Like President Biden, we also got our bivalent COVID 19 booster earlier this week. It was ‘easy peasy’!
We frequent our neighborhood Rite Aid pharmacy and they all know us by now. Scheduling was simple and we received several reminders up to an hour before our appointment. It probably took about 10 minutes total. All I had after was a sore arm for a few days.
I know/hope that most of you have already gotten your booster, as well.
According to this NYT article , there is a declining interest in boosters, even among older people. We all know by now that people over 65 are at a much higher risk of severe disease and death from a COVID infection, so go figure!
I think there are probably multiple reasons for the dismal uptake. There hasn’t been a full court press to get this booster into arms, many people are no longer concerned about COVID and see it as yesterday’s news, or think they can take a course of Paxlovid and be fine, and doctors (a credible source of information) may not be reminding patients.
Note: My husband and I both saw our primary care providers this week. I was at least asked if I was up to date on my immunizations (duh!), and my husband was specifically asked if he had been boosted.
People also may not have access to technology for easy scheduling or transportation to a nearby pharmacy.
With a possible winter surge in the offing (infections are on the rise in Europe), get your booster if you haven’t and encourage/support/help someone do the same.
Family members, friends, co-workers and neighbors also influence health decisions and behavior, and Kaiser studies show that they can help increase vaccination rates.
For those on the fence, “asking or reminding your parent or grandparent about the new booster can make quite a difference.”
Dr. Mollyann Brodie, Executive Director of Public Opinion, Kaiser Family Foundation
My friend and I were reminiscing about October of 2020 when there wasn’t a vaccine, we were sporting our cloth masks 😊, and COVID was creating havoc. Thinking back to those times, these vaccines are nothing short of a miracle!
Before I sign off, a bit on masks. My husband and I still wear our masks in most indoor settings. He manages to do over 40 minutes a day in the gym on an elliptical while masked. Masks are still required in health care setting here, but they are now a rare sight at other indoor environments. With a winter surge possible and a low uptake of boosters, plus flu and RSV in the mix, you gotta wonder what the 3rd coronavirus winter will bring!
We haven’t had COVID yet (that we know of) and I would like to keep it that way if at all possible.
Allene
Travels with Allene 