Covid-19 vaccination experiences

Here in England, target time between initial and second dose of Pfizer has been reduced from around 11/12 weeks to 8 weeks.
My son (35, with ME for 22.5 years) should have received his second dose last Wednesday but the GP hub of 6 local practices that is administering his vaccinations did not have sufficient supplies delivered last week to offer him a booking. But he has been able to book for this week, which will be a 9 week gap.


BBC, published 23 July:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-57929953

Covid vaccine: Eight-week gap seen as sweet spot for Pfizer jab antibodies

A longer gap between first and second doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid vaccine makes the body's immune system produce more infection-fighting antibodies, UK researchers have found.


Experts say the findings support the UK's decision on extending dosing intervals from the initial recommendation of three weeks.

An eight-week gap seems to be the sweet spot for tackling the Delta variant.

The UK initially extended the dosing gap to 12 weeks at the end of 2020.

But as the vaccination programme has been rolled out through the age groups - everyone over 18 has now been offered at least their first jab - people have been encouraged to bring their second jab forward and get it after eight weeks.
The government-funded work is published in a pre-print paper not yet peer reviewed.

For the study, the researchers compared the immune responses of 503 NHS staff who received their two shots at different intervals in late 2020 and early 2021, when the Alpha Covid variant, first identified in Kent, was rapidly spreading.

Antibody levels in their blood were measured a month after the second vaccine dose.

The findings suggest:

• both short and long dosing intervals of the Pfizer vaccine generated strong immune responses overall
• a three-week schedule generated fewer of the neutralising antibodies that can bind the virus and stop it infecting cells than a 10-week interval
• while antibody levels dipped after the first dose, levels of T-cells - a different type of immune cell - remained high
• the longer schedule led to fewer T-cells overall but a higher proportion of a specific type or subset, called helper T-cells, which according to the researchers, supports immune memory

Prof Susanna Dunachie, the joint chief investigator in the Pitch study, at Oxford University, said two doses were better than one but the timing of the second was somewhat flexible depending on the circumstances.

For the UK's current situation, she said: "Eight weeks is about the sweet spot for me, because people do want to get the two vaccine [doses] and there is a lot of Delta out there right now.

"Unfortunately, I can't see this virus disappearing, so you want to balance that against getting the best protection that you can."

Dr Rebecca Payne, one of the study authors, from Newcastle University, said: "Our study provides reassuring evidence that both dosing schedules generate robust immune responses against Sars-CoV-2 after two doses.

"We now need to carry out more follow-up studies to understand the full clinical significance of our findings."

Real-world data from Public Health England shows the Pfizer vaccine is effective at reducing levels of serious disease, hospital admissions and death, even after one dose.

'Protect yourself'
Vaccines Minister Nadhim Zahawi said: "The findings from this latest Pitch study are hugely significant not just for the UK but for the world, helping us better understand the mechanics behind our immune response to Covid-19 and the importance of getting both doses of the vaccine.

"As we raced to offer a vaccine to all adults, we took the [Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation] JCVI's advice to shorten the dosing interval from 12 to eight weeks, to help protect more people against the Delta variant.

"This latest study provides further evidence that this interval results in a strong immune response and supports our decision.

"I urge every adult to get both doses of the vaccine, protect yourself and those around you, and we are looking to offer millions of the most vulnerable a booster jab from September to ensure this protection is maintained."

The Pfizer jab is one of three currently being used in the UK, along with vaccines made by Oxford-AstraZeneca and Moderna.

[Ends]


Another BBC article here (August 2):

Why you shouldn't get a second Covid jab too early

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/newsbeat-57682233

 

My dosage interval of Pfizer was only 28 days. I will be getting the booster in 6 months.

 

Over 50s in England are supposed to be being offered a booster from September/October but it's currently unclear which vaccine will be used for these boosters. Not known yet whether the under 50 adult cohort will also be offered a booster.


For under 18s:

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/...in-england-to-be-offered-vaccine-by-next-week

"All young people aged 16 to 17 in England are to be offered a first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine by Monday 23 August to give them the vital protection provided by the vaccine before returning to school in September, the Health and Social Secretary Sajid Javid has announced today (15 August)."

"...Children aged 12 to 15 who are clinically vulnerable to COVID-19 or who live with adults who are at increased risk of serious illness from the virus are also being contacted by the NHS and invited for their vaccine by 23 August, ahead of the new school year."

