COVID Reaction to COVID-19 Vaccine (or what to be prepared for)

[Astronuc]

My son had his 2nd Moderna vaccination about noon today. I felt fine most of the afternoon, with some soreness in his arm. He felt mostly fine into the evening. At about 9h, he is feeling a bit nauseous, but no fever. I will continue to monitor him.

Edit/Update: This morning (20 hr), my son complained of a headache and weakness. He's taking acetaminophen (paracetamol) for the headache. He has a slight fever, ~ 100°F (38°C).

So, anecdotally, the Moderna vaccine seems to produce stronger (somewhat adverse) reactions more often than Pfizer's vaccine. I don't know however if his headache and weakness are related to dehydration. He did drink fluids, including Gatorade, yesterday, but also a fair amount of coffee (a diuretic), but no alcohol.

Edit/update: My son recovered this afternoon (~28 hr). Before a second dose of acetaminophen (~24 hr), the fever had subsided and the headache had dissipated. Perhaps hydration and acetaminophen had helped this morning. His energy returned by this dinner time and his appetite was normal.

 

[Laroxe]

As if, to provide further evidence of how difficult it can be to identify potential problems with vaccines when they occur very rarely and when they can also occur in the absence of vaccination, I've just seen this report.

The mRNA vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna are being investigated because of reports of myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle) a potentially serious adverse effect, after 62 cases were reported in Israel (all Pfizer). A further 45 cases were identified on the VAERS system in the USA, with 14 cases reported in men in the military all under 30 years old. Cases in the US have involved the Pfizer and Moderna vaccine's.
Symptoms, typically chest pain typically start 12 to 96 hours after the second dose with young men being most likely to be affected.
Like the adverse events associated with the vaccines using viral vectors (Astra Zenica and J&J), this potential adverse event appears to be very rare. This seems to underscore the idea that following an immune challenge of any sort a period of rest and recovery is the best response, in myocarditis, exercise is a very bad idea.
This is clearly an issue in which the investigation is based on the temporal association of a small number of cases, so far there is no indication of an increase in the overall rate of myocarditis at the population level. In many ways it mirrors many of the problems seen in the investigation of blood clotting disorders with the Astra Zenica vaccine. Whether more evidence will clarify if this association is really a vaccine associated adverse event, it again shows that the monitoring systems are working, which should be reassuring.

https://www.health.com/condition/in...pfizer-vaccine-heart-inflammation-myocarditis

https://www.military.com/daily-news...inflammation-troops-after-covid-19-shots.html

 

[Janus]

I am now 32 hours past receiving my 2nd Pfizer shot, and so far have had no reaction what-so-ever. No headache, no fatigue, etc. The little bit of tenderness at the injection site is even less than that from the first shot (Though I think that has more to do with the skill of the person giving the shot.)

 

[bhobba]

Here is interesting information about the death risk of Deep Vein Thrombosis, which has a 6% fatality rate, from flying:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1989755/#:~:text=The risk of venous thrombosis,the absolute risk is unknown.

Unless my math is astray, that means in an 8 week period after a flight of at least 4 hours; there is a 12.8 in a million chance of dying. This is 12 or so times higher than the risk of death from the Oxford vaccine and clots (estimated about 5-6 per million cases with about a 20% death rate to give about a 1 in a million chance of death). I do not know the odds of getting it after the J&J vaccine, but I believe it is lower than the Oxford vaccine. So the question is would you be worried about a 4-hour flight? If not, why worry about the Oxford or J&J vaccine?

I am booked in for my Oxford shot at 3:15 Monday.

Thanks
Bill

 

[artis]

As someone who got vaccinated the "natural" read "hard" way, I have now read much more about the disease also talked to doctors etc. I got Covid from someone who had symptoms, we only talked for about 5 minutes and never came closer than 1.5 meters, mine was the UK variant I think as that is the most widespread as of now in my country. Some 87%.
I was ill this spring from March 25 to 9th of April, I also spent 9 days in a hospital, at first the docs didn't want to take me as I had medium symptoms and fever but I talked them into it, then later I was glad.

