Exciting news today as the FDA just approved Phfizer’s booster shot for 16-17 year olds. This is just months after the booster was approved for those 18 and older. As new variants have been on the rise with the Omicron variant being the most recent, many have been eager to receive their booster shots. Several states are still seeing waves of people who have been infected with the Delta variant. The new Omicron variant will make hospitals have even larger strains which is why now more than ever it is crucial for people to first become fully vaccinated and then get their booster when they can. Because the Omicron variant in particular is highly mutated, getting the booster will help strengthen our protection against this virus and it’s most complex strains.
As of today, a little more than half of teens in the US are fully vaccinated. However, only about 31% are eligible to receive their boosters due to the requirement that they be vaccinated at least six months prior. Moderna also has a booster available, however, it is only approved for those who are 18 and older. Interestingly enough, the Moderna booster is slightly different from the initial vaccination series whereas both the Pfizer booster and original vacancies are the same. In the case of the Moderna booster, it is only half of the original dose from the first two shots. In the case of the Phfizer vaccine, both the booster and the original shots are the same formula. The side-effects of the booster shots are the same as the original vaccine series. Common side effects include but are not limited to headaches, fatigue, muscle swelling at the injection site, or chills.
Personally, I was extremely excited to hear that the booster shot was approved for 16 and 17 year olds and I will be getting mine as soon as I can. I was fortunate enough to get fully vaccinated 6 months ago so hopefully I can get my booster soon.
Questions:
Are you planning on getting the booster? Are you hesitant about getting the booster?
Do you think other students will get the booster?
When do you think the booster will be approved for those 12 and up?
24 comments:
Personally, I plan on getting the booster. In my perspective, I would like to receive the booster and ensure greater protection against the omicron variant. However, I do understand the hesitancy people may have. For example, some may be intimidated by how fast vaccination approval is compared to before the pandemic, believing that there is a higher chance of error and thus consequences related to it. One current problem is the amount of doses and boosters vaccinations require. Not only are people forgetful with following up with events in general (however, I do agree that people have been relatively good with following up with a second dose), but the idea that individuals need to continue receiving vaccinations is a problem. As viruses continue to mutate, I personally believe that those refusing the booster are concerned with how many “new and risky” vaccines will be required until the virus subsides.
I believe that students will wish to receive their booster doses if they had already received their vaccination for the most part. Honestly, it comes down to the demographic and the ideals each student has. Comparing the Bay Area with Texas, or even more rural areas in California, it’s clearly more likely that our area would have a higher possibile turnout for the booster as our vaccination turnouts tend to be higher (https://www.mercurynews.com/2021/11/21/hows-california-doing-vaccinating-5-to-11-year-olds-for-covid-19/). In comparison to the initial vaccination turnout though, I think that booster turnouts will be lower as some may believe that they already have “enough antibodies” in their system. Another factor to consider is parental consent. Even with the initial vaccines, those under 12 are less likely to have received their vaccines: the younger you are, the less likely you are to receive a vaccine. (https://www.nytimes.com/live/2021/09/20/world/covid-delta-variant-vaccine) Believing that kids have a stronger immune system and thus the potential risk from the vaccine may not outweigh the benefits, this may convince parents to hold off on allowing their children to receive the booster until more data information is released (https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2021/12/09/covid-vaccine-boosters-16-17-year-old/). Thus, even though I believe booster approval for those 12 and up may be officially released in months time, the actual booster rates are likely to be lower than those of ages 16-17.
I plan to get the booster relatively soon, I, personally, only really see the positives of getting it and don't have any hesitations about it. In a way, I can see why some people may be skeptical of getting the booster/vaccine. Like Crystal said, approval can be extremely fast which can cause some hesitation or doubt in the safety/effectiveness. However, I rather play it safe and be vaccinated than not.
