How do people feel about the possibility of being offered a 3rd Covid vaccination?
I have thought about this and the media wording is confusing and sometimes contradictory about who would be eligible to be offered a 3rd Covid vaccination.
I am keen to have a 3rd vaccination, which might be a different vaccine from the 2x Pfizer vaccinations I had in the spring.
I think if it tops up or even gives me some immunity to Covid it gets my vote.
I also want to lead a more normal life interacting with family and friends and perhaps even having the odd hug!!
Perhaps I will have to continue mask wearing and sanitising, who knows.
Will a test be available to more conclusively check my immunity to Covid, who knows.
Will herd immunity come about, who knows.
What is or will be my realistic risk to Covid out there, who knows.
These are very personal ramblings, what do others think?
Hi @Erica. I was just reading an article on this. I had the Pfizer to and would prefer to have that as my booster. Not that is weeks to make any difference, itās just why Iād prefer.
As usual, Iāll sit and wait to see if I get called and then panic if I donāt 
Iām happy to try anything to ensure my immune system is at its strongest at all times and so that I can feel comfortable doing some of the things that I enjoy and miss! I think - eventually, that boosters will be a regular thing for blood cancer patients. What do you think?
Iām really looking forward to the day when we know more about the antibody tests. This may be something that can put our minds at rest even more!
Be good to hear others views 
I smile as I read your post Erica as I could have written it myself!! I feel just as you with the same personal ramblings!! Like all of us I have been waiting anxiously for news of boosters the who what where and when, as we keep going on the ābe very carefulā while everyone else around us has returned to a fair normality, no doubt many of us will have found recent times the hardest of all as we are still in the great unknown while friends and family both with best intentions donāt understand or have a clue why we are not back in the saddle of life as they are. So to get the news last night was firstly good and I wholeheartedly support extremely immunosuppressed getting a third shot ASAP - but what of those deemed immunosuppressive on treatment and yet not appearing to fall in the extreme situations listed by the govt announcement - your heart falls with more unclear announcements and do I qualify donāt I qualify do I wait to hear from gp or do I ask etc etc that has been true throughout, if only those making the decision knew the impact it has on us all?!
Like you I so wish for an individual testing that does actually tell me how my immune system is responding, however many vaccines I have had. Like you realistically what should I do or not do, I make my own decisions do more than some, less than others but who knows if I am correct barring gut feelings ! An individual test would give me that, would be happy to pay for it as I appreciate its more complex than a simple antibody testing from a blood test. Some light at the end of the tunnel would be nice! In the meantime harness up the dog, do a walk on nature alert and a good coffee from the kiosk on sight is my only solution!
Thanks for sharing Erica it helps to know others are where you are
So many of us are feeling the same @Jilly20z
It would really ease my anxiety now Iām back at work as well. Already, I am in the same building as somebody who is waiting on test results because they no longer have to self-isolate if they have been a contact, just have to complete a test
I feel for you Nichola at work in these times and having a blood cancer, not easy at all and all the more needing as much protection as possible as realistically many are having to work.
I was delighted to hear that we are to be offered a 3rd vaccine to try and bring us up to the level of immunity in the ānormalā population. However, we will fall behind once boosters are given to the rest of the population eligible for them. At least we have been recognised that we are different to others and have a completely different lifestyle, constantly assessing risks. Whether the vaccine will change our outlook on life will be individual and where we are in the course of our illness.
I do wish that the language around the 3rd jab was clearer and like others wonder if the GP has me down to require another dose or whether it will become yet another fight to be recognised. This list could have been cleared a long time ago.
I am going to write to my GP to ask if I am on the list. I have Essential thrombocythemia (ET) and am on permanent hydroxycarbamide. I also paid for an antibody test - the blood out of arm one - and my antibodies came back as 103, which sounds low to me. It also showed I hadnāt had Covid.
I am leading an active life - just been on a six mile hike with mates - and have been going away
visiting quite a lot. Think you have to do your own risk assessment - canāt sit around for ever! Not good for the soul ā¦
My husband has CLL and on WW for 2 years. 3 monthly blood tests 6 monthly hospital appointments. Havenāt heard from the hospital or had a blood test for 8 months. The last telephone appointment lasted 5 mins. We are unsure whether WW counts as treatment and whether he will be offered the booster/3rd vaccination. The literature Iāve read is āvagueā. Opinions would be useful.
Hi @110279 and welcome to the forum. It really is confusing isnāt it so itās good to know all of us are feeling the same way.
This was the full guidance that I had a look at which is a bit more detailed. May be worth a look:
How have you and your husband been doing during Covid?
I look forward to hearing more from you
Hi @110279 a great big welcome to our forum.
Your husband must have been diagnosed soon before Covid and all the disruption that has caused to medical services.
I have read what @Nichola75 has kindly downloaded and I will await.
I also have CLL and have been a very lucky girl and been on watch and wait for 17 yrs.
As for your husbands telephone appointment I have learnt to write down all my anxieties,. symptoms, questions etc. and I am āpleasantly assertiveā and I make sure I cover everything on my list, plus ask those follow up questions too. That is my appointment time so I now make the most of it.
Take care both of you and I find this forum very supportive, please keep posting how you are both doing.
Hi all
Iāve controversially had my third jab.
