Whether it is fever, chills, headaches, fatigue or muscle aches, there are a handful of side effects that you are expected to experience in the hours after your COVID vaccination. As of April 12, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says 74 million have been fully vaccinated – and with more people in the U.S. vaccinated, there are fewer reported side effects that are more common than previously believed. Recently, experts warned people about one side effect that many people experience, although it was not mentioned in the original clinical trials of the vaccines. To make sure you know what to expect before your shot, read on and to see what you can expect when you get this particular vaccine, go to Pfizer Caused This Reaction in Half of Recipients, New Study Says.
People report that their periods are earlier or heavier than usual after receiving the COVID vaccine. After hearing these reports, Kate Clancy, PhD, a associate professor at the University of Illinois, tweeted, “A colleague told me she’d heard from others that their periods were heavy after growth. I’m curious if other menstruators have noticed changes too? I’m a week and a half out of the dose one of Moderna, had my period maybe a day or so early, and I’m swarming as if I’m in my 20s again. ‘Clancy got an avalanche of responses from people who had similar experiences, and she and a colleague, Katherine Lee, PhD, conducted the first formal study on this side effect of the vaccine. According to The Verge, she has received more than 700 responses over people’s periods and the COVID vaccine.
And for a weird effect that pops up, check out The Strange New COVID vaccine side effect that makes even doctors confusing.
While the side effect was left out of clinical trials, the CDC’s side effect detection system, called the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS), received at least 32 reports of altered periods, representing a small percentage of the approximately 56 000 participants who responded. Of course, some people did not make the connection.
Lee, a research fellow at the Division of Public Health Sciences at Washington University, told The Verge that she is not surprised that this striking side effect is not considered during clinical trials for any vaccinations. She pointed out that women were only included in clinical trials in the 1990s and noted that some of the persistent prejudices still exist. “It’s just not things people think about. It’s not part of their daily experience,” Lee said. “I think a lot of it has to do with the history and the prejudice around who can decide what’s important to consider as a side effect.” To see what the majority of Moderna patients experience after their lap, look at Moderna caused this reaction in 82 percent of people, the new study says.
There is very little research on how vaccines generally affect menstruation, but it is known to stress the immune system, and the menstrual cycle can sometimes respond to such changes. “The menstrual cycle is really dynamic and responds to a lot of things,” Lee told The Verge.
Gloria A. Bachmann, MD, co-dean for women’s health at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, tells Health“Menstrual cycles can be altered or influenced by many factors, including stress, poor sleep, exercise and some medications. It is therefore not uncommon for some women, after receiving the vaccination, to notice changes in their period, such as it arrived earlier, or had a heavier flow, or noticed more cramps than they usually have. ‘Sign up for our daily newsletter for more news on the COVID vaccination.
Clancy told The Verge that there may be a link between the nanoparticles in the vaccine and changes in bleeding patterns, which could result in heavier or earlier periods. The nanoparticles can create a temporary immune response in some people that kills platelets, which helps to clot, Clancy explains. Although these cells regenerate frequently, the phenomenon can be noticeable during a bleeding event, such as a menstrual period. To ensure that you do not feel bad after your vaccination, go to Do it after your vaccine may aggravate the side effects, doctors say.
If Clancy and Lee’s study finds that there is a link between the vaccine and the menstrual cycle, it does not mean that there is something wrong with the vaccine; it’s just another side effect. Lee also said that it would probably have no effect on fertility, but it is helpful to know that this side effect may be coming your way.
Clancy noted that heavy periods are often something of concern. If a formal study confirms that it is a side effect of the vaccine, it may be of concern to people who experience it after their shot. “It’s nice to know it can happen, just as it’s nice to know you have a fever and a headache,” Lee said. To see what you need to be prepared for after your shot, watch Be prepared for this evening if you get your COVID vaccine, doctors warn.