First of all I just want to point out that it is I believe in 99% of the cases wiser to go for the vaccine instead of risking the real deal, because it is impossible to know how your body will react to it. I know people personally that had it and did not feel anything and would have never known they were infected unless for a later random antibody blood sample. I also know a few that have died. most others had it mildly. For me it somehow went straight to pneumonia right away.
Now more than a month later I still feel a lack of endurance and some adverse central nervous system effects.The reason I am telling all this is because from what I have gathered I believe that the reason that there are some small fraction of fatality cases from the vaccine with some rare trombosis cases is simply because similar also rare outcomes result from the very virus itself. And as a general rule of thumb I would say that if someone got the vaccine and died from some side effects or complications he or she would have died from the actual virus too.
As for the myocarditis cases with the Pfizer vaccine mentioned here earlier, again the same has happened to people who got the virus. I personally don't think it's as much of a side effects of the vaccine as it is simple a side effect of Covid itself. This is not ofcourse science , merely my opinion but it seems correlated.If I may give an advice I would say that for those that have got the real virus, even if without symptoms it would be advisable to pay attention to any abnormal feelings and symptoms even weeks after, and as also my doctors advised me I will take a few of the basic cardiac tests like 24h monitoring and echo,
also I would personally stay away from any unnecessary physical activity after the vaccine for at least a few days, after all you are injected with a virus and your body needs energy and time to prepare the antibodies and deal with it.
For me personally after I got out of hospital my troponin was at 0.0 so I had no physical heart damage although weeks after while recovering my endurance was very low and even the smallest physical load as walking to the store caused an elevated heart rate. Now 1.5 months after I am slowly getting back to normal yet still experiencing weakness.

 

[symbolipoint]

after all you are injected with a virus and

No. Not the actual virus for these vaccines.

 

[artis]

@symbolipoint you mean the mRNA ones? From what I gather they differ in that they don't contain the weakened version of the virus like a typical vaccine would but instead just contain the part of the virus that helps it to infect our tissue aka "the spike protein" so that our body develops the anti response agents to combat that spike protein so that the virus cannot attach itself successfully ?
PS. I met a woman few days ago that had the virus 3 months ago, she was in a medium severity case, but eventually never needed hospitalization and got back to normal at home. She just like me had lost smell and some taste, then it gradually just like for me came back to normal. Then after about 2 months of being normal one day she suddenly lost smell completely again, it came back the next day.
Sometimes it is hard to believe all these weird side effects if it weren't for someone that I know.
In this way Covid I think differs a lot from the typical flu and other respiratory viruses that instead of just attacking the respiratory system and causing general weakness it additionally causes other weird symptoms like CNS adverse effects which I felt strongly, also arrhythmia which was mildly in my case, and many other symptoms.

Long after the fever itself was gone and my temperature was normal I still had nerve effects and arrhythmia and generally an elevated heart beat.

 

[symbolipoint]

@symbolipoint you mean the mRNA ones? From what I gather they differ in that they don't contain the weakened version of the virus like a typical vaccine would but instead just contain the part of the virus that helps it to infect our tissue aka "the spike protein" so that our body develops the anti response agents to combat that spike protein so that the virus cannot attach itself successfully ?

Yes; something like that. How exactly to say I do not know. Not generally something I had studied much when I was a science student. I saw a couple of articles today in Yahoo, the news articles, describing some of this or mentioning part of this briefly.

 

[pinball1970]

@symbolipoint you mean the mRNA ones? From what I gather they differ in that they don't contain the weakened version of the virus like a typical vaccine would but instead just contain the part of the virus that helps it to infect our tissue aka "the spike protein" so that our body develops the anti response agents to combat that spike protein so that the virus cannot attach itself successfully ?
PS. I met a woman few days ago that had the virus 3 months ago, she was in a medium severity case, but eventually never needed hospitalization and got back to normal at home. She just like me had lost smell and some taste, then it gradually just like for me came back to normal. Then after about 2 months of being normal one day she suddenly lost smell completely again, it came back the next day.
Sometimes it is hard to believe all these weird side effects if it weren't for someone that I know.
In this way Covid I think differs a lot from the typical flu and other respiratory viruses that instead of just attacking the respiratory system and causing general weakness it additionally causes other weird symptoms like CNS adverse effects which I felt strongly, also arrhythmia which was mildly in my case, and many other symptoms.

Long after the fever itself was gone and my temperature was normal I still had nerve effects and arrhythmia and generally an elevated heart beat.

AZ is chimp Adenovirus

 

[bhobba]

No. Not the actual virus for these vaccines.

