With the launch of the COVID vaccine now well underway, more than 68 million doses were reportedly administered across the United States. This is promising news not only for our eventual safety and return to normality, but also for data collection purposes: with a much larger pool of vaccinated individuals than the initial trial groups provided, we are learning a lot about what to expect from vaccine itself. In particular, there is a common experience for which doctors now say that people must “be prepared” for which many vaccinees reported that the second dose causes more side effects than the first. Read on to learn more about what you can expect and for more news on essential vaccines, The CEO of Pfizer says the need for a COVID vaccine is frequent.
Although the evidence from the U.S. is currently anecdotal, a study in the UK found that the second dose of the COVID vaccine actually produces higher rates of side effects. The researchers reviewed data from 40,000 individuals, more than 12,000 of whom received both doses of the vaccine, and found that the rate of side effects increased a second time. After a single dose, 37 percent of recipients reported local side effects, including pain or swelling near the injection site, and 12 percent reported at least one side effect on the entire body in the days after the injection. After the second dose, these numbers increased: 45 percent reported having local side effects and 22 percent reported broader effects.
Doctors explain that this escalation of side effects makes sense, given the way vaccines work. “The second vaccine [dose]- think of it as something that affected your immune system, and he now recognizes the vaccine and therefore does his job “, Kavita Patel, MD, a medical collaborator at NBC News recently said Al Roker. “Be prepared,” she said, adding that she personally experienced side effects after her second dose of the COVID vaccine.
Bill Moss, MD, a pediatrician and professor of infectious disease epidemiology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore, agreed with Patel’s assessment. “The second dose is really like a booster,” he said. “The immune system is seeing the vaccine for the first time with the first dose and is reacting to it, and the cells of the immune system are recruited to recognize that peak protein (the part of the coronavirus that the vaccine affects). So when the body’s immune system sees [the vaccine] the second time, there are more cells and there is a more intense immune response, resulting in these side effects ”, explained Moss.
However, if you do not experience side effects, this is also perfectly normal. “If you don’t have a reaction, you don’t have to worry if it didn’t work,” explained Patel. “Each human being and each body is different”. Read everything you need to know about potential side effects and promising news about another vaccine. This other vaccine may already be protecting you from COVID, says the study.
The most commonly reported side effects after vaccination with COVID are pain or swelling at the injection site, chills, headache, fever and fatigue, according to the CDC. The good side? Most people who have these symptoms claim that their reactions were mild to moderate and that they improve with the help of over-the-counter medications such as ibuprofen or paracetamol. And to get the latest COVID news straight to your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter.
According to the White House COVID consultant Anthony Fauci, MD, the side effects of vaccines also tend to be short-lived. You can expect your discomfort to last up to 48 hours, with most side effects ceasing after 24 hours. And for more vaccination tips, Dr. Fauci says you can easily get a vaccine appointment after this date.
Like the United Kingdom, the United States has a robust vaccine monitoring system to track possible side effects. If you experience discomfort, the CDC will ask you to enter your symptoms in the v-safe application, a program designed to collect data on implementation. After registering, you can expect health check-ins requested after your consultation and “depending on your answers, someone from the CDC can call to check on you and get more information,” explains the health authority.
While it is true that certain side effects are common after vaccination, there are also several myths about side effects. Some have incorrectly suggested that the COVID vaccine can alter a person’s DNA or infect you with the coronavirus. These claims are patently false and scientifically impossible, according to the Mayo Clinic and other experts. And to learn more about the side effects of the vaccine, Dr. Fauci says that these 2 side effects mean that his COVID vaccine is working.