I think there's a good handful of students that will also get the booster. Whether it's because they want to, their parents are making them, or they require it for some activity, I believe that majority of the students would be getting vaccinated. However, I also only think that's true for more liberal states. Places that aren't as pro-vaccination will likely have students that won't get vaccinated. I think that the approval for 12-year-olds and older will be coming roughly soon, though I have doubts that many will get it due to the thought of "they're young and have stronger immune systems than old people do." Even with that said, I'd expect it to come out early next year.
I plan to get the booster and am not personally hesitant in any way because the booster is the same exact vaccine that I have already gotten. The booster has also already been approved for a relatively long time for those 18 and up which should alleviate any short-term concerns about the vaccine. I can understand people's skepticism about the fast approval for both the initial vaccine as well as the booster but I personally trust that the drug companies who have already made many different vaccines can safely develop a new vaccine. I think that a decent percentage of other students will probably get the booster given the general acceptance of vaccines in our region. However, there will definitely be places where people won't get a booster or even the initial vaccine that we have already had access to for months at this point. I think that the age for the booster will likely be lowered again in the coming months and mirror the approval process for older teens.
Like everyone else, I plan on getting the booster and hope to be getting it soon without much (or any) hesitation. I can see where hesitation might come from; obviously, not everyone is going to be pro-vaccine, and some might be wary about quick approval, but if the vaccine is more or less the same, then I don't see why a quick approval is something to be nervous about. I imagine, though, that fewer people are going to continue getting vaccinated should more boosters come out to account for more variants, etc. Like Crystal said, people are likely to believe that they're protected "enough" or have "enough antibodies" in their system that they wouldn't NEED to get another shot. In my opinion, it's better to be safe than sorry.
I would hope that other students are planning on getting the booster. I think that it's probably more likely that people in our community would get it than in less liberal areas. If it's required for certain activities, like sports, I'd imagine that the number of people getting the booster will be higher.
I honestly can't give a time frame for the booster getting approved for younger kids since I don't know how the approval goes for them, but I would think that it's coming soon (hopefully in a few months). If the boosters getting approved quicker than the original vaccines is anything to go off of, then it's probably sooner rather than later.
I plan on getting the booster as traveling is something I would like to resume soon. I am glad that the booster has been offered to people in our age group, however, I am not looking forward to the side effects. I believe that there is no real need for everyone to get the booster as it is a matter of choice, but at the same time, I would hope that my peers are also eager to get it as it will help with the continued spread of the virus. The only thing that makes me hesitate about the booster is the quickness in which it was approved. I worry about what may happen to me if something were to go wrong with the dose I am given, however my mother who already had the booster recovered in a few days which makes me worry a lot less. One problem I see with this however is that not all students at our school will be eligible. With only half of the student body being able to get the booster things will improve slightly, however the spread among the underclassmen may increase.
1. I plan on getting the booster as soon as the CDC provides “official” guidelines to medical professionals for booster administration. My father tried to schedule a booster shot on December 9th, but was told by Stanford they had not received official approval for 16-17 year olds.
2. I think most students will get the booster. At present time over half of the 16-17 year olds have both shots of either Pfizer or Moderna. With efficacy climbing to 95.6% with the booster, I think most will get it when they become eligible.
3. That’s a little difficult to predict given the concerns around myocarditis in adolescent boys. I think they will do some additional studies, but at the end of the day the risk of the vaccines being ineffective against Omicron without the booster will win out sooner rather than later. I suspect approvals for 12 year olds will be in place by the end of December or early January.
I am planning on getting hte booster shot. As soon as I heard that I was eligible, I signed up when I got home. I am not hesitant to get the booster as I know it has been tested vigorously by the FDA to ensure that it is safe for myself and others. To me the COVID-19 vaccine is just like any other flu shot. I think and hope most students will recieve their booster shot to help protect not only themsleves but others from COVID-19 and the variants. However, like many others have already mentioned, I can see how many people not getting the vaccine due to its speedy approval. I think another thing to think about is people’s ideologies and religions that could prompt some to not receive the booster. Much like when the vaccine first came out, many did not want to get the vaccine due to conspiracies and misinformation, some may still not want to get the vaccine let alone the booster. As for those 12 and under, they are a few months behind and received the approval for their original vaccine on October 19 a few months behind the adults. For that reason, I believe that it will take a little bit longer for children to receive the booster.
