Thank you for sharing this! My family and I are all getting ours next week as well. One thing I’m struggling with is timing for 2 of my children who unfortunately caught COVID at the beginning of August, right before school started. I have seen the recommendations stating that folks *can* wait ~3 months after prior infection due to assumed immunity from infection. I’ve also seen recommendations that folks can get vaccinated as soon as they are no longer symptomatic. My kids are in-person at school and excellent maskers (N-95), but school is basically a germ factory and my husband is high risk. Do you have any thoughts?
I’d also like to vaccinate everyone again in the Spring (with Novavax?) because my youngest caught COVID for the first time this past February after her fall mRNA vaccine wore off. It’s not clear to me what our actual options are on this front. I’m fine paying out of pocket if insurance will only cover one vaccination per year, I just don’t want to get into a conflict with a pharmacist in my very conservative (anti-science) area.
I think you have some tricky considerations here I agree, especially when trying to protect a higher risk family member👍 I know you have a great handle on this, so I’ll just imagine what I would do in your situation... I think we would defer vaccinating our kid until 3-4 months after infection, which would likely be good timing before the holiday wave. Your kids must pay the heroic social price to protect themselves and their Dad, and as you know N95’s really work. 4 years in my job and a bunch of flights during waves prove to me that they work.
Dr. Michael Osterholm mentioned that he’s going to do an mRNA followed by Novavax 4-6 months later this year, but that might change as we get more data and experience with this round. He is older. We are just following the CDC guidance for our kid, and assuming that she will likely pick up a case this year as she tries to be more normal. She might mask when rates are high or someone is obviously still quite sick but back in class. Direct message me if you want :)
Wondering if you're comfortable providing a recommendation since my PCP here told me to "follow CDC guidelines," but I'm still not clear about what to do even after reviewing their website. My husband and I are both over 65. I have several high-risk health conditions, we've received 9 Covid-19 vaccines and were last boosted 03/24. We're both currently novids. My thought was to get boosted as soon as possible with the new booster to protect against the current Summer surge. Then, 3-4 months later do a 2nd booster for protection over the Winter months. I just don't know if that's a good plan or if too many boosts, and we should wait until October-November and get one booster when we get our flu shots? Thanks!
Hi Pamela - this sounds like a totally reasonable plan. As I mentioned in another comment above this is what dr Michael Osterholm is basically planning on. I might do the same although I am younger and might not qualify for a second boost. I plan to be reasonably cautious and try not to get infected…. But as you know this is increasingly difficult with hyper contagious variants and the major social price of being careful. I plan to be aggressive with treatment when sick as you know, as long as I can tolerate it. Once again, you have a game plan that has been validated by a much more authoritative and expert voice than mine!
Many thanks, Dr. Ryan, for the time and effort you put into keeping us updated. I'll be scheduling both my flu and Covid shots for sometime in early and mid-September. I'm still a Novid.
Also still a Novid here, despite my 18-year-old daughter (a recent follower, Dr. McCormick!) recently isolating under our roof with her 1st Covid infection (very mild, fortunately). Booked for Friday along with my 14-year-old son for our boosters, but insurance is once again putting me through the wringer on covering the vax at no cost. We’ll get there!
Hi Donna 😊 I’m so glad your daughter seems to have had a mild case, as most people her age do… and though I fear long Covid for all age groups, the reality is that most people, and especially younger people, do fine. 🤞
I hope the insurance covers the vaccines, that is really crummy if they don’t. Let me know and I’ll check into other resources for that if denied.
It’s harder to capitulate when you’re a Novid, right? I’m with you.
I’m planning to get my booster in a few weeks, for maximal protection during an early October trip ( over 65, some immune issues, Novid).
I recently read that vaccinated people shed less virus when infected— it was a WaPo article, not sure of the data to support it. ( Sent to my family member who didn’t catch COVID from her spouse recently.)
Thank you for this meticulously researched update.
