Anyone postponing 2nd booster until closer to cruise?

[Jazzbo]

My husband and I have been fully vaccinated and received our booster (all Moderna) in November 2021. We are booked on the TA from Barcelona to FLL on 10/31/2022, flying to Barcelona a few days prior (arriving 10/28/2022). At the moment, we are thinking about delaying our 2nd booster until early October, so we have greater immunity before we fly to and cruise from Barcelona.

We are both over 65, and I had (mild) Omicron the last week of January. My husband (over 75, with pre-existing conditions) did not contract Covid. I am still working in an office, and my husband is retired. We want maximum immunity (as possible) before we leave for Barcelona. Any thoughts?

[kwokpot]

Absolutely the right call. We just received our 2nd booster since we'll be cruising in two weeks in Europe on a b2b2b with 31 days on the ship, 5 weeks away in Europe. We are also dong a family cruise in August and I advised my parents  (93.84) to get their 2nd booster in July, a couple of weeks before their cruise. 

[basenji56]

I have read that the immunity from the second booster only lasts for one month.  So your plan appears to be a good one.

 

A study from Israel published last month reported that even though a fourth dose of the Pfizer vaccine can offer protection against severe COVID-19, it is not enough to last long-term. The team found that the shot protected against serious illness for at least six weeks and against infection for at least four weeks. 

 

  https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/medical/no-good-evidence-that-4th-vaccine-dose-is-beneficial-who-says/ar-AAWRtqS?ocid=msedgntp&cvid=ec04e6bfe8ba4e67bba1a8c28f75590e&fbclid=IwAR1crv5a0WMKvlgiwRhEWKUsxyag60q8YA5rLfycO197AZDCGYZmOw0oWR4

[HskrCrsr]

My wife and I discussed the same scenario related to our upcoming December cruise. We decided it would be better to have a cruise on hold for health concerns rather than putting health on hold for cruise concerns. So I got my booster about 3 weeks ago (she is not yet eligible for the second booster). One week later she caught COVID. I have not tested positive or had any symptoms. I credit the booster for this. She is feeling much better now but we are quite happy that we were not both sick with COVID. 

 

If I am eligible for another booster before the cruise, I will happily get it.

[BigTorino]

If you get your 2nd booster now, there is a decent chance you will have both a new variant specific COVID booster vax and a current flu shot available to you in October. 

[dani negreanu]

YES.

 

I delayed my 2nd booster so as to be nearer my cruise on June 13rd.

 

It seems that boosters only protects you against a serious illness and hospitalization....

[CHEZMARYLOU]

We got Covid a few days after returning from our March cruise, very mild and pre 2nd booster. Got our booster as soon as we could after recovering. Hoping for a Covid variant booster in late fall, before our New Year's cruise.  Did not consider not getting the 2nd booster because we can't put our life on hold until December.

[mikewomb]

19 minutes ago, basenji56 said:

I have read that the immunity from the second booster only lasts for one month.  So your plan appears to be a good one.

 

A study from Israel published last month reported that even though a fourth dose of the Pfizer vaccine can offer protection against severe COVID-19, it is not enough to last long-term. The team found that the shot protected against serious illness for at least six weeks and against infection for at least four weeks. 

 

  https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/medical/no-good-evidence-that-4th-vaccine-dose-is-beneficial-who-says/ar-AAWRtqS?ocid=msedgntp&cvid=ec04e6bfe8ba4e67bba1a8c28f75590e&fbclid=IwAR1crv5a0WMKvlgiwRhEWKUsxyag60q8YA5rLfycO197AZDCGYZmOw0oWR4

I read that also. 

[billyu]

My thought is, consult with you Doctor.

[Searanger]

We are off to Europe in 2 weeks and did indeed get our 2nd booster this past week.  Waiting till October just doesn't make sense to me.  I figure a 3rd booster will be recommended in another 4 months anyways, so don't wait. 

Edited May 7, 2022 by Searanger

[Laurab23]

My dr,this week, advised me to wait until fall for the 2nd booster. She said they should be coming out with a booster that will cover the new varients better.

 

Laura

[Jazzbo]

Thank you all for your thoughts. I have an appointment with my PCP in a couple of weeks, so I will of course ask him. It all seems so “iffy.” We will follow our doctor’s advice. I will post to let you know what he advises, but I suspect the medical advice will be all over the map. If any of you have received advice from a doctor on the timing of the 2nd booster, I would love to hear it.

[Jim_Iain]

We chose not to get out second Booster until closer to the winter season.    Maybe it was a bad choice and maybe it wouldn't have made a difference.   Our 1st Booster was in January 2022.   We both tested positive on Silhouette   even though masked when out of the room except when eating.     The ship was filled almost to capacity an no one wearing masks.

