I qualify for a booster shot because I'm FAT.

[Buckeye_Democrat]

I'm thankful that I happened to watch CNN this morning, or I wouldn't have known that I qualify!

The woman interviewed said that almost 90% of American adults qualify to get a booster shot because of their high body-mass indexes (BMI's)!

My BMI makes me "overweight" too, thankfully!

My shoulders are broad and my thighs are muscular, which is ideal for a high BMI since it's based only on height and weight.

Other measures being adopted (such as height-to-waist ratios) place me in a "healthy weight" category, but if BMI is going to be used instead... it works for me!

Already have an appointment scheduled for Monday!


There were LOTS of available time slots, so there shouldn't be any booster restrictions at all as far as I'm concerned. Many qualified people obviously aren't scheduling their boosters anyway.

[gldstwmn]

1. My doctor has the same guidelines as well.

That's how I am getting my booster.

[Buckeye_Democrat]

3. I later looked up the CDC guidelines...

... and being a smoker, present OR past (like me), is another way for younger people to qualify.

I'm not sure if there were recent CDC updates that I missed, or if the cable news channels typically failed to mention all of the ways people could qualify for a booster.

I certainly don't remember previous smoking status being a listed qualifier weeks ago, at least on the news.

[BigmanPigman]

6. I read that Oct 14 is the date the CDC updated their list.

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/need-extra-precautions/people-with-medical-conditions.html

[Buckeye_Democrat]

12. Ah, thanks! I was disappointed to learn about...

... the restrictions earlier than that date, and I hadn't kept up with the latest news over the past few weeks.

[BigmanPigman]

19. I learned of it yesterday, right here on DU!

I jumped on it right away. Thank you DU!!!!!

https://www.democraticunderground.com/10142819248

[Buckeye_Democrat]

27. I missed it!

Word will surely keep spreading.

[gldstwmn]

15. I noticed not all places are going by those guidelines but fortunately my doctor is.

[BigmanPigman]

21. My doctor's staff told me...

"You know more about boosters than we do" and told me to call CVS. Just great!

[gldstwmn]

60. It's so odd how standards vary by provider.

Mine has dropped the ball on certain things like never offering to test me for Covid last year when I got really sick but yet they will let me get the booster. 🤷‍♀️

[BigmanPigman]

71. These differences are keeping

people who want the real info from getting it. There is so much work that you have to do to keep up to date on so many levels. It seems like every other day I learn of new requirements and standards. It is difficult to keep up.

[BigmanPigman]

2. I found out yesterday that I qualify for a booster

after reading this long list of ailments that get you at the front of the booster line. Since my last shot was in May I have to wait 1 month for the 6 month date. All CVS stores have the booster I was told.

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/need-extra-precautions/people-with-medical-conditions.html

"Overweight (defined as a body mass index (BMI) > 25 kg/m2 but < 30 kg/m2), obesity (BMI ≥30 kg/m2 but < 40 kg/m2), or severe obesity (BMI of ≥40 kg/m2), can make you more likely to get severely ill from COVID-19. The risk of severe COVID-19 illness increases sharply with elevated BMI."

[Buckeye_Democrat]

5. Thanks for providing the CDC link!

[BigmanPigman]

8. No problem. I read that 85% of US adults

qualify now. I'm sad that my sister still doesn't qualify.

[EYESORE 9001]

28. Send her a box of blintzes

[BigmanPigman]

29. Or I could drive her crazy since

having a mental condition also puts you at risk for Covid. There are a ton of things on the list that qualify.

[EYESORE 9001]

32. Yeah, blintzes don't travel well anyway

[zuul]

4. There is a pharmacy at the front of my grocery store.

As I was walking into the store on Monday, the pharmacist happened to be standing at the window and there was no line. So I asked him if there were any restrictions regarding who could get the booster (age, medical condition, etc.). He said no, so I got mine then and there.

I had the option of getting any of the 3 (Moderna, Pfizer, or J&J.) Since I got J&J in late March, I opted for Moderna this time.

