news update on the third dose of the vaccine
Comments
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I received a tx from my gp to book a Covid booster which Iam getting today .However I had not heard about a third vaccine until reading posts on here today now Iam confused as to which one I should be getting the booster or the third vaccine? I have rheumatoid arthuritis and take methotrexate and biological injections
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I quite like @stickywicket summary of what appears to be the situation posted earlier in this thread: https://community.versusarthritis.org/discussion/comment/686539/#Comment_686539
The latest information regarding booster/third dose vaccines can be found here:
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I am beyond frustrated with this. Its broken me to tears today and wasted over an hour of my work time (thankfully I have an understanding workplace). Here's what happened:
About 3 weeks ago I saw a post from Versus Arthritis on fb and figured out I was eligible for the third primary dose. So I called my GP who knew nothing and sent me to NHS 119. They knew nothing and sent me to rheumatology. Rheumatology knew very little. They thought we were getting two booster doses, not a full third dose. They called back a bit later and agreed with me, I should be getting a full third dose.
A few weeks go by and I hear nothing. I was away for a week (safely still isolated from covid at my parents!) and then dealt with a spurt of bad health. Still nothing.
Yesterday I called rheumatology. They called back today and said I was on a list sent to public health England and they know nothing about letters. I suggested I call NHS 119 and see whether I can book a third dose. Sooo call 119. They can't book 3rd doses only 1st, 2nd and boosters. Tell me to call my GP. So I call my GP and the receptionist says they don't do anything to do with covid vaccines anymore and suggest I go to the walk in centre and see what they say. So off to the walk in centre I go. Find out from the nice guy at the front that they can't give me a vaccine unless I have a letter, doesn't know where the letters come from and suggests going back to my GP. (By this point I'm really frustrated and getting upset). So call the GP again from the car and cry down the phone at a receptionist (thankfully a nice understanding one) who speaks to their manager and says there's someone who may be able to sort it out but they're not in until tomorrow.
Bets I ever actually get a third dose?!?!?! Saturday will be 6 months since my second. Nobody seems to know what's going on or what the process is. I'm skeptical the GP surgery will actually get me a letter and I'll just fall through the cracks because nobody knows who to contact to get the effing system to actually work!!!
I have my friend's wedding at the beginning of December that I'd quite like to go to, but won't feel safe enough to go to unless it's been 2 weeks since a covid vaccine. All I do is stay at home, go for a walk and work. I'm fed up of covid, I'm fed up of staying at home, I'm fed up of spending so much damn time on my health, and the extra hour+ I've spent today trying to get something I'm eligible for sorted out and still not got anywhere has broken me.
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Hello @TrampolinistWithAS and welcome to the online community,
It sounds like you are having a very challenging time trying to get your third primary dose. Many of our members seem to be in the same situation and it does seem to be a confusing time for many.
One of our members has summed up the situation quite well: https://community.versusarthritis.org/discussion/comment/686539/#Comment_686539
Additionally, Cambridge and Peterborough NHS Trust have published a useful 'FAQ' on the third dose which explains that 'If you have already received your booster dose, this dose will be recategorised on NHS systems as your third primary dose through a nationally coordinated process in due course'. You can read the rest of the information here: https://www.cambridgeshireandpeterboroughccg.nhs.uk/news-and-events/latest-news/covid-19-national-vaccination-programme/frequently-asked-questions-regarding-the-third-primary-dose/
It might be worth showing this to your walk-in clinic.
I do hope you get this sorted - please let us know how you get on.
Anna (Mod)
Need more help? - call our Helpline on 0800 5200 520 Monday to Friday 9am to 6pm
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I am so sorry you have had a really rough time pillar to post for definite! I would have been in tears too ((()))
I am due to go for my 'booster' on Thursday so can't speak from personal experience yet, but my neighbour (immunosuppressed) and her husband (Normal) both went last week and were given exactly the same injection.
Personally I suspect they are the same and am happy to have the booster myself.
