University of Waterloo associate professor of pharmacy, Kelly Grindrod says she has been receiving a lot of questions lately about the newest version of COVID-19 protection, the bivalent booster.
Grindrod, who was also the vaccine role-out pharmacy lead for Region of Waterloo Public Health when vaccines first became available, sat down with CTV News to answer some of the most frequently asked questions.
WHEN SHOULD I GET MY SHOT?
“The biggest question people seem to have is should I be getting it now, or should I be waiting?” Grindrod says.
She adds that the answer is very much dependant on when you had your last dose.
“You get your next dose, at the earliest, three months after your last one, up to six months after your last one.”
Grindrod says it’s best to wait the six months between doses if you can. However, if you are at higher risk, plan on travelling, or putting yourself at higher risk, “getting it a little bit earlier closer to the three months might make sense,” she added.
WHAT IF I WAS RECENTLY INFECTED?
Grindrod started by saying, “an awful lot of people have had COVID-19,” especially in the last few months.
“So a new question for a lot of people, especially older people who are getting it for the first time, is if I had an infection this summer, when do I get my [next] dose?”
She says in theory you can get the booster right after getting an infection.
“There’s not a safety concern about that but it’s likely not going to do much good, it’s not going to give you much benefit.”
Adding, “the best time to get the vaccine is about six months after you've had an infection, but again, based on your risk.”
When asked if having a recent infection, is the same as having a recent vaccine Grindrod excitedly replied, “in a way.”
“If you’ve had a vaccine and now you’ve had an infection. You have something called hybrid immunity and that does give you some good protection,” she said.
Going on to say, “ideally, the first time you are infected, you’ve already been vaccinated.”
She says people with hybrid immunity can think of them selves as being boosted. This immunity may not last as long a vaccine booster, “but what you want to do is build the immunity from the infection that you have been exposed to, you want to recover from that. Let your body forget it a little bit, and then remind it in the future with a booster.”
“Just like we’ve been doing with all the vaccine doses, it’s good to spread them out, it’s good to have those wider intervals between them,” she added.
HOW DOES THE BIVALENT BOOSTER DIFFER FROM PREVIOUS BOOSTERS?
Grindrod says previous boosters were designed based on the original virus that was spreading. The Bivalent booster has two components within it.
The first component is inspired by the original virus, and the second is inspired by the Omicron variant, specifically the BA.1 sub variant.
ARE SIDE EFFECTS FROM THE BIVALENT BOOSTER ANY DIFFERENT THAN PREVIOUS BOOSTERS?
Grindrod says the side effects of the current COVID-19 Bivalent Booster shots should be the same as previous boosters.
WHICH BRANDS ARE AVAILABLE AND WHICH SHOULD I GET?
Right now, only the Moderna version is available in Canada. Grindrod says a Pfizer version has been sent to Health Canada but it’s unclear when that will be approved.
When it comes to your risk level, “timing is much more important than the brand,” she says.
SHOULD I GET THIS VERSION, OR WAIT FOR THE NEXT UPDATED VERSION OF THE VACCINE?
Much like iPhones, new versions of the COVID-19 vaccine are expected to be coming available more frequently as time passes.
“One thing to consider is we are now getting into a phase of vaccines where the vaccines are going to be updated,” Grindrod said.
“A BA.4 version, so an updated bivalent version has been submitted to officials,” she said, adding it’s not known when that will be approved.
Grindrod reiterates vaccines are all about timing and everyone has their own timeline.
“It’s worth noting that there is a lot of virus circulating,” she said, implying that if you plan on travelling or attending busy indoor events like Thanksgiving dinners or parties, then your risk is elevated.
She pushes that it’s often better to be safe than sorry.
“If it’s been a while since you’ve had your last booster or your last dose and you haven’t had an infection in the last three to six months, regardless of what might be approved in the next weeks or months, if now is a good time for you to get a booster, go and get the booster that is available now.”
“Don’t wait because your waiting for something better, consider the risk right now,” she adds.
IF I GET A SHOT NOW WILL I BE PROTECTED FOR CHRISTMAS AND MAJOR HOLIDAYS?
According to Grindrod, “You should time your vaccines around the times when you are most likely to be exposed.”
So no matter what holidays you celebrate, or what large events you have planned, a booster can give you “four to six months of good protection against hospitalization, severe illness.”
CAN I HAVE THE BIVALENT VACCINE AS MY FIRST DOSE?
No. Grindrod says the COVID-19 Bivalent Booster is just that. A booster only.
Anyone who has not yet had an initial dose of a COVID-19 vaccine should make that known when booking an appointment to ensure they receive the proper version.
WHAT IF I HAVE NOT HAD COVID YET?
“They’ve been able to avoid it, masking protocols have really helped, maybe they’ve been staying home a lot.” Grindrod said, speaking of people who have not yet experienced the virus.
For some more people, including those 65 years and older, “who might have a more severe infection even when they are vaccinated, it’s probably more important that you focus on keeping your protection high in anticipation of the slow return to normal.”
“Covid is not going away, we are just starting to live a more normal life with it,” she added.
“That means the risk actually goes up for a lot of people,” and Grindrod says that means it’s even more important that this demographic get the newest booster in proper timing.
She says one thing she is seeing a lot of right now is older people who have not yet had an infection, testing positive for the first time.
WHAT IF I TEST POSITIVE FOR THE VIRUS MULTIPLE TIMES THROUGHOUT THE PANDEMIC?
Grindrod warns there is little information available about the effects of testing positive for COVID-19 multiple times.
“We don’t know what’s going to happen if you have three, four, five infections, and if there’s a cumulative risk of things like long COVID for example.”
Generally speaking, Grindrod says your infections should become milder each time, “in terms of severity.”
Though she added, “we are still learning.”
