Covid Booster shots

[emergentmd]

Someone explain to me why there is such a rush for a booster and what data is backing this up?

I understand that antibodies drop in time after vaccination which makes complete sense. So what I learned in med school

1. I get a vaccine
2. My body develops an immune response producing antibodies and memory cells
3. The memory cells go dormant and antibodies gets cleared by the body.
4. Dormant memory cells stop producing much antibodies until it sees the pathogen again
5. Memory cells goes into hyperdrive and produces alot of antibodies to kill pathogen
6. Rinse, repeat, and goes back to #3. Antibodies drops to undetectable levels.

So what is the point of a booster? So a 3rd shot throws you into #5 but then goes back to #3 in time.

I guess a booster will give you hyper protection for a few months but so what?

So if there is a good reason for boosters that I am not aware, so why do we not get boosters for everything? Will we need Covid boosters again when they measure antibodies that will eventually wane? We expected that antibodies were going to wane so why is this surprising the Covid overlords? This appears diff than yearly Flu b/c the variant are different but the Covid shots are not reformulated for new variants.

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[bravotwozero]

If someone has an extremely high level of immune compromise, I.e transplant patients (who essentially have no immune system) boosters might be a good idea. For the rest of us with more robust immune systems, jury is still out. Will post more later but my bed awaits.

Enjoy your night shift watching Netflix in the FSED.

 

[emergentmd]

I get the immunocompromised but what about the other 95% that have a healthy immunity?

Also if someone already has COVID, recovered, have immunity what makes their immunity inferior to the vaccinated? Why do they need to be vaccinated if they can show a positive test or antibodies?

If someone got chickenpox, there was no point of being vaccinated. How is this different?

I am not intending this thread to be political so leave the political soapbox off. I just want to know if there is any scientific basis for a booster and if not, what is the point? If boosters do work, why are we not having boosters for all vaccines and just select? And for some select such as tetnus, why 5-7 yrs vs Covid 6 months?

We talk about scientific basis for getting the COVID shot which I agree with, but what is the basis for boosters? I have seen zero studies to show a definitive need.

 

[WilcoWorld]

We do boosters for tetanus and pertussis, because the immunity wanes enough and the prevalence is high enough that the risk of infection warrants the use of boosters.

I suspect that it's a combination of prevalence and risk that's leading to boosters being recommended for CERTAIN HIGH RISK people. Boosters are not recommended for people under 65 that don't have a high risk of exposure. I'm not intimately familiar with the data, so someone else will have to point you to the supporting studies. I don't think the fact that I don't already know them is evidence that they don't exist.

 

[Porfirio]

I was vaccinated. I don’t understand the booster reasoning. As of right now, I do not plan to get the booster. I am trying to find a time to get the flu vaccine and working 220 hours a month. I always get sick the day after the flu vaccine.

 

[turkeyjerky]

I think it's primarily a political issue. The administration needs to prove that its doing something in order to calm the anxieties of the (very vocal, but small minority) covid-fear obsessed. That, and corporate profits (see pfizer recently increasing their prices, citing 'increased demand'). To be fair, there's a lot of uncertainty regarding duration of the initial immune response, variants, and so on. One could look at this less as a 'booster' and more as completion of the primary vaccination series (hopefully).

 

[GeneralVeers]

Pfizer saw that their quarterly profits were dropping as vaccine uptake diminished. They used their insider contacts at the FDA and paid politicians to "recommend" a booster that provides fleeting immunity.......so that everyone needs a 4th booster in a few more months. $$$$$$

 

[emergentmd]

I get the high risk population but booster for EVERYONE will be coming soon with high recommendation from the CDC/Biden Admin.

If the gov wants the public to trust their recommendations then they need some studies or data and not, "We think its best" when it goes against what we know about vaccine.

I had my two Moderna shots, got some mild but long lasting symptoms even 5 months after. UNLESS there is a good scientific reason, I would never recommend the avg person getting it. If the healthy vaccinated population almost NEVER get hospitalized, then what is the benefit of a booster? Give me covid and let me build more natural immunity would be my play.

 

[GeneralVeers]

I get the high risk population but booster for EVERYONE will be coming soon with high recommendation from the CDC/Biden Admin.

If the gov wants the public to trust their recommendations then they need some studies or data and not, "We think its best" when it goes against what we know about vaccine.

