COVID-19 Vaccine for j-Pouchers (I am in US)

The CDC recommendation is that folks who’ve had COVID-19 should still get vaccinated. https://www.cdc.gov/coronaviru...ov/vaccines/faq.html

People with weakened immune systems are at increased risk for severe disease. https://www.cdc.gov/coronaviru...ying-conditions.html

Although it’s true that there is limited safety data specific to immunocompromised people, we sure know how dangerous COVID-19 is. I’d get the vaccine without hesitation in your circumstances.

THNAKS!

I’ve at my J-pouch for over 20 years. I also have asthma and take an inhaled steroid, and I’m 73 years old. I know what not breathing feels like too many hospital stays because of my asthma. I received my first vaccine a week ago with no side effects. I will get my second vaccine 4 weeks from now. My twin sister lives at a senior high-rise, 180 seniors received both vaccine shots, including my sister who had Lynphoma, (now recovered) and she had no side effects from the vaccine. My husband will not get the vaccine, because he doesn’t trust the government.  My doctor and his staff got the vaccine, with no side effects so I guess it’s a personal decision make sure you talk to a couple doctors then decide.

But if it was me I wouldn’t cancel your appointment. They are almost impossible to get. I feel very lucky that I got an appointment,

As a resident of Connecticut in the age 55-64 bracket, I am eligible for the vaccine starting on March 1. I plan to schedule something and was told to do so. My 83 year old father who lives next door to me got Moderna part 1 on January 24 and is getting part 2 tomorrow, which is supposedly the doozy, ass kicking part.

It occurred to me that some people under age 55 will die of Covid 19 while waiting to get vaccinated, and I am mindful of that.

I think you should get the vaccine. The antibodies are temporary. Although she sounds like a wonderful psychiatrist in many ways, I think she is putting her own fears onto you.

I have had both vaccines and it feels great not to be so scared of getting Covid every time I leave my home.

Thank you all! Have you heard anything about 90 days wait between covid positivity and getting the vaccine?

I got the Moderna.

There doesn’t appear to be a 90-day waiting period after COVID positivity, unless you were treated with monoclonal antibodies or convalescent plasma. From the CDC: “If you were treated for COVID-19 with monoclonal antibodies or convalescent plasma, you should wait 90 days before getting a COVID-19 vaccine.”

Ahmazing

I say follow your heart.

Can you get antibody testing? If you don’t have antibodies from your COVID infection, you should get the vaccine. If you do, you don’t need to for a while. By the time your immunity would wane, you wouldn’t have any problems getting the vaccine.

What we know: antibody production from COVID infection is variable. People on immunosuppression may not make antibodies, either from virus or from vaccine, to a great extent. When you do have antibodies, your protection appears to be for at least six months.

If you did have antibodies and got the vaccine now anyway: no problem. It’d be like a booster shot, or two of them, and would just strengthen your antibody response. You might feel like hell after the shots for a couple of days, but that’s a good sign, really. Means your body recognized the protein made from the mRNA in the vaccine, and will be ready to fight vigorously if it sees it again.

If you don’t have antibodies, totally worth getting the vaccine. We know how bad COVID is. The vaccine has looked really safe in large studies so far, and is recommended for patients with IBD. Pouch means you’re more likely to have a successful vaccination than if you were taking the immune suppressants for IBD; otherwise no difference w ‘normal’ people.

It’s all about your ability to stay safe from the virus; if you are never exposed to risk in the form of other people, that’s one thing. But that’s not true for most.

I’m mostly homebound and have medical grade masks that fit. But I also have a messed up immune system, thanks to some weird reaction to Remicade years ago (I can no longer mount a fever, even when septic, and response to infection is underwhelming enough to make diagnosis difficult). I’m going for the vaccine the minute they let me. My family is upset that I’m not in a priority group to begin with, but I figure better get the teachers and grocery store workers taken care of next, since I can manage like this until it’s my turn.

But I’m tempted to sign up if the pharmacies have unused doses at the end of the day; anything to make exposure to the outside world less fraught. My friends are still in healthcare, so they’re all vaccinated. I had to retire 2 years ago because of my gut problems; I’m just waiting for the day.

Definitely suspicious in the fall but once I got to see the details of the data for the various vaccines, I was ready. They are much more effective than the flu shot I get every year. Heck, they’re more effective than the majority of medical tests and interventions we rely on for diagnoses/treatments!!! Very few surgeries have a 94% success rate... (: And don’t get me started on blood tests.

Really, I was just thankful that the vaccine manufacture process wasn’t corrupted for political gain. The distribution process seems to be compromised in various places, but at least that doesn’t affect the safety of getting the shot.

If you have a good antibody response from December, waiting is reasonable. If not, you should be ok getting the shots. Good luck!

THANKS ALL! I went ahead and had the vaccine #1 today and all is okay so far!

Keep us updated!

so far all good!

I am a 42 year old male in the UK, currently unvaccinated, and I am so so so scared of side effects from the vaccines, I basically have had a nervous breakdown recently. I just do not know how to get through this and get the vaccine. I currently am scared to leave the house, and have purchased some PFF3 (best protection) respirators for when I eventually must go shopping. I wish my anxiety was better than this.
I really appreciate peoples feedback on here, especially since we have all had an immune system issue with the Colitis/Crohns etc.

I guess I need to find a way to put my big pants on, but I am absolutely borderline in tears about getting myocarditis.

@rcrossco_1 the risk of getting severly ill or even hospitalized, or of having long Covid symptoms after an infection is much higher than those rare side effects of the vaccination you're afraid of. Don't let your fears discourage you from making a decision.

I had my booster last week, and as both times before there were hardly any side effects. Only some reddish skin and swelling at that spot.

I think our issue with IBD is something completely different than such an infection. At least I myself could not tell that a normal infection (influenza) hits me worse than other people.

It’s easy to mislead yourself when assessing risks, amplifying tiny risks and giving too little weight to large ones. As SteveG wrote, the risks from a Covid-19 infection - including giving the infection to others - are vastly greater than the risks of vaccination. I’ve lost three friends to this so far, most recently a few weeks ago. Any concerns about our immune systems, however speculative, also apply more to the disease than the vaccine.

I had my booster shot two days ago and I think you need to plan to have at least the next day off as I had numbing head ache that became stabbing head ache ,felt terrible and at one stage had tightness in my chest.terrible experience but probably still glad I've done it after seeing Disney +First Wave.This is a terrible illness.I felt normal within 48hours but not too keen on another booster.

Hi all,  I agree with the folks who are saying the side effects/risks from the vaccines are not worse (by a long shot) compared to the risks from COVID. I would also like to say that having an autoimmune disorder is not the same as being immune-compromised. We don't have weak immune systems. Instead, we have CONFUSED immune systems! My personal opinion (and I am a long-ago nurse, not a doctor or virologist) is that our baseline autoimmunity sets us up for long COVID if we were to get the infection. Just a note that I have several friends and a son who are completely vaxxed and boosted and then got omicron and it was not a mild illness. They definitely avoided hospitalization, but had a LOT of discomfort from the illness. They have each said to me "Imagine if I had not had been vaccinated and boosted"?