Is It Ok To Get Vaccinated Twice

As Delta Spreads Some Travelers Double Up On Covid

Vials labelled “Moderna, Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus disease vaccine” are seen in this illustration picture taken May 2, 2021. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic

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WASHINGTON, Aug 16 – Alison Toni felt lucky to get Sinovac’s COVID-19 vaccine in Chile earlier this year. A month later, she was in Minnesota getting vaccinated again.

Toni, an American living in Chile, was visiting her parents in Minneapolis in April when she got her first Pfizer shot at a CVS pharmacy. She traveled back for the second dose in June. She did not disclose being previously vaccinated.

“They didn’t ask, and I didn’t tell,” said Toni, 55. She took that step after reading that China’s Sinovac vaccine had a lower efficacy than the Pfizer Inc shot, developed with German partner BioNTech, and the Moderna Inc shot, both widely available in the United States. She also consulted with her doctor beforehand.

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Toni is among the group of people coming from abroad who have been vaccinated a second time, or plan to do so, in the United States.

Their reasons range from concerns that the vaccines immediately available to them were not effective enough, fears that they require extra protection against the fast-spreading Delta variant, or a need to meet specific requirements for work or travel. Some are seeking medical advice, others are relying on their own research.

‘PROCESS NEEDS TO BE FIXED’

When Am I Considered Fully Vaccinated Such As In Connection With Access Regulations

Fully vaccinated status is required under certain Länder regulations, for example, as well as for employees at nursing homes, hospitals and the like who wish to prove they are vaccinated under the so-called facility-based vaccine mandate.

Two vaccination doses are necessary for to obtain full vaccination protection as stipulated in § 22a of the Infection Protection Act even for those who received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine for their first vaccination. Exceptions apply after a previous infection with the coronavirus: in this case, a single vaccination is enough

if this vaccination was preceded by an infection proven by an antibody test or PCR test, or

if the vaccination was followed by an infection detected by PCR test and 28 days have elapsed since testing.

Different rules will apply from 1 October 2022. Three vaccinations will be necessary. Exceptions will apply after a previous infection with the coronavirus: In this case, two vaccinations will be enough,

if the first vaccination was preceded by an infection proven by an antibody test, or

if the second vaccination was preceded by an infection detected by PCR test, or

if there was an infection detected by PCR test after the second vaccination and 28 days have passed since testing.

Who Needs Chickenpox Vaccine

Children under age 13 years should get two doses

• First dose at age 12 through 15 months
• Second dose at age 4 through 6 years

The second dose may be given at an earlier age if it is given at least 3 months after the first dose.

People 13 years of age and older who have never had chickenpox or received chickenpox vaccine should get two doses, at least 28 days apart. Chickenpox vaccination is especially important for

• Healthcare professionals
• People who care for or are around other people whose body is less able to fight germs and sickness
• Teachers

Also, see Getting Vaccinated After You Are Exposed to Chickenpox.

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Mrna Vaccines Have Been In Development For Decades

mRNA vaccines have been developed through major international collaboration.

Researchers have studied and worked with mRNA vaccines for decades. This includes studies for vaccines against flu, Zika, rabies and cytomegalovirus .

Scientists have also researched past coronavirus infections . Once scientists identified the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, they could quickly adapt the technology for COVID-19.

Although its relatively new technology, this vaccine has gone through all the usual safety checks and regulations.

This includes international clinical trials to help demonstrate the efficacy and safety of the vaccine. The Pfizer vaccine is being used worldwide and continually and closely monitored for effectiveness and safety.

I Had A Possible Allergic Reaction To My Last Covid

Please contact your GP. The GP may decide to give you a referral to an allergist, depending on the nature of the reaction that occurred during your last vaccination. The GP may also conclude that you can simply get a booster vaccination from the Municipal Public Health Services . If you are referred to an allergist, that specialist will assess whether you can get a booster vaccination and if so, where: in hospital or from the GGD.

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Where Are Vaccinations Currently Available

Anyone who wishes to get vaccinated can make an appointment with a doctor or at a vaccination centre. Vaccinations are also frequently available at shopping centres or on vaccination buses, for example. In addition, many companies offer vaccinations. Since February, pharmacies have also been able to offer coronavirus vaccinations appropriately trained pharmacists are allowed to give the vaccinations in this case.

For up-to-date information on opportunities for vaccination in your federal state, see the information page of your federal state government.

