lung after the vaccine.

He was close to death.

I can understand how dreadful this must have been for you all and I am glad he has recovered.

It seems the incidence of this occurrence is 0.001%. That is vanishingly small than goodness.

Sadly there is a risk with all vaccines and also with illnesses. However with odds as tiny as that I think it does make sense to have the vaccine, especially older people with poorer immune systems and other on-going pathologies that might make them more vulnerable.

To give some balance - as I said my friend's son suffered heart damage from the covid virus itself. Estimates suggest a range of 7% to 40% of people with COVID-19 experience myocardial injury.

So the heart and clotting risks from covid itself are much higher than from the vaccine.

But I can understand that the logic of statistics is hard to take on board when you have had such a traumatic family occurrence.

I am curious about why people do not want vaccines. Do those people take other prescribed medication and follow a reasonable life style to keep fit and active? If so, why do they ignore this one area of medical advice?

Life is strange. When I was a child, mumps and measles were referred to as ‘the usual childhood ailments’. The Press never mentioned that children actually died from these diseases. Then came along vaccines and we almost managed to see off these illnesses in our community. Parents then became rather blasé and didn’t bother to get their children immunised as the infection risk was small so the diseases got a hold again. Fortunately, a bigger emphasis recently on getting children immunised has reduced the infection rate significantly.

By getting vaccinated against Covid, we not only protect ourselves but we also help keep the overall infection rate under control.

Fifty years ago, if anyone had told me that flu was a potential killer of 23 year olds, I would have laughed at them. After a week spent in hospital with flu, I now treat viruses with great respect. Like many I am grateful for the advances that medical science has made, and continues to make. I had my RSV injection a month ago.

Had Covid once in 2022, as did ‘himself’. Still prepared to have any vax offered.

No from me. I gave had 3 covid vaccinations and was poorly after them all and had a blood clot behind my eye which is still recovering and thought to be due to covid vaccine. I have had covid three times and was not too poorly thankfully.
My daughter has had covid a few times and after her latest covid vaccine developed long covid symptoms and still struggling.

We'll be having the lot. I worked with people with learning disabilities years ago and some were brain damaged because of the infections.
Vaccinations for most people are life savers.