Take care and hopefully the person who might be able to help at your Drs in in tomorrow.
Take care
Toni xx
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Like the others im sorry to hear of the stress this has put you through.
where did you get your first and second dose from, was it your GP?
If so ive had the same issues for my 95 year old mum. both were done by the gp at home. but now it sounds like there are not a lot of gp's who are giving the third dose. after many calls to our gp they started sending a daily text out sourcing to local school or hospital gp surgery. thankfully i took her and a friend on saturday to get their booster but id hate to think of whats happening to all these elderly house bound people who dont have a mobile phone to receive text on.
Anyway, i have zero immune system and i ended up being given the booster at my hospital. after getting home i had a letter from nhs (linked above somewhere on previous post) saying i should be having the full primary dose and not a booster. as ive worked at the hospital for 41 years i took this letter to my rhumy consultant and then to the vacination hub and showed a doctor and pharmacist. their words were "dont worry its exactly the same thing" same phizer drug, same strength,same ammount.
the confusion is rife out there but as you are so stressed if you are offered the booster then take it as it sounds like its only on paper that it is called a different thing. mine says booster but i was told by the exxperts that they are exactly the same.
thing is it sounds like imuno supressed will now be offered a booster again in another 6 months and in the last few days in the press it will turn into a yearly dose just like the flu jab.
hope the gp manager gets back to you tomorrow and sorts this mess out.
keep us posted. Jim
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Finally got my third primary dose today!!!
Crying down the phone at my GP meant they got their act together and got me a letter. I still had to chase them for it- they printed it today, I collected it and went straight to the vaccination centre.
They were doing moderna for boosters and pfizer for primary doses so it's definitely worth fighting to get a third primary dose. I don't think the doses are the same, although nobody seems to really know. I've heard conflicting things from different places.
I got my first dose from a vaccination centre in a hospital (arranged by my GP), then moved house 3 hrs drive away so had to persuade the new GP to give me my second dose. Currently GPs aren't supposed to have anything to do with vaccines. I don't know how they got me my letter, apparently there is a magic person there who can make them.
What I think is happening is a load of third primary dose letters are stuck somewhere in public health England, as that's where rheumatology sent their list to and who I believe is supposed to be sending them out.
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Glad to hear youve finally been jabbed.
the mind boggles with all the confusing info. here in London there is no mention of the Moderna and as i said previously i had the Phizer and it was marked down as booster on the card.
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I have had a similar experience as many others but with a better outcome, I was really pleased to receive the following text message from NHSvaccine.
As you are at increased risk of complications from COVID-19, you are a priority to receive your COVID-19 booster vaccine. Visit https://www.nhs.uk/covid-vaccination or call 119 to book. Choose a time and a place that suits you.
Unfortunately my delight was short lived as I tried to book using the link and by phoning 119 on several occasions only to be told that I was ineligible which was both frustrating and perplexing.
I was told to phone my GP surgery but was initially knocked back with “We are not booking 3rd primary doses or booster jabs please phone 119!”
I seemed to be going around in circles but tried a couple more times with the same result. I then insisted on speaking to a GP who was fortunately sympathetic to my situation and who was able to arrange my 3rd primary vaccine which I had at five months after my second.
I hope that everyone who is experiencing a similar situation is able to get the same outcome as myself.
Good luck!
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Had my 3rd vaccination and flu jab at the start of October, 4 months after my 2nd vaccination. I live in Scotland.
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Hi @Marion welcome to the Online Community.
Great that you have had your third vaccination. The confusion around the difference between this and a "booster" is certainly an issue that is creating upset.
Do join in across the Online Community, say a little about how arthritis affects you and ask questions, give advice, say how you are getting on. You will be most welcome.
All best wishes
Brynmor
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Look at this from the Octave people:
posted by Mr DJ
it says the doses are the same immunosuppressed are just getting 4 doses instead of 3.
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Many people are against 3 doses, but I will say that in this case, this is especially true for the elderly, and people with chronic diseases, they need it necessarily...What can not be said about the younger population, since in their case, the body itself is able to produce antibodies, and fight the virus.
