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Personal SARS-COV-2 vaccination experiences


JennyD

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47 minutes ago, TexasProud said:

Done.  Shot was easy.  Hubby said if he dies, he is putting “ She made me do it “ on his tombstone.  He hates doctors and needles.  Has not had a check up in forever.  

Awesome! Good for you. Good that hubby is joking around, I think! Mine is the same - he hasn't been to the doc in years.

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I agree that moving your arm as much as possible can really help. I was literally carrying around a little 2 lb dumbbell yesterday and any time I was sitting down, I would do arm circles and curls and stuff with it, and my arm didn't hurt at all when I went to bed. Woke up with a really sore arm from not moving it, so I grabbed the dumbbell again, and now I barely notice it.

 

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49 minutes ago, Corraleno said:

I agree that moving your arm as much as possible can really help. I was literally carrying around a little 2 lb dumbbell yesterday and any time I was sitting down, I would do arm circles and curls and stuff with it, and my arm didn't hurt at all when I went to bed. Woke up with a really sore arm from not moving it, so I grabbed the dumbbell again, and now I barely notice it.

Good to know!   Just got my first shot 🥳 so far so good, but it's only been about an hour and a half - we'll have to see how things go over the next day or so!

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1 minute ago, kand said:

Do chicken wing flaps for a couple minutes every half hour or so. Mine got quite sore the day of, but was mostly better by 24 hours.

Flapping now! 😂

Just did 'arm day' this morning - wonder if that would make things better or worse? 

 

Edited by Matryoshka
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I'm 3 days out from 1 st Pfizer now and I feel completely back to normal after a day and a half of mild flu-like symptoms.

DH started flu like symptoms 2 days post 1st moderna and is still suffering.  Right now he's on the fence about bailing on the second dose.  Much will hinge on how I feel after my second shot, which will be the week before his is due.  If it's as bad as the first shot of worse, we will likely not vax our 12 year old when it becomes available.  (All the adults in our extended family have at least one dose in or have recovered from prior covid infection.)

Edited by Syllieann
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14 minutes ago, Syllieann said:

I'm 3 days out from 1 st Pfizer now and I feel completely back to normal after a day and a half of mild flu-like symptoms.

DH started flu like symptoms 2 days post 1st moderna and is still suffering.  Right now he's on the fence about bailing on the second dose.  Much will hinge on how I feel after my second shot, which will be the week before his is due.  If it's as bad as the first shot of worse, we will likely not vax our 12 year old when it becomes available.  (All the adults in our extended family have at least one dose in or have recovered from prior covid infection.)

FWIW, my 16 year old got her first pfizer this week and I have a son in college. So I just know a lot of teens/very young adults getting vaccinated right now.  And very few of them seem to having any real problems with the vaccines.  My daughter had a sore arm for less than 24 hours with Pfizer #1 and was otherwise bouncing around like her normal self.  She went to a (masked, distanced)  dance class the day after her vaccine.  A friend's son had his 2nd pfizer this week, sore arm, life as usual.  

 

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1 minute ago, FuzzyCatz said:

FWIW, my 16 year old got her first pfizer this week and I have a son in college. So I just know a lot of teens/very young adults getting vaccinated right now.  And very few of them seem to having any real problems with the vaccines.  My daughter had a sore arm for less than 24 hours with Pfizer #1 and was otherwise bouncing around like her normal self.  She went to a (masked, distanced)  dance class the day after her vaccine.  A friend's son had his 2nd pfizer this week, sore arm, life as usual.  

Fascinating. If teens wind up with few side effects in general, despite the robust immune systems, do you think that might be for the same reason that they don't usually get serious cases of COVID? (Which was something about the ACE receptors if I remember correctly??) 

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1 minute ago, Not_a_Number said:

Fascinating. If teens wind up with few side effects in general, despite the robust immune systems, do you think that might be for the same reason that they don't usually get serious cases of COVID? (Which was something about the ACE receptors if I remember correctly??) 

Well that's what I was wondering too!  Many of them have super mild cases so maybe it's just no biggie for those young immune systems?   It's seems like maybe the middle age set is getting hit by the vaccine  side affects the hardest?  My 89 FIL and 75 yo mom had no real problem either. 

