4th vaccination available for 60+

[Blaze]

Olivier Véran announced yesterday that the vaccination will be available for those aged 60 and over whose last injection was 6 months ago or more.
That's presumably because the protection given by the vaccine wears off over time. We had our 3rd vaccination in January so hope our protection will have been boosted a bit more.
It remains to be seen what programme will be offered in the autumn/winter .... a combined flu/covid jab ? That all depends upon which variant is circulating at the time .....

[niemeyjt]

I have to say I had hoped boosters would be annual. Maybe the 5th . . .?

[Bayleaf]

This from the Sud Oeust this morning:

"Covid-19: is the invitation from the Minister of Health for a 4th dose of vaccine justified?"

"The Minister of Health announced on Thursday April 7 that the fourth dose of the anti-Covid vaccine was now open to people over 60. An invitation that questions in an epidemic context that shows that the contagion is not slowed down by the vaccine."

It's the choice of individuals whether they keep having a six monthly jab, to hopefully reduce their chances of suffering so badly, and staying out of hospital (and dying!), but as said above - it really doesn't stop people from catching it and spreading it. If the virus keeps mutating .....

The way it's spreading, it'll be a true test of "herd immunity" which has been the thought pattern by certain politicians ...

[Blaze]

It's the choice of individuals whether they keep having a six monthly jab, to hopefully reduce their chances of suffering so badly, and staying out of hospital (and dying!),

Just as it is for those who are offered the flu jab every year.

I'm not quite sure what people mean when they talk about a "booster" - here in France, it's simply a third jab, the same as the first and second. Do people talk about the fourth jab as a "booster booster" ??

[niemeyjt]

I'm not quite sure what people mean when they talk about a "booster" - here in France, it's simply a third jab, the same as the first and second. Do people talk about the fourth jab as a "booster booster" ??

I guess the annual flu jab differs every year whereas this is the same (at present) - like with Tetanus and the rest which are also all boosters.

[Bayleaf]

But similar to flu, this virus mutates, so the vaccines would also have to change to accommodate it?

Booster is a strange word in this instance. We just say "tripple vacc'd". But once six months has lapsed, do we still have any protection?

[Blaze]

But once six months has lapsed, do we still have any protection?

Protection will drop in time though it's not an exact science how much as everyone is different. The protocol may well change depending on the behaviour of the virus, the rate of infection .... how long is a piece of string ........ still many unknowns.

[niemeyjt]

But once six months has lapsed, do we still have any protection?

Given I caught it less than 4 months after my third jab, I think 6 months is an arbitrary figure possibly more geared around the capacity of the services to deliver the vaccinations.

I have just checked, and here it is 270 days. Are the Swiss more robust? Is the vaccine somehow different? Or is it again just an arbitrary figure?

[Blaze]

@niemeyjt I think it's an arbitrary figure. Like you, we caught it just under 4 months after our 3rd jab, but we put that down to the infectiousness of Omicron and the fact that the vaccine has never guaranteed immunity, just (in most cases) less dire symptoms.
In our case, we were just unlucky because we've been careful up to now. We're still not 100% sure who we caught it from, but know it has to have been someone in our singing group. It shows that we cannot be complacent ....

[exile]

But similar to flu, this virus mutates, so the vaccines would also have to change to accommodate it?

Booster is a strange word in this instance. We just say "tripple vacc'd". But once six months has lapsed, do we still have any protection?

So far we are told the vaccines have not changed - so booster is the correct term. You are getting more of the same to boost your immunity.

Immunity is perhaps the confusing word since many seem to think it means you will not get it (see J's note above). In fact the vaccine helps build up antibodies and T cell responses in the body in order that when the virus arrives your body is in a position to fight it. The fight may be complete and the virus may not take hold. The fight may be a prolonged battle with the virus invading the body but not being able to do the damage it would have done had the body not been vaccinated.

One thing the vaccine does not do is provide an armour around the body to stop the virus from entering the body. For the vaccine to work, your body has to be invaded by the virus.