Pfizer booster Covid trial

[Porcupine 52]

For any one that is interested the booster study for us starts next Friday.  I spent time on the phone today with the Study coordinator and got this information about the Pfizer booster...... will know more next Friday.

1.  Pfizer is doing 2 shots for the booster

2.   Once again I have a 50/50 chance of getting the real deal.

3.  As soon as the booster is approved we will be unblinded and get the real thing if we didn't get it.

4. 2 blood test.  One before the 1st shot and the 2nd a few week after the 2nd.

5.  They think that the booster shot will be effective against most if not all of the new strains.

6. They said this was only a 6 month study?  Interesting because the first one was 3 years?

 

Couldn't have come at a better time....  I think a nice massage is in order on the Iceland trip

[The Other Tom]

Thanks.  Does that mean each group (test and control) will get two shots(ie, two real or two placebo)?

[Porcupine 52]

Yes we all get 2 shot... 2 if you get the real...2 if you get the placebo...They don't mix them.  I'm hoping lighting strikes twice with me.  The papers they sent me said they are doing 600 people at each of 15 to 30 sites in the US

[bafinegan]

I am (still) in the original pfizer study group.  I have to submit a weekly "symptom" log online and get blood work every 3 months.  I did ask about  booster and was told my antibodies are still very high.  If i drop below a certain level ( wasn't told what that level was) I would be offered the booster.  Interesting....

 

[Porcupine 52]

Yes I do a symptom log weekly in our original study.  $5.00 a week for next 2 years.  They did a blood test several months ago and they said the same thing.....  Would start booster study if antibodies drop.  I have a feeling they must have dropped for the group.  Of course they don't tell us but they did start the study.

[deec]

thanks so much for the info you continue to provide.

 

are there any folks on the board who were in the Moderna study?  that is what we had.

[deec]

I am worried about the timing of boosters and winter travel plans.  Maybe the cruise ship will have access to some doses.

[JeriGail]

On 5/14/2021 at 5:31 AM, Porcupine 52 said:

Yes I do a symptom log weekly in our original study.  $5.00 a week for next 2 years.  They did a blood test several months ago and they said the same thing.....  Would start booster study if antibodies drop.  I have a feeling they must have dropped for the group.  Of course they don't tell us but they did start the study.

About how many months after your first shot are you?  I'm wondering when I might be due for my booster.

[BrendaEDH]

2 hours ago, deec said:

I am worried about the timing of boosters and winter travel plans.  Maybe the cruise ship will have access to some doses.

My husband and I are participating in the Moderna Phase 3 blinded trials here in Northern California.  We started the trial in late July and received one jab then and a second jab 30 days later.  Blood work done every three months and weekly symptom updates done via the phone app.  We were unblinded in January and my husband had received the vaccine and I received the placebo, but I was able to receive the vaccine at that time.  We also recently inquired about the booster trial and they implied it may start sometime this summer.  

[deec]

Thank you,  Blenda.

[stretchcruz]

Interesting, thanks. Like Dee, I had Moderna. First shot Jan 2, so I've been worried about when I may need a booster. I'll be first in line! Husband had Pfizer in Feb I believe, I'll have to look. I asked my pharmacist about it and she has been getting emails and updates saying that they are looking into when the boosters may be required but she said that the emails are all kind of contradicting each other!

[Porcupine 52]

If any one is interested.... I got my first shot from the Pfizer booster study today.  Next shot is June 15th.  Then 2 more office visit.  Not feeling any thing at this point.... Not like when I got the real Pfizer Vaccine back in August.... but still early.  Trial is a 6 month study.  They are hoping to have the booster shot out by fall ( according to nurse) to be with your flu shot... or if you do a Pneumonia shot.  They said they are hoping this will be good for most of the variant strains.

 

As soon as the booster becomes available they will let us be unblinded.  This time they gave me a really cute little cheap cell phone ( a burner if I have the term right from "Breaking Bad") to do my daily diary.  

 

$200.00 for each of the 3 office visits and $5.00 a week for 6 months.  I think I will schedule another massage on the Iceland trip.

Edited May 21, 2021 by Porcupine 52

[MSEm]

Thanks for posting the info on the booster shots.

[bafinegan]

4 hours ago, Porcupine 52 said:

If any one is interested.... I got my first shot from the Pfizer booster study today.  Next shot is June 15th.  Then 2 more office visit.  Not feeling any thing at this point.... Not like when I got the real Pfizer Vaccine back in August.... but still early.  Trial is a 6 month study.  They are hoping to have the booster shot out by fall ( according to nurse) to be with your flu shot... or if you do a Pneumonia shot.  They said they are hoping this will be good for most of the variant strains.