I had my two Moderna shots, got some mild but long lasting symptoms even 5 months after. UNLESS there is a good scientific reason, I would never recommend the avg person getting it. If the healthy vaccinated population almost NEVER get hospitalized, then what is the benefit of a booster? Give me covid and let me build more natural immunity would be my play.

See my post above for the benefits. Can't believe no one is skeptical of the COVID-Industrial complex.

 

[emergentmd]

See my post above for the benefits. Can't believe no one is skeptical of the COVID-Industrial complex.

Oh I think boosters are crap. Forced Vax card carrying is crap. Forced vax of natural immunity is crap.

 

[GeneralVeers]

Oh I think boosters are crap. Forced Vax card carrying is crap. Forced vax of natural immunity is crap.

Agree completely, but we are the minority. Everyone else thinks we are nuts.

 

[Apollyon]

Agree completely, but we are the minority. Everyone else thinks we are nuts.

No, not nuts.

 

[Birdstrike]

Oh I think boosters are crap. Forced Vax card carrying is crap. Forced vax of natural immunity is crap.

Agree completely, but we are the minority. Everyone else thinks we are nuts.

I don't think you're nuts. What's nuts, is living in fear over that which you cannot control. That's a lot of people, right now.

 

[emergentmd]

I don't think you're nuts. What's nuts, is living in fear over that which you cannot control. That's a lot of people, right now.

Yea. I see this all the time. I see people saying.

I’m vax, my family is vax but we must wear masks everywhere. Just odd to be living in fear bc this stuff is not going away.

I have a friend who has literally not left his house for 18months. For REALZ

 

[Birdstrike]

Someone explain to me why there is such a rush for a booster and what data is backing this up?

I understand that antibodies drop in time after vaccination which makes complete sense. So what I learned in med school

1. I get a vaccine
2. My body develops an immune response producing antibodies and memory cells
3. The memory cells go dormant and antibodies gets cleared by the body.
4. Dormant memory cells stop producing much antibodies until it sees the pathogen again
5. Memory cells goes into hyperdrive and produces alot of antibodies to kill pathogen
6. Rinse, repeat, and goes back to #3. Antibodies drops to undetectable levels.

So what is the point of a booster? So a 3rd shot throws you into #5 but then goes back to #3 in time.

I guess a booster will give you hyper protection for a few months but so what?

So if there is a good reason for boosters that I am not aware, so why do we not get boosters for everything? Will we need Covid boosters again when they measure antibodies that will eventually wane? We expected that antibodies were going to wane so why is this surprising the Covid overlords? This appears diff than yearly Flu b/c the variant are different but the Covid shots are not reformulated for new variants.

I think this is why the decision on whether or not to recommend boosters, and for who, was somewhat controversial within the FDA. Your thought process makes a lot of sense. I had my two shots (12/20 and 1/21). I was right there with you on boosters. I wasn't that motivated to get one, although I had thought about it when it became obvious vaccine effectiveness was waning. But since protection against hospitalization and death remained strong, I was dragging my feet on the booster. Then I got COVID (delta). Then my double-vaccinated wife, also got COVID.

At that point I was likely as immune as anyone could be: Twice vaccinated, plus "boosted" with the most recent natural variant. But it was a little bit of a wake up call for me. I asked myself, "Do I need a booster, when I'm likely in a super-protected state?" No, I thought. A month went by, I still hadn't gotten the booster and two more people I knew, young and healthy, died of COVID. They were unvaccinated, which is probably why they, died, but still. "I doubt I need a booster," transformed into, "I doubt I need a booster, but I doubt a booster would hurt." So, I got a booster.

I doubt the booster has given me significant added protection, on top of already having had two vaccinations and COVID two months ago. But I felt no need to test that theory, and I feel better that I got one.

I live my life. We travel. We go out to eat. I wear a mask when required, but otherwise, not. I've reduced my risk as much as I'm willing to. It is what it is. Life goes on.

 

[GeneralVeers]

Birdstrike, It's okay that you are fearful, and that you try to protect your family. I have no issue with that whatsoever. The problem we have now is that fear, whether irrational or rational has led to a lot of authoritarian, and unscientific decisions on the part of politicians, scientists and the medical community. We have literally "not followed the science" when it comes to masking children, vaccinating children and young people, natural immunity, and now the booster shots.

In short, your fearfulness shouldn't impact my decisions.

 

[Birdstrike]

Birdstrike, It's okay that you are fearful…

In short, your fearfulness shouldn't impact my decisions.

