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Hello,
Quick question for you all.
I got covid in March, which became long covid which I am only just getting over. It is not something I am keen to repeat, especially with a new varient lurking around.
I am 41 with no risk factors (apart from the fact that I am somehow susceptable to long covid) That was the first time I'd had covid in any shape or form. I have had both jabs and the booster but that was a while ago now. My GP says that I can't get another one on the NHS because I'm not in any of the categories of people who are currently getting boosters, fine, I'm prepared to pay. I assumed this would be just like a flu jab and because of my age I have to go private if I want one. However, I've been looking since I spoke to him and I can't find anywhere which is doing them
I'm off to Australia in November, the airports and plane are probably the places I'm most likely to catch it just because of the sheer number of people and the confined nature of the space. I can get one when I'm there easily enough, despite not being an Aussie, but I can't find anywhere to give me one before I go.
I don't know how good my immune system will be at dealing with it having had it six moths ago, and the new varient is concerning.
Any ideas on how/where to get one? Best option so far appears to be take on the identity of my anti-vax neighbour and go and get his first one, but that might be frowned upon...
Thanks
Simple answer, you can’t until they are available privately.
I have had 4 based on having an underlying ailment, but I’m not aware I’ll be getting another through the nhs. At 47 I am eligible for a flu jab however. Seems odd they think covid is now less of a risk (although I’ve had it twice and not felt particularly ill..possibly because I’m juiced to the eyeballs with the vaccine already)
alternatively you can contact bill gates and see if he has any spare
especially with a new varient lurking around.
Theres not currently new vaccine thats tailored new variant. If you had covid a few months ago thats going to be giving you as much (or more) immunity and the same kind of immunity as a vaccine would provide.
The current WHO guidance is currently against booster vaccination for low risk individuals (such as you). But I see that more as a recommendation for governments rather than individuals (ie should we have a vaccination programme for low-riskers?).
It's likely that you will have some decent immunity from your prior covid infection in March, and even a bit from your previous booster, although at 12 months distance, perhaps not much of that. There may be an advantage in maximising your hybrid immunity at this point, whether it's relevant to normal symptoms or just the likelihood of something worse, I don't know.
I don't think we quite know how 'different' the current variants of omicron are in terms of evading prior immunity, and there is some suggestion that reinfection after long covid can prolong the issue.
It's a complicated balancing act of knowns and unknowns, even three years later. What is right for a population of people may not be right for you as an individual.
I'm hoping to get the call for my booster soon. I had covid followed by pneumonia in January, and haven't been right all year, so I'm hoping to avoid a repetition of that this season.
Natural immunity doesn't last long against new variants, it seems. I've had it 3 times now, every time about 4 months after my last jab.
I used to get the jab because I live with a person who is immunocompromised. I've not been offered the one that is coming up before winter, but they have. As far as I have seen on TV, the official stance is "we aren't doing anything about it anymore, some weaker people will die"
As far as I have seen on TV, the official stance is “we aren’t doing anything about it anymore, some weaker people will die”
Not entirely true, they are currently trying to accelerate the delivery of booster vaccines to the most vulnerable groups in response to the latest variants. But yes, some weaker people will die, that's inevitable.
Natural, or vaccine-induced immunity doesn't stop you getting omicron again. It protects people against the nastier consequences of that.
I'm 41 and haven't had a jab since my last booster in December 21. I had Covid last October, so 11 months ago. I'd happily pay for a booster, like I do the flu jab every year. But for some reason you can't as yet, I assume (probably wrongly) it's something to do with the rest of the world trying to catch up with vaccinations?
@martinhutch - I'll have to dig out the report, but that as literally the phrase an authority used. And while it's inevitable to some degree, it doesn't make it any nicer - I was just conveying that to the OP. My second bout was omicron (or at least during an omicron spike) and it absolutely floored me and left me struggling to do 1/10th of the exercise I could the week before - for months. If those boosters are no longer as effective, I worry for folk who are not otherwise fit and healthy as I am.
I got my vaccine booster notification the other month, booked in for next week for flu & covid. I'm in Scotland
I assume (probably wrongly) it’s something to do with the rest of the world trying to catch up with vaccinations?
There was a Guardian article about this recently. From memory a couple of the vaccine companies are looking at making jabs available privately in the US as early as this autumn, probably cost around $130:
Maybe in the UK in 2024:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/aug/17/covid-booster-jabs-approved-for-sale-to-uk-public
I've had 4 COVID jabs, the last of which was days after my 50th Birthday last Christmas as a result of a text from the NHS. I also got a free Flu jab at the same time (no underlaying health conditions - just old) it looks like this year i'll need to pay for a flu job (fine with me) and no way of getting another COVID jab.
there is some suggestion that reinfection after long covid can prolong the issue.
I've had long COVID since April 2020, very slowly improving - when I was reinfected with COVID this year it sent me all the way back to square one. I'd say it was 5-6 months to get back to my Jan 2023 levels (which are obviously far far below 'normal').
It's a real ****er and I would absolutely pay for a jab if I could!
@uselesshippy - yes our employer in the Netherlands has the same answer - even if you test positive you come in. I work in a small office with close-to-retirement staff - I just told them I was remote working for a week, I don't need that responsibility!
I think we'll be offered one along with the flu jab via work
You can register as a carer for someone, then you can get a jab. Otherwise, wait and they will be available privately, but it may be a year or longer before that happens.
If you've had long COVID then I would be looking to why. Perhaps there is something genetic in which case you can't do much. But that's probably unlikely. Far more likely is something is missing in your essential nutrition or gut microbiome. Having an honest look at your diet is usually the first thing to look at.
You could start with a medical nutritionist or a functional doctor. A functional doctor is basically a GP who has the time to properly look at you rather than a 10 minute slot at the local doctors. They do cost a lot though.
I’ve had long Covid twice now. The first time it took six months from the initial infection to clear up, and the second time is still going strong eight months in despite getting on a Paxlovid trial. I feel pretty foolish for getting Covid the second time; I let my guard down after starting a new job. I’ll definitely be trying to avoid a third time even after I (hopefully) get over this time.
FWIW our health system is moderately useless when it comes to long Covid. Having discussed my experiences with a recently retired GP friend, his comments tallied with my suspicion that blood tests seem to be so unreliable that GPs don’t really trust the results. My local NHS trust’s post covid service also hasn’t seemed to offer me much beyond common-sense suggestions for living with chronic fatigue, encouragement to then wait for it to slowly improve (which does seem to be where treatment is generally at, to be fair), and a return to work programme that doesn’t really change much.
It’s immensely frustrating, but seems to be a fact of life for now. My main advice would be to do your utmost not to catch it again if you already suspect it comes with a likely long illness for you.
A functional doctor is basically a…
Quack.
They do cost a lot though.
An expensive quack.
I prefer my doctors dysfunctional after years of working in the NHS.
Nope - you're probably muddling this with some of the weirder alternative therapies. But you should definitely check that whoever you see is actually qualified as a NHS doctor. There are all sorts of people claiming to be functional doctors when they have just been on a couple of evening classes
Yeah, it's a bit crap there's no private option yet. Maybe if there's a massive outbreak over winter they'll do another booster on the NHS (although that would depend on the variant). I've managed to dodge COVID so far but about to start working on a secure project that needs me (and half a dozen others) to be working out of an office for 6+ months, with no one testing anymore I can see us all ending up with it and knowing my luck I'll get long COVID.