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1 minute ago, FuzzyCatz said:

Well that's what I was wondering too!  Many of them have super mild cases so maybe it's just no biggie for those young immune systems?   It's seems like maybe the middle age set is getting hit by the vaccine  side affects the hardest?  My 89 FIL and 75 yo mom had no real problem either. 

That's what it's looking like for me, too, although I personally don't yet know teens who are getting vaccinated. I'll get my sister's data soon though 😄 .  

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6 minutes ago, FuzzyCatz said:

FWIW, my 16 year old got her first pfizer this week and I have a son in college. So I just know a lot of teens/very young adults getting vaccinated right now.  And very few of them seem to having any real problems with the vaccines.  My daughter had a sore arm for less than 24 hours with Pfizer #1 and was otherwise bouncing around like her normal self.  She went to a (masked, distanced)  dance class the day after her vaccine.  A friend's son had his 2nd pfizer this week, sore arm, life as usual.  

 

I am almost wondering if we just happened to catch something around the same time we got vaccinated.  It just seems like we are much worse off than average and neither of us has ever had any vaccine reactions.

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1 minute ago, Syllieann said:

I am almost wondering if we just happened to catch something around the same time we got vaccinated.  It just seems like we are much worse off than average and neither of us has ever had any vaccine reactions.

It is SO random. I doubt you caught something -- some people just seem to be knocked flat by it, and from what I've seen, it's not correlated to strong vaccine reactions in general. 

... I do wonder if it's correlated to expecting to have a severe case of COVID, though. Which also looked very random from where I was standing (except for the usual age correlation.) 

Edited by Not_a_Number
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FWIW, the teens I know are having few to no side effects.

17 yr old male - felt nothing for first shot, mildly sore arm for second.  

Two 16 yr old females - no reaction at all to either shot.  Totally fine.

One 16 yr old female had some mild body aches after the first shot (cleared up with tylenol) and zero response to the second shot.

 

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2 hours ago, Syllieann said:

I am almost wondering if we just happened to catch something around the same time we got vaccinated.  It just seems like we are much worse off than average and neither of us has ever had any vaccine reactions.

I do know of 2 people who tested positive for COVID within a couple of days of getting their first dose of vaccine. So it does happen. Not caused by the vaccine, of course, Just bad luck/timing. 

 

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Ds 17 (1st Pfizer on Thursday) has said no every time I have asked him about any side effects. Oldest ds and dsil got J&J yesterday. Had some flu-ish symptoms last night but nothing too bad. Ds has had a headache today. Of my multiple immediate family members who qualify, that leaves only two who haven't had at least one vaccine, as far as I know, and I'm not sure about those two (their state just opened up recently to their groups). We're making definite progress!

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Dd18 had a day of flu-like symptoms after her second Pfizer jab. She was glassy-eyed and in bed most of the day. Just fatigued after her first.  A year ago, in April or May, she was clinically diagnosed with Covid toes, for whatever that's worth.

I probably posted her reaction here before, but wanted to add it to the discussion of older teens and side effects.

Dh and I get our second Pfizer shots tomorrow at 8 am! I was crazy exhausted after my first, so we're getting takeout tomorrow night and I cleared my schedule for Monday. 

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Second Pfizer shot yesterday. DH and I both had sore arms, which have improved. Today, we both have chills and headaches. His symptoms are worse than mine. He has achiness and fatigue as well. 

Pray-ers, please say a prayer for me. I have to teach Sunday School in the morning. 🙂 I have two subs I could call upon if necessary, but they are both elderly ladies, so I am loathe to do it unless absolutely necessary. 

ETA: So very, very thankful for science and for the shot! 

Edited by MercyA
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3 hours ago, MercyA said:

Second Pfizer shot yesterday. DH and I both had sore arms, which have improved. Today, we both have chills and headaches. His symptoms are worse than mine. He has achiness and fatigue as well. 

Pray-ers, please say a prayer for me. I have to teach Sunday School in the morning. 🙂 I have two subs I could call upon if necessary, but they are both elderly ladies, so I am loathe to do it unless absolutely necessary. 

ETA: So very, very thankful for science and for the shot! 

In my wife's case, the day after her second Pfizer shot she went to bed. I struggle to recall another occasion in our nearly 30 years together when that's happened. She felt fluish and slept.