Hi Jan - hope the October trip goes well and I agree with that timing. I’m getting mine sooner because of back to school and I figure that will be another boost for the viruses in our household, so why not boost us too. The lower shedding I don’t think I’ve covered so thank you! Makes intuitive sense so glad to see the linked evidence
Dr. McCormick - Thank you very much for your input. I'll read up on Dr. Osterholm's thoughts as well. But for now, our Plan with CVS is in effect, Spike Vax appointments at CVS on Thursday, and hopefully novids for a bit longer.
Hi Pamela, hope all goes well :) I like Osterholm’s podcast though it can be a long listen at times. He comes across so midwestern kind and sensible, not to mention his decades of experience in infectious disease and epidemiology.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on booster timing. Thinking not a choice considering working in a high risk environment. As for someone not in in the high risk department, I am holding off for midling October. If we do get a "spring" booster recommendation, I would likely to hold off until closer to summer months (climate wise, not astrological) to max summer waves (nope, we're not seasonal yet.) Don't think we will be getting more up to date with spring boosters. Some may opt for Novavax later as well but JN.1 is still good. After all, we are still guessing at protection with neutralizing assays. KP.2 aka JN.1.13.1 (IIRC from last clinical update.) Any rate, a lot of nuances to be considered for sure. I am keeping the options open to adjust for new information that may change my considerations..
Hi KB - this sounds totally fine and allows for some flexibility based on the conditions - you are right for me personally, I’ve been seeing a decent number of sick people this past month, but with N95 I could do that all day… it’s more the back to school that affects our family risk!
Thank you for your thoughts on boosters, and for the time you spend keeping your readers informed.
I have felt a bit ambivalent at times about the number of Covid vaccines I have gotten (9 and counting) but want to stay as protected as possible, especially considering no-one but us seems to be taking any precautions around here.
I have a question re: timing, because I can only get 1 shot between now and next spring. I’m in Quebec, where we can only get boosters every 6 months. (even 1 day early, you are refused!)
My husband and I (66 and 61) were Novids until July, when we got it during first real vacation since the pandemic started. It was not nearly as mild as many have experienced, especially for my husband, and it’s almost impossible to get Paxlovid here. We were last boosted in March ‘24 and glad of it!
I’ve read that you should wait at least 3-4 months after having been infected before getting a booster. Is that because you will have a stronger response to the vaccine if more time has passed? I want the best protection possible, but don’t want to wait longer than I have to. I’m also concerned about timing for the holidays.
Hi Catherine! First of all I love Quebec, city and province! Your plan sounds good with the restrictions of exactly 6 months. If we did not have a child in school I would wait for my updated shot to be around mid/late November to maximize holiday protection (Thanksgiving and Christmas get togethers). But with a kid I think I have bigger risks right now. Getting a shot or booster dose 3-4 months after an infection is mostly to save the bump in neutralizing antibodies we get (peaks that first month and then declines thereafter) for when we don’t already have a natural one after infection. Side effects might be more intense with a recently primed immune system, too, but I don’t have the studies to cite at my fingertips on that.
I am a little ambivalent about the number of shots, but as someone who has received 40+ flu shots I’m thinking about this through that kind of similar paradigm too. Many think for older folks the paradigm should be every 6 months, rather than the yearly flu shot pattern. Best of luck with your planning!
Thank you so much for this, and for your kind words. I was already thinking late November and you have just confirmed it! I like your correlation with flu shots. Being a first grade teacher (now retired) who got sneezed and coughed on regularly😉,I have gotten flu shots every year without question.
This was a Herculean effort, Doc - really excellent and measured.
I have a question about this: “Although the majority of people in the U.S. are vaccinated, many still grumble about it and refuse to get additional recommended boosters.”
If folks were vaccinated only once (with the original shot and booster three weeks later) in 2021, are they still considered “vaccinated”? My thinking would be no based on everything you’ve cited here about how long these jabs are effective for. But it’s interesting language to consider people vaccinated who haven’t had one of these in years at this point. Thoughts?
