Maria writes:

Hi,

I am a Spanish journalist and big fan of the show. I am sure that you have already talked about this, but it may be useful as a reminder.

My mom, who is over 70 and living in Spain, just got her flu shot and it’s scheduled to have her COVID booster in 10 days. The primary care doctor is suggesting now her to wait a month for the COVID booster, because, she says, having a COVID booster in 10 days will interfere and weaken the immunity my mom would be building against flu. Is there any study or other medical base for saying that?

My mom is more inclined to keep the appointment as it is (and I think she is right.) In Spain, as in many countries in Europe, there is no Paxlovid in wide use. So vaccines are really the only tool against COVID.

Thanks a lot,

María

Ellen writes:

Dear Daniel,

I’m hoping you can weigh in on the differences in outcomes (protection against infection and durability) between the new Novavax and the mRNA vaccines. It has been reported that the Novavax vaccination produces fewer IgG antibodies. The question is then how many fewer, and what does that mean in terms of short-term protection against either infection or serious illness. On the other hand, how does that compare to the potential benefits of heterologous vaccines?

I’d been waiting until the Novavax became available and now that it is, I’m unsure which way to go.

Thanks again for all you do for all of us,

Ellen

Asheville, NC

Michael writes:

Dr. Griffin,

My wife is pregnant, with a due date in mid-January. We have some questions about the two new RSV treatments, Beyfortus and Abrysvo.

1) It seems like the guidance from the CDC is that you don’t generally need both. Is this correct?

2) If this is correct, how should we decide which to get? We’re concerned about the possible increased risk of preterm birth noted in the Abrysvo trials, although it wasn’t statistically significant.  If both offer similar protection we’re leaning toward Beyfortus, but we’re not sure if there are reasons to prefer Abrysvo.

Thanks,

Michael

(P.S. – Thanks for the work you and Dr. Racaniello put into the clinical updates! I’ve been listening since the beginning and have always found it invaluable to have concise, up to date info from a reliable source.)

Lindsay writes:

Hi Dr. Griffin,

While making an appointment for my flu and COVID vaccines through my pharmacy they offered to add on the shingles vaccine. I was surprised because at 35 and not being immunocompromised, I don’t fit into the CDC’s eligibility criteria for Shingrix. I’ve checked with my insurance company and they’ll cover for anyone over age 18.

Having seen several friends go through shingles, several of whom were younger than 50, I’d like to avoid it at all costs, but are there any downsides to getting it at a younger age than the CDC recommends, such as a waning immune response that would require an extra dose later in life? 

Additionally, while there doesn’t appear to be any issues with giving the inactivated flu and COVID19 vaccines simultaneously, are there any concerns with simultaneously getting the FluMist vaccine with a COVID19 vaccine? How about both of those with Shingrix? 

Thanks for all of your work, 

Lindsay