https://www.cnn.com/2021/12/07/health/covid-19-vaccine-boosters-for-kids-wellness/index.html
I plan on getting the booster shot as soon as possible. I got my second dose just about six months ago, so I am scheduled for my booster in a few weeks. I believe that it is crucial that everyone who is eligible should get fully vaccinated with a booster, especially when heading into the winter months. Because there was some hesitancy towards the first vaccine, I think that there will definitely be some backlash towards the booster. However, I trust the scientists that made the vaccines. Additionally, I am really hoping that other students get their booster to help ensure that we are all able to continue learning in person for the rest of the year. Finally, I doubt that kids 12 and older will be eligible for the vaccine for a long time considering that their first round of vaccinations was just approved.
My dad recently got his booster about a month or so ago, and I wanted to get mine then but got turned down because I was 17. I definitely plan on getting my booster as soon as possible, especially since right now is flu season. I know that there are many anti-vax students who are suspicious of the covid vaccine, but it would only benefit them if they got it. I know there are going to be new conspiracy theories about this new vaccine, judging by how many there were about the first vaccine. I'm not sure why scientists can't make a "one for all ages" vaccine, but I think the 12 and up vaccine will most likely be available sometime mid-January or later. I think that if everyone got their boosters, Covid cases would drop, and mask mandates may disappear for a short while like they did in the past.
If it was hard to get Americans to vaccinate themselves the first time, and it definitely was, it will be even harder to get them to vaccinate themselves another time 6 months after they thought they were done with getting vaccinated. Some Americans might consider 2 shots to be enough and their duty to the nation completed, and not get the third shot because they consider it overkill. Mobilizing the entire population to get vaccinated a third time will be another lengthy vaccination campaign.
In addition, there are countless people in countless countries across the world who have not even gotten their first dose, so maybe doses would be better administered abroad than at home? True, the vaccine's effect wears off over time, but it is still relatively effective after 6 months and maybe that dose could do more good elsewhere. As I have said in previous comments, vaccinating the third world is essential because the virus can mutate into a vaccine resistant variant in a third world breakout and return to the US to prolong the pandemic.
The decision to get a third dose is a personal one, and in my opinion I would only take it if I am travelling or doing another such high-risk activity. For day to day school attendance with masks and ventilation I am not going to get a third shot; I can hold off until next year when I may go travelling for vacation during the spring or summer.
I am planning on getting the booster, as I’m already signed up. I’m not hesitant because I’ve already gotten vaccinated twice, so unless this booster is something entirely different, I think if there were any potential harmful effects, the damage has already likely been done. If I was going to worry about it, I probably should have done so before the first two shots. But regardless, since I had no negative side effects from the first two vaccinations, I feel pretty confident I won’t get any from the booster shot.
I think other students will get the booster, but probably not as many as schools would like. Considering there isn’t even a vaccine mandate yet, I don’t think the booster shot is anywhere near being required or even expected. In general, I think a lot of the people eligible to get the booster will get it, since the people who got vaccinated six months ago are almost certainly not vaccine-hesitant. However, a lot of young people probably won’t bother getting the booster because they figure they’re young and are unlikely to be severely affected by COVID-19 — but whether or not this is true, they can still spread it to older people who are likely to be severely affected by it, so unfortunately their decision to opt out of getting the booster shot might have dire consequences.
I’m planning on getting a booster soon because it is just safer and it’s better for the people around me too. The only way to eliminate this threat of COVID is to get the vaccine and the boosters when necessary. I don’t want to constantly worry about COVID whenever I go out. I want to live a normal life where I can do things without interference. My mom is a little hesitant to allow me to get the booster because she isn’t sure if there are any side effects to it that can have long-term consequences. I totally understand her concerns but I think it is better to get the booster because getting COVID could have worse effects. With me playing sports daily, sometimes having to take off my mask to breathe, getting the booster is a must.