I think it just depends on where you're located, the supply the pharmacy has, and how cooperative your pharmacy is. I'm in New Orleans and apparently there is plenty of supply here. I have family members on the Mississippi Gulf Coast who can't find the booster yet.

[Buckeye_Democrat]

10. Yeah, there's probably some areas in short supply.

That's sad to know.

Plenty of available time slots around here. That's kind of sad to discover too, since it implies my area has supply but little demand.

[hamsterjill]

7. It's easier to ask

Who doesn’t qualify at this point?

[lagomorph777]

11. Maybe it's time to stop the charade and let anybody get it.

...assuming a reasonable time since last main dose (6 months?)

[hamsterjill]

13. That would make more sense.

Right?

[Buckeye_Democrat]

14. I agree.

Seems like it should be that way in my area, anyway.

Let all of the people eager to get a booster, do it.

[BigmanPigman]

16. I asked both my primary care doctor's office

and the CVS pharmacy yesterday. When I asked if I qualified for a booster after reading the NY. Times article. I was told that the doctor is clueless when it comes to vaxxes and the receptionist said, "you know more about this than the doctor". I called CVS and asked them for an appointment since but the Covid guy on the phone said the computers were down and to call my local CVS. I called my CVS and the Pharmacy said their computers are running but they can't make appointments and I have to do it on line.

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/need-extra-precautions/people-with-medical-conditions.html

[Drunken Irishman]

9. See and people say we discriminate against the obese!

[ret5hd]

17. Well, now the OP is overweight AND magnetic!

[Buckeye_Democrat]

18. Lol!

[KentuckyWoman]

58. duzy

[Ocelot II]

20. The only caveat is that you shouldn't get it sooner than six months

from your last one - they say it won't be as effective. If it's been six months or more, though, go for it.

During the lockdown I dieted like crazy and got my BMI down from 30 to less than 25, so now I wouldn't qualify for a booster if I hadn't also been old. Go figure...

[Buckeye_Democrat]

24. Yep, it'll be over six months for me.

My 2nd Moderna shot was administered in mid-April.

My older sister (all of my siblings are much older than me) told me that she was scheduling her booster a few weeks ago, and she asked if I was doing it too. I gave her an irritable reply that I wasn't old enough, and I didn't qualify in other ways either. Damn it!

I was so happy when I heard about BMI's on CNN this morning! My BMI has been high for years, mostly because of my body shape. Coworkers used to laugh when I'd tell them that I was "overweight" too, per my BMI.

[hamsterjill]

26. Except if you got J&J

You’re eligible for a booster after two months.

[dsc]

22. I qualify based on job but would also do so based on weight

though when I got mine last weekend they hadn't updated to include questions about weight. I hope we can get this under control.

[greenjar_01]

23. A 5'11 male qualifies as overweight if he's at 182 lbs

BMI definitions are, indeed, pretty ludicrous.

[Buckeye_Democrat]

25. It's not very accurate for wide-framed people...

... but I'm happy this time that the medical community still uses it.

[greenjar_01]

31. 5'11 and 182 is not overweight even in narrow-framed people

It's a ridiculous measure.

On edit: Nobody is actually checking any of these exemptions. They have more vaccine than they know what to do with. If you check "yeah, sure, I qualify," they're going to vax you up again, and you're not taking anyone's spot. they have appointments as the day is long.

[Buckeye_Democrat]

33. That was certainly my impression after seeing...

... all of the open time slots at my local pharmacy!

Good grief, just let every adult that wants a booster be allowed to get it! It sure doesn't seem like there's a long line of more vulnerable people who can't make a quick appointment, at least where I live.

[Ron Obvious]

52. Those were my exact measurements when I was at my fittest in my forties

I wore waist-size 30 jeans too, hardly overweight.

[greenjar_01]

53. It's ludicrous

I'm a little under that weight now, but at that height. The notion that if I gain 5-7 pounds I'd be overweight is comical in the extreme. I run 4-6 times a week.

[ripcord]

59. How right you are

I am 6'5" tall and have a 56" chest, the BMI chart says I am overweight at 229lbs.