I’m not fearful. Regardless, I’m pretty sure none of my emotions have impacted your decisions, at least not without your permission. What in my post makes you think I want you to impact your decisions?

 

[bravotwozero]

Aside from the severely immunocompromised, the only other group I think it might make sense to give a booster would perhaps be healthcare workers who got the pfizer shot spaced only 3 weeks apart. There is emerging data showing that protection from covid is maximized the most if the pfizer vaccines are spaced 3 MONTHS apart, as opposed to 3 weeks the CDC went with.

The Canadian government actually did this, which was smart of them. So if your dosing interval was too short with pfizer, perhaps a booster might be good idea to maximize the vaccine's efficacy. This may also have been the reason why the Israeli data showed lesser effectiveness against Delta from vaccinations, as they almost exclusively used pfizer, dosed 3 weeks apart or slightly less. There are other major problems with that data, but that's beyond the scope of this thread.

If you got moderna, it's already given at a higher dose than pfizer and shows greater effectiveness anyway, making a booster dose moot in an otherwise healthy person.

I don't know what the CDC is saying about this, but the one group we can unequivocally say does not need the booster is the healthy+previously infected+vaccinated group. They already have the highest level of immunity anyone could conceivably have against covid, and giving them a booster is beyond asinine.

Personally, i'd be ecstatic if we'd just get more unvaccinated people to just the get original vaccine - far far more important than boosters for people already vaccinated, which is what we should prioritize, and haven't done so enough.

 

[GeneralVeers]

I’m not fearful. Regardless, I’m pretty sure none of my emotions have impacted your decisions, at least not without your permission. What in my post makes you think I want you to impact your decisions?

Not you in specifically, but the general fears of society. This whole "the unvaccinated are killing the vaccinated" garbage needs to stop.

 

[GeneralVeers]

I don't know what the CDC is saying about this, but the one group we can unequivocally say does not need the booster is the healthy, previously infected, and vaccinated group. They already have the highest level of immunity anyone could conceivably have against covid, and giving them a booster is beyond asinine.

You nailed it! The CDC is saying nothing about it. Rand Paul grilled one of the CDC higher ups, and he basically had no comment. This universal "WE have to vaccinate everyone regardless of past infection" needs to stop as well. Other countries like Germany are making allowances for past infection.

Senator Paul Asserts Natural Immunity Is As Good As COVID-19 Vaccine

Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) challenges HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra on the Biden administration's vaccine mandates and says the science is against them when it comes to naturally acquired immunity for those who have already had COVID-19 infections. "The science is against you on this. The science...

www.c-span.org

 

[emergentmd]

I may be wrong but I get the sense that people who have natural immunity is probably better protected than the vaccinated group. Regardless, its splitting hair, and both group's chances of hospitalization from COVID is very small.

So why are natural immune people ostracized and the vaccinated can do what the heck they want? I never understood this b/c MILLIONS in the US have natural immunity so its not a small group.

 

[Birdstrike]

Not you in specifically, but the general fears of society. This whole "the unvaccinated are killing the vaccinated" garbage needs to stop.

If it was up to me, we would have run this whole thing more like Sweden, who still has a much lower deaths- and cases-per capita than USA, from the very beginning. Make many recommendations, require very little. But that ship sailed; fear lost to reassurance, long ago. Now, it's about trying to navigate through the morass we're left in.

 

[emergentmd]

You nailed it! The CDC is saying nothing about it. Rand Paul grilled one of the CDC higher ups, and he basically had no comment. This universal "WE have to vaccinate everyone regardless of past infection" needs to stop as well. Other countries like Germany are making allowances for past infection.

Senator Paul Asserts Natural Immunity Is As Good As COVID-19 Vaccine

Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) challenges HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra on the Biden administration's vaccine mandates and says the science is against them when it comes to naturally acquired immunity for those who have already had COVID-19 infections. "The science is against you on this. The science...

www.c-span.org

This HHS director is embarrassing. A lawyer by trade who runs the HHS who can't even comprehend a simple immunity questions who just answers that they are following medical science. That is just plain ignorant.

Current CDC recommendation is for booster with high risks including overweight BMI over 25. I am 5'7" 160lb and my BMI is 25.1 That makes me high risk and recommends a booster? I run 3 times a week, can wake up tomorrow and do a half marathon without much trouble. The vast majority of americans have a BMI over 25.

No wonder many Americans do not trust the CDC/HHS recommendations. I am a well trained doc and disagrees with their recommendations.