I think other students will get the booster but not all of them. There are just some people who either don’t feel the need to get the booster or aren’t comfortable like my mom. I understand and respect their concerns even if I may not agree with them. I would urge them to get their booster, citing scientific evidence and how it will benefit everyone in the community but I won’t force them to, knowing their concerns or beliefs. At the end of the day, it is up to them to control what they do.
I’m not exactly sure when the booster will be approved for those 12 and up. I’m guessing that it would occur when most of the kids 12 and up are boosters available and the threat of Omicron looms larger. I feel like Omicron will definitely accelerate the pace of getting it approved and many families will get it without question once it is approved. It really just depends on when the FDA finds it necessary to approve it.
Personally, I am planning on getting my booster shot, as I have already gotten fully vaccinated. However, I am not necessarily in a rush to get my booster, not because I am worried about the side effects, but I am already fully vaccinated and young, which gives me great protection against COVID already. I also do not have lots of time, so I will get the shot whenever I am able to, and wont be rushing to get it like my first two.
Honestly, when it comes to students at Aragon, I think I am probably different, I think most people are going to try and get their booster right away, and I think that most students want to feel the greatest protection they can have. I think that the 16-17 year old booster was just approved so we are going to start seeing a rush of students try to get it right now. I know our school has a very high vax rate so that it what I am basing it on.
12 and up for the booster shot probably won't come for a while, as the reccomendation for the booster is 6 months after you have been fully vaccinated and I think its been less than 6 months since they approved the first two for 12 and up.
I am glad to see the booster is approved. I just got mine a few days ago, but am noticing it’s quite hard to get them as places such as CVS hadn’t updated their sites last I checked (although it may be updated now) , and many people are not aware that our age group is eligible yet. Regardless, I read that the Pfizer vaccine was shown to be quite effective against the Omicron variant after a 3rd shot (I’ll link an article here - https://www.pfizer.com/news/press-release/press-release-detail/pfizer-and-biontech-provide-update-omicron-variant ) which is good news, although its just under preliminary studies. Still, I’m interested in how the Omicron variant will affect the economy. Cases are already starting to go up, so we’ll see how that goes. I’ve noticed many people who I’ve talked to are hesitant to get a third shot because of a sentiment that “two shots is good enough”, so hopefully people open up more to getting the booster.
I'm definitely planning on getting the booster as soon as possible. Both my parents recently received it, and while they got the Moderna vaccine for their first doses, they received Pfizer for their booster. Although they both faced side effects after their first dose, only my mom had severe side effects after her booster. I'm planning to wait until after finals to get my booster just in case I also have side effects.
I think the environment around Aragon is definitely pro vaccine, and I've heard many of my friends are already waiting in line to get their booster. I really hope the school provides incentives for students to get vaccinated or stricter regulations, much like they've already done with the first doses. I think the booster approval came just in time for the holidays, and although it takes two weeks to fully activate, I hope it'll save some lives as people travel and visit family. This winter my family and I had plans to visit India and see my grandparents, who I haven't seen in over three years. But unfortunately, do to COVID, we decided to stay in the US because none of my grandparents have been offered the opportunity to get booster and traveling internationally during peak travel time with my brother and I also unboosted could prove to be dangerous.
In terms of 12 and up, I agree with Colin that I expect the booster to only be approved after at least six months of the initial vaccine approval which would be mid December technically as it was first approved in mid June. As others have mentioned, January to February seems like a reasonable timeframe, although it could be a little later just because it took so long for the initial booster to be approved. I hope everyone gets boosted as soon as possible because I feel like people have gotten quite complacent with COVID after the initial vaccines even though new variants are rampant as well as holiday season quickly approaching.
