What the Vaccine's Side Effects Feel Like

[Nevilledog]

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Tweet text:
Cindy Otis
@CindyOtis_
This is the kind of useful information everyone should share to defend against conspiracy theories springing up about the vaccine.

"The COVID-19 vaccine will make some people feel sick. But they’re not—that’s the immune system doing its job."

What the Vaccine’s Side Effects Feel Like
The first COVID-19 vaccines will make some people feel sick. But they’re not—that’s the immune system doing its job.
theatlantic.com
4:04 PM · Dec 18, 2020

https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2020/12/what-expect-when-you-get-covid-19-vaccine/617428/

[Irish_Dem]

1. So if we get sick after the vaccine, it means the vaccine is doing its job.

The immune system is working to protect us.

I welcome getting sick after the vaccine then.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

2. I just hope no side effects doesn't mean the vaccine isn't doing its job.

Actually, I know that we all have somewhat different immune systems, and that's why we react differently do diseases or vaccines.

I recently got the Shingrix shots. Had a bit of a sore arm after the first one, nothing after the second one, which is somewhat the reverse of what is typical. I have an amazing and wonderful immune system, so I rather expect I'll have little or no reaction to whichever one of the Covid-19 vaccines I wind up getting.

[Pobeka]

3. Just depends on the person. I usually get a bit of lethargy from the flu shot.

First shingrix really wore me out for couple of days.

My SO, never shows any side effects from flu, nor the shingrix.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

5. Excellent example of how we are all different and

have different immune systems.

[mackdaddy]

9. I had a sore arm and shoulder after the first Shingrix shot, and nothing after the second one too.

I sure do not want to get shingles. My dad had it across one side of his head and face. The nerve damage hurt him for the last 5 years of his life.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

10. My older brother had several bouts with shingles.

And then my younger son, at the age of twenty got it.

He came home for summer break from college with a strange rash-like thing. I told him to call our family physician and see him. Son came home with a very unsatisfactory diagnosis, went on line and said, "I think I have shingles." The doctor was appropriately apolitical. You don't really expect shingles in someone that young. But he was given an appropriate medication -- this was at least 15 years ago and I've forgotten the details -- and got over it fairly fast.

Given that history, a shingles vaccine, both the original and the current, is one vaccine I'm happy to get.

Which reminds me, I need to tell my other son, almost 38 now, to see if he can get that vaccine.

[Laffy Kat]

4. I had such a strong immune response after the first Shingrix vaccine...

I decide to forgo the second one. I only hope it was enough to offer protection. I've also had shingles and I don't want that again. I'll take both Covid shots, though, I don't care how sick I get. The clinic where I work is supposed to get the Moderna vaccine on Monday. Management is working out how to dispense it and in what order. We have has 640,000 patients/members in Colorado alone; it's an HMO.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

11. I know that shingles is unpleasant at best. I an very sorry

you had such a strong immune response to the first one that you decided to forgo the second one. While my personal experience is only anecdotal, and not even remotely a hint as to what it might be like for you, I had a mild response to the first shot -- sore arm -- and no response at all to the second one.

I'm going to guess that even just the one shot is giving you a reasonable immunity.

We both understand that this has no bearing on the immunity conferred by the Covid-19 vaccines. I will guess that even one shot is a whole lot better than no shot, although not anywhere nearly as good as the two.

I will add that I really, REALLY wish I could find out just how crucial the time between the two shots is. How long a delay is okay? I know that with the Shingrix vaccine there's a window of at least four months. Which is nice, because that accommodates the real lives of most of us. One of the two Covid vaccines calls for 21 days between the first and second shots, and the other 28 days. So how crucial are those time frames? Is 20 days so soon it won't confer maximum immunity? How about 29 days for the second version? I'm getting more and more frustrated that we aren't finding out how much the time matters.

Hospital workers, and those who are in nursing homes/assisted living facilities will have not trouble meeting the exact 21 or 28 day timeline. But as this moves on, what about the rest of us?

[Gothmog]

6. My son is in Pfizer trial

His arm hurt for three days after each injection and he ran a slight fever. My son got his own antibody test and he got the vaccine. My son tested positive for antibodies.

[flying_wahini]

7. I have read the second one is the one that gives you symptoms. The first not so much.

Your mileage may vary.

[Doreen]

8. Other than letting those in more need of it I want to wait to hear what the side effects are.

I need to know if I should set a three days off like I should have when I got my first shingles shot. I was in so much pain and had other nasty symptoms.

I obviously am not against it but I want to be prepared.

Oh yeah, it did make me squeamish to see that they stick the whole needle up to the syringe into your arm. It's a bloody long needle!

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

12. Side effects as you're describing are a huge big deal

for people who have to go to work the next day.

Oh, and for what it's worth, I learned a very long time ago never to look at the needle going in.