Iāll keep the back story shortā¦
So my first and second jab was organised by my clinical nurse and not through gp or swiftqueue. My jabs werent recognised on my records and despite having a completed card neither medical team at hospital, my GP or 119 were doing anything. With the media putting huge pressure on passports and the need to require proof of taking the vaccine ā¦ I booked a vaccine at my local chemist. I did my research and it said that you canāt really cause damage having too much of a vaccine. Now I know Iām not medically trained and itās pretty stupid to do what I did but I just felt I had no other option. With strong rumours that extremely clinically vulnerable were due a booster starting in September I thought a few weeks early wonāt cause any harm. Especially as my second jab was in April.
Least to say while waiting my 30mins after taking my ā3rdā jabā¦ I remembered I took a photo of my paper work during my first jab and noticed my NHS number was wrongā¦ This explained everything ā¦
Anywayā¦ Apart from a sore arm for the first and second ā¦ I definitely felt side effects of the 3rd which proper made me anxious guilty even more foolish those being a sore arm again but felt a cold coming and temp went up to 39.8 that night and was high the day after. I pretty much stayed in bed all day. But a few days later I was absolutely fine.
I still feel bad having my 3rd and my GP now knows tbhā¦ I could even get a forth as my records now show Iāve had 2 lots of my first jab ā¦ but I definitely wonātā¦
I think my mind is all over the shop and tbh I feel guilt more than more protected especially reading the criteria of those having the 3rd jab is something I wasnāt entitled tooā¦
I know it may seem unjust, unfair stupid and irresponsible to do what I didā¦ but I felt all the pressure and media attention drove me to do itā¦ That and people not taking my word, not understanding my position and using their power to correct it.
Hi all! Iām new to the forum (though diagnosed with ET for 17 years), I donāt know yet whether Iāll be offered the jab but if I am, I have mixed feelings about it - on the one hand with such a high risk of death if Covid is contracted, it ought to be a no-brainer; on the other, vaccines are not without their own risks (I realise FAR lower) so I think for me it comes down to whether new research shows whether those of us who have elevated clot/stroke risks are at greater (or significantly greater) risk from vaccine and also whether or not Iāve made any antibodies after the first 2 vaccines. Iām waiting for one of the Roche/NHS tests so I can check. If I havenāt at all, then tbh it becomes difficult to see why a 3rd one is really of benefit (i.e. what the chance is of making antibodies the 3rd time if you didnāt on the first 2 - PROVENT might be better in that case??). So anyway to me, it all feels a bit hypothetical at the moment. I feel like there isnāt enough information to make a decision. I should add Iāve been thoroughly shielding/self-isolating since Feb 2020, and wipe everything that arrives in the house, so my only real risk of getting Covid would be if I had to have medical or dental treatment or possibly in a household emergency. Still, I canāt guarantee those things wonāt happen, so the question of 3rd vaccine - to get or not to get - is very much in my mind. Hopefully the Roche test will help one way or the other!
Hi @Rammie18 I wouldnāt feel guilty or irresponsible about having a third vaccine.
Perhaps it is worth continuing to get the first two vaccinations logged in case a āpassportā is needed.
Thanks so much for letting us know the background and your experiences.
Take lots of care.
.
Welcome @Chapsticks I am so glad that you have found us and hope that you find the forum useful, supportive and informative.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts, it is a dilemma isnāt it please let us know how your Roche test results are. Look after yourself.
Is anyone else swayed by already having an antibody test and results?
@Rammie18 sounds like you had a proper booster with your third oneā¦ people who have been healthy or had Covid and got the jabs, have experienced symptoms like yours after getting the second jab, so sounds like you might have boosted your system really well. But who knows. I had my antibody test done a month ago and to my surprise I had really good responseā¦ but it is only because I had been on a filgrastim injections to keep my neutrophils up that clearly the vaccine worked something in my t-cells.
Now that Iām moving, a bit worried how long itās going to take before Iāll get my booster jabā¦ but at least I know I have a little bit of protection although wonāt go crazy with my interactions with those not in my household.
Hi @Rammie18. Itās sounds like itās really playing on your mind. Try not to think about it to much now. Itās amazing how worry, panic and NHS mix ups can cause real anxiety. Iām glad you recognised the mistake made
Hi @Chapsticks and welcome. Itās great to have you hear. I look forward to hearing more from you
This was my thinkingā¦ Word was that a booster was going to be offered to ecv people which I fall into now but now reading the criteria not sure now how many blood cancer patients fall into the group.
But I know the charity are providing some great info to keep us updated with it allā¦
Itās tough esp with school (aka work) starting next week. Unless you are vulnerable I think a lot of people/staff have gone back into normal mode. Which is fine but covid is still around and I have no idea whether my behaviour or vaccine is whatās helping to so far keep covid at bay.
Iād love to know how protected I am.
At the moment Iām kinda using my diagnosis and covid as a good excuse to keep my distance away from somepeople and mundane tasks. So far so good 
I went back into school this week. A few things I was uncomfortable with and have asked to review risk assessment early next week. Iām going to be really honest and not just go along with things. Things are definitely back to normal at my school so I completely understand your anxiety!
Keep using and abusing it! 
Iām still hardly at school so I believe Iām probably the only one thatās covid conscious which is probably why theyve let me be offā¦
I need to get onto my risk assessment as Iāve not been approached yet.