 

[GeneralVeers]

If it was up to me, we would have run this whole thing more like Sweden, who still has a much lower deaths- and cases-per capita than USA, from the very beginning. Make many recommendations, require very little. But that ship sailed; fear lost to reassurance, long ago. Now, it's about trying to navigate through the morass we're left in.

Well it's simple. Naturally immune people represents millions of lost customers for the vaccine makers. I have no other explanation for this illogic.

Also for the record I said we should have copied Sweden from the start.

 

[emergentmd]

100M Americans caught Covid. Probably many millions more caught it and never tested.

So if 75% of eligible Americans are Vaccinated. 1/3 of unvaccinated caught covid, then close to 85% have some form of Immunity.

So if 85% likely will never be hospitalized, chance of being hospitalized is less than 1%. So we are creating all of this turmoil over such a low risk?

 

[Dr Mantis Toboggan]

100M Americans caught Covid. Probably many millions more caught it and never tested.

So if 75% of eligible Americans are Vaccinated. 1/3 of unvaccinated caught covid, then close to 85% have some form of Immunity.

So if 85% likely will never be hospitalized, chance of being hospitalized is less than 1%. So we are creating all of this turmoil over such a low risk?

Control.

 

[GeneralVeers]

Control.

You are correct. The bigger issue is money, but politicians are all about power, control, and money. Once they get power, they are hesitant to give it back.

 

[southerndoc]

Interesting stats from my health system: 83% of our Covid admissions are unvaccinated, 86% of ICU admissions are unvaccinated, and 77% of ventilated patients are unvaccinated.

The number of vaccinated patients requiring hospitalization and ventilation have increased from 3% to 17% and 1% to 23%, respectively.

 

[WheezyBaby]

I'm comparatively young and healthy. I took the booster. It was offered to me by my organization, it's free to me, the risk of booster is likely exceptionally low. I'm not scared of delta - I do what I want with masking in higher exposure risk settings (unless I know I'm with other vaccinated individuals, and in restaurants while eating). The severe morbidity and mortality I've seen in the young has been amongst unvaccinated, but I'd really prefer to not have any part of it. I also care for plenty of vulnerable immunocompromised and vaccine ineligible patients and certainly don't mind any potential of reduced risk of iatrogenic transmission to those patients

 

[WilcoWorld]

See my post above for the benefits. Can't believe no one is skeptical of the COVID-Industrial complex.

We are (I am) highly skeptical of the pharmaceutical industry. I'm also highly skeptical of financial institutions.

That doesn't mean that I never use their services.

 

[BoardingDoc]

Dad voice: Thread was created for a scientific discussion of the pros/cons of a covid booster. We are rapidly diving into a political discussion which, for the millionth time, is not something that's going to become a backbone of the EM forum.

 

[elanmorin]

I believe the rationale behind boosters comes largely from this study, which shows waning of antibody titers over time for patients who got the Pfizer vaccine, more so in immunocompromised pts:

https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2114583

I got my original 2 Pfizer shots in Dec/Jan and signed up for a booster shot next week (they just started offering them here a couple weeks ago to us, a bit earlier for immunocompromised)

 

[turkeyjerky]

Interesting stats from my health system: 83% of our Covid admissions are unvaccinated, 86% of ICU admissions are unvaccinated, and 77% of ventilated patients are unvaccinated.

The number of vaccinated patients requiring hospitalization and ventilation have increased from 3% to 17% and 1% to 23%, respectively.

Right, but these numbers are subject to a few limitations, such as the proportion of the general population who are vaccinated going up over time, as well as the number of covid-naiive unvaccinated in the population going down. (also, the possibility of patients whom are admitted or intubated for other reasons, eg TBI, with an incidental case of asymptomatic covid). It's a logical fallacy to assume that this is evidence of the waning efficacy of the vaccines. You'd have to compare it to the absolute, or population-adjusted, numbers of admissions over time and also adjudicate the charts in detail to draw conclusions. I'm not saying it isn't possible that vaccinations are waning in protection over time, just that numbers like that don't prove it.

 

[rokshana]

The only vaccines that don’t require a booster are yellow fever and smallpox…not sure why the idea of booster is such a foreign concept

 

[Birdstrike]

I'm not saying it isn't possible that vaccinations are waning in protection over time, just that numbers like that don't prove it.