[Buckeye_Democrat]

61. Crazy! So I just checked Lebron James' BMI...

... at 6'9" and 250 pounds, and he's "overweight" with a BMI of 26.8!

[ripcord]

62. In the 90s a friend's health insurance threatened to cancel him

They saw that by his previous physical exam he was overweight by the BMI chart and said he was unhealthy, he was a bodybuilder who carried from 8-12% body fat but had so much muscle it screwed up their estimates.

[Buckeye_Democrat]

63. BMI really needs to be dropped by the CDC...

... because it's so inaccurate for more muscular people!

(Just don't change it until after I get the booster. Lol!)

I bet most professional athletes today would be "overweight" per BMI -- muscular MLB players, NFL running backs, etc.

Maybe even Walter Payton, former Chicago Bears RB, would be considered overweight that way? Yet he was well-known for his extremely low body fat.

[madville]

34. I got my J&J booster today

Went to get my 10 year tetanus booster, asked about the COVID booster and they asked how I qualified, I said I'm considered an essential worker for the local electric utility, pharmacist just shrugged and said "ok, good enough". Also got a regular flu shot too, three jabs in one visit.

[Buckeye_Democrat]

36. Good to know they're not being overbearing about it!

I'll gladly step on a scale if my local pharmacy doubts my BMI, but I doubt that they'll bother. They should be happy when anyone wants the shots, in this crazy country.

[LisaL]

40. Everybody who got J&J is qualified for a booster, so they shouldn't even be asking how someone

qualifies if that someone got J&J for their vaccine.

[Buckeye_Democrat]

42. Good point!

[LisaL]

44. Seems like even the pharmacists are confused.

NT

[smirkymonkey]

64. That's how I got mine today (Moderna). All I had to let them know is that I got the J&J vax and

when I got it (back in April) and I didn't even need another qualifier. I also got the flu shot while I was there. I just thought I would knock them out at the same time which is why I did in on a Friday.

I can already feel the body aches creeping up on me, but usually I don't feel the full force of the immune response until about 10-12 hours later, so I imagine that it will hit me when I wake up tomorrow.

It's going to pour all day here tomorrow so at least I won't be missing anything.

[LisaL]

38. Everybody who got J&J vaccine is qualified for a booster.

"IF YOU RECEIVED
Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen
You are eligible for a booster if you are:
18 years or older

When to get a booster:
At least 2 months after your shot

Which booster should you get?
Any of the COVID-19 vaccines authorized in the United States"

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/booster-shot.html

[madville]

45. I had read about that but wasn't sure if it was official and trickled down yet

Anyway, the pharmacist also said he asks everybody why they are getting a booster and if they are immunocompromised he recommends the Moderna shot to them because he thinks it's the best one.

[LisaL]

46. It's official.

Moderna is the best one after J&J.

[Buckeye_Democrat]

47. Maybe the extra dosage?

Moderna shots provided over three times as much mRNA vaccine compared to Pfizer, which is why I wanted it months ago. The reports of worse side-effects for Moderna recipients at that time didn't matter to me, especially since none of the reactions were very serious for the vast majority of people.

Is Moderna Really Better Than Pfizer—Or Is It Just a Higher Dose?
https://www.govexec.com/management/2021/10/moderna-really-better-pfizeror-it-just-higher-dose/186435/

... A recent (but not yet peer-reviewed) study of more than half a million U.S. veterans showed that the Johnson & Johnson shot’s protection against infection (whether or not that leads to disease or hospitalization) had plummeted from 88 percent to 3 percent by mid-August, while the other vaccines’ effectiveness had declined much less. Research published in the past few months also signals that Moderna’s shot beats out Pfizer’s in terms of both antibody count and hospitalizations prevented, while a National Institutes of Health study released earlier this month found that Moderna’s booster shot lifted participants’ antibody levels a bit more than Pfizer’s, and that both mRNA boosters were miles ahead of J&J’s.

In light of all these data, it’s tempting to rank the vaccines by brand name: Moderna is better than Pfizer is better than J&J. But the same numbers hint at a different pattern: Maybe what matters most is not which vaccine you get, but how much of it.

