Will you be taking a booster?

Ok, well can you tell someone who had a bad reaction from the 2nd jab that it won’t be worse after the 3rd? No, and neither can any doctor because there is no data. All I know is that I’m damned if I’m going to be that guinea pig and rot on a waiting list for years to see a consultant in our wonderful HSE. I’ve had enough experience of that already thanks.

Early indications are that the booster gives good protection against the new strain. https://www.bbc.com/news/health-59696499

I appreciate the length of your reply and your argument that it's a numbers game. However, as far as I can see, the case is not proven and that it's speculation that numbers requiring hospitalisation are going to dramatically increase. With the initial two dose vaccines, we were never promised immunity from catching Covid, so it's entirely expected that more people may catch it. The critical matter is surely whether those fully vaccinated have a milder or more severe form of the infection. We have been told many times that on the whole, those vaccinated will not develop serious illness. So that's surely the issue, is it the case that the initial vaccine programme is not effective anymore in warding off serious illness? And if so, what sort of figures are we talking of.

If it is still effective, it surely doesn't really matter how many cases there are as most adults are either fully vaccinated by now or have likely been exposed to and recovered from Covid in case of unvaccinated adults - it's pretty hard to avoid unless you lock yourself up. Unvaccinated children cope with it well on the whole.

So what's the big bogey risk factor? Perhaps that some citizens who are in poor health and/or elderly are more at risk? But that's always been the case. Without wishing to sound unkind, I have a neighbour who works as a home help and I've heard her often opine that 'flu used to be the old person's friend'. That it took them at a stage in their life when they had lived their best days and often saved them the suffering at the end. I observed this myself with an elderly relative, could have succumbed twice at least from serious chest infections but 'saved' by drugs. I say 'saved' with irony as their inevitable latter days were a struggle and succumbing to flu would have been a kinder option.

https://www.cormacmoore.com/my-phd-in-virology-from-the-university-of-facebook/

And in my case, caught Covid after 1 Astra Zeneca dose and had 2 or 3 days of mild symptoms - very similar experience. So where does that leave us? Maybe that otherwise healthy reasonably active people of any age with a vaccine dose or two are unlikely to be badly affected. So why keep jabbing?

Does anyone know if trials were done on mixed vaccines? For example AZ primary course and mRNA booster ?

I didn't need protection then and I don't now. I'm a fit person under the age of 35 with no underlying conditions. The statistics back up the fact that my risk of hospitalisation or death is beyond minute for me.

mRNA is a new technology and there is virtually no research done on taking multiple mRNA jabs in a such a short space of time. I originally took a Janssen vaccine and there is even less research out there on mixing the Janssen with an mRNA. And they are already preparing a new 'booster' for omnicron. So I take this booster for a variant which is no longer dominant, and then come March I'll be onto the next booster for omnicron which may have been overtaken by a new variant. It's a complete and utter crock of shite. I'm not denying the vaccines (and boosters) impact on the elderly and vulnerable but that is who it should be given to. The people actually at risk. The people for whom the risk of negative Covid outcomes is just too high. Not children, not healthy young adults.

As for other people, let them get the booster if they want it. Vaccination doesn't stop transmission - in fact it has a far lower impact on transmission than the 'experts' originally harped on about. I'm sick of being told to get vaccinated for other people. Like it or lump it I don't care about other people. I don't put things into my body for the benefit of random fcuking strangers.

I was willing to disregard my concerns for the possibility of a return to a normal life. The government all but promised that, so I got vaccinated. Now we know the vaccine means sweet fcuk all in terms of restrictions, or isolating, or travel. If they want people like me to take a booster then they open up and stay open. Otherwise, I won't be having it.

So the people in ICU that aren’t vaccinated, do we know the age profile of these people?

Have an appointment but it isn't filling me full of delight.

The delight at getting the first vac, and seeing where we are still stuck leaves me feeling apathy.