Hi Amy - very good points - I hear occasional grumbling from patients who were required to get the original shots by employers etc and have since resented that, plus many who thought the paradigm would be a couple shots and then done… but mental flexibility needed as we keep learning, SARS keeps mutating, and behavior keeps reverting to pre pandemic let it rip. I guess the terminology I would use would be vaccinated (2 shots minimum or some number of additional shots) versus up to date which might mean having received the most recent boost/updated shot, versus totally up to date meaning having collected all the stamps? Also no judgement from me, as some people feel really ill with these shots. Novavax easier as you know!
Yeah, I guess if the science thinks that those two-shot folks from 2021 still hold even an iota of immunity to the virus, you’d consider them vaccinated. But if nothing is “left” in their system, I don’t think calling them vaccinated is fair. Like if my cat misses their every three years rabies vaccine, are they still “vaccinated” against rabies? I’m not so sure.
Interesting with Novavax: one of my long hauler friends (whose LC was from the virus in 2020) got several mRNA shots and did not respond at all - no sore arm, no symptoms, nothing. She decided to get Novavax late last year and took a dramatic turn for the worse. Who knows why? And it’s an n = 1. But my specialists have advised me against getting any vaccines (including flu, shingles, and of course, COVID), so I’m riding out my recovery until my body isn’t so reactive. An immunologist found some low lymphocyte counts and also tested me for hereditary alpha tryptasemia. We’ll see how that shakes out.
Thank you so much Ryan for this article. You must have put in many an hour assembling, collating, and annotating it. The result of all that work is informative, has actionable info and en toto presents a very strong case for keeping current with vaccinations as they become available. I will be getting mine as soon as my health plan makes it available.
Hi Michael, and many thanks for reading! It was a bit of a conversation with my previous posts, so while this one did take a while to assemble, most of the legos were there already from the past 7 months… and I owe acquaintance Jon Howard a big favor as I cut and pasted his previous effort searching the literature. Included as more of a strength in numbers rather than review of each study. Best of luck and glad to help inform your decision😊
Thank you for your good work. We all benefit from your integrity and fastidiousness.
Thank you for clearly spelling it out: too many credentialed people with a megaphone make a bigger deal out of unknown and unlikely impact of many doses over the well-known and not-unlikely consequences of covid.
I also appreciate that you refer to the social pressure of unmasking; you understand the heart of the situation. It's disingenuous when "thought" leaders are cavalier about this, implying that dropping NPI efforts is low consequence and a matter of taste, like what color car you prefer rather than whether you wear a seatbelt.
I'm still Novid. It's very interesting that many of your readers are Novid or Low-vid (and hopefully low incidence of PASC as well), and I hope you know the positive impact you have. Thank you for using your strengths in this important way.
Hi Dar, this is so kind and motivates me for sure! I do think it’s interesting how many Novids and only infected 1-2 times folks stop by here. I know the narrative that we should still care is much less popular, and I agree that the social price is significant. There’s a really good piece about denialism psychology that I hope to highlight soon that speaks to us careful, eyes wide open types. I really appreciate your trust and absolutely encourage everyone to make their own unique and tailored plans… just adding my 2 cents with the underpinnings.
The semantics of that are kind of opaque, but I’m guessing it’s more of a process / logistical issue and they stamped the EUA for reasons of expediency with shots ready to go into arms? Press release does not explicitly answer this:
Freely admit I did not read all the articles but I appreciate the post! Jealous of all the Novids commenting below. I can't even find options for the old vaccine here (now, given the new one will be out soon) and I can't get the new one until next week. Timing isn't optimal -- I have a high-risk event 4 days after I can get the vaccine. Sigh. Thanks for the amazing post.
