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Timing Your 2nd Booster (if you are getting one)

Thought I’d post a portion of a New York Times article examining the results of Israeli data on the 2nd booster. This may help in terms of timing one's booster for optimum protection. I'm not so concerned with getting seriously ill but do have some dread about the return to home Covid test. So if I could time the shot correctly it would provide me the best protection against infection. (See below)

*"The researchers compared the rate of confirmed virus infections and cases of severe Covid-19 among those who had received a fourth dose to those who had received just three doses. Protection against infection appeared to peak four weeks after the fourth shot: the rate of confirmed infections was twice as high in the three-dose group as in the four-dose group. By eight weeks after the fourth shot, however, the additional protection against infection had almost disappeared, the researchers found.

Rates of severe disease were 3.5 times higher in the three-dose group than the four-dose group four weeks after the booster shot, the researchers found. That protection did not appear to wane and actually ticked up slightly by the sixth week after the shot, when rates of severe disease were 4.3 times higher in the three-dose group."*

Posted by
103 posts

We're planning an Italy trip in September. I'm 76 and think I will wait till within 2 months of departure before I get the 2nd booster. Of course if experts' opinions/recommendations change, I will reevaluate.

Posted by
1262 posts

I wish we could get a booster, but right now being in our 40s it looks like we aren't allowed.

Posted by
792 posts

Thank you joeandrose for posting this. I got my booster today hoping the protection would peak when we are in France, and the results of this Israeli study indicate it will.

Posted by
90 posts

Thanks for sharing! I've been trying to nail down the timing of my 2nd booster.

Posted by
2061 posts

Also be prepared for side effects. My parents and I both got the second booster and were under the weather for 36 hours. Chills, aches, headache and I had a low fever. It all went away after about a day or two but I'd get it sooner rather than later.

Posted by
140 posts

We got ours yesterday, timed for two weeks before we leave. We got Moderna, so hopefully the peak lasts a bit longer, but either way, glad to have been able to get it beforehand. And yes, be prepared for potential aches, fever etc. I seem to always get hit rather hard in that way, and this booster was no different 😑