But the day after she was back to her old self. And--now that she's past the two week mark--I think she's feeling a sense of liberation (if that's the right way to say it).

I hope and trust that you will feel better tomorrow.

Next Tuesday will be the day after my second dose of Moderna. We will see how that goes. Like you, I'm very thankful for the opportunity.

Bill

 

 

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11 hours ago, Jaybee said:

Ds 17 (1st Pfizer on Thursday) has said no every time I have asked him about any side effects. Oldest ds and dsil got J&J yesterday. Had some flu-ish symptoms last night but nothing too bad. Ds has had a headache today. Of my multiple immediate family members who qualify, that leaves only two who haven't had at least one vaccine, as far as I know, and I'm not sure about those two (their state just opened up recently to their groups). We're making definite progress!

Quoting myself to say that of the two left that I was unsure of, one of them has had the first vaccine, and the other has the first vaccine coming up on Thursday. I'm so glad!!

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DH had his first Pfizer yesterday. Barely sore arm, nothing more! He went for an extra-long walk and looked happier than he's looked in a long time. So happy that he's halfway vaccinated! I get my 2nd Pfizer this week. By May 15, we can hug my mom again and visit with her indoors for the first time in 14 months. I'm waiting for the reality of it all to finally sink in. 

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12 hours ago, Acadie said:

Dd18 had a day of flu-like symptoms after her second Pfizer jab. She was glassy-eyed and in bed most of the day. Just fatigued after her first.  A year ago, in April or May, she was clinically diagnosed with Covid toes, for whatever that's worth.

I probably posted her reaction here before, but wanted to add it to the discussion of older teens and side effects.

Dh and I get our second Pfizer shots tomorrow at 8 am! I was crazy exhausted after my first, so we're getting takeout tomorrow night and I cleared my schedule for Monday. 

Thanks for posting about this. I’m curious, since IIRC you didn’t have symptoms (or possibly light symptoms) when she had COVID toes, whether your reactions to the vaccines will be similar. DS and I get our first shots in a couple days and I’ve wondered if he will react more as a result of having COVID toes (same timeline as your daughter). Hopefully we can compare experiences! 🙂 

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For the late teen data set, my dd's symptoms were the same as mine. The whole family had no reaction other than a sore arm to the first Pfizer vaccine. For the second shot, 18yo dd and I were both down the next day with chills, fatigue, and I had fever but dd never checked since the thermometer was way out in the living room with me. Dh had nothing more than just a touch of fatigue later in the day on the day after the 2nd shot. Disabled dd was hard to tell--I left her in bed with toys and music since I was not well and she sounded happy enough.

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16 hours ago, popmom said:

I do know of 2 people who tested positive for COVID within a couple of days of getting their first dose of vaccine. So it does happen. Not caused by the vaccine, of course, Just bad luck/timing. 

 

I was extra extra careful prior to vaccination appointment and afterward, for the first couple of weeks. Totally unsupported by anything, but I don’t think it would be good to encounter the real virus while the immune system is already working on the response, especially with a vaccine that seems to be pretty reactive in some people.

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2 hours ago, popmom said:

@MercyAhow did it go this morning? 

You are so sweet to ask! It went fine, but I came home, had something to eat, and went to bed for a couple hours. I feel vaguely flu-ish still--a little headachy and like I don't want anyone to touch me, IYKWIM. But, I'm definitely improving and so is DH.

I had only had three kids today. I did a lesson on the Ascension, with a cute little craft and a game. Love my 1st to 4th graders. 

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16 minutes ago, MercyA said:

You are so sweet to ask! It went fine, but I came home, had something to eat, and went to bed for a couple hours. I feel vaguely flu-ish still--a little headachy and like I don't want anyone to touch me, IYKWIM. But, I'm definitely improving and so is DH.

I had only had three kids today. I did a lesson on the Ascension, with a cute little craft and a game. Love my 1st to 4th graders. 

Glad to hear things are improving. Hopefully tomorrow you'll be back to normal and soon any unpleasantness will fade into a distant memory.

So happy to know you and your husband have had both rounds.

Congratulations!

