Mary G writes:
Hello Dr. Griffin,
I understand that various vaccines can be administered at the same time. What if some time LESS than 14 days ago, a patient got a COVID shot. Now, he wants both seasonal flu and Shingrix. Should he now wait until the remaining 14 days has passed since the COVID shot? Does it mess with the immune system to introduce another vaccine if not simultaneously and under 14 days from the previous shot?
If the patient missed doing it all simultaneously, should they wait?
Does it matter if it’s the flu shot vs Shingrix vs other inactive vaccines non-simultaneously, less than 14 days? If it doesn’t matter, why is this question on the intake form?
Thank you for all that you do! I really appreciate the clinical updates.
Kindly,
Mary G.
Pharmacist
Gayle writes:
Hello,
I am an RN and Licensed School Nurse working with a preschool population in rural northern Minnesota. First I would like to say that I have been listening to your podcast religiously for over a year and really appreciate your fact based information. Your quotes and sayings have also been appreciated. They are great little snippets to use in conversation especially with those who are skeptical about COVID-19 and COVID-19 vaccines. Unfortunately, we have a large portion of our community who fall into that category.
I am writing to get your opinion on mixing vaccines. I have had two doses of Moderna given in January and February of 2021. I am eligible for a booster at this time. I have listened to you and Vincent and have been questioning the need for the booster at all and at the same time wondering if I should try to get a J and J booster to provide protection in a different manner than the mRNA vaccine. Do you feel this will be a better booster for B cell and T cell production? This is really the answer I am hoping to hear as over the past year I have really come to respect the advice that you provide on your podcast!
Thank you!
Piotr writes:
Dear Daniel (and Vincent),
Thanx for your weekly updates on Twiv as well as other activities !
I am ID physician at Karolinska university Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden and during last 1.5 y I have been involved in ‘’COVID care’’.
I have a question about monoclonals- i.e.
As I understood vaccinated patients with ongoing immunosuppression (like tx patients) are eligible for monoclonals in US if they are newly diagnosed with Covid.
This is similar at our place even if we do not have a huge Mabs supply in Sweden.
In most of the cases we do not know the serology status of the patients (if they seroconverted or not after 2 or 3 doses) when we have to make decision on the Mabs treatment.
In some cases we do but as you have stated several times we do not have the knowledge if the spike antibodies are the key player of protection and at which levels. However the data are coming , and the efforts are made to unify the serology response in order to create some guidelines for the physicians.
I wonder if you could elaborate more on this subject.. that is if /when could you wait with monoclonals if you know the antibodies levels of the patients.
I know it is a tough q 😊
Best regards
Piotr Nowak MD, PhD
Director of Clinical HIV research unit
Senior Consultant in Infectious Diseases / Biträdande Överläkare
Institution of Medicine Department of Infectious Diseases, I73 Karolinska Institutet Karolinska University Hospital Huddinge
Nathan writes:
Dr. Griffin,
I’m a first-time writer to you, a long-time listener, and an occasional viewer. Thank you always for your insight.
I’m a family physician working full-time at an urgent care center in Santa Monica, where we have seen a lot of early Covid19 infections and even way more testing. I agree with you when you have stated the rapid antigen test is great for detecting a contagious infection as opposed to a PCR test that is best for detecting any evidence of infection, whether symptomatic or not. You have also said that the virus is most contagious in the two days prior to symptoms and the first three days of infection. However, I have seen many patients present on day one of symptoms with a negative rapid antigen test and subsequent positive PCR test at the same encounter. How can the SARS CoV-2 virus be contagious pre-symptomatically with a negative rapid test yet the rapid test is supposed to be best at detecting contagious infections?
Nathan Newman, M.D