Out of curiosity, of those that are getting infected multiple times, have you been keeping up with your vaccinations? Fully or partially, or not at all?
Unfortunately, due to the nature of COVID, the vaccines aren’t fully effective at stopping infection. The virus is just too effective, and our immune system doesn’t maintain the response required.
What they do is give the immune system a massive headstart. This vastly reduces the peak viral load. This both reduces the chances of it being dangerous, as well as reducing how infectious you are.bit doesn’t always stop you getting reinfected however.
Vaccines aren’t designed to stop infection. They never intended to.
The vaccine is intended to get your body familiar with the virus so that when you do get it your body knows exactly how to fight it.
Depending on the target, vaccines can allow the immune system to eliminate it before it can start multiplying significantly. For things like measles etc, this effect is strong enough to provide effective immunity. Whether vaccines can stop infections depends a lot on how you define infection. They won’t magically stop the virus being able to enter your body. They can stop them from establishing themselves and stop you becoming infectious to others.
Unfortunately, the coronavirus family viruses are particularly slippery. Even our primary immunity from infection is often short lived. COVID is ridiculously good at both hiding from the immune system, and spreading to new hosts. The vaccine provides significant protection, but isn’t effective enough to provide complete immunity.
I had it 4 times last season and twice this season. I got the initial 2 dose vaccine in early 2021 and a booster each November since then for a total of 5 shots. I think the boosters have helped me to not have terrible symptoms, a few times it’s been just a stuffy nose and loss of smell, maybe a low grade fever. I’ve only had two infections that I would consider bad and even then I’ve been nowhere near hospitalization or even doctor checkup.
That’s a lot of times. Do you generally ask everyone to sneeze in your mouth, or do you just eat a select few?
I’ve got a toddler in daycare and I work as a specials/resource teacher in an elementary school where I see 700 kids a week. So the sneezing in my face is pretty accurate unfortunately.
That suuucks. Do you wear a mask? It seems like you are especially likely to catch it whether because of your job, immune system or other factor.
I’m still one of the “crazy” people who wears a mask to work and I’ve only got it once in 2022, but I know it’s anecdotal.
I’ve had it 3 times: I had the two vaccinations, one booster and this years annual booster, but I believe I missed one. I’ve generally had a strong immune system, but am definitely reaching an age where I can no longer just assume good health
- First was worst. I realized it wasn’t a cold when I couldn’t smell the curry I was making. I ran a fever for a couple of days and was actively sick more than a week - that was before vaccinations existed
- Second was just like a cold for several days. I believe I ran a brief fever from symptoms but missed it with the thermometer
- Third was I think a day or two, caught on the flight back from seeing family this past Thanksgiving. The biggest problem was the test and trying to self-quarantine. It’s much harder when you don’t feel sick
- My kids had it twice more, from school, but I avoided it despite keeping them home from school and being around them all day
While it continues to affect us, there really seems to be a progression where it’s less and less
3 time gang. I got my first round about a month prior to covid even being officially announced. 2nd and 3rd I was vaxxed and masked and everything, including my wife. I still don’t know how I got #2 and #3. Luckily I haven’t had it in about a year and a half, but working from home and being an introvert have helped.
I’m curious, how was the severity of your first infection compared to later infections?
We can’t even get them anymore in the Netherlands, unless you have bad health and are also eligible for flu shots or are old enough (50+ afaik). I recently checked because I’d rather take another shot than be ill for a week. It kinda sucks but I also do kinda get it. The vaccines were at some point like €30 a piece. Spending that amount plus the infrastructure for everyone isn’t free either. So maybe it’s just not worth the collective cost anymore, for young and healthy people.
We got infected for first time ever last September, were double boosted (so 4 doses in total) prior to that and the new boosters (for the BA strain family) were just coming out at that time which we were planning to take. It hit us bad, Paxlovid helped a lot getting it out. Then we got infected again in December as JA.1 started spreading everywhere but just a mild cold this time. The new strains are just so infectious and by the time the vaccines targeting them are available, most people are already infected.
So the initial two shots that were a months or so apart and then the refresher 6 months later? You’re basically unvaccinated at this point. No surprise you’re contracting it all the time.
I’m at six shots.
You should still get the boosters because those will both A) help keep you from becoming ill at all, and B) not transmit it to others if you do.
Most other people aren’t in great shape. Wouldn’t you feel bad if you passed it to someone’s cute kid or lovely grandma and they got severely ill as a result?
Quit spreading misinformation. It’s been extremely well documented that the vaccines do not prevent spread whatsoever.