That's the historical method of doing it. Inject the dead virus. The trouble is, while it works, it is often not that effective. But still, some Covid vaccines have been produced that way, often with an adjuvant which is an additive that increases effectiveness. An example is the Sinovac vaccine from China. It's thought they would be very safe - but efficacy is the issue. Then they have the protein coating of the virus as a vaccine. It is usually more effective and is also often used with an adjuvant. Examples are Novavax (a protein subunit vaccine) and Covax-19 from Professor Peterovsky here in Aus (using an adjuvant he has patented). They are undergoing phase 3 trials now, and if all goes well will likely be available in the second half of the year. Then we have new methods like mRNA and a modified harmless virus that tricks the body into thinking it is the virus you want to vaccinate against. It is further explained here:
https://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/emea/four-types-covid-19-vaccine-snapshot

Thanks
Bill

 

[Grasshopper]

Man this is killing me (figuratively I hope). I know I’m whinging, but I rarely get sick, and here I am experiencing full on flu symptoms along with a slightly discomfortable chest after the 2nd Pfizer. In addition to the sore arm.

Being sick sucks, especially when it’s fake sickness meant to train your immune system.

I guess this post doesn’t have much purpose other than therapy. So what did the physicsforums.com community experience after being vaccinated?

I don’t expect many replies if any, but hopefully I’ll have someone besides my girlfriend to comfort my sadness, via reading worse reactions than mine.

I kid I kid.

 

[Grasshopper]

(This added about a month after this thread opened: It turns out I'm a real outlier for side effects to the vaccine, so don't let this post scare you off. My wife says every time I catch a cold or something that it hits me hard. Of course to me that is 'normal.' )

A few days ago a neighbor, my wife, and I received the 2^nd dose of the Moderna vaccine.

Here is a log of my after-effects. I'll try to keep this updated for any significant news.

Hour
0 - Received second dose of Moderna vaccine. As in the first one, didn't even feel the needle or the injection.
1 - Slight soreness in arm muscle.
2 - Sleepy, nap 2hrs, wakened by scam phone call.
6 - Sleepy, go to bed 5hrs early. Arm too sore to sleep on but otherwise not bothersome.
13 - Wake up shivering from cold. Room not cold, start of fever.
17 - Wake up hot. Throw off covers and back to sleep. (fever broke?)
20 - Wake up hot. Throw covers off. (fever broke?) get up after 14hrs sleep. (normal 8.5hrs.)
-- - Lack of energy, brain fog, low appetite.
24 - Temperature about 2.3°F high, but feeling somewhat better. Pulse 101 (usually 63 resting).
25 - Go out to pick up new eye glasses.
26 - Tired. Temperature about 2.7°F high.
-- - Read (some of) newspaper, check PF and Google News.
30 - Sleepy, bed time, again 5 hrs early. Pulse 93.
43 - Wake up, feel OK, temperature normal. Read rest of yesterdays newspaper. Pulse a normal 63.
48 - Wife and I do some shopping & errands.
52 - We are exhausted!
53 - Home, dinner, newspaper, PF .
56 - Tired, temperature normal, post this log. (& maybe check Google news)

edit:
Day 3 -
-- - Awoke 2hrs short of sleep. Hot, threw covers off but couldn't sleep. After 1/2 hr got up, all vitals normal. Appetite normal.
-- - Arm no longer sore.
-- - Tired, low energy, foggy brain all day.
/edit:

edit:
Day 4 -
-- - Normal sleep, mild low energy but got things done, mid afternoon 2hr. nap though.
-- - 'Loose bowels' much of the day, wife had that late yesterday.
/edit:

edit:
Day 18 -
-- - Mild hair loss noted when combing hair in the morning. This tapered off and resolved itself over 7 to 10 days.
/edit:

Of the three of us, I had the heaviest reaction to the vaccine. We all slept the afternoon of the shot and all of us were too tired to do much of anything the following day. My wife had a mild fever of about 1°F and the neighbor claimed no fever.

None of us took anything for symptom relief.

In the end it shows that our immune systems REALLY recognize the spike protein on SARS-COV-2!
It also shows that I REALLY REALLY don't want the real thing.

Cheers,
Tom

p.s. Don't be too concerned about my 'high' fever, my normal body temp is 1 to 1.4 degrees F below 'normal'.

edit:
added pulse rates
/edit:

Man I’m feeling some of this with Pfizer. Sucks. You have my sympathies for your dilemma.

 

[berkeman]

Man this is killing me

Yeah, the reactions to each of the vaccinations varies a lot. I'm active on a Medic forum where we have a thread about our reactions, and I can tell you that the reactions are all over the map. It's just the way it goes, but the bottom line is that the reactions are not too bad (compared to getting COVID-19), and usually even the worst go away in a couple of days.

My first Moderna vax just resulted in a sore deltoid muscle for two days, and my second vax gave me a couple hours of a mild fever and chills overnight. My wife had no reaction to her first vax, and was sick as a dog for two days in bed from her second vax. All is well now, and we both are enjoying the re-opening stage of this pandemic...

