Boosters

The "damn virus" is of a vanishingly small risk to those under 40. If those in that age group have already had their vaccinations it's hardly a priority. It's a small risk to those under 60, even 70 who don't have underlying conditions of a serious nature. If those who do get a booster then fine. Large scale studies into the efficacy of the vaccines showed strong immune system memory cell response that lingered for at least six months more like eight and actually improved over time(and that included delta). Now only a few months later those studies were apparently wrong? We have one of the more vaccinated populations and yet case numbers are flying up. Indeed Europe is now the hotbed of infection rates yet it has one of the highest vaccine uptakes as a region. Here in Ireland, Waterford the county with the highest percentage of vaccinated in the country currently has a covid infection rate three times higher than the average for the country. There's an awful lot of contradiction going on. This talk of boosters is IMHO both a good thing for the very old, the already unwell and vulnerable, but also with a large sideorder of the government being seen to be doing something in the face of these clear contradictions and general panic going into winter time and more trollies in hosptial corridors(as has been the case for decades). Same goes for the frankly farcical ballsology of closing pubs and the like at midnight, a move that only a dribbling moron would believe makes any difference medically and scientifically. While they're hell bent on keeping open the schools when it's clear to a blind man that they're sources of transmission(and have been for a while).

As far as breakthrough infections/positive tests goes and the non vaccinated are way higher on that score, as expected. In that study of which there is the one, there is no follow up on the effects of the vaccines over time on serious illness, hospitalisation and death. Which the author(s) note:

It is not yet clear whether reductions in vaccine protection against infection will translate into similar reductions in protection against hospitalization and death.

In other studies(and more of them) all the vaccines showed drops in antibody levels, but a consistent more lasting response in immune system memory cells to the virus, including delta and this increased over time, particularly with J&J AZ and Moderna.

The vaccines biggest boon has been the reduction of serious illness and death from covid. Their efficacy in reducing transmission and infection was seen early enough on to be more limited and would fade over time, but still significantly better than in the non vaccinated population. If the vaccines continue to hold against serious illness and death for the majority who aren't old or compromised in health(where boosters should be in play) then that's different story.

Ahh yes, GP's the expert virologists that they are. GP's are overworked and up to their oxters in patients, particularly in Ireland. They for the most part will quite naturally go along with the top down advice de jour. Who were overperscribing antibiotics for decades? Yep, GP's. In the US it was GP's who overperscribed "safe" opiods and caused mayhem by doing so. It would be my opinion they're overperscribing antidepressants too, but we'll see how that pans out down the years. I have a lot of respect for GP's, most work like trojans and if I see one they're in the driving seat as far as my health goes, but I'm in the passenger seat and if I have a map I'll read it and adjust accordingly.

In the case of cobid vaccines I read studies(actual studies, not dailyfail headlines or bored suburban bints on whatsapp into crystals, candles and "natural health") and decided on the back of those to avoid mRNA vaccines for the moment. It's very much a new technology, one which started out as holding great promise as a therapy for many conditions, but one that fell on its arse in short order because they had to stop at animal trials for the vast majority of promised therapies because the side effects were far too dangerous to take it to human studies. Chastened, the companies(Moderna/Pfizer/AZ) turned to vaccines as a possible avenue because the doses would be smaller and require fewer injections, even though vaccine and vaccine research is the poor cousin in the industry. Then covid hit. Now we're into boosters. If they're going to be bi annual jabs, the dose levels go up. Sod that.

And before anyone goes on about millions of doses being given, by definition we can't claim long term effects from the data of less than 18 months. I looked at AZ and J&J and decided upon J&J. Plus J&J demonstrated the lowest number of side effects post vaccination(I noted that in friends and family too). I had that choice. Now I don't. I would like it back and I would have no issue with paying for it either. Indeed the J&J is the cheapest of the vaccines we had on offer here and doubly so as it required one less jab.

The main problem with viralvector vaccines is the body's own immune system can become immune to the viralvector itself with repeated doses and efficacy would be reduced. Though using a different viralvector would get around that. IE if you had J&J, a jab of AZ(or vice versa) would do the trick.

Personally I'm waiting for the vaccines with better and longer lasting immunity that are currently in the pipeline. One line of research showed that those who recovered from SARS and then got a covid vaccine on top because of the current pox look to have strong long lasting immunity and not just to covid and its variants, but it looks like they will have immunity to most of the other coronaviruses in that family, even ones that haven't found their way to an Asian wet market or chicken coop and jumped to humans. Indeed when this current pox hit researchers weren't too sure if SARS survivors retained any immunity to that pox as antibodies dropped off within the year for most, but it seems they did.

As I said earlier I recovered from covid and then got the J&J seven months later, so that was actually my booster. I will take another if required, but it will be one of my choice.