A Third COVID Vaccine For Immunosuppressed People?

I had very little reaction to both of my Pfizer vaccines, only a little sore arm which lasted only 24 hours. At a routine appointment with my Rheumatologist in July, she asked if I wanted to get my booster while I was there. It was not even three months after my first two. She asked what kind of reaction I had to the first two shots. When I told her she immediately recommended that I get the booster then, and to delay my next Humira injection for an additional week to give my body time to generate an immune response. I definitely had at reaction to the booster! It was uncomfortable, but I felt comfort in the fact that my body was doing what it needed to provide me some protection.

Hey Rick, thanks for getting back to me! I really appreciate your thoughts on the matter. Unfortunately I don't currently have a rheumatologist to go to for advice. I did have one at one point of course, and they helped me to finally get my diagnosis after years of 'mysterious' pain! But my relationship with that rheumatologist was short lived because shortly after I received my diagnosis, the doctor went out of practice. Before this happened though, the only advice she gave me was to take the biologics. When I expressed concerns about the immune suppressing side of things, she said I'm on my own if I want to look into alternative treatments. This doctor was rated as one of the best rheumatologists in the city I live in so I guess I've felt a little hesitant in my search for a new rheumatologist since then, if one of the best couldn't provide me with much help from the get-go. Anyway, I've found so much advice online in the meantime which I'm so grateful for becuase it's really changed my life in terms of managing this disease. I will look for a new rheumatologist very soon, but we've been in lockdown over here for a while now which has slowed my progress with that. Anyway, if I do manage to find some good professional advice soon then I'll totally share it! Thanks again for sharing your thoughts.

Hey James, also everyone else who's reading this post! Sorry if I've replied in the wrong area, this is my first time ever writing anything in a forum. I've just signed up to see what everyone else is thinking about the vaccine dilemma that we're all facing! I've also heard of this third shot recommendation for AS patients, but only within the context of those who are taking medication for their AS. I haven't taken any medications so far, as I have found success by managing the disease through diet and lifestyle changes. So I'm wondering if anyone out there, who isn't taking any biologics/immunosuppressants for their AS, is also being recommended this third vaccine shot by their doctors? Along the same vein, almost all of the research on the topic of the vaccine for AS patients that I've found so far seems to work on the assumption that all AS patients are taking medication, and the risk factors seem to be only referring to how the vaccine may interact with medications, rather than just with the condition itself. Does anyone have any info/know of good learning sources regarding the vaccine and AS in non-medicated patients? As in, how the vaccine reacts just to AS alone rather than how it reacts to AS medications. Again, sorry if I've posted this in the wrong place or have bogged this post down with more questions than I was meant to ask in one go. I'm aware that I'm responding to one person's question with more of my own questions. Sorry if that's annoying.


Many many thanks in advance for any replies/advice. Also, I'm so happy to share info on the diet management stuff if anyone hasn't already heard of it and is interested. But maybe that's for another post? It's the low-starch thing, you've probably all heard of it already, but I'm still happy to chat if anyone wants to.


Hope you're all well out there!
Sarah 😀

Indeed, that’s also a concern I have. I’m in Brazil and here as of mid September all seniors above 90 and immunossupressed individuals will get their third dose. I had two jabs of the Pfizer vaccine, and was wondering if I need this third dose. I have an appointment with my rheumatologist tomorrow and will ask. I did a specific test of my antibodies based on the vaccine and the result was 97%. I’m not sure how precise this is, but I’m thinking do I really need this booster with so many antibodies?