 

[Jarvis323]

Man this is killing me (figuratively I hope). I know I’m whinging, but I rarely get sick, and here I am experiencing full on flu symptoms along with a slightly discomfortable chest after the 2nd Pfizer. In addition to the sore arm.

Being sick sucks, especially when it’s fake sickness meant to train your immune system.

I guess this post doesn’t have much purpose other than therapy. So what did the physicsforums.com community experience after being vaccinated?

I don’t expect many replies if any, but hopefully I’ll have someone besides my girlfriend to comfort my sadness, via reading worse reactions than mine.

I kid I kid.

If you have chest tightness or pain, you should seek medical attention asap.

 

[vela]

I don’t expect many replies if any, but hopefully I’ll have someone besides my girlfriend to comfort my sadness, via reading worse reactions than mine.

I kid I kid.

You know the old saying: misery loves company.

In my family, only my brother experienced a strong reaction to the vaccine (both shots), but then, he had COVID a few months earlier. His wife said the second dose kicked her in the butt. A colleague, I heard, was wiped out for five days or so after the second dose. Most of my students who got the second dose said they experienced various side effects, mostly chills and headaches, but it was generally over in a day or two. A friend at Berkeley had double the fun: strong reactions to both doses. A former student told me she felt like she got hit by a train after the second dose.

 

[berkeman]

along with a slightly discomfortable chest

If you have chest tightness or pain, you should seek medical attention asap.

Yeah, what exactly does this mean? Congestion, pain? On a scale of 0-10, what level is that pain?

 

[symbolipoint]

Man this is killing me (figuratively I hope). I know I’m whinging, but I rarely get sick, and here I am experiencing full on flu symptoms along with a slightly discomfortable chest after the 2nd Pfizer. In addition to the sore arm.

Being sick sucks, especially when it’s fake sickness meant to train your immune system.

I guess this post doesn’t have much purpose other than therapy. So what did the physicsforums.com community experience after being vaccinated?

I don’t expect many replies if any, but hopefully I’ll have someone besides my girlfriend to comfort my sadness, via reading worse reactions than mine.

I kid I kid.

No reaction for me from both doses , vaccination for Covid19.

Definite flu-like side-effects from both doses vaccinations for another kind of viral disease, lasting of side-effects being only 8 to 10 hours - then gone.

You SHOULD expect that your side-effects from your Covid-19 vaccinations should also be very short-lived.

 

[Grasshopper]

Yeah, what exactly does this mean? Congestion, pain? On a scale of 0-10, what level is that pain?

Close to zero, and mostly when I lay a certain way, or when I take too deep of a breath. It could be entirely in my head, or just me squishing things, but I’m monitoring it.

I’ll probably swing by an urgent care Monday (and ER if anything at all starts feeling weird).

 

[bhobba]

Yeah, the reactions to each of the vaccinations varies a lot.

It sure does. I just got a sore arm, the same as when I get the Flu shot. Speaking to the disability workers who gave me a hand, they had to alter their vaccine strategy. About half were off for a few days, sometimes longer, after vaccination. To have enough working staff, they had to stagger it instead of vaccinating all quickly.

Thanks
Bill

 

[bhobba]

If you have chest tightness or pain, you should seek medical attention asap.

For those that got the AZ or J&J (i.e. adenovirus vaccines), be on the lookout for the following:
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-04-14/vaccine-covid19-do-i-have-a-blood-clot-astrazeneca/100065914

See your doctor ASAP. In Aus, we are finding a greater number than overseas, but our death rate from it is just 4%, not 20%. This suggests early detection is critical for this infrequent side effect. I do not think, on this forum, I need to mention that getting vaccinated is more important than waiting for a vaccine that does not have this side effect. At least as far as we can determine today - you can still get it with other vaccines like Pfizer - but it seems to be about the same prevalence as the background number of cases estimated to be .41 in a million in an 8 week period.

Thanks
Bill

 

[Jarvis323]

Close to zero, and mostly when I lay a certain way, or when I take too deep of a breath. It could be entirely in my head, or just me squishing things, but I’m monitoring it.

I’ll probably swing by an urgent care Monday (and ER if anything at all starts feeling weird).

I had chest discomfort when laying on one side and tightness/pressure in chest when breathing, and also some heart palpations. I went to the ER and got back results recently saying right atrial enlargement, which seems pretty serious.

My chest wasn't so much painful at all at first, just some pressure, and when breathing in sometimes it would cause a caugh. Then my stomach started feeling bloated.

