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This is anecdotal, but I noticed after my first bivalent booster in October a significant reduction in my PASC (long Covid) symptoms. A very noticeable improvement. I know correlation doesn't imply causation and I don't understand the mechanism that would be involved if there was causation, but I am very eager to get a second bivalent. My age gives me eligibility!

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I wish everyone's language, including yours, would refer to "severe acute disease" instead of "severe disease", to be more accurate. They haven't measured the impact of boosters on Long COVID, nor on what the general public would call severe Long COVID (significant sustained reduction in daily activities). When the public hears facts about severe disease, eg how much less of it there is, they falsely think that severe Long COVID is included. Actually, it has been excluded from the decision making process.

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founding

Thanks, as always, for the clear, concise summation.

Two questions:

For those of us over 65+ who have had recent infections, you note you agree with Canada’s approach. Van you advise what that is, and specifically, what waiting period is recommended?

Re the stroke issue related to taking the flu and Covid vaxes at the same time, have you any sense of when the CDC will have guidance on this, and is there or will there be any recommendation as to how far apart and in what order the two vaxes should be taken?

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I’m over 65. How soon can I get the spring booster? Today? Next week?

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Why not let anyone who wants one get another booster? What is the downside? Did they even consider this option?

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Criterion = singular Criteria = plural

No such thing as "this criteria".

A surgical colleague of mine, also retired and older than 65 years, went to his CVS shop yesterday and was told, "We know nothing about this new COVID booster". Why am I not surprised?

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founding

Any info on possible negative imprinting when weighing the decision to get the spring booster? I’m in the under 65 immunocompromised group and have gotten all offered vaccines and boosters including a three dose primary series. Never had COVID, so just have vaccine related immunity.

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Can someone (Katelyn or anybody else) please clarify: If you are over 65, and get the "spring" bivalent this month, are you then STILL going to be eligible for the "fall" bivalent shot?

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Thank you for the excellent presentation of information. You are a treasure.

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I'm 70, healthy, (HTN that's about it) and I work in healthcare. I got my bivalent booster (Pfizer) in September and just got my second one two weeks ago. I'm not missing a booster. I'll be first in line for the Fall one too, but I think I will separate my flu shot from my bivalent booster and not get the combo.

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I appreciate your updates! I am over 65 and all set to get my spring second bivalent booster, and was wondering if it matters which company we use, Moderna vs Pfizer? I have had mostly Moderna shots so far, with one Pfizer for the second booster.

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Thank you for your work. I appreciate you. This “cliff notes” report skillfully directed my elderly self through the significance of the 39% to the end of the article and finally these comments (which also interested me.) Fun to occasionally see you on TeeVee as well. I’ll not write again but just wanted you to know of my silent presence.

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YLE - you are better than Cliff Notes. Thank you.

One suggestion is that we should stop calling it a “booster” now tab the primary series no longer counts as being fully immunized. We should just refer to it as annual Covid-19 shot just like annual flu shot. This would eliminate some of confusion and hesitancy.

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I am 65+ with comorbidities and immunocompromised. Had 5 COVID vaccines including the bivalent 7 months ago. No history of COVID infection to my knowledge. Debating whether or not to get the second bivalent. Is there value to getting a COVID antibody titer? Any evidence to correlation with immunity?

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You say that " need to think of effectiveness as “relative” now—relative to some combination of prior vaccination, prior infection, or both. This means the 39% is the benefit above and beyond whatever underlying immunity an individual has. We’re going to see lower numbers than we were used to because of this, but it doesn’t mean we’re not getting protection (i.e., hospitals are not filling up)."

Please explain: 1) Relative vaccine effectiveness and 2) How do we know what our underlying immunity from vaccines is? What is percentage of vaccine effectiveness remaining from previous vaccines that can be added to the 39%? It makes it difficult to assess ones risk if there are no concrete answers to these questions which I suspect is the case. Given this, the best thing to do is to protect yourself and your family by staying up to date with vaccines, masking with an N 95, and avoiding poorly ventilated and crowded indoor spaces. As well as, continuing all the other covid precautionary principles.

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Incredible summary, as usual! Thank you so much, Dr. Jetelina! I have reviewed the CDC website and the description of immunocompromised is on the same page with the list of conditions that put one at high risk of COVID. If someone is 50 or 60 but has one or more high risk conditions, can/should one get a spring booster? Or does the approval not cover these people?

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