The New York Times
Is the second dose bad? If I feel good, then does it work? Can I take Tylenol?
Every day, nearly 3 million people in the United States receive the COVID-19 vaccine. And each new stitch asks new questions about what to expect after vaccination. Last week, I asked readers to send me their vaccination questions. Here are some answers. Q: I have heard that the side effects of COVID vaccine, especially after the second dose, can be really bad. Should I be worried? Sign up for The Morning Newsletter of the New York Times A: Transient side effects such as fatigue, headaches, muscle aches and fever occur more frequently after the second dose of both Pfizer-BioNTech and Modern vaccines, each of which shots needed. . (The Johnson & Johnson vaccine requires only a single admission.) Patients who experience unpleasant side effects after the second dose often describe having a bad flu and use phrases such as’ it knocked me down ‘or’ I was two useless for days. . During vaccination studies, patients were advised to plan a few days off work after the second dose in case they had to spend a day or two in bed. The information gathered from v-safe, and the app that encourages everyone to detect side effects after vaccination, also shows an increase in reported side effects after the second dose. For example, about 29% of people reported fatigue after the first Pfizer-BioNTech shot, but it jumped to 50% after the second dose. Muscle pain increased from 17% after the first shot to 42% after the second shot. While only about 7% of people got chills and fever after the first dose, it increased to about 26% after the second dose. The New York Times interviewed several dozen newly vaccinated people in the days that followed. They told a wide range of answers, from no reaction to symptoms such as uncontrolled shivering and ‘brain fog’. Although these experiences are not pleasant, it is a sign that your immune system is getting a powerful response to the vaccine. Q: Is it true that women are more likely to have worse side effects than men? A: An analysis of the first 13.7 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine given to Americans found that side effects were more common in women. And although serious reactions to the COVID vaccine are rare, almost all cases of anaphylaxis, or life-threatening allergic reactions, occur in women. The finding that women are more likely to report the COVID vaccine and experience unpleasant side effects is also consistent with other vaccines. Women and girls can produce up to twice as many antibodies after receiving flu shots and vaccinations for measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) and hepatitis A and B. One study found that women accounted for 80% of all adult anaphylactic drugs for nearly three decades. reactions to vaccines. While it is true that women are more likely to report side effects than men, the higher side effects in women also have a biological explanation. Estrogen can stimulate an immune response, while testosterone can blunt it. In addition, there are many immune-related genes on the X chromosome, of which females have two copies and males only one. These differences may help explain why many more women than men suffer from autoimmune diseases, which occur when a strong immune response attacks the healthy tissues of the body. Q: I had no side effects. Does this mean that my immune system has not responded and that the vaccine is not working? A: Side effects get all the attention, but if you look at the data from clinical trials with vaccine and the real world, you will see that many people do not experience any side effects outside of a sore arm. In the Pfizer vaccine trials, approximately 1 in 4 patients reported no side effects. In the Moderna trials, 57% of patients (64 or younger) reported side effects after the first dose – this jumped to 82% after the second dose, meaning that almost 1 in 5 patients had no reaction after the second dose. survey did not report. A lack of side effects does not mean that the vaccine does not work, said dr. Paul Offit, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania, and a member of the Food and Drug Administration’s vaccine advisory panel. Offit noted that a significant number of people did not report side effects during the vaccination trials, and yet the trials showed that about 95% of the people were protected. “It proves that you do not have to have side effects to be protected,” he said. No one really knows why some people have a lot of side effects and others do not. We do know that younger people have stronger immune responses to vaccines than older people, whose immune systems weaken over time. Women usually have stronger immune responses than men. But again, these differences do not mean that you are not protected if you do not feel much after the opportunity. Scientists are not yet sure how effective the vaccines are in people whose immune systems may be weakened due to certain medical conditions, such as cancer treatment or HIV infection, or because they use immunosuppressive drugs. However, most experts believe the vaccines still provide some protection against COVID-19. The bottom line is that, although individual immune responses may vary, the data collected so far show that all three of the vaccines approved