A combination shot would make it easier for people to get vaccinated against Covid and the flu at the same time.

Moderna’s combined Covid and flu shot outperformed the existing standalone vaccines for both viruses, according to the results of a phase 3 clinical trial published Wednesday in theJournal of the American Medical Association.

The vaccine uses the same messenger RNA technology as Moderna’s approved Covid vaccine.(There are no approved mRNA-based flu shots.)

The trial, funded by Moderna, included more than 8,000 adults ages 50 and older who were enrolled in October and November 2023. For people ages 50 to 64, the new vaccine was compared to Moderna’s Covid vaccine and the flu shot Fluarix. For people 65 and older, it was compared to the Covid vaccine and a different flu shot, called Fluzone, which is a stronger dose typically given to older adults. The trial participants either got the existing shots, or the new combination vaccine plus a placebo shot. (This way, both groups got two injections.)

  • ddash@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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    13 days ago

    “Immunologically, what’s happening in each cell is they’re acting as if they’ve been infected with both viruses, and so your immune system is going to respond and make the type of inflammation that you would if you had flu or Covid or both simultaneously,” he said.

    This will 100% be taken out of context by anti-vaxx crowds.

          • Nurse_Robot@lemmy.world
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            12 days ago

            Antibodies create an inflammatory response, seems like we’re really nitpicking here. It’s a layman’s explanation, not a research study or textbook.

            • 13igTyme@lemmy.world
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              11 days ago

              “It does a thing to mimic the bad thing and then the thing gets better so you don’t get the real thing.”

    • Randelung@lemmy.world
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      12 days ago

      It’s nothing new, though. Vaccines have always worked like this - make your body go through the motions without problematic invasive organisms.

    • Ben Hur Horse Race@lemm.ee
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      12 days ago

      honestly so fucking what? let those jokers not get the vaccination. get sick, have permanent symptoms that last your whole life, fuck it, whatever.

      in the meantime, my sleeves are pre-rolled up for this shot, put it in my veins doc, I like not basically dying, its kind of a fetish

      • prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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        12 days ago

        I feel like we’ve had this discussion a billion times since 2019… Do you really still not understand herd immunity?

        • Ben Hur Horse Race@lemm.ee
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          12 days ago

          Since 2019 I have given up entirely on collective common sense coming from anybody. People are just far too stupid and selfish to get their shit together if it even inconveniences them a tiny bit. I can only do my best to protect myself as relying on people writ large is a fools errand.

        • shalafi@lemmy.world
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          12 days ago

          I’m with the person you replied to. All my empathy is burned the fuck out. All I can do is care for me and mine. If these people are too dumb to get a shot, they’re far too dumb to be educated on herd immunity. I’ve given up.

          • ExtantHuman@lemm.ee
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            11 days ago

            It’s not about empathy for them.

            Antivaxxers being walking petri dishes puts the rest of who are vaccinated at risk, because that shit is being given chances to further evolve to bypass our boosted defenses.

      • ApexHunter@lemmy.ml
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        12 days ago

        Good luck getting it at all. One of those jokers is head of the HHS and is actively adding obstacles to vaccine approvals.

  • Apytele@sh.itjust.works
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    13 days ago

    Totally gonna get it anyway but I’m not looking forward to my body throwing a 24h shitfit over it - I usually get what they call a VIGOROUS immune response from either one alone (not every year though, this last year’s flu shot was actually 100% fine for some reason). One time I was an hour late on my Motrin-Tylenol rotation and the symptoms peaked 15 minutes or so after I got that delayed dose down and I just remember laying on my husband’s lap and being so tired and fatigued and my bones were aching everywhere and I couldn’t stop shivering and I must have just passed out because I remember suddenly waking up and feeling completely fine again. It’s completely benign and controllable with over the counter medication (and undoubtedly better than catching the actual flu / COVID) but it suuucks.

      • bus_factor@lemmy.world
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        13 days ago

        Is it? All I’ve ever heard is that whether you’re experiencing symptoms is completely irrelevant, which makes sense since the symptoms are triggered by the innate (non-specific) response and immunity is the adaptive (specific) response. Those are from what I’ve heard more or less completely independent.

    • arrow74@lemm.ee
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      12 days ago

      I’m in a similar place. The MRNA vaccines trigger a very strong immune response and I don’t know if I want to go through it again. It sucks, and the non-mrna options offer at least comparable to slightly reduced protection. Which given my age is generally adequate

  • Treczoks@lemmy.world
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    12 days ago

    … unless you are in a country with a crazy antivaxxer at the helm of public health.

  • fadingembers@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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    12 days ago

    Does this mean we’re still getting a flu shot this year in the US? Last I heard RFK cancelled everything for them

    • Ledericas@lemm.ee
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      11 days ago

      the current flu season is almost ending, i heard the next vaccine/season is around september

  • fireweed@lemmy.world
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    12 days ago

    Side effects such as fever and chills were more common in people who got the new vaccine.

    This caveat, glossed over in the article, is potentially a huge drawback.

    Personally, the covid and flu shots by themselves make me feel icky but moderately functional for 24-36 hrs, but the time I had both at once I was practically bedridden for three days.

    Obviously not everyone has this problem, but from what I’ve heard it’s common enough that I worry if the two-in-one shot becomes the new standard it will turn a lot of folks off from vaccination altogether. There’s enough vaccine hesitancy and skepticism out there already that a miserable reaction (or simply the need to clear your schedule for three whole days) could be enough to cause folks to indefinitely postpone their yearly booster or forgo vaccination altogether.

    • Ledericas@lemm.ee
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      11 days ago

      only the og first covid made me feverish,achey, plus the pain from the vaccine. that lessened over time as you get more shots.

      • Akuchimoya@startrek.website
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        11 days ago

        Everyone reacts differently to different things. I know someone who’s side effects were worse each Covid shot he got. He still got them, because he was taking care of an elderly family member, but he had to started planning to be bedridden himself. He’s not antivax, but stopped getting boosters when the family member died because he didn’t want to be laid up for a week at a time.

    • RememberTheApollo_@lemmy.world
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      11 days ago

      I find the Moderna vaccine in general (covid only) makes me feel worse than the Pfizer one. No idea why, but making it worse won’t prevent me from getting vaccinated, I’ll just get separate vaccines.

      As long as people have choices, and they know what they are, it shouldn’t be a big deal. The problem will arise when people don’t know/have a choice and feel like crap when given the combo vax.

  • gearheart@lemm.ee
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    11 days ago

    So… Whats this about covid shot causing heart problems? Propaganda or true?

    I imagine having full COVID causes more heart and lung problems than the shot ever would.