 

@Snow Leopard and @Dx Revision Watch Thanks for replying my post and providing info. I appreciate it.

 

I got my second dose of Pfizer ~15 hours ago.

So far, the side effects are *milder* than last time, contrary to what I was expecting.

My arm hurts, but less badly than last time, and that's all.

 

Pros of wearing a mask: I got vaccinated by one of the GP's that I don't like (big fan of the BPS model), and she didn't even recognise me.

 

Okay, the arm soreness is now just as bad as last time.

(It's really not *bad* bad though, the vaccine is definitely worth it.)

 

my eldest duaghter ( no ME) had her second vaccination of Moderna on Friday. Severe headache, hot and cold, temperature and insomnia, sore arm. 2 days later symptoms are abating and she feels she is getting back to more like normal.

 

My adult son (mid 30s, moderately affected by ME since he was 12) had his second dose of Pfizer on Wednesday. Our GP vaccination hub is aiming to administer second jabs with an 8 week interval since the first jab, but did not have sufficient supplies, last week, to offer him a booking. But he was offered a booking this week (so a 9 week gap).

He'd had minimal side effects following his initial vaccination. On Wednesday, he had a slightly sore arm and his 24/7 ME headache was a little more intense. On Thursday, he woke up feeling like he had been hit by a small truck; some transitory nausea, a gland came up in his neck and groin, felt achy around the kidney area and generally achy and shivery that night. By Friday, most of these side effects had gone. Worsening of his permanent headache and PEM would also have been triggered by travelling by car to the vaccination hub and the noisy waiting area in the hub. Apart from the gland in his neck remaining palpable (which also occurred after his initial vaccination), he was back to "normal" for him by Saturday. So he really had only a couple of days post vaccination when he felt rough. He was very pleased to get the jab and that his age group were allocated Pfizer. So we are now all three of us double vaccinated - which is a relief.

 

Originally, my spike protein antibody test results after 2 Astrazeneca shots were around 32 BAU/ml on a scale of 21.8-3270 and I had no T-cell immunity. Now after my third vaccine, which was a Pfizer, it is 3262 BAU/ml. Even if the first result doesn't necessarily mean that my vaccine didn't work well, I still feel much better now.

 

I had my second Pfizer vaccine on Tuesday - arm slightly sore but no other side effects. yay!

 

Been so sick the last two weeks. Worst cold I have had in many years. Now my mum is very sick and I had to call an ambulance for her this morning. I can't even visit her due to level 4 lockdown. We have a big covid outbreak. Mum will get tested at hospital for covid. I wasn't able to go and get tested because I couldn't get to a testing station safely, no car etc. Nurse said to just stay home.

I hope my mum will pull through. So upsetting.

I may not be around for awhile. Excuse if I don't reply anyone. Will post eventually when I get my second covid dose.

 

Rosie I'm sorry you are having such a very rough time. Please take care of yourself and I hope things improve for you and your mum very soon. No need to reply.

OTH

 

Rosie, I hope that your mom has a speedy recovery and it isn't anything serious. My mom ended up in the hospital for a couple of weeks back at the end of June. The hospitals here aren't allowing any visitors either. I hope that you are feeling better now.

 

Hugs for @Rosie

 

Hope you both get much better very soon @Rosie

 

I had quite bad arm pain for a few days after this, but it's gone now. Then today & yesterday I've been feeling shivery and generally unwell. Seems a bit late for a vaccine reaction given that it's a week since my jab.

Probably I have picked some other mild virus up, or it's just my body being funny.

(We did take my temperature and it's perfectly normal, which does probably suggest that it's just my body being weird, as I feel shivery yet emphatically do not actually have a fever.)

I've just taken a covid test to check it's not that, although highly doubt it as my mum had a negative test two days ago and she's the only person I could catch it from (I live with my dad too, but he rarely goes out).

 

I hope Rosie and her mum are OK.

 

And yep, my lateral flow test was negative.

I know that the lateral flows aren't as reliable as a PCR, but since I don't actually have any of the main covid symptoms, and my mum and dad don't have any symptoms at all, we don't feel there's any reason to order a PCR.

 

... on second thoughts, we looked at the list of common symptoms for the delta variant in vaccinated people, and I do have some of those, so we're off to the walk-in PCR test site this afternoon...

I'm not really worried, I'm vaccinated and my body usually beats off viruses pretty quickly.