The late summer booster for AZ that will be issued (prob in the UK first) has already been adapted to this variant specifically and is in advanced trials.
The two shots for the AZ vaccine are the same (compositionally), though. So, in principle, if the booster is slightly modified version it might simply replace the second shot. That's how Sputnik V works: it's basically two different adenovirus vaccines.
Everyone I know has been out of action 1-2 days after the AZ vaccine. So three shots could be a week out of action. Similar to people who have had corona virus. It had better be worth it.
Anecdotally...in a very small sample size of three (over 50's) who have had their first AZ shot there have been:
* 1 person with a few chills. lasted one day. no time off work
* 1 person with chills and had to take 1 sick day from work
* 1 person with absolutely no symptoms except for tender arm at the injection spot. i went for a 40 mile bike ride the day after.
I have heard stories of people faring worse. But in my little bubble, the result wasn't too bad.
My experience (34 with possible earlier COVID case last March): I had chills that night, and I felt gross the next day. But I didn't need time off... And the chills went away with Tylenol.
Strong side effects are usually not consistent between shots. You might have a strong reaction to the first one and none to the second (which is what everyone I know experienced).
I had a CureVac trial shot recently and was quite a bit knocked out, but we will see if my second one hits me as hard; I was told that it's rare.
If we're in the realm of anecdotes, my 71 years old mother only experienced mild tiredness for 2 days.. She described it as the same as if she had been out hiking for half a day.
Definitely a lot less than if she actually had covid.
Experts say that a strong reaction is much less likely for the second shot. So anyone who suffered a strong reaction for the first one should not be too alarmed and should certainly not skip the second shot.
I think that can vary hugely though. I know of two people that had AZ jabs who said they experienced mild flu symptoms, and another two (including my partner) who didn't really notice anything.
Just a side note, everyone I know who’s had a symptomatic case (n=3) were out for more than two weeks. Not that it changes your point much. Having to keep getting booster shots that knock you out for a day or two is not a great situation
If you have a harsh reaction to the AZ vaccine (an attenuated/weakened form) then it’s likely you would have had a much more harsh reaction to the unattenuated real virus.
I don’t think it’s been studied so its just a personal theory (ie read this as if it might be nonsense) but i suspect the people with bad reactions to the vaccine are also likely to be the people who would have had a more serious case of the real virus.
Don't use "it's likely" if you don't know what you're talking about, please. I appreciate you're qualifying your statement in the second paragraph, but please don't get in the habit of it regardless.
Side effects from the vaccines have a different cause and mechanism to most of COVID's symptoms. When people say they're out of it due to a vaccine, it's usually because of the fever that comes from the immune system kicking into gear. While COVID usually does cause a fever, its more dangerous aspects are from other reactions to the virus itself.
probably 3rd since AZ one is still 2 shot vaccine. Of course it depends when you had your shot, if you only had 1 probably you'll get only the "updated" one as 2nd
But this discussion is ongoing for all vaccines in order to tackle the new/future strains, not only for the AZ one
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-02-07/new-astra...
And other vaccines (e.g. Novavax) have been shown to be pretty effective against it
https://www.fox5atlanta.com/news/novavax-vaccine-has-96-effi...