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Hi @Shayalex - welcome to the only community!
I see you're sharing thoughts on the third dose of a Covid vaccination for those who are immunosuppressed. I think you may be a little confused. This third dose isn't for everyone, it is specifically for those who need it, those who have immune - suppressing medications. It's not given to the general population, whether they be elderly or younger or have chronic diseases. It's specifically for those with a bad immune system.
I think you might be talking about the booster, which is offered to everyone (and the immunosuppressed would therefore have a 4th dose with the booster). My personal take is that even younger or healthy people should be getting it as this helps make sure the spread of the disease is reduced as much as possible for those who have less robust immune systems. I think most everyone who has joined in this discussion has been very much in favour of vaccinations.
The link given by @Sharon_K at the start of this thread has information about both the third dose and the booster if this helps you:
I do hope you'll join in around the community and share with us your story with arthritis.
Lovely to meet you!
Shell
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It appears that it's not just immune mediated inflammatory disease sufferers that are experiencing issues with obtaining a 3rd vaccine but also cancer patients. Also this article mentions that the Moderna 3rd/booster dose is a half dose. That's what my GP told me as well and said I should make sure I got the Pfizer 3rd dose.
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2021/nov/18/rollout-third-covid-jabs-england-condemned-shambolic
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Having just had my own 3rd vaccine I was slightly puzzled and not particularly paying attention when I was told that the dose I had just been given was called Comirnaty.
Looking it up, I discovered that this is the rebrand name for the Pfizer COVID-19 mRNA vaccine as it has received FDA approval in the United States. Apparently naming a vaccine is a typical procedure after an FDA approval.
It didn't help that the entry had been mis-spelled on my vaccine card as "Cominarty" 😄
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Getting the third dose down here in the far West of Cornwall has been a real pain in the backside. I had an email from the NHS telling me that it was important for me to have it and told me to go on-line to book it BUT not to bother if I wanted it at my surgery as they would contact me. I then had a text message from the NHS telling me to do the same thing. When my meds were delivered from the surgery a couple of weeks ago I asked the chap delivering them about it as he works in the surgery office, he said that they are getting round to calling people forward, After I had heard that someone whose relative works in the surgery was called forward before me (I had my first and second before her) I went on-line to look and the nearest place I could get was a £50 taxi ride away so I decided to wait for my surgery to get its act together. Last week I had a text from the surgery telling me to go on-line to book my appointment with them which I did and the first place available is the 8th December so I ticked the box!
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So I got a letter from my rheumatology department today advising me to have a third dose of the pfizer.
Only trouble is I had my booster jab yesterday (the moderna one which they do as a half dose for the booster) , so doesn't look like I'll be able to have to third dose of the Pfizer vaccine now 🤦♀️
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Does anyone know if the booster vaccination that IMID people will get after the 3rd vaccine will be reduced to 3 months after the 3rd vaccine in the same way that it has been for those not immunocompromised ?
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your guess is as good as mine at the moment.
last i heard it was stated as 6 months after the booster but its all a bit vague at the moment.
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I think I've found the answer to my own question from the Scottish government website.
https://www.mygov.scot/covid-highest-risk/covid-vaccinations
Third primary Covid vaccine doses for severely immunosuppressed people
Your health board should already have invited you for a third primary Covid vaccine dose if:
- you were severely immunosuppressed at the time when you had your first or second dose
- and you're aged 12 or over
- and you had your second dose at least 8 weeks ago
If all these points apply to you but your health board has not invited you for a third primary dose, you should contact your GP or clinician. Some immunosuppressive treatments may affect the timing of when you get your third dose. Your GP or clinician can give you advice about this.
Find out more about third Covid vaccine doses on the NHSinform website. This includes more information about who can get a third dose and when.
Getting a booster after your third primary dose
If you had your third primary dose at least 3 months (12 weeks) ago, your health board will invite you for a booster soon.
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