in the United States – Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson – are effective against serious diseases and the death due to COVID-19. . Q: I took Tylenol before I had my COVID vaccine shots, and had very little reaction to the shots. Did I make a big mistake? A: You should not try to prevent discomfort by taking a painkiller before you get the chance. The concern is that the pre-medication with a painkiller such as paracetamol (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), which can prevent side effects such as pain in the arm as well as fever or headache, can also stunt your body’s immune response. While it is possible that using a painkiller before your shots may dampen your body’s immune response, vaccine experts say you should not worry and that you should not try to get a new round of replacement shots. Studies of other vaccinations suggest that your immune system may still be strong enough to fight infections, while with the medicine you may dull the body’s immune response to a vaccine beforehand. In a review of studies of more than 5,000 children, antibody levels were compared in children who took painkillers before and after vaccinations, and those who did not. They found that painkillers had no significant impact on the immune response and that children in both groups generated adequate levels of antibodies after their shots. The high efficacy of all COVID vaccines suggests that even if taking Tylenol before the uptake has dampened your body’s immune response, there is some room for maneuver and you are probably still well protected against COVID-19. “You should feel at ease that you have enough immune response that you will be protected, especially for vaccines that are so good,” Offit said. Q: How about taking a painkiller to the lap? A: “It’s OK to treat ‘side effects with a painkiller,’ Offit said, but if you do not really need it,” you should not take it. ” Although most experts agree, it is safe to take a painkiller to relieve discomfort after being vaccinated, but they advise you to take it after the shot as a preventative, or if your symptoms are manageable without it. is. The concern with the use of an unnecessary painkiller is that it may delay the effects of the vaccine. (As for the vaccine, there is no significant difference if you choose paracetamol or ibuprofen.) During the Moderna trial, approximately 26% of people take paracetamol to relieve side effects, and the overall effectiveness of the vaccine was still 94 %. Q: Are the side effects worse if you had COVID-19? A: Research and anecdotal reports suggest that people with a previously diagnosed COVID-19 infection may have a stronger response and more side effects after their first dose of vaccination compared to those who have never been infected with the virus. is not. A strong reaction to your first dose of vaccine can also be a sign that you have been infected before, even if you were not aware of it. If you have previously tested positive for COVID-19 or had a positive antibody blood test, be prepared for a stronger reaction to your first dose, and consider postponing work for a few days just in case. It will not only be more comfortable to stay home and recover in bed; the side effects of the vaccine may seem like the symptoms of COVID-19, and your co-workers do not want to be near you anyway. Q: I already had COVID-19. Does that mean I can only get one dose? A: Studies suggest that one dose may be sufficient for people with a previously confirmed case of COVID-19, but so far the medical guidelines have not changed. If you have received Pfizer BioNTech or Moderna vaccines, you should be able to get your second dose, even if you have had COVID-19. Skipping your second dose can cause problems if your employer or airline asks for proof of vaccination in the future. If you live in an area where the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine is available, you may be completely vaccinated after just one dose. Q: Will the vaccines work against the new variants that have emerged around the world? A: The vaccines appear to be effective against a new variant that originated in Britain and is rapidly becoming dominant in the United States. However, some variants of the coronavirus, especially one first identified in South Africa and one in Brazil, appear to be more adept at evading vaccines in vaccines. Although it sounds worrying, there is reason to be hopeful. Vaccinations that are exposed to a more resistant variant still appear to be protected against serious diseases. And scientists have a clear understanding of the variants that they are already working on developing booster shots that will be on the variants. The variants identified in South Africa and Brazil are not yet widespread in the United States. People who are vaccinated should still wear masks in public and adhere to public health guidelines, but you should not live in fear of variants, said Dr. Peter Hotez, dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, said. “When you get vaccinated, you have to feel pretty confident about how protected you are,” Hotez said. ‘It’s unlikely you’ll ever go to a hospital or ICU with COVID-19. In time, you will see a recommendation for a booster. This article originally appeared in The New York Times. © 2021 The New York Times Company