My whole family of 4 was fully vaccinated by June of this year. By late August, 2 out of the 4 of us, got Delta COVID. That was me and my wife, both who were 7 and 6 months out from vaccination. My kids, who were only 2 months out, didn't get it, despite living in a house with two COVID infected parents for weeks. It's just anecdote, but it lined up perfectly with the data that shows immunity waning after 6 months. What more evidence of fading immunity did I need? The data showed it. Then I lived it.

It makes sense, that protection against infection will fade first, then protection from hospitalization and death, will fade next. I don't think it's proven yet, but I wasn't about to wait for large numbers of deaths to affect the numbers. Then wait for the data to get published. Then wait for the CDC to review it. Then wait for them to announce it. Then get the booster.

I decided to be proactive and got the booster. I probably didn't need it, since I was vaccinated x 2, then boosted with natural infection from the most current variant. But I tolerated the shots well, so I saw near zero risk in getting a third. YMMV.

 

[emergentmd]

I believe the rationale behind boosters comes largely from this study, which shows waning of antibody titers over time for patients who got the Pfizer vaccine, more so in immunocompromised pts:

https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2114583

I got my original 2 Pfizer shots in Dec/Jan and signed up for a booster shot next week (they just started offering them here a couple weeks ago to us, a bit earlier for immunocompromised)

We all know that antibody titers will go down and that is well established. We all know that as time passes, antibodies dip and your immune cells waits to see in the infection again to produce more antibodies.

Everyone knows this, what is the point of having a study to show that antibodies titer goes down over time. Every med student should be able to tell you this.

Just b/c antibodies goes down, does not mean you need a booster.

I will tell you that everyone getting a booster in 2-6 months will have a drop in their antibodies to their pre booster state. Then what? Another round of booster?

I do not see any connections on why you need a booster.

 

[emergentmd]

Our great University in Austin decided to do a covid AB titer study to check on vax people's immunity. I thought to myself, WTF does that have to do with anything.

Wife said we should do it, and after explaining microbiology to her, she was like "yeah what was the point"

My friends went to get titers done for free. One spouse would say, "I have more immunity than you". After talking to my friends, and explaining that ab titer has no bearing on your immunity, they were like, "Oh so what was the point".

Yeah.... What is the point?

This is like if I asked everyone who walks into Chick Fila to show me how much cash they have in their wallet, then I go tell them how rich they are. WTF, what you have in your wallet has no bearing on how rich you are. NONE.

 

[WheezyBaby]

As far as I'm aware increasing antibody titers are associated with increasing protection against severe disease. Don't think it's as simple as memory b cells protect you for life and mount instantaneous high levels of neutralizing antibody indefinitely.

 

[michaelrack]

Got Pfizer dec/January, and my booster 1 week ago ( October 9). Only short term side effects after the first 2, but still having a lot of pain around the heels of my feet after the booster. I foolishly held my chronic NSAIDs ( for rotator cuff etc.) For 28 hours before and 55 hours after, that may have something to do with it. I personally regret getting the booster

 

[emergentmd]

As far as I'm aware increasing antibody titers are associated with increasing protection against severe disease. Don't think it's as simple as memory b cells protect you for life and mount instantaneous high levels of neutralizing antibody indefinitely.

I can get on board that more antibodies = better early protection. So what happens in 6 months after the booster's antibodies wear off and puts you back to pre booster levels.

Like a obese guy going on a crash diet, lost 30 lbs then 6 months later gains it all back. What is the point of even going through it.

I had exertional SOB after my 2nd Moderna that took 6 months before I feel back to normal. I am not and none of my family members are getting the booster until someone gives me a good scientific reason to get it. Not just, oh you work in a high risk job, go get it.

 

[maxxor]

I had exertional SOB after my 2nd Moderna that took 6 months before I feel back to normal. I am not and none of my family members are getting the booster until someone gives me a good scientific reason to get it. Not just, oh you work in a high risk job, go get it.

Maybe you had long covid.

 

[emergentmd]

Don’t think so. No issues, got 2nd shot and felt bad 24 hrs after. Typical flu like stuff. SOB only w exertion for 6 months.
I have had healthy family members have unexplained medical issues after 2nd shot.

No way to prove it and could just be a coincidence.

 

[VA Hopeful Dr]

I can get on board that more antibodies = better early protection. So what happens in 6 months after the booster's antibodies wear off and puts you back to pre booster levels.

Like a obese guy going on a crash diet, lost 30 lbs then 6 months later gains it all back. What is the point of even going through it.

