2025 Fall Booster: Get it or not?

@greenshade, great questions. Mayo Clinic just updated their guidelines for the 2025 vaccine. Scroll about half way down the page to the section called Prevention
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/coronavirus/symptoms-causes/syc-20479963
As the fall and winter months approach, Mayo Clinic is dedicated to providing the latest health guidance, ensuring everyone has the information needed to make informed decisions about their well-being.

EXCERPT
The 2025-2026 COVID-19 vaccines available in the United States include Moderna, Pfizer-BioNTech and Novavax. The vaccines are all approved for people age 65 and older. Each vaccine also is approved for younger people with a health condition that raises the risk of serious COVID-19 illness.

1. Moderna COVID-19 vaccine 2025-2026 formulas.
- Spikevax. This vaccine is approved for people ages 6 months to 64 years with a risk of serious COVID-19 illness and all people age 65 and older.
- Mnexspike. This vaccine is approved for people ages 12 to 64 years with a risk of serious COVID-19 illness and all people age 65 and older.

2. Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine 2025-2026 formula.
- Comirnaty. This vaccine is approved for people ages 5 to 64 years with a risk of serious COVID-19 illness and all people age 65 and older.

3. Novavax COVID-19 vaccine 2025-2026 formula.
- Nuvaxovid. This vaccine is approved for people ages 12 to 64 years with a risk of serious COVID-19 illness and all people age 65 and older.

Here's some additional information
- Comparing the differences between COVID-19 vaccines https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/comparing-vaccines
- Different types of COVID-19 vaccines: How they work https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/coronavirus/in-depth/different-types-of-covid-19-vaccines/art-20506465

COVID-19 is now in its sixth year, and the subvariants of the Omicron strain continue to drive infections in the United States. The good news is that vaccines, which have been updated each year since 2022, are still effective at preventing severe disease and hospitalization from COVID.

@colleenyoung Thank you. Very useful information. What I am specifically concerned with is: What is the risk of exacerbating Long COVID symptoms as a result of taking the new 2025 booster (Moderna, Pfizer, or Novavax)? Can taking the booster result in a relapse of symptoms for Long COVID patients? If so, to what extent? Severity and duration?

I would also like to know. Please elaborate for us as we make this difficult decision about the possible exacerbation of our long COVID symptoms, by taking the new booster.

@greenshade & @bestseller2025 - I was able to find one study of people with long-Covid, that spanned 24 months and addressed this issue, I'm sure there are more but time prevents me from looking further.
Here was what it said: "Impact of COVID-19 vaccination on long COVID symptom persistence
Out of 121 patients, 113 were confirmed to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by the 24-month timepoint following COVID-19 infection (eight patients were never vaccinated). All vaccinated patients received at least two doses. At 24 months, comparison between vaccinated and unvaccinated patients revealed no significant difference in major neuropsychiatric symptoms of long COVID (Table 2). For vaccinated patients, there was no significant difference in the frequency of major neuropsychiatric symptoms between patients who received fewer than three vaccine doses and those who received three or more (Table 3). Repeating this analysis with the unvaccinated patients included, there was still no significant difference in neuropsychiatric symptom frequency between patients who had received fewer or more than three vaccine doses." (https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-023-50024-4)

If you would like to search further, you can go to scholar.google.com and enter this phrase "covid vaccine if you have long covid" Set the search parameters to Articles since 2024 to get the most up-to-date information.

If anyone finds addition info from a complete study, please post it here.

I will probably get the flu and hopefully Novavax COVID shots soon.

I got Moderna Covid and flu at the same time. The next day I was “down and out” and the day after back to normal. Short term pain for long term gain!

@greenshade and @bestseller2025, in addition to the study that @sueinmn shared, you might be interested in this related discussion started by @annies444

- Having long covid and getting the updated vaccine: side effects? https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/having-long-covid-and-getting-the-updated-vaccine-side-effects/

It is clear that you want to do the best for your health.

Bottom line: As with most health issues, everyone is different. You are wise to discuss the pros and cons of vaccination with your doctor who knows your medical history and current health status.

Have to remember that the study referenced above addresses only neuropsychiatric symptoms, not other symptoms. After going thru Mayo's long covid program it appears Mayo's opinion is that LC is a neuro issue but there are many other takes on that. Just something to keep in mind. Bottom line is nobody really knows yet.

@greenshade I did not take the vaccine the first go around. I have had long COVID for 3 years now. I have never had a flu vaccine and never had the flu that I remember. I have seen so many different people say that they still got Long COVID, even with the vaccine. There may be (pretty sure) that there is research on people that got Long COVID who were vaccinated and those who got it that were NOT vaccinated. I have heard both. At this point in time, I really do not trust the FDA or Big Pharma. That is only my view. There are probably research papers, make sure they are peer-reviewed. Let me know what you find if you undertake this. I have yet to get over this illness.

I got my Pfizer vaccine one week before I came down with covid. Went on Paxlovid within 24 hours of symptoms. Mild case, but the paxlovid wrecked havoc with my stomach and bowels. Third case of covid and this was first time with bad paxlovid reaction.