Bill

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On 4/10/2021 at 8:28 AM, HSmomof2 said:

Ds(18) had J&J vaccine about 14 hours ago. Slightly sore arm last night, and he woke up with a headache, achy overall, low fever (~100) this morning. Took some Tylenol and went back to bed. 

Ds(18) is feeling back to normal today, about 36 hours after his vaccine. 

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A question for knowledgable people. Is "feeling bad" after vaccinations a "good thing?" Does that equate to evidence one's body is having a strong (and therefore protective) immune response?

And, conversely, is little to no reaction actually less desirable?

Or is that wrong-headed thinking?

I don't know. But I wonder.

What says Dr Hive?

Bill

 

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14 minutes ago, Spy Car said:

A question for knowledgable people. Is "feeling bad" after vaccinations a "good thing?" Does that equate to evidence one's body is having a strong (and therefore protective) immune response?

And, conversely, is little to no reaction actually less desirable?

Or is that wrong-headed thinking?

I don't know. But I wonder.

What says Dr Hive?

Bill

 

I googled that myself earlier today and found this:

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/if-you-dont-have-covid-vaccine-side-effects-are-you-still-protected/

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3 hours ago, MercyA said:

You are so sweet to ask! It went fine, but I came home, had something to eat, and went to bed for a couple hours. I feel vaguely flu-ish still--a little headachy and like I don't want anyone to touch me, IYKWIM. But, I'm definitely improving and so is DH.

I had only had three kids today. I did a lesson on the Ascension, with a cute little craft and a game. Love my 1st to 4th graders. 

Good to hear! I taught that age at my church for years! It’s killing me to see my first little group about to graduate from high school! 😭

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Both my young adult daughters (both less than 20 yrs old) had their first Pfizer shots on Friday afternoon. Dd#2 had a bit of a headache immediately post-shot & a sore arm for a couple of days. Dd#1 also reported a sore arm.

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2 hours ago, TexasProud said:

Thanks. Here is a pertinent quote from this article:

“If you really feel it, you’re mounting a really vigorous immune response,” says Sujan Shresta, a viral immunologist at the La Jolla Institute for Immunology. “But at the same time, just because a person didn’t feel anything doesn’t mean the immune response wasn’t vigorous. Each one of us makes a different kind of immune response.”

Now, at least, I don't have to feel bad if I don't "feel bad" after tomorrow's 2nd shot. 

Bill

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3 hours ago, TexasProud said:

About 36 hours post shot and neither of us has had any symptoms at all other than a very, very mild sore arm. 

I hope you and dh sail through without discomfort.  I know it was a huge effort for you to do this and you were really worried.  You deserve a break from it all.

8 minutes ago, Spy Car said:

Thanks. Here is a pertinent quote from this article:

“If you really feel it, you’re mounting a really vigorous immune response,” says Sujan Shresta, a viral immunologist at the La Jolla Institute for Immunology. “But at the same time, just because a person didn’t feel anything doesn’t mean the immune response wasn’t vigorous. Each one of us makes a different kind of immune response.”

Now, at least, I don't have to feel bad if I don't "feel bad" after tomorrow's 2nd shot. 

Bill

My body launched a full-scale protest that was most inconvenient, but is over now and I feel a great weight has been lifted.  Some of these vaccines just use much stronger doses than others. Dh and ds are bigger than me and they had no symptoms beyond initial arm soreness.  By my calculations, the Pfizer people are having the easiest time of it.  Maybe in the future it'll be possible to give lower doses or dose by weight? If I had it to do over, I would have rested the day I got the vaccine instead of going full steam ahead because I didn't feel anything.

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1 hour ago, Spy Car said:

Thanks. Here is a pertinent quote from this article:

“If you really feel it, you’re mounting a really vigorous immune response,” says Sujan Shresta, a viral immunologist at the La Jolla Institute for Immunology. “But at the same time, just because a person didn’t feel anything doesn’t mean the immune response wasn’t vigorous. Each one of us makes a different kind of immune response.”

Now, at least, I don't have to feel bad if I don't "feel bad" after tomorrow's 2nd shot. 

Bill

I'm getting my second shot tomorrow, too.

I am kind of hoping for mild side effects.  I take a weekly injection that weakens my immune system, so it would be a relief to me to have some indication that my body is building immunity.  

I think, though, that having symptoms doesn't really indicate that it is working or not.