Consider how the vaccines differ in their dosing. J&J, the least effective in the studies, has only one shot in its primary series; the mRNA vaccines have two. So anyone who got J&J (and hasn’t yet gotten a booster) received half as many doses total. Comparing Pfizer with Moderna, you see another dose difference: Each shot of Pfizer contains 30 micrograms of mRNA, while each one of Moderna contains 100. (Doses for children could also differ in size: Pfizer has proposed 10-microgram shots, while Moderna is going with 50.) Just how much of the difference in the shots’ performance can be summed up by saying “More vaccine is better”?...

[madville]

51. Yeah I thought about it

I decided to just stick with the J&J since it’s made the “old fashioned way” and I read after the second shot it’s 94% effective, good enough for me. After there are a few more years of data on the mRNA vaccines I’d reconsider them, I just don’t believe in being an early adopter of anything.

On second thought, the pharmacist may have been asking how I qualified because he was suggesting I didn’t look 18 yet lol j/k

[Beacool]

48. I got the Moderna booster.

I got the J&J shot in March. I made an appointment with Walgreens to receive the Pfizer booster. Coincidentally, that same day mayor DeBlasio and governor Hochul received a Moderna booster. They had gotten the J&J shot and the ABC medical expert said that Moderna was more effective for those who had gotten the J&J vaccine. So i went back online and changed my appt. to a different Walgreens in my town that carried the Moderna booster. I got it yesterday, so far I only have a slightly sore arm.

[Buckeye_Democrat]

49. I'm happy for you!

And thanks for being a responsible person too, since your vaccination will also help others.

[Beacool]

50. Thanks...

[USALiberal]

35. CVS in Kansas didn't ask for any criteria. Nt

[Buckeye_Democrat]

37. Good to know!

Thanks!

[USALiberal]

39. Just the 6 month gap. Nt

[Buckeye_Democrat]

41. Yep, I figured that rule would still be strictly followed.

2nd shot was mid-April for me, so I'm past 6 months.

[USALiberal]

68. Great!! Maybe get your yearly flu shot too! Nt

[Buckeye_Democrat]

69. Yes, I scheduled that too.

I often don't get a flu shot each year, to be honest, but the pharmacy's website mentioned it... so I selected that vaccine too.

I had a bunch of their other vaccination offerings just a couple years ago, such as the one to prevent Shingles, so I'm good with those.

[LisaL]

43. It's 2 months for J&J.

NT

[steve2470]

54. obesity is an underlying condition, as defined by the CDC

https://democraticunderground.com/100215992306

Overweight and obesity

Overweight (defined as a body mass index (BMI) > 25 kg/m2 but < 30 kg/m2), obesity (BMI ≥30 kg/m2 but < 40 kg/m2), or severe obesity (BMI of ≥40 kg/m2), can make you more likely to get severely ill from COVID-19. The risk of severe COVID-19 illness increases sharply with elevated BMI.

Best wishes to you.

[Buckeye_Democrat]

55. Thanks!

I used to smoke too, and that's apparently a qualifier as well.

They might as well let every adult (and younger age groups with established FDA safety) do it, after enough time has passed since the previous shot.

[KentuckyWoman]

56. I qualified by being OLD

From how things are shaping up, I'll be getting jabbed every 6 month from here on out.

I am also about 10 pounds overweight. Like a lot of women, a little wide in the caboose. So it sounds like I get 2 reasons.

[Buckeye_Democrat]

57. That's my intention too.

It's probably going to be a regular part of life now.

[Deep State Witch]

65. Yep, Me Too

The COVID vaccines and boosters are the ONLY time being fat has worked to my advantage!

[Buckeye_Democrat]

67. If only everyone could be overweight, we might...

... finally beat this Covid problem!

Kidding.

[Deep State Witch]

66. Yep, Me Too

The COVID vaccines and boosters are the ONLY time being fat has worked to my advantage!

[phylny]

70. That's how I qualified.

Got my booster on Sunday.