Second Moderna Booster

I had my ablation with Dr. Natale on February 23. I had a few AFIB episodes following the ablation but no one mentioned that I am not doing well during this blanking period. On May third, I start weaning off the sotalol and will see what happens when I stop that. Those with anxiety know how I am feeling!! I will be going back for a watchman and touch up if needed. That date has not been set.

On March 29, the FDA approved a second Covid booster. My first booster was November 6. I qualify for the second because it is well beyond the four months from the first and because of my age. Had this been approved prior to my ablation, I would have had it then. I will be checking with my Austin team, but just wondering with all the expertise on this forum what your thoughts are about getting that second booster following a recent ablation.

I do not want to do anything to jeopardize Dr. Natale’s treatment but at the same time I want all the protection I can get to prevent getting Covid. From what I have read I probably have very little immmunity built up now, so I almost feel like I did before the vaccine was approved! That was not a good time for me.

Oh yes, I also heard Moderna is coming out with a new booster that should be more effective with the variants out there!!

Your thoughts would be appreciated.

Sherry

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Pixie
From what I have read I probably have very little immunity built up now, so I almost feel like I did before the vaccine was approved!

I'm not sure what you are reading, but the vaccines provide protection from infection for only about 10 weeks. HOWEVER, protection against serious/hospitalization/death remains very strong for a long time. People that are vaxxed or vaxxed and boosted (or a prior infection) very rarely get a serious case. What is tested for (because it is easy & cheap) are antibody levels. However this does not test huge parts of the immune system. It has been described that if antibodies did not decline, our blood would not move because we are always generating new antibodies.

Now the above is written for a normal, healthy person. If you have special risks or immune issues, then more consideration should be given.

Any vaccine creates some level of inflammation in the body, and afib doesn't like inflammation, but there is nothing you can do that would put the ablation in jeopardy. What's done is done, and no vaccine can undo it. The worst that could happen is the vaccine could trigger an afib episode since you're still a month within the blanking period. But that's no big deal. If it doesn't terminate on its own, you can be cardioverted and that should be the end of it.

I would get the booster without hesitation.

Thanks, George and Carey.

Carey, wouldn’t it be wise to wait until after the blanking period? Also, I had 2 cardio versions in the past and one worked for about a week and one for 2 days.

I don’t t know if I had a reaction to the first booster because I was already in AFIB most of the time.

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Pixie
Carey, wouldn’t it be wise to wait until after the blanking period? Also, I had 2 cardio versions in the past and one worked for about a week and one for 2 days.

The vast majority of people here who have afib had absolutely no problem with the vaccines. I don't see any good reason to wait.

And since you're still on sotalol I doubt you would go back into afib following a cardioversion. Moreover, I doubt you'll need a cardioversion.

Carey, thanks for responding. I start weaning off of sotalol May 3. After one week, I will be off of it. We will see how that goes. Maybe it would be better if I stayed on sotalol until after the booster. That is probably a discussion I would have to have with the team in Austin.

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Pixie
That is probably a discussion I would have to have with the team in Austin.

That is an excellent choice. I understand they have a lot of experience looking at COVID & vaccine effects.

Thanks, George. Unfortunately,I just found out Dr. Natale is out of the country for several weeks. I think I will get in touch with my contacts there and hope they are well versed on Covid and vaccine effects,

His staff is generally as capable of answering questions like this as he is. Give them a call.

I was discouraged to get the first moderna booster by three cardiologists (2 EPs and the chief of cardiology) plus two NP because of the risk of afib. I did get vaxxed because I was planning a 14 hour plane ride and knew the risk of exposure. I never got afib. I speculate it’s hit or miss depending on each individual if they get afib after a vaxx or not.

Susan, I think you should mention that you were going through a pretty rough period at the time.

I haven't taken a booster because they're not tuned to current variants as promised but did Moderna 2X. Seems like J&J may have been a better choice.

[brownstone.org]

I had 2 Pfizer vaccines plus a booster. I am in the process of arranging an ablation with Dr. Natale this summer and plan to get a Moderna booster a few weeks before the ablation so that I'll be well protected during travel. Does this sound like a good plan? Apparently, their is a slight advantage in switching from Pfizer to Moderna for one of your vaccinations.

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PavanPharter
I haven't taken a booster because they're not tuned to current variants as promised but did Moderna 2X. Seems like J&J may have been a better choice.

I've covered my bases 2x Pfizer, J&J, Modernal booster - the last two widely spaced. As posted here, I also am laser focussed on reducing comorbidities. Even in 2020, nobody I know who is similarly focussed had a serious case, if they got it, and that was a fairly large sample.

Isn’t Moderna supposed to be coming out with a booster that is to respond to new variants better? If so, when?

Daisy, I wish I would have had the opportunity to have the second booster before my ablation. Unfortunately, it had not been approved yet.

Yes, Moderna is working on a bivalent booster that covers omicron and other strains better. It's projected to be available this fall. But if you received the third vaccine over 6 months ago, you can get the current booster now. I intend to get that in the next week or so, and will almost certainly go for the new booster this fall.

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Carey
Susan, I think you should mention that you were going through a pretty rough period at the time.

Yep. Between thanksgiving 2021 to 1-8-22 (except for New Years), I came down with extremely symptomatic weekly high tachycardia (223-250) and went to the ER every single Saturday. I don’t know why Saturdays but I would be admitted until Monday or Tuesday and discharged only to repeat a few days later the following Saturday. I had 51 ecv and endless chemical conversions. THAT was when I was discouraged from getting the booster which I was compliant with their advice. After 55 days in nsr without an ER visit, I got vaxx. I also had planned for ablation #4 but it was canceled two days before the procedure because of unknown internal bleeding and my hemoglobin dropped too dangerous to get the ablation. Lemonade because I got a watchman instead so I could cut my Eliquis dosage in half which helped the bleeding.

I was self isolated for 26 months at home (I didn’t want covid because of my health) and got stir crazy that my only opportunity to leave our home would be a visit to the ER.

I thank God I’m at day 112 in nsr. I’m in afib remission. Any day my luck can change but I risked it by being vaccinated so I could fly and see my family abroad which I haven’t seen due to health, 3 ablations, pacemaker, watchman, icu visits and the pandemic for nearly 2.5 years. Now I go everywhere so it was worth getting the booster 13 months after vaxx #2. I got repeated antibody tests and my levels started to diminished after 2-21-20 (vaxx#2) so I thought it was wise to risk getting the booster.

It’s only a half dose.

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GeorgeN
I've covered my bases 2x Pfizer, J&J, Modernal booster - the last two widely spaced. As posted here, I also am laser focussed on reducing comorbidities. Even in 2020, nobody I know who is similarly focussed had a serious case, if they got it, and that was a fairly large sample.

Smart plan.