I'm actually planning on getting the booster right after finals. I'm not hesitant about getting the booster; it seems to be properly researched and tested, and despite my ever-so-slight doubts at the back of my mind surrounding the dangers for 17 year olds, I think that the benefits of having a much stronger defense against this international virus outweighs the potential (yet incredibly unlikely risks). My mom is a doctor and that gives me a little bit of extra confidence in the vaccine too when she goes into the specifics of how it works with me (but this could also have been easily done with just a little bit of research, as well). The risk of heart inflammation is lightly touched upon in articles like these:
https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/585171-cdc-signs-off-on-pfizer-booster-shots-for-16-17-year-old-teens
(ctrl + f "inflammatory heart condition" if you want to find it immediately)
I think that other people will be hesitant to get the booster because of these possible side effects. I believe that the language being constantly used in the news and from reputable scientists about "the benefits outweighing the risks" are extremely unencouraging for many people. I myself have raised my eyebrows, so to speak, at the phrase a few times. While I do agree with the statement, I think that the phrase alone turns people off, mainly because of the thought that "why would I volunteer myself for these unnecessary risks when the risk of getting COVID is low?" People tend to not realize that the risk and likelihood of getting the virus is high until they actually get it or encounter a close contact with someone who has it, so I am not surprised that this mindset is occurring with the statements "the benefits outweigh the risks". More info about this heart inflammation is at this link: (https://www.cnbc.com/2021/10/15/heart-inflammation-risk-in-young-adults-caused-by-mrna-covid-booster-continues-to-worry-scientists-dr-levy-says.html) I think it may be awhile before the booster will be approved for 12 and up. With the heart inflammation problems along with the countless other complexities around the underdeveloped minds and bodies. I believe that it took a few-ish months for the Pfizer vaccine to be approved for the 12-15 age group (5 months, I believe?), and I think that it will probably be the same case for the booster shot.
I personally plan on getting the booster as I am immunocompromised and my cousin just had a baby and I would like to protect him from covid as he cant get vaccinated but also the people around me. Heard immunization is key to get rid of this virus. I am not hesitant to get this vaccine because many people around me hace received it and have no issues and I would like to be more protected against covid. I understand that many people around are hesitant to get the vaccine because of the side effects and it's also not 100% effective. False information about vaccines is also everywhere and there are a lot of misunderstandings about vaccines but I believe that it is safest for everyone to get the vaccine, but I hope my fellow students get the vaccine so we can return to normal. I think the booster is going to take a few more months for people around 12 and under. It's taken them a few months to approve the first and second shots for kids this age so I think it will follow the same time line for the booster.
This news of the approval of booster shots for 16 and 17 year olds is especially exciting, as it is applicable to us high schoolers. I plan to get the booster sometime in the near future, and it's good to see that so many of us here in the comment section are planning to as well.
As for approval for those 12 and under, it seems like that process is more complicated than we think. I did a bit of research, looking at this CNN article, they quote "Children are not just little adults." It is predicted for months of studying on amount of dose, number of doses, that need to be considered.
As younger people cannot get vaccinated yet, I think it's important to remind ourselves to stay covid safe as we see our family for the holidays. happy winter!
CNN article: https://www.cnn.com/2021/07/15/health/covid-19-vaccine-young-children-wellness/index.html
I do personally plan on getting the booster shot. It makes the most sense to me because I am already fully vaccinated and getting the booster shot would be the next step in increasing immunity. I am not hesitant to get the booster shot because of the added immunity and protection it provides as opposed to all of the possible side effects. I have already received both doses of the vaccine and was just fine after I had got the shots. I do believe that other students will get the booster shot, but I also recognize that there are students who have not been vaccinated and probably will not end up getting the booster shot. I think that it is in everybody's best interest to get the vaccine, including the booster shot if they are able to. It will only help decrease the number of covid cases and will allow us to gradually put things back to their normal state. The booster shots will probably not be administered to those 12 and under for a while, as it is really up to the FDA to approve the booster shots. I believe that it will be similar to how the vaccine took a while to get approved, before it was administered to younger children. The youth population continues to be the last priority when it comes to administering vaccines because of their lower rate of getting covid and spreading it.