Can Patients Be Vaccinated Sooner Than 77

Patients should be offered to receive their second dose in line with the recommended dosage intervals 8-9 weeks for people in priority cohorts 1-9 and 77-84 days for people in cohorts 10 onwards. The clinical evidence for the COVID-19 AstraZeneca vaccine shows better efficacy following a 12-week gap, which is the basis of the JCVI recommendation. However local areas should agree a pragmatic approach to giving doses earlier than this following a clinical assessment and weighing up risks and benefits.

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Do The Vaccination Intervals Have To Be Observed

In view of emerging virus variants, complete vaccination protection is particularly important. Please be sure to get your second vaccination and also a booster vaccination, where applicable.

The Standing Commission on Vaccination recommends the following vaccination intervals:

Comirnaty : 3 to 6 weeks

Spikevax : 4 to 6 weeks

Nuvaxovid : 3 weeks

Some Patients With Planned Immunosuppressive Therapy

• There are a small number of patients who are about to receive planned immunosuppressive therapy and, where clinically appropriate, should be considered for vaccination prior to commencing therapy , when their immune system is better able to make a response.
• Where possible, it would also be preferable for the two-dose-schedule to be completed prior to commencing immunosuppression.
• This would entail offering the second dose at the recommended minimum for that vaccine to provide maximum benefit that may not be received if the second dose was given during the period of immunosuppression.

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Is The Leptospirosis Shot Necessary For City Dogs

Leptospirosis traditionally was thought of as a disease in rural areas however, this is changing.

In busy cities, leptospirosis can be spread to dogs via rodents and city wildlife and areas of standing water.

Dr. Rudy E. Zamora, a veterinarian in NYC reports, There are cases of canine leptospirosis every year because of the rat problem here. I had a patient die at the ER last year that was a confirmed leptospirosis case.

According to a leptospirosis FAQ published by NYC’s official website, the city averages about 10-20 cases a year, with most cases being centered in Manhattan. The city of Boston had an outbreak of canine leptospirosis in 2018.

I encourage you to discuss the leptospirosis vaccine with your veterinarian to determine if it is right for your pet. The leptospirosis vaccine has improved drastically in the past decade, making it less immunogenic, which in turn causes fewer possible side effects.

Pets that contract leptospirosis often become very ill and have to be hospitalized for multiple days while they recover.

Additional consideration for leptospirosis is that it is a disease thats transmissible to people as well. So it is even more important if you have small children, older adults or immune-compromised family members living in your home.

How Long Do The Vaccines Stay In Your Pets System

Depending on the age and timing of vaccine, the immune response generated by vaccines can be anywhere from weeks to years.

Younger pets will need vaccines more frequently due to antibodies provided by their mother that minorly interfere with a vaccines long-term effectiveness. Older pets can have a lasting immune response that will stay effective for months to years.

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Children Ages 6 Months11 Years And Under

Pfizer

Note: Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines use different age groups for their childrens vaccines.

Children 6 months4 years old

You need three doses to be up to date.

Children 511 years old

You need three doses to be up to date.

Moderna

Note: Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines use different age groups for their childrens vaccines.

Children 6 months5 years old

You need 2 doses to be up to date.

Children 611 years old

You need two doses to be up to date.

My Saint Bernard Is 8 Years Old And Has Had All Her Distemper Shots Does She Need To Continue Getting Them

Data has shown that distemper vaccines in our pets often last longer than three yearswhich is greatbut because every pets immune system is different, there is no guarantee your dog will be protected from distemper.

Vaccines in older pets are considered very safe. If you are concerned about over-vaccinating, my recommendation is to discuss the option of a titer with your vet.

It may still be their recommendation to vaccinate , but titers could be an option for an older pet.

As always, discuss this with your veterinarian to see if this makes sense for your pet.

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Will I Have To Get The Coronavirus Vaccine Every Year

At this time, it’s uncertain how long immunity from the coronavirus will last.

In some patients with COVID-19, antibodies were found to be no longer detectable after several months. Some new evidence suggests the antibodies only last a few months. Another new data set suggests that immunity can last years, the New York Times reported. We continue to rely on new scientific evidence and guidance from national and global policymakers.

Vaccine developers are working to boost the effectiveness of vaccines to provide longer immunity than an actual coronavirus infection would, according to Johns Hopkins University.

Keep in mind that even if you do get the vaccine, health experts say it’s still necessary to practice social distancing and mask wearing as they learn more about “the protection that COVID-19 vaccines provide under real-life conditions,” the CDC said.

It’s still uncertain if the COVID-19 vaccine will need annual boosters.