Impossible to thread all the needles and timing! I wish could hold off on this one until late fall, but the current wave is still quite significant and the back to school stuff is sure to stir up the waters for another month. I know you read my older posts, and I’m not above a little informed superstition with a nasal spray or even the neomycin study from Akiko Iwasaki if not allergic. Well, once you’re there, try to enjoy it right?, and may the antibodies and helpful nasal mucosa be with you.
Yup! I have been using the neomycin ever since you wrote about it and I always use the nasal spray. Trying to sort out if I should use both at the same time but given the nature of neomycin, I am not sure. I am trying to get my daughter to get the new vaccine ASAP as she starts in person grad school this week (Go Cal Bears). She is one of the few 25 year olds who does mask on flights and she managed to not get Covid while traveling for a month in SE Asia so she is doing something right. Once I am there I hope to have a good time!
There’s a small group that gets overlooked in all this- those of who had really awful experiences with the vaccine and are scared to get another. Moderna 2 took me out for three days with vomiting, the worst headache of my life (and I get migraines, so I know a bad headache) and some weird neuro things. I laid on my bathroom floor wondering if I was dying; I had never been that sick in my life. I was scared to get the first booster, but I was also scared of Covid and was trying to protect my family. Moderna 3 was a repeat, only the neuro issues lingered for a bit. I have not had a Covid vaccine since 2021, and I am not sure I will ever get another. I will get a flu vaccine this fall. I am UTD on everything else (just got my TDAP booster last month). Maybe 100 mcg was too much? Maybe Pfizer would have been ok? I’d Maybe I would fare better with novavax? But, I am too scared to risk another experience like what I had, especially when no medical professional can tell me why I reacted as I did. And I know I am not the only one with a story like this.
Thank you so much for adding this, especially as I did not while reviewing my own personal decision. I’ve added the following to the post:
“ Granted, this is an easier decision for me as I do not react strongly to these vaccines. Some people are knocked out for days, and a quite small number have absolutely experienced serious adverse reactions.
But for most people, the benefits outweigh the risks, hence the consensus guidelines and authorization.”
I would be tempted to try a Novavax, but I would defer that to each person to decide and I would not provide a 👍 or 👎
Thank you and sorry to hear about the serious side effects you experienced.
Thank you for your kindness! I am using nasal sprays, masking, and hoping for the best. Hoping Paul Offit’s assertion that the first three shots will protect you for severe disease and death is correct.
Thanks so much for all your advice related to Covid! I am still a Novid and attribute this to continued masking with N95’s in public and staying up to date on vaccines. On an unrelated topic, I would be very interested to know your advice on good oils/fats and what you think of the nutritional advice prescribed by doctors such as Catherine Shanahan. Thanks for all you do!
Hi Amy - I have not read Shanahan yet, but if you have a favorite podcast she speaks on please do forward! I commute. To be honest I’m kind of big picture on the dietary stuff. I like Michael Pollan “in defense of food.” And if you want to read a bit deeper dive I did a while back kind of related to your question here is a link! It’s too long, sorry about that:
Thank you for the update and all the info Dr. McCormick! Since Novavax received approval on Friday - are you still planning on doing MRNA now and a potential Novavax booster in a few months? As a teacher - I'll definitely be getting boosted again - leaning toward Novavax as I've found I experience no symptoms vs. Moderna (typically knocked out for a day or two).
Well, I just got the Moderna shot yesterday, so I think I'll wait and see how things are going this fall and winter, and obviously pay attention to official CDC guidance. With this big wave extending into September, and no major new variant on the current radar that I am aware of, maybe if we are lucky this winter it will be less of a surge. Best of luck with back to school, it's tough!
Thank you for sharing this! My family and I are all getting ours next week as well. One thing I’m struggling with is timing for 2 of my children who unfortunately caught COVID at the beginning of August, right before school started. I have seen the recommendations stating that folks *can* wait ~3 months after prior infection due to assumed immunity from infection. I’ve also seen recommendations that folks can get vaccinated as soon as they are no longer symptomatic. My kids are in-person at school and excellent maskers (N-95), but school is basically a germ factory and my husband is high risk. Do you have any thoughts?