 

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1 hour ago, Junie said:

I'm getting my second shot tomorrow, too.

I am kind of hoping for mild side effects.  I take a weekly injection that weakens my immune system, so it would be a relief to me to have some indication that my body is building immunity.  

I think, though, that having symptoms doesn't really indicate that it is working or not.

 

Best wishes on your vaccination tomorrow. We will be able to compare notes. I was surprised with my first shot that I got a bit of a reaction right away (as in almost immediately) that was beyond the feeling of just getting a shot.

It was so fast that I wondered if I was just having a psychosomatic response--but no--the achy arm thing persisted for a day or so. Not bad. Just immediate. I did not expect that (and still find it strange).

I kind of hoping for "mild" now myself--wasn't sure before if I should be hoping for a "vigorous response" in the form of feeling bad--or not.

I guess that whatever will be, will be.  I'm so happy this day has come. I'm sure you must feel the same.

I hope it goes well for you. 

Bill

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https://www.healthline.com/health-news/why-women-experience-stronger-side-effects-to-covid-19-vaccines#A-common-occurrence

"Experts suspect that in women, particularly premenopausal women, the levels of estrogen help activate the immune response to illness and, therefore, to vaccines. Men, on the other hand, have more testosterone, a hormone that can somewhat dampen or slow down the same response.
.......
In the past, Schlesinger said, a stronger response in females has been seen and studied in vaccines for yellow fever, DPT, influenza, and other illnesses. Schlesinger said estrogen encourages the body to produce more T-cells, the reactor cells that protect us, when a vaccine is introduced. Thus, he said, we see the quicker and stronger response many women experience."

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1 hour ago, Spy Car said:

Best wishes on your vaccination tomorrow. We will be able to compare notes. I was surprised with my first shot that I got a bit of a reaction right away (as in almost immediately) that was beyond the feeling of just getting a shot.

It was so fast that I wondered if I was just having a psychosomatic response--but no--the achy arm thing persisted for a day or so. Not bad. Just immediate. I did not expect that (and still find it strange).

I kind of hoping for "mild" now myself--wasn't sure before if I should be hoping for a "vigorous response" in the form of feeling bad--or not.

I guess that whatever will be, will be.  I'm so happy this day has come. I'm sure you must feel the same.

I hope it goes well for you. 

Bill

I had a very mild reaction to the first dose (Pfizer).  Just a little bit of a sore arm that only lasted a few hours.

Maybe I had a headache?  I have chronic migraines, so impossible to tell if it was related to the vaccine.

Maybe I had sore joints?  I have RA, so again impossible to tell.

I'm not really sure what to expect this time around, but I am so, so glad for the light at the end of the tunnel.

Best wishes.

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I got my 2nd Moderna last week and then went skiing. I was glad I did that same day, even though I wasn't sure if I should, but the nurse said it was no problem.  I did fine and made sure to stay hydrated. The next day and a 1/2 I  felt off and ended up with a mild fever of 100 and my sinuses were stuffy a bit, which makes my whole scalp tender.  Then another day after that just to get my strength back.  Just took it easy and read a book or watched TV. 

I wasn't sure what I would end up with the 2nd, as the first one I had a headache for 2 days.  This one didn't quite get there, but I did end up with almost migraine like headache the week before, that lasted 2 days and Tylenol didn't help much. I really was not looking forward to my 2nd as I didn't want the headaches to return, they tire me out. I don't know what the headaches were all about either, like why did I get them in the first place...

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5 hours ago, Junie said:

 

I am kind of hoping for mild side effects.  I take a weekly injection that weakens my immune system, so it would be a relief to me to have some indication that my body is building immunity.  

 

3 hours ago, Corraleno said:

 

"Experts suspect that in women, particularly premenopausal women, the levels of estrogen help activate the immune response to illness and, therefore, to vaccines\ . Schlesinger said estrogen encourages the body to produce more T-cells, the reactor cells that protect us, when a vaccine is introduced. Thus, he said, we see the quicker and stronger response many women experience."

I'm going for my 2nd Moderna shot on Thursday and hoping for mild side effects also for these reasons.  I'm concerned about how well the vaccine will work for me since my white blood cell count is always low and my estrogen level is also.  

 

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