How Do We Manage Any Surplus Doses

• Where there is surplus vaccine following second dose clinics, this should be used for first doses in the prevailing priority cohorts, for those patients who have been vaccinated prior to starting immunosuppression and who need a shorter interval between doses.
• For LVS in particular, every effort is being made to right-size Pfizer supply with the use of pack down in order to minimise surplus. For Hospital Hubs and Vaccination Centres, Pfizer will be supplied in full boxes of 1,170 doses.

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Reactions May Be A Good Thing

It may be good news that the reactions following the second heterologous dose of vaccines are more frequent. According to Chris Beyrer, MD, MPH, the Desmond M. Tutu professor in Public Health and Human Rights at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, a stronger reaction to a vaccine may indicate a more robust immune response. This bodes well for defending against the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

That is encouraging, although it is uncomfortable, Beyer tells Verywell.

Using two different vaccines could provide greater effectiveness because they work in different ways, Beyrer says. The Pfizer vaccine, which is a messenger RNA vaccine, stimulates the production of antibodies. Antibodies are small proteins that can neutralize a virus.

On the other hand, the AstraZeneca vaccine uses an altered adenovirus to stimulate the production of T cells. T cells identify viral proteins, bind to them, and kill the virus.

However, the effectiveness of a heterologous dosing pattern remains to be seen.

Being able to use different brands or types of COVID-19 vaccine will be useful if booster shots are needed in the future, either to maintain immune response or to provide immunity to variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

Who Do I Contact If I Have A Query Around Final Second Dose Vaccine Supply

• If your query is related to final dose vaccine supply, it should follow the standard comms route, i.e. from SVOC, to RVOC, to NVOC which is then shared with the central team.
• Please do not bypass this process, to ensure your queries and requests are actioned as soon as possible.
• The role of Customer Services remains unchanged, same routes apply for second dose as those for first dose.

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How Effective Is The Vaccination

All approved vaccines are effective and safe. According to the latest research, the mRNA vaccines Comirnaty and Spikevax are the most effective. For this reason, all those who were first vaccinated with a vector vaccine once or twice are recommended to receive an mRNA vaccine at the next vaccination. The STIKO recommends the Moderna vaccine only for those aged 30 and above.

Even though the vaccines are very effective according to the current state of knowledge, it is still possible to catch COVID-19 in spite of being vaccinated. Vaccination does not offer one hundred percent protection. However, studies indicate that those who have been vaccinated are much less likely to contract a severe infection, generally only have mild symptoms if they do fall ill, and often remain completely asymptomatic.

This is also borne out by the data: the weekly situation reports published by the RKI on Thursdays regularly show how effective the vaccinations are, broken down by age group and disease severity.

For further information on the effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccination, see the RKI website.

Who Should Not Get Chickenpox Vaccine

You do not need to get the chickenpox vaccine if you have evidence of immunity against the disease.

Some people should not get chickenpox vaccine or they should wait.

• People should not get chickenpox vaccine if they have ever had a life-threatening allergic reaction to a previous dose of chickenpox vaccine or any ingredient of the vaccine, including gelatin or the antibiotic neomycin.
• People who are moderately or severely ill at the time the shot is scheduled should wait until they recover before getting chickenpox vaccine.
• Pregnant women should not get chickenpox vaccine. They should wait to get chickenpox vaccine until after they have given birth. Women should not get pregnant for 1 month after getting chickenpox vaccine.
• People should check with their doctor about whether they should get chickenpox vaccine if they
• Have HIV/AIDS or another disease that affects the immune system
• Are being treated with drugs that affect the immune system, such as steroids, for 2 weeks or longer
• Have any kind of cancer
• Are getting cancer treatment with radiation or drugs
• Recently had a transfusion or were given other blood products

Immune Conditions in Family Members

People should check with their doctor about whether they should get chickenpox vaccine if they have immune conditions in first degree relatives that can be inherited .

Most children who have family members with immune system problems can safely get varicella vaccine as long as they themselves have a healthy immune system.

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How Will We Separate First And Second Dose Vaccines On Site

• Vaccine deliveries will not be separated into first and second doses. This will need to be done on site on arrival, informed by the vaccine supply planning process. Sites will receive their regular weekly vaccine supply information which will include first and second dose summaries in order to do this.
• Care must be taken to ensure that volume supplied for second dose activity is appropriately identified and directed to second dose clinics.
• HHs and VCs Immform accounts will show total vaccine supply per site there is no differentiation between first and second dose on Immform.

I Had One Vaccination And Then I Had Covid

Only if you had Janssen, which is a single-dose vaccine. If you had COVID-19 after your first vaccination with one of the other vaccines, you have not yet received the entire basic series of the vaccines. That means you still need to get your second vaccination. After that, you need to wait 3 months before getting a booster vaccination.

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