 

I would definitely get your Booster about a week to 10 days prior to cruise.

[boxkite]

My DW and I plan to get our second booster two weeks before our Alaska cruise in August.

[deliver42]

The cruise lines, I believe, require the last shot to be at least 14 days before sailing.

[FlorenceItaly]

Yes, waiting closer to our end of July Bermuda cruise.  We cancelled a August 24 day due to fear of quarantine.  Seven day is better for us in this regard.

[Jazzbo]

1 hour ago, deliver42 said:

The cruise lines, I believe, require the last shot to be at least 14 days before sailing.

I was referring to the second booster shot, which I believe is only available to those 50 (or maybe 60) and older or to high risk individuals. 

[daydreamer16]

9 hours ago, Laurab23 said:

My dr,this week, advised me to wait until fall for the 2nd booster. She said they should be coming out with a booster that will cover the new varients better.

 

Laura

 

My doctor said the same thing but I'm going to be busy a lot over the next couple of months, working around a bunch of strangers. I think I'll do the 2nd booster just for insurance, to protect me even if it's only a month or so.

[terrydtx]

My wife and I got our first booster in February which is all we need for our August cruise from Rome on the Reflection.  From what I have read the first and second boosters only have a few months of maximum effectiveness so we plan to get our second boosters in Mid July for maximum efficiency. We will be  gone on two cruises and 10 land days for a total of 34 days.

Edited May 7, 2022 by terrydtx

[TomTN]

12 hours ago, billyu said:

My thought is, consult with you Doctor.

Also ask Dr. which booster to get. Our 4th was Moderna which was the same as the first three. That was 2-3 weeks before our cruise.

I had a routine Dr. appointment soon after our cruise about 6 weeks later, and the nurse said they have been recommending switching to Pfizer for the fourth jab. 

 

Our friends that we sailed with did not get their 4th, and she tested positive in Barcelona the day they disembarked at the end of the cruise.  They had to wait 10 days to fly home. He tested positive after 5 days so they stayed in Barcelona 15 days before returning to the US.

Trawick Insurance would only cover the first day in Barcelona as a travel delay because they put the travel time as ending the day they were supposed to fly home.

Edited May 7, 2022 by TomBeckCruise

[Harrylinden]

Yes,We are waiting till one year from our last booster.Our B2B is in December. By then the vaccines will have been tweeked to add Omicron variant to the mix!!!! 

[bobndee]

My wife and I got our second booster (all four shots were Pfizer) in late February, just over one month prior to our trip to Paris in early April. I contracted mild COVID while in Paris and had to isolate before being allowed to fly home. My wife contracted COVID after returning home, also very mild. My take is that a booster won't prevent COVID but it probably would make it less severe.

 

[indy406]

We are on the May 23 Reflection cruise out of CIV. Got our second boosters yesterday. BTW, I asked my doctor at the VA whether we should get the boosters. The answer was, "Couldn't hurt, it's up to you." Thanks a lot. Typical. But we did some research and it shows the booster becomes fully effective two weeks after the shot and we should get additional protection against serious Covid for four to five weeks beyond that. Not much else we can do.

[TeeRick]

10 hours ago, Jazzbo said:

Thank you all for your thoughts. I have an appointment with my PCP in a couple of weeks, so I will of course ask him. It all seems so “iffy.” We will follow our doctor’s advice. I will post to let you know what he advises, but I suspect the medical advice will be all over the map. If any of you have received advice from a doctor on the timing of the 2nd booster, I would love to hear it.

With all due respect, why would you listen to hearsay medical advice from others on CC about what their doctors said?  How do you know they are reporting it correctly?  It is important that you follow your own trusted doctor's advice IMO.  Posting what your doctor said to you for your personal medical situation is not helpful to those here.  Sorry.  I know you are trying to be helpful but this can be misinformation for some here that might do the wrong thing for themselves.

[Jazzbo]

1 hour ago, TeeRick said:

With all due respect, why would you listen to hearsay medical advice from others on CC about what their doctors said?  How do you know they are reporting it correctly?  It is important that you follow your own trusted doctor's advice IMO.  Posting what your doctor said to you for your personal medical situation is not helpful to those here.  Sorry.  I know you are trying to be helpful but this can be misinformation for some here that might do the wrong thing for themselves.

I am interested because I suspect that the advice will not be consistent, just like much of the information on Covid vaccines, tests, etc. I have already said that I will consult my PCP and have never suggested that others should follow hearsay advice. However, some of the comments may lead me to ask him some questions that I would not otherwise have thought of (e.g., whether he has any knowledge whether a new booster that addresses some of the new variants may be coming in the fall).