With plans to increase the distribution of vaccines, the average American may be eligible for a chance in the not-too-distant future. Since the vaccine has some skepticism, experts on the matter try to be as transparent as possible about the process. During a briefing by the White House Coronavirus Response Team on January 27, Rochelle Walensky, MD, director of the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), shared the side effects you would expect if you were given the COVID vaccine. Keep reading what vaccine reactions you may experience, and for more information on the vaccine, says dr. Fauci, he had these side effects from his second vaccine dose.
Walensky noted during the press briefing that it is important for people to remember that there may be mild side effects from the vaccine. She said side effects may include: “pain where you shot, feeling feverish or tired, and muscle aches after you shot.” These side effects of vaccines are in line with what the CDC has outlined on its website. Walensky added that reactions occur especially after the second dose.
You will be more likely to experience side effects after your second dose, because that shot triggers a stronger immune response. “When you get the second injection, your body is already prepared and responds to the vaccine,” David Sellers, MD, the first health worker at Ascension Saint Thomas Hospital in Tennessee to receive a vaccine, explained to a local NBC affiliate. “If you are going to experience the systemic side effects, it usually occurs after the second shot when you not only get muscle pain but can also get joint pain.” And sign up for our daily newsletter for more information.
Although you can assume less than unwanted side effects that something is wrong, this is almost always not the case. Mild side effects of a vaccine are a natural part of gaining immunity. “This is all normal and an expected part of the vaccination,” Walensky said. “These symptoms mean that your immune system is recovering, and that the vaccine is actually working.” And for more first-hand experience with vaccine reactions, Tyler Perry said he had these side effects from the COVID vaccine.
Walensky tried to alleviate the fear of people’s vaccine with the reassurance that the vaccine is safe and effective. Although some people reluctantly attributed allergic reactions, the CDC director said that according to recent data, there were only 2.1 cases of anaphylaxis per million doses of Moderna and 6.2 cases of anaphylaxis per million doses of Pfizer. “Let me be clear, these are rare, treatable outcomes, and the COVID-19 vaccines are safe,” she explained. “While anaphylaxis can be scary, there are effective treatments, and patients are generally doing quite well.”
Other experts have talked about allergic reactions to the vaccine. During a January 7 interview with members of the internal medicine residency program at Washington University in St. Louis. Louis, White House COVID Advisor Anthony Fauci, MD, acknowledged the possibility of adverse reactions, but reminded people that severe allergic reactions are very rare. “There have been 21 cases of severe allergic reactions, bringing the incidence to about every million [and] “almost always in people with a history of severe allergic reactions,” Fauci said. “And for possible reactions to another vaccine, it’s the side effects of the New Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
Although there is a small chance that you may have a serious adverse reaction to the vaccine, Walensky pointed out that there is a much greater risk of getting COVID. “It is also important to put it in context. The risks of getting COVID-19 sick are much higher than the risk of allergy or anaphylaxis by the vaccine,” she noted.
Walensky continued to beat the proven safety of the vaccine at home. “I want to take a moment here to emphasize that the COVID-19 vaccines are safe, and that they work,” she continued. “And it’s backed up with data.” And for more news on vaccines, Moderna’s chief medical officer has just given this disturbing update.