 

As soon as the booster becomes available they will let us be unblinded.  This time they gave me a really cute little cheap cell phone ( a burner if I have the term right from "Breaking Bad") to do my daily diary.  

 

$200.00 for each of the 3 office visits and $5.00 a week for 6 months.  I think I will schedule another massage on the Iceland trip.

wow I am in the original Pfizer study and I stll have to go in every 6 months to get my antibodies checked. I am not do for a re-check until this Sept.2021.  I did ask at my last appt about the booster shot and was told my antibodies aren't low enough.  I'm still doing a symptom diary, but mine is weekly.

[Porcupine 52]

I also am doing my "original" diary and doing the diary on this one.  They gave me this cheap cell phone to do the booster study on.  I have another  blood test on the "original" test in September.  The nurse said that the antibodies had dropped on the "original group"...  But I think she meant it was the 1st round of the study.  I was in the 2nd...

[BrendaEDH]

@Porcupine 52 thanks for the update on your Pfizer booster trials!  I just received a letter that the Moderna booster trial will start here in Northern California in mid-August and it will also be a blinded trial again.  

[Porcupine 52]

I don't want to stop any one from THINKING about getting a Virus shot or a booster,  no comparison to get the virus....  I woke up last night and my arm was hurting....scale of 1 to 10... maybe a 3 to 4.  Better this morning when I got moving around and a heating pad.  Much better this afternoon.  I think the odds of me getting the real Pfizer virus shot and booster shot very early has just gone up... I think I will head to Lost Wages next week!!

[BrendaEDH]

28 minutes ago, Porcupine 52 said:

I don't want to stop any one from THINKING about getting a Virus shot or a booster,  no comparison to get the virus....  I woke up last night and my arm was hurting....scale of 1 to 10... maybe a 3 to 4.  Better this morning when I got moving around and a heating pad.  Much better this afternoon.  I think the odds of me getting the real Pfizer virus shot and booster shot very early has just gone up... I think I will head to Lost Wages next week!!

Agreed!  I know folks that contracted the virus last year and so pleased that there is a vaccine available this year! Thanks for participating in the Pfizer trials.  Hope you feel better soon...

 

[Paul73]

bafinegan:  many thanks for participating in the trials.  I was part of the Johnson and Johnson trials.  I've never had more blood tests in such a short period in all my life, but I felt like I needed to support the greater good.  Thanks again.

[friendlyfifer]

Here in the UK, as in the USA, we are all very fortunate to have adequate  supplies of the vaccine. We board the Viking Venus later this week for a UK cruise. 
However, I am sure many Viking crew members from poorer parts of the world will have suffered greatly from the pandemic. Some may have died and many will have lost family members.
A booster is being talked about and yet many countries are struggling to get supplies for a first dose. The USA has not yet approved the AstraZeneca vaccine and yet it is stockpiling millions of doses. 
Forgive my rant. Going on a cruise is a privilege especially as the world is still in the middle of the pandemic.

[MSEm]

The USA is donating all of it's AstraZeneca vaccine and is also donating now the 3 vaccines that are currently being used in the USA.  The AstraZeneca is going (or has been sent) to Canada and Mexico. The other vaccine and also money is going to the world organization for vaccinations.

The companies making the vaccines are always working to improve the vaccine. As the covid virus mutates, the vaccine will change. The quick development of the covid vaccine was the result of 10 or more years of work on vaccines against covid viruses that cause Eloba, SARS,  and other illnesses.

 

 

[Heidi13]

51 minutes ago, MSEm said:

The USA is donating all of it's AstraZeneca vaccine and is also donating now the 3 vaccines that are currently being used in the USA.  The AstraZeneca is going (or has been sent) to Canada and Mexico. The other vaccine and also money is going to the world organization for vaccinations.

The companies making the vaccines are always working to improve the vaccine. As the covid virus mutates, the vaccine will change. The quick development of the covid vaccine was the result of 10 or more years of work on vaccines against covid viruses that cause Eloba, SARS,  and other illnesses.

 

 

 

At the end of March the US loaned both Canada & Mexico Astra Zenica vaccines, that were expiring in May & June. Canada received 1.5 million and I believe Mexico received 2.5 million. In addition, many of the Northern States are providing vaccinations to Canadians that can cross the border.

 

We are discussing accepting additional doses of AZ from the US, but nothing has been received lately. Might not be required, as those of us that received AZ will probably have an option of getting Pfizer for the 2nd jab, as early tests show the combination has higher antibodies.