Cancer Australia FAQs COVID-19 Vaccine

Thanks @arpie...I'm still mostly under 'house arrest' and only leave home to visit my grandies and for medical appointments which can't be done by Telehealth, and for my fortnightly blood test to check my warfarin levels. Both myself and my hubby wear masks when out and about, but it seems to be anywhere and everywhere since it has become 'Every man (and woman) for themselves'. Hopefully lightning won't strike twice for me...

I hadn’t heard about the pericarditis link to the vaccines @AllyJay .... I’ve had it too and it is HORRIBLE!  I seriously thought I was dying from a heart attack and called the Ambos.  I’ve had that petechial rash on my lower leg too, but just thought i was ‘getting old’!!  I’ve had both Pfizer and Moderna.  I had one bad reaction where my heart went a bit haywire, but not the pain/thumping that I experienced with the pericarditis.  

Fingers crossed you dont don’t get it again .... I haven’t had it yet and still wear the mask everywhere ... 
take care xx

@Allyjay I am not anti vax also, so I totally understand your predicament, and I also would like a safer one that doesn't cause the side effects I experienced.  I happily have the flu vaccine each year and have never had a problem with that vaccine.  Not everybody can safely take this covid vaccine that is for sure.

@Keeping_positive1, I'm not at all against vaccinations on the basis of any kind of principle, but that just in my case (and I'm sure others too), what is available is very risky for me. Balanced against that is the risk of getting it again and perhaps that being the endgame for me. The pericarditis problem has been highlighted for a far younger cohort of men in particular, but unfortunately for me, even although I'm neither male, nor in my 20-40s, but am a 64 year old female, I have a significant risk. I'm by no means anti vax, but I just wish there was a safer one available for me and others in my situation.

@Allyjay I have had 3 shots, and my GP is not suggesting I have any more for similar reasons you mention.  I agree with you. 

I see it that are we not robots, and it isn't one size fits all in regards to the value of the vaccine!

The Moderna has apparently a higher risk for the pericarditis and the same for the Novovax...both have had reported cases of either pericarditis or myocarditis and I have had at least three (that I know of...possibly more in the past that I just thought was a sore chest) episodes of pericarditis, with subsequent thickening of the pericardial sac, so I really don't want another session of it. A real conundrum...

Moderna? Or Novovax? 

For myself, unfortunately, these generic categories of advice regarding boosters is not so cut and dried. According to ATAGI, I should not have the Astra Zeneca one as I have antiphospholipid antigen syndrome...one of the few exceptions when everybody was trying to get the Pfizer one a year or two ago. The advice from them also states that anybody who has had pericarditis shouldn't have the Pfizer one. My doctor tossed up the pros and cons of each at the time, and the Pfizer was decided to be the lesser of two evils as each were contra indicated for two different reasons. The first jab was okay...just a slight temperature and headache. The second one gave me pericarditis (which I'd had before) as well as a deep purple petechial rash on my lower legs. The third one almost had me in hospital with, again, pericarditis and a worse petechial rash than the previous one. I ended up getting covid in August last year, after having three vaccinations altogether, and had thenstarted taking the antiviral medication for a full 24 hours before I ended up in ICU in any event with my blood pressure crashing to 58/ 34. I'm too scared to take any further boosters in the light of my previous severe, and worsening side effects with each dose. I'm also very worried about getting it again but it seems I'm damned if I do and damned if I don't. My doctor admitted to me that he's also very conflicted as I don't fit neatly in any particular box. He tried to speak to one of the panel at ATAGI, but was told that personal or one off advise was not their policy to partake in.

Hi everyone,

There are three COVID-19 related articles that have been recently updated in My Journey, reflecting the government announcement regarding access to another booster from 20 Feb 2023. Please see below:

COVID-19 Information

COVID-19 vaccinations

COVID-19 oral antiviral treatments

Hi all,

The My Journey articles related to COVID-19 have been recently updated. The updated info includes:

• Information about second (winter) boosters
• Current surge in Covid cases in Australia, with the emphasis on keeping up to date with vaccinations and self-protection
• Updated links for accessing vaccinations
• Changes to financial support
• Long COVID

COVID-19 information

COVID-19 Vaccinations