I plan on doing my part and getting the booster shot. Like many pointed out, for many of us fully vaccinated student the booster shot would essentially be taking a step into the possible completing of our immunization (Adding the fact that we are young). Skepticism is fine, but I think that at this point with the FDA recently approving the Pfizer vaccine people should start stepping up and getting vaccinated. Defeating and containing this pandemic means putting in the collective work by wearing a mask in the appropriate areas, social distancing, and most importantly getting vaccinated. Getting vaccinated will only be doing everyone a favor. It makes sense that children are the last subjects to have a vaccine approved for them, as they are the healthiest yet more sensitive and fragile. That being said, taking the time to make solidify the safety of the vaccine is the right move.
It's comforting to see so many Aragon students planning on getting the booster. Variants such as Omicron came as a result of inadequate vaccination, and getting vaccinated against variants is an important step towards slowing down the pandemic. I know a few people who have gotten the booster already, and am sure that many more of our peers are planning to get it as well. However, many of the people in my life are hesitant about the booster and the COVID vaccination in general. Adults in my family and in others have had concerns about the speed at which the vaccines were improved, and some who have gotten both their doses and experienced negative side effects are hesitant to get their third.
Views on vaccinations are incredibly polarized in the country, as those who oppose vaccinations often seek out alternative news sources that create an echo chamber. More work needs to be done to reach those who are vaccine hesitant, as it is imperative that vaccination rates go up in order to contain the pandemic.
I definitely plan on getting the booster and I encourage everyone else to also to ensure even greater safety in our community. I am not hesitant, but rather anxious and curious about the side effects days after getting the shot. Many of my friends who have already got the booster shot have experienced some harsh side effects. When I get my shot I am anticipating the feelings of illness after, and I am hoping that it won't last long when I get the side effects.
After reading other comments in this post I see that there are many other students who agree with getting the booster shot. It's certainly a relieving feeling that the chances of the virus being spread within our school is declining. I'm not sure about members of our staff and their views on the vaccine and booster but I am hoping that it is something that they look deeper into as this pandemic goes on.
I think that the booster will be approved for children of younger ages sometime further in the future. I think that trying to get the adults to get it is already enough of a struggle. Just like when the vaccines first came out it makes sense to prioritize people who are older to get it first.
This comment is written by Lauren Mok because she is unable to post comments due to technical difficulties:
I will certainly be getting my booster shot this upcoming week, and am very grateful that San Mateo County has made the boost easily accessible for those eligible. I am not very hesitant to get the booster because it has been approved by the FDA and has been backed with extensive research from preeminent researchers and scientists. Especially because we’ve seen how viral Omicron has been in the past several weeks, I think that it is critical for students and adults to get the booster as soon as possible to mitigate the chances of contracting the virus. Considering that vaccinations were approved for 5-11 year-olds late October, about seven months after 16-year-olds were eligible, approving the booster will likely several months of testing before approval. Unfortunately, even when children do become eligible, I think many parents will continue to resist the booster, especially in more rural areas. As we continue to get both vaccinated and boosted, it’s important to continue taking other safety measures such as mask-wearing in or order to slow the spread of the virus.
I recently got my booster, and the side effects were comparable to that of the second vaccine. However, it is completely necessary to be as protected as possible as Omicron ravages through the country. College campuses nationwide are closing because of the threat Omicron poses, in most hospitals about 70% of the cases are Omicron... it is no laughing matter. Especially because the long term effects of the first two vaccines aren't yet known, boosting becomes that much more important. The manner I got my booster was a drive through with no appointment, I was in and out in half an hour. If that sort of procedure is widespread and accessible to many, then getting the booster has relatively little to no barrier to entry. During the holidays, I had an interesting conversation with my relatives, specifically my grandfather chided that "he thinks he's ready for another booster" (he got his a month or so ago). While we initially met his remarks with laughs, it eventually settled in that the wishes he described could be a new reality, where we all get boosted every six months or so to keep COVID at bay. If that's what's necessary to prevent lockdowns and stay-at-home orders, then it's a small price to pay. In the meantime, get your booster, and stay masked up.
Post a Comment