I’d also like to vaccinate everyone again in the Spring (with Novavax?) because my youngest caught COVID for the first time this past February after her fall mRNA vaccine wore off. It’s not clear to me what our actual options are on this front. I’m fine paying out of pocket if insurance will only cover one vaccination per year, I just don’t want to get into a conflict with a pharmacist in my very conservative (anti-science) area.
I think you have some tricky considerations here I agree, especially when trying to protect a higher risk family member👍 I know you have a great handle on this, so I’ll just imagine what I would do in your situation... I think we would defer vaccinating our kid until 3-4 months after infection, which would likely be good timing before the holiday wave. Your kids must pay the heroic social price to protect themselves and their Dad, and as you know N95’s really work. 4 years in my job and a bunch of flights during waves prove to me that they work.
Dr. Michael Osterholm mentioned that he’s going to do an mRNA followed by Novavax 4-6 months later this year, but that might change as we get more data and experience with this round. He is older. We are just following the CDC guidance for our kid, and assuming that she will likely pick up a case this year as she tries to be more normal. She might mask when rates are high or someone is obviously still quite sick but back in class. Direct message me if you want :)
Wondering if you're comfortable providing a recommendation since my PCP here told me to "follow CDC guidelines," but I'm still not clear about what to do even after reviewing their website. My husband and I are both over 65. I have several high-risk health conditions, we've received 9 Covid-19 vaccines and were last boosted 03/24. We're both currently novids. My thought was to get boosted as soon as possible with the new booster to protect against the current Summer surge. Then, 3-4 months later do a 2nd booster for protection over the Winter months. I just don't know if that's a good plan or if too many boosts, and we should wait until October-November and get one booster when we get our flu shots? Thanks!
Hi Pamela - this sounds like a totally reasonable plan. As I mentioned in another comment above this is what dr Michael Osterholm is basically planning on. I might do the same although I am younger and might not qualify for a second boost. I plan to be reasonably cautious and try not to get infected…. But as you know this is increasingly difficult with hyper contagious variants and the major social price of being careful. I plan to be aggressive with treatment when sick as you know, as long as I can tolerate it. Once again, you have a game plan that has been validated by a much more authoritative and expert voice than mine!
Many thanks, Dr. Ryan, for the time and effort you put into keeping us updated. I'll be scheduling both my flu and Covid shots for sometime in early and mid-September. I'm still a Novid.
Hi Mim - thanks for checking in and I wish you continued success in the Novid Olympics! Quite an impressive run, and hope you are doing well 😊
Also still a Novid here, despite my 18-year-old daughter (a recent follower, Dr. McCormick!) recently isolating under our roof with her 1st Covid infection (very mild, fortunately). Booked for Friday along with my 14-year-old son for our boosters, but insurance is once again putting me through the wringer on covering the vax at no cost. We’ll get there!
Hi Donna 😊 I’m so glad your daughter seems to have had a mild case, as most people her age do… and though I fear long Covid for all age groups, the reality is that most people, and especially younger people, do fine. 🤞
I hope the insurance covers the vaccines, that is really crummy if they don’t. Let me know and I’ll check into other resources for that if denied.
It’s harder to capitulate when you’re a Novid, right? I’m with you.
I’m planning to get my booster in a few weeks, for maximal protection during an early October trip ( over 65, some immune issues, Novid).
I recently read that vaccinated people shed less virus when infected— it was a WaPo article, not sure of the data to support it. ( Sent to my family member who didn’t catch COVID from her spouse recently.)
Thank you for this meticulously researched update.
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2792598
Supports the lower shedding: apologies if you covered this already.