I had exertional SOB after my 2nd Moderna that took 6 months before I feel back to normal. I am not and none of my family members are getting the booster until someone gives me a good scientific reason to get it. Not just, oh you work in a high risk job, go get it.

So first, turns out losing then gaining back weight is actually healthier than never losing the weight to begin with.

Second, we don't know if this is the case yet for COVID but there are lots of vaccines that require multiple boosters. Kids get 4 DTaP, 4 polio, and 4 pneumonia vaccines by age 15 month, 3 Hep B by age 6 months. So let's not pretend that boosters for vaccines are some completely unknown territory here.

 

[DoctwoB]

Guys it’s not that hard to understand. Immunity against delta infection wanes over time. Immunity against severe disease also wanes, though less so. Boosting restores that immunity (or even more so then before)

https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2114255

Yes the duration of booster immunity remains to be seen. Yes antibody titers will decline again. But As VA doc posted, With most vaccines, multiple doses are required to produce a durable effective memory response. Immunologically speaking, the first 2 doses we got 3 weeks apart are more like one dose. The schedule was chosen to get immunity ASAP, but less ideal for long term effect. What I expect to see is some waning of immunity post booster, but less and slower then after primary series. Then after the next booster or the one after that hopefully it barely wakes at all.

Myself and almost all friends/family that are eligible were boosted. All were fine. It’s not a big deal, you all make it out to be a much bigger ordeal then it really is.

 

[d2305]

Got Pfizer dec/January, and my booster 1 week ago ( October 9). Only short term side effects after the first 2, but still having a lot of pain around the heels of my feet after the booster. I foolishly held my chronic NSAIDs ( for rotator cuff etc.) For 28 hours before and 55 hours after, that may have something to do with it. I personally regret getting the booster

That's weird. Fasciitis or deeper?

 

[WilcoWorld]

I had exertional SOB after my 2nd Moderna that took 6 months before I feel back to normal. I am not and none of my family members are getting the booster until someone gives me a good scientific reason to get it. Not just, oh you work in a high risk job, go get it.

You appear to want absolute scientific rigor for views contrary to yours while accepting anecdotal experience and inference as support for views you are sympathetic to.

I hasten to add that this is a common mistake, and certainly one I am not above making.

 

[deleted836128]

Don’t think so. No issues, got 2nd shot and felt bad 24 hrs after. Typical flu like stuff. SOB only w exertion for 6 months.
I have had healthy family members have unexplained medical issues after 2nd shot.

No way to prove it and could just be a coincidence.

ENERGENTMD - purely anecdotal but my best friend, ER PA and healthy in her 40s, has the same thing within days of her second dose of Moderna. Previously a marathon runner for 20+ years and suddenly could not run more than a mile or two due to shortness of breath. Six months out and she was back to normal. Interesting.

 

[Birdstrike]

ENERGENTMD - purely anecdotal but my best friend, ...a marathon runner for 20+ years and suddenly could not run more than a mile or two due to shortness of breath. Six months ...

...got 2nd shot and ...SOB only w exertion for 6 months.

You (and your marathoner friend) had 6 months of debilitating shortness of breath, just assumed it was the vaccine and didn't investigate it?

No echo, heart cath, CTA, stress test? No chest x-ray, PFT, pulse ox, Hgb/HCT?

 

[Cinclus]

I got in some good hiking the evening after every shot. And pretty much every other day I have been off since. I got the booster 3 days ago. After every shot, I had only mild soreness at the injection site, even milder than with the flu shot. The flu shot always makes me feel like somebody tried to destroy my deltoid for about 3 days after. I still get it immediately once it becomes available each year, though. **** flu. I had it in early 2019. I left my house to go to the mailbox and legit didn't think I was going to make it back inside. I imagine COVID may feel similar. I don't want that ****. I wanna delay that as long as I can.

 

[deleted836128]

You (and your marathoner friend) had 6 months of debilitating shortness of breath, just assumed it was the vaccine and didn't investigate it?

No echo, heart cath, CTA, stress test? No chest x-ray, PFT, pulse ox, Hgb/HCT?

I didn’t have it any issues with the shot. She did apparently but I am not aware she went through any medical work up. She made no assumptions it was the shot but surmised it could have been the shot once she started feeling better six months later and realized her symptoms had started within days of the vax. I don’t know any more. I was sharing with EmergentMD that he/she was not alone in this effect.