(Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images) If anyone wants to get a booster shot, or bring your kids to receive their first vaccine dose, Adi organized the one at Natalia’s school Intiwasi (9017 W Pico Blvd) this Friday 11/19 at 2:30pm, and we’ll both be there. And here’s something different – I will be running an info booth there, for anyone with questions.
My strong recommendations:
-For adults with J&J, as long as it’s been 2 months, it needs the biggest boost of all, so get a Moderna booster (that’s the highest dose and should give the highest efficacy).
-Anyone 18 and older who got Moderna, as long as it’s been 6 months since your 2nd dose, get a Moderna booster.
-Anyone 18 and older who got Pfizer, as long as it’s been 6 months since your 2nd dose, get either Pfizer or Moderna as a booster. There are SLIGHT advantages of it being Moderna this time, but you can’t go wrong with either.
-Anyone aged 5 and older who has not been vaccinated, I strongly recommend you get the first shot, and if under 18, it must be Pfizer. If under 12, it will be a small 10mcg pediatric dose of Pfizer, dosed in orange capped syringes.
Other tidbits and facts for your knowledge:
-Moderna 1st and 2nd doses are 100mcg. Moderna booster is 50mcg.
-Pfizer 1st and 2nd doses are 30mcg. Pfizer booster is also 30mcg. This is the only realistic reason why Moderna is a bit more durable than Pfizer, and also why Moderna has slightly stronger side effects the next day – it is a higher dosage. That is also why it is an ideal choice as a booster, especially for J&J recipients.
-Once again, the only option for children aged 5-11 is Pfizer’s highly effective pediatric dose, which is 10mcg first and second dose, 3 weeks apart.
-I highly recommend this even if your child has had COVID at any point in time. The trials included many who had recovered from COVID, with those children gaining far superior protection, and no significant side effects.
-The AAP (American Academy of Pediatrics) and the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society each recommend every child receive the vaccine whether or not they have had COVID at any point.
-COVID was the 8th leading cause of death in children 5-11 during the pandemic. And the 6th leading cause of death in children 5-11 since the Delta variant.
-Over 2000 children aged 5-11 have had a severe reaction a month after seemingly recovering from COVID, with overwhelming inflammation in their bodies that is dangerous and looks like septic shock, called MISC-C.
-More than 8000 kids aged 5-11 have been hospitalized, a third of them requiring ICU care.
Boaz Hepner works as a Registered Nurse in Saint John’s Health Center, and teaches COVID vaccine education throughout the hospital, and to the community at large. He grew up in LA in Pico/Robertson and lives here with his wife and daughter. He helped clean up the area by adding the dozens of trash cans that can still be seen from Roxbury to La Cienega. He can be found with his family enjoying his passions: his multitude of friends, movies, poker and traveling.
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