Hi Jan - hope the October trip goes well and I agree with that timing. I’m getting mine sooner because of back to school and I figure that will be another boost for the viruses in our household, so why not boost us too. The lower shedding I don’t think I’ve covered so thank you! Makes intuitive sense so glad to see the linked evidence
Dr. McCormick - Thank you very much for your input. I'll read up on Dr. Osterholm's thoughts as well. But for now, our Plan with CVS is in effect, Spike Vax appointments at CVS on Thursday, and hopefully novids for a bit longer.
Hi Pamela, hope all goes well :) I like Osterholm’s podcast though it can be a long listen at times. He comes across so midwestern kind and sensible, not to mention his decades of experience in infectious disease and epidemiology.
I read the transcript
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on booster timing. Thinking not a choice considering working in a high risk environment. As for someone not in in the high risk department, I am holding off for midling October. If we do get a "spring" booster recommendation, I would likely to hold off until closer to summer months (climate wise, not astrological) to max summer waves (nope, we're not seasonal yet.) Don't think we will be getting more up to date with spring boosters. Some may opt for Novavax later as well but JN.1 is still good. After all, we are still guessing at protection with neutralizing assays. KP.2 aka JN.1.13.1 (IIRC from last clinical update.) Any rate, a lot of nuances to be considered for sure. I am keeping the options open to adjust for new information that may change my considerations..
Hi KB - this sounds totally fine and allows for some flexibility based on the conditions - you are right for me personally, I’ve been seeing a decent number of sick people this past month, but with N95 I could do that all day… it’s more the back to school that affects our family risk!
Yes indeed, children are little Petri Dishes and classrooms are incubators. ; ~) Do tend to forget about that..
Thank you for your thoughts on boosters, and for the time you spend keeping your readers informed.
I have felt a bit ambivalent at times about the number of Covid vaccines I have gotten (9 and counting) but want to stay as protected as possible, especially considering no-one but us seems to be taking any precautions around here.
I have a question re: timing, because I can only get 1 shot between now and next spring. I’m in Quebec, where we can only get boosters every 6 months. (even 1 day early, you are refused!)
My husband and I (66 and 61) were Novids until July, when we got it during first real vacation since the pandemic started. It was not nearly as mild as many have experienced, especially for my husband, and it’s almost impossible to get Paxlovid here. We were last boosted in March ‘24 and glad of it!
I’ve read that you should wait at least 3-4 months after having been infected before getting a booster. Is that because you will have a stronger response to the vaccine if more time has passed? I want the best protection possible, but don’t want to wait longer than I have to. I’m also concerned about timing for the holidays.
Hi Catherine! First of all I love Quebec, city and province! Your plan sounds good with the restrictions of exactly 6 months. If we did not have a child in school I would wait for my updated shot to be around mid/late November to maximize holiday protection (Thanksgiving and Christmas get togethers). But with a kid I think I have bigger risks right now. Getting a shot or booster dose 3-4 months after an infection is mostly to save the bump in neutralizing antibodies we get (peaks that first month and then declines thereafter) for when we don’t already have a natural one after infection. Side effects might be more intense with a recently primed immune system, too, but I don’t have the studies to cite at my fingertips on that.
I am a little ambivalent about the number of shots, but as someone who has received 40+ flu shots I’m thinking about this through that kind of similar paradigm too. Many think for older folks the paradigm should be every 6 months, rather than the yearly flu shot pattern. Best of luck with your planning!
Thank you so much for this, and for your kind words. I was already thinking late November and you have just confirmed it! I like your correlation with flu shots. Being a first grade teacher (now retired) who got sneezed and coughed on regularly😉,I have gotten flu shots every year without question.
All the best!
This was a Herculean effort, Doc - really excellent and measured.
I have a question about this: “Although the majority of people in the U.S. are vaccinated, many still grumble about it and refuse to get additional recommended boosters.”
If folks were vaccinated only once (with the original shot and booster three weeks later) in 2021, are they still considered “vaccinated”? My thinking would be no based on everything you’ve cited here about how long these jabs are effective for. But it’s interesting language to consider people vaccinated who haven’t had one of these in years at this point. Thoughts?