This started 7 days after the second dose of the moderna vaccine. However, I had moderate Covid over a year ago and it left a lingering lung/throat internal burning sensation that hasn' gone away and I'm wondering of that could have been the cause.

Then again maybe the rae result was a typo or mistake or I read it wrong. As you can expect I've been pretty nervous about it for the last few days while I wait for clarification.

Anyways, if you have any hint of a heart problem at all, you should see a doctor.

 

[Borek]

Both of us two times Pfizer. Aching arms both times - for about two days.

After the second dose I had sore back, but I have no idea if it was a vaccine or my years showing up, I have similar soreness each time I need to do some physical work around the house. Didn't bother.

Marzena reacted to the second dose a bit worse, she have spent a day in a bed reading. Not that she felt THAT bad, but she is retired so she can afford doing nothing and resting, and side effects are quite a solid reason ;)

 

[atyy]

I don’t expect many replies if any, but hopefully I’ll have someone besides my girlfriend to comfort my sadness, via reading worse reactions than mine.

I kid I kid.

 

[Grasshopper]

I had chest discomfort when laying on one side and tightness/pressure in chest when breathing, and also some heart palpations. I went to the ER and got back results recently saying right atrial enlargement, which seems pretty serious.

My chest wasn't so much painful at all at first, just some pressure, and when breathing in sometimes it would cause a caugh. Then my stomach started feeling bloated.

This started 7 days after the second dose of the moderna vaccine. However, I had moderate Covid over a year ago and it left a lingering lung/throat internal burning sensation that hasn' gone away and I'm wondering of that could have been the cause.

Then again maybe the rae result was a typo or mistake or I read it wrong. As you can expect I've been pretty nervous about it for the last few days while I wait for clarification.

Anyways, if you have any hint of a heart problem at all, you should see a doctor.

Was if discomfort that you could easily forget about or was it worse?

 

[Grasshopper]

Man this is killing me (figuratively I hope). I know I’m whinging, but I rarely get sick, and here I am experiencing full on flu symptoms along with a slightly discomfortable chest after the 2nd Pfizer. In addition to the sore arm.

Being sick sucks, especially when it’s fake sickness meant to train your immune system.

I guess this post doesn’t have much purpose other than therapy. So what did the physicsforums.com community experience after being vaccinated?

I don’t expect many replies if any, but hopefully I’ll have someone besides my girlfriend to comfort my sadness, via reading worse reactions than mine.

I kid I kid.

Fever broke last night. Still sore and have a cough, though. Still going to a doctor Monday just in case the mild chest pain was real and not just me squishing my lungs and chest.

 

[Jarvis323]

Was if discomfort that you could easily forget about or was it worse?

I easily ignored it for 3 days or so then it got worse. Once I read that some people were getting myocarditis, it caused me more concern. If I didn't read that I probably would have completely ignored it. On pain scale I only gave it a 1 or 2 if it could even be called pain.

 

[Grasshopper]

I easily ignored it for 3 days or so then it got worse. Once I read that some people were getting myocarditis, it caused me more concern. If I didn't read that I probably would have completely ignored it. On pain scale I only gave it a 1 or 2 if it could even be called pain.

Thanks for the info. Will definitely be at the doctor's office as soon as they open.

 

[artis]

A close friend of mine got the Johnson single shot vaccine few days ago.
He also drank alcohol the evening after he got the vaccine on the same day. The next day he felt Covid like symptoms, sweating and cold one after the other, increased temperature , dizziness (although this could have also been increased due to hangover) and overall weakness. He still managed to do a quick work and then went back to rest. All symptoms disappeared the next day.

 

[pinball1970]

A close friend of mine got the Johnson single shot vaccine few days ago.
He also drank alcohol the evening after he got the vaccine on the same day. The next day he felt Covid like symptoms, sweating and cold one after the other, increased temperature , dizziness (although this could have also been increased due to hangover) and overall weakness. He still managed to do a quick work and then went back to rest. All symptoms disappeared the next day.

I managed to get my second jab moved forward via an NHS e-mail received on Friday.
New date was Sunday gone BUT I had already arranged to meet friends on the Sat.
Session/Hangover was not severe but reaction after the jab was not great, light headed, dizzy, wiped out.
Not quite like flu like symptoms from first jab but approaching that.
Tired, sore arm, today and avoiding alcohol for a bit.

 

[pinball1970]

We are all lab rats for the pharma cos.

Rather than just posting a claim during a pandemic, can you provide evidence that the vaccines have not been properly tested?