A combination shot would make it easier for people to get vaccinated against Covid and the flu at the same time.
Moderna’s combined Covid and flu shot outperformed the existing standalone vaccines for both viruses, according to the results of a phase 3 clinical trial published Wednesday in theJournal of the American Medical Association.
The vaccine uses the same messenger RNA technology as Moderna’s approved Covid vaccine.(There are no approved mRNA-based flu shots.)
The trial, funded by Moderna, included more than 8,000 adults ages 50 and older who were enrolled in October and November 2023. For people ages 50 to 64, the new vaccine was compared to Moderna’s Covid vaccine and the flu shot Fluarix. For people 65 and older, it was compared to the Covid vaccine and a different flu shot, called Fluzone, which is a stronger dose typically given to older adults. The trial participants either got the existing shots, or the new combination vaccine plus a placebo shot. (This way, both groups got two injections.)
Totally gonna get it anyway but I’m not looking forward to my body throwing a 24h shitfit over it - I usually get what they call a VIGOROUS immune response from either one alone (not every year though, this last year’s flu shot was actually 100% fine for some reason). One time I was an hour late on my Motrin-Tylenol rotation and the symptoms peaked 15 minutes or so after I got that delayed dose down and I just remember laying on my husband’s lap and being so tired and fatigued and my bones were aching everywhere and I couldn’t stop shivering and I must have just passed out because I remember suddenly waking up and feeling completely fine again. It’s completely benign and controllable with over the counter medication (and undoubtedly better than catching the actual flu / COVID) but it suuucks.
As I understand it, a good immune response is a positive thing with immunizations.
Is it? All I’ve ever heard is that whether you’re experiencing symptoms is completely irrelevant, which makes sense since the symptoms are triggered by the innate (non-specific) response and immunity is the adaptive (specific) response. Those are from what I’ve heard more or less completely independent.
Studies show individuals with a more robust immune response trend higher on antibody count, but you are correct to say that it doesn’t necessarily correlate to no immune response = no antibodies.
https://www.bu.edu/neidl/2023/12/its-good-to-feel-bad-after-your-covid-shot/
I’m pretty sure it’s because my whole body has anxiety not just my brain. My body sees a few antigens and just:
Producing anxi-bodies!
I’m in a similar place. The MRNA vaccines trigger a very strong immune response and I don’t know if I want to go through it again. It sucks, and the non-mrna options offer at least comparable to slightly reduced protection. Which given my age is generally adequate