Hi Amy - very good points - I hear occasional grumbling from patients who were required to get the original shots by employers etc and have since resented that, plus many who thought the paradigm would be a couple shots and then done… but mental flexibility needed as we keep learning, SARS keeps mutating, and behavior keeps reverting to pre pandemic let it rip. I guess the terminology I would use would be vaccinated (2 shots minimum or some number of additional shots) versus up to date which might mean having received the most recent boost/updated shot, versus totally up to date meaning having collected all the stamps? Also no judgement from me, as some people feel really ill with these shots. Novavax easier as you know!
Yeah, I guess if the science thinks that those two-shot folks from 2021 still hold even an iota of immunity to the virus, you’d consider them vaccinated. But if nothing is “left” in their system, I don’t think calling them vaccinated is fair. Like if my cat misses their every three years rabies vaccine, are they still “vaccinated” against rabies? I’m not so sure.
Interesting with Novavax: one of my long hauler friends (whose LC was from the virus in 2020) got several mRNA shots and did not respond at all - no sore arm, no symptoms, nothing. She decided to get Novavax late last year and took a dramatic turn for the worse. Who knows why? And it’s an n = 1. But my specialists have advised me against getting any vaccines (including flu, shingles, and of course, COVID), so I’m riding out my recovery until my body isn’t so reactive. An immunologist found some low lymphocyte counts and also tested me for hereditary alpha tryptasemia. We’ll see how that shakes out.
Thank you so much Ryan for this article. You must have put in many an hour assembling, collating, and annotating it. The result of all that work is informative, has actionable info and en toto presents a very strong case for keeping current with vaccinations as they become available. I will be getting mine as soon as my health plan makes it available.
Hi Michael, and many thanks for reading! It was a bit of a conversation with my previous posts, so while this one did take a while to assemble, most of the legos were there already from the past 7 months… and I owe acquaintance Jon Howard a big favor as I cut and pasted his previous effort searching the literature. Included as more of a strength in numbers rather than review of each study. Best of luck and glad to help inform your decision😊
Thank you for your good work. We all benefit from your integrity and fastidiousness.
Thank you for clearly spelling it out: too many credentialed people with a megaphone make a bigger deal out of unknown and unlikely impact of many doses over the well-known and not-unlikely consequences of covid.
I also appreciate that you refer to the social pressure of unmasking; you understand the heart of the situation. It's disingenuous when "thought" leaders are cavalier about this, implying that dropping NPI efforts is low consequence and a matter of taste, like what color car you prefer rather than whether you wear a seatbelt.
I'm still Novid. It's very interesting that many of your readers are Novid or Low-vid (and hopefully low incidence of PASC as well), and I hope you know the positive impact you have. Thank you for using your strengths in this important way.
Hi Dar, this is so kind and motivates me for sure! I do think it’s interesting how many Novids and only infected 1-2 times folks stop by here. I know the narrative that we should still care is much less popular, and I agree that the social price is significant. There’s a really good piece about denialism psychology that I hope to highlight soon that speaks to us careful, eyes wide open types. I really appreciate your trust and absolutely encourage everyone to make their own unique and tailored plans… just adding my 2 cents with the underpinnings.
So why with all this is the vaccine only FDA approved under an emergency use authorization?
The semantics of that are kind of opaque, but I’m guessing it’s more of a process / logistical issue and they stamped the EUA for reasons of expediency with shots ready to go into arms? Press release does not explicitly answer this:
https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-approves-and-authorizes-updated-mrna-covid-19-vaccines-better-protect-against-currently
Freely admit I did not read all the articles but I appreciate the post! Jealous of all the Novids commenting below. I can't even find options for the old vaccine here (now, given the new one will be out soon) and I can't get the new one until next week. Timing isn't optimal -- I have a high-risk event 4 days after I can get the vaccine. Sigh. Thanks for the amazing post.
