What are people’s thoughts on boosters?

H

haway

Striker
Evidence increasingly looking fairly weak to me that widespread roll out of boosters was a good policy. Minimal evidence boosters protect further against severe disease than 2x vaxx, effects are probably quite short (~3 months?)…?

There seems a fairly good case for boosting very old / vulnerable groups, much less so younger adults. And increasing evidence from overseas looks like it supports this.
 


haway said:
Why? Not trying to be obtuse about it but it strikes me as fairly conclusive that we would be better off fighting covid giving boosters to vulnerable/ old only & giving remaining doses to developing countries where populations are undervaxxed increasing risk of further variants?
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88 % effective against hospitalisation

Protects you, your family, NHS Staff, and the wider community
 
42 said:
Still effective against hospitalisations

www.bbc.co.uk

Covid booster 88% effective against hospital treatment with Omicron

UK health officials said the latest data reinforces the importance of getting a third dose.
www.bbc.co.uk
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That comparing apples and oranges though. Because that’s comparing peak booster immunity (2 weeks) vs 6 months post 2nd dose. Evidence is booster wanes as much as 2nd dose so comparing booster 3 months vs 2nd dose 3 months would be correct comparison.
Hugh Gains said:
What is there to think about it? The government say get it, so get it.
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Do you do everything the govt say to do without thought? Fair enough!
 
So you’ve put your own statement out (which goes against medical advice) and are seemingly going to argue against everybody else’s opinions/facts. Think I’ll put my trust in sir Chris whitty and sir Patrick valance over Haway of the SMB

Ah the world of the Covid forum.
 
haway said:
That comparing apples and oranges though. Because that’s comparing peak booster immunity (2 weeks) vs 6 months post 2nd dose. Evidence is booster wanes as much as 2nd dose so comparing booster 3 months vs 2nd dose 3 months would be correct comparison.

Do you do everything the govt say to do without thought? Fair enough!
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Waning against infection yes, but effectiveness against hospitalisation isn't expected to change. Those who have had the booster will keep that 30%-40% increase in protection against hospitalisation until Omicron burns out.

It was pretty obviously the right thing to do. The initial protection offered against infection from the booster has steered us away from worst-case scenarios in terms of case numbers and the lasting protection against hospitalisation is probably the difference between us having severe restrictions in place and where we are now.
 
haway said:
That comparing apples and oranges though. Because that’s comparing peak booster immunity (2 weeks) vs 6 months post 2nd dose. Evidence is booster wanes as much as 2nd dose so comparing booster 3 months vs 2nd dose 3 months would be correct comparison.
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Unless you get your second dose and booster on the same day that’s a far worse comparison.

If you had your 2nd dose 3 months ago then get a booster so your protection is, erm, boosted.
 
Don Birnam said:
Bloke I know and his family all got covid over Christmas apart from his wife. She was boosted. It seems to me from that little evidence that it may help.
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Youngest lad - double-jabbed, lives with us - tested positive on Sunday morning. (He's actually fine now, no symptoms whatsoever.)

Me and the missus - both double-jabbed and boostered - have taken tests every day since. All negative and neither of us have any symptoms.

I know it's still early days yet and that we may test positive in the next few days but I'm quietly optimistic that the jabs and booster have worked their magic for us.
 
Reubens tasche said:
So you’ve put your own statement out (which goes against medical advice) and are seemingly going to argue against everybody else’s opinions/facts. Think I’ll put my trust in sir Chris whitty and sir Patrick valance over Haway of the SMB

Ah the world of the Covid forum.
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Chris Whitty: The Wizard of Oz speech:

CW: We know nothing about Omicron, but it doesn't look good 🤣
Gelan: Apart from that being a contradiction in terms, you still haven't read that 56 page report from South Africa...it's behind the curtain.
CW: Omicron will not behave the same in the UK as in South Africa.
Gelan: Prediction, not fact, plus the 56 page report says it will...it's behind the curtain BTW.

A world wide pandemic, but he won't consider data from South Africa...maybe he thinks European Virologists are better qualified.
FulwellViaLeeds said:
Waning against infection yes, but effectiveness against hospitalisation isn't expected to change. Those who have had the booster will keep that 30%-40% increase in protection against hospitalisation until Omicron burns out.

It was pretty obviously the right thing to do. The initial protection offered against infection from the booster has steered us away from worst-case scenarios in terms of case numbers and the lasting protection against hospitalisation is probably the difference between us having severe restrictions in place and where we are now.
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What if the booster is so good that it completely screws Omicron, and later we find that Omicron gives the greatest protection against any new strains. Do those with boosters that have had Omicron have lesser protection?
 
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haway said:
That comparing apples and oranges though. Because that’s comparing peak booster immunity (2 weeks) vs 6 months post 2nd dose. Evidence is booster wanes as much as 2nd dose so comparing booster 3 months vs 2nd dose 3 months would be correct comparison.

Do you do everything the govt say to do without thought? Fair enough!
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All the time, I'm compliant.
 
Gelan said:
Chris Whitty: The Wizard of Oz speech:

CW: We know nothing about Omicron, but it doesn't look good 🤣
Gelan: Apart from that being a contradiction in terms, you still haven't read that 56 page report from South Africa...it's behind the curtain.
CW: Omicron will not behave the same in the UK as in South Africa.
Gelan: Prediction, not fact, plus the 56 page report says it will...it's behind the curtain BTW.

A world wide pandemic, but he won't consider data from South Africa...maybe he thinks European Virologists are better qualified.

What if the booster is so good that it completely screws Omicron, and later we find that Omicron gives the greatest protection against any new strains. Do those with boosters that have had Omicron have lesser protection?
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I think that's a complicated question that someone who actually studies viruses for a living would have to answer. It's a hypothetical for now though, so we should take advantage of anything that can blunt the impact of Omicron on the public and ultimately the NHS.
 

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