Paul Cantrell

New data here. The upshot:

• Now we have real-life data on the bivalent COVID vaccines

• Yes, they are good…really good

• They’ll do a much better job of keeping you out of the hospital

• For people of all ages

• Including against newest COVID variants (BQ etc)

• If your last COVID shot was <Sep (adults) or <Oct (kids), get a new shot _immediately_

• If your country doesn’t have them yet, bring the torches & pitchforks to your gov’s health admins

https://erictopol.substack.com/p/a-quick-update-on-the-bivalent-boosters

A quick update on the bivalent boosters

New CDC data on protection posted today

Ground Truths
Dec 16, 2022 at 9:16pmWeb
Show threadBeth PariseauDec 16, 2022
@inthehands sincere q: what if your last shot was < Sept but you also had COVID in Sept?
Show threadPaul CantrellDec 16, 2022
@BPariseau Get the bivalent as soon as your local health guidelines allow. Evidence increasingly looks like prior infection is at best temporary protection, certainly no better than vaccines, probably worse than up-to-date vaccines if it was a previous variant.
Show threadDaniel Heppner Dec 17, 2022
@inthehands What if I recently had COVID? How long should I wait?
Show threadPaul CantrellDec 17, 2022
@danielhep Current CDC recommendation is 3 months, because that does seem to be the time period during which people don’t get reinfected. I wouldn’t wait too much lunch than that if it were me.
Show threadDaniel Heppner Dec 17, 2022
@inthehands I should probably get it then. It has been about 3 months. I heard some things about the period being even longer than that.
Show threadPaul CantrellDec 17, 2022

@danielhep Yeah, there is some evidence that you have maybe 4 months of protection, or 6 months, or less, or who knows…it’s very hard to pin this stuff down. We just don’t have certainty here.

But 3 mo is the recommendation, we are right now entering the peak period for respiratory infections, and COVID cases are rising fast all over. Dec/Jan is a really good time for max protection. I’d say just go for it.

Show threadDaniel Heppner Dec 17, 2022
@inthehands Was there ever any evidence that getting the booster too soon after could lead to actually reduced immunity?
Show threadPaul CantrellDec 17, 2022
@danielhep Wow, no, I’ve never heard anything like that! That seems far-fetched. But I am not an immunologist, so…maybe ask an actual doctor.