Impossible to thread all the needles and timing! I wish could hold off on this one until late fall, but the current wave is still quite significant and the back to school stuff is sure to stir up the waters for another month. I know you read my older posts, and I’m not above a little informed superstition with a nasal spray or even the neomycin study from Akiko Iwasaki if not allergic. Well, once you’re there, try to enjoy it right?, and may the antibodies and helpful nasal mucosa be with you.
Yup! I have been using the neomycin ever since you wrote about it and I always use the nasal spray. Trying to sort out if I should use both at the same time but given the nature of neomycin, I am not sure. I am trying to get my daughter to get the new vaccine ASAP as she starts in person grad school this week (Go Cal Bears). She is one of the few 25 year olds who does mask on flights and she managed to not get Covid while traveling for a month in SE Asia so she is doing something right. Once I am there I hope to have a good time!
There’s a small group that gets overlooked in all this- those of who had really awful experiences with the vaccine and are scared to get another. Moderna 2 took me out for three days with vomiting, the worst headache of my life (and I get migraines, so I know a bad headache) and some weird neuro things. I laid on my bathroom floor wondering if I was dying; I had never been that sick in my life. I was scared to get the first booster, but I was also scared of Covid and was trying to protect my family. Moderna 3 was a repeat, only the neuro issues lingered for a bit. I have not had a Covid vaccine since 2021, and I am not sure I will ever get another. I will get a flu vaccine this fall. I am UTD on everything else (just got my TDAP booster last month). Maybe 100 mcg was too much? Maybe Pfizer would have been ok? I’d Maybe I would fare better with novavax? But, I am too scared to risk another experience like what I had, especially when no medical professional can tell me why I reacted as I did. And I know I am not the only one with a story like this.
Thank you so much for adding this, especially as I did not while reviewing my own personal decision. I’ve added the following to the post:
“ Granted, this is an easier decision for me as I do not react strongly to these vaccines. Some people are knocked out for days, and a quite small number have absolutely experienced serious adverse reactions.
But for most people, the benefits outweigh the risks, hence the consensus guidelines and authorization.”
I would be tempted to try a Novavax, but I would defer that to each person to decide and I would not provide a 👍 or 👎
Thank you and sorry to hear about the serious side effects you experienced.
Thank you for your kindness! I am using nasal sprays, masking, and hoping for the best. Hoping Paul Offit’s assertion that the first three shots will protect you for severe disease and death is correct.
Thanks so much for all your advice related to Covid! I am still a Novid and attribute this to continued masking with N95’s in public and staying up to date on vaccines. On an unrelated topic, I would be very interested to know your advice on good oils/fats and what you think of the nutritional advice prescribed by doctors such as Catherine Shanahan. Thanks for all you do!
Hi Amy - I have not read Shanahan yet, but if you have a favorite podcast she speaks on please do forward! I commute. To be honest I’m kind of big picture on the dietary stuff. I like Michael Pollan “in defense of food.” And if you want to read a bit deeper dive I did a while back kind of related to your question here is a link! It’s too long, sorry about that:
https://mccormickmd.substack.com/p/how-to-fix-our-high-cholesterol-levels
Thank you for the link. I’m not sure that she isn’t a bit of a quack… since she says that canola oil and other seed oils are bad for you.
Thank you for the update and all the info Dr. McCormick! Since Novavax received approval on Friday - are you still planning on doing MRNA now and a potential Novavax booster in a few months? As a teacher - I'll definitely be getting boosted again - leaning toward Novavax as I've found I experience no symptoms vs. Moderna (typically knocked out for a day or two).
Well, I just got the Moderna shot yesterday, so I think I'll wait and see how things are going this fall and winter, and obviously pay attention to official CDC guidance. With this big wave extending into September, and no major new variant on the current radar that I am aware of, maybe if we are lucky this winter it will be less of a surge. Best of luck with back to school, it's tough!