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Profile picture for potterywoman @potterywoman

@kayept You are fortunate if having both at the same time did not trigger a flare. Both my rheumatologist and my pharmacist have counseled me against this. Doctors don't understand the difference between public health messages and medical practice, and public health (my field prior to retirement) frankly doesn't do a good job of communicating exceptions to a general guideline. The current "wisdom" is that it is a good idea to get both vaccines at once. This is more for the sake of expediency than anything else -- one trip rather than two. By definition, public health acknowledges within the field that everybody can't be saved, so the decision is to aim to do the greatest good to the greatest number of people. A frequent analogy is a lifeboat. That the people who don't "get on the lifeboat" are the ones who don't fit the standard mold. That's us and other people with autoimmune disorders. Doctors see one patient at a time and SHOULD be considering that patient's individual health history. Don't count on it. I avoid senior vaccines (with my pharmacist's blessing) because they contain an adjuvant designed to boost the immune response to the vaccine. I also space the flu and Covid vaccines a couple of weeks apart (recommended by rheumatologist and pharmacist).

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Replies to "@kayept You are fortunate if having both at the same time did not trigger a flare...."

@potterywoman
Thank you so much for your knowledgeable insight. I'd like to have known my Rheumy's opinion on getting both vaccs at one time. I should have considered that. I do know she advised to definitely get the vaccines. I am just perplexed that I didn't have my typical reaction. However; 48 hours later, my left deltiod is still quite sore and slightly swollen. A different post vacc reaction for me. I sometimes forget, everything is different for me now!
God speed to you in your journey. K