Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

COVID-19 Vaccine: What Side Effects — or No Side Effects — Mean; Everyone's body responds to vaccines differently.
Discover Magazine ^ | 03/23/2021 | Leslie Nemo

Posted on 03/23/2021 9:33:51 PM PDT by SeekAndFind

If you’re gearing up to get your COVID-19 vaccine, maybe keep your schedule light for the day after your second shot — or only shot, if you’re getting the Johnson and Johnson variety.

Some people feel muscle aches, pains or just flat-out exhaustion afterward, side effects that other vaccines prompt in people, too. “These are not unexpected,” says Carlos Malvestutto, an infectious disease physician at Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. “We see them to a higher or lesser extent with pretty much every vaccine.” And while who feels what symptoms and when might surprise some people, the way the side effects are playing out now that millions are getting vaccinated lines up with what a lot of medical professionals expected to see.

How You Know the COVID-19 Vaccine Is Working

First things first: “That reaction is not having COVID-19,” Malvestutto says. The vaccines can’t bring you down with the infection — they only supply snippets of the coronavirus itself, and you’d need the entire virus to make you sick. Instead, any aches, arm tenderness or fatigue you might feel a day or two after the shot comes from your immune system doing what it’s supposed to: Learn how to fight off a real infection.

In the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines, for example, the shot introduces into your cells pieces of mRNA, the instructions for your body to make a protein from the surface of a coronavirus. Once your cells start churning out the virus protein, your immune system recognizes the particles as something that doesn’t belong to you. Flagging the proteins down as undesirable kicks off a campaign to eliminate them, which can come with all the symptoms of an activated immune system — aches, sore muscles, and feeling rundown.

Why You Got Bad Side Effects and Grandma Didn't

Not everyone might feel the same side effects, or any at all. Malvestutto said that he, for example, felt some chills after getting his vaccine, while his wife, another physician, felt under-the-weather for longer. In some cases, older individuals have fewer side effects after the vaccine. This may sound counterintuitive — these same people are more likely to get seriously ill or die from the virus — but the lack of aches and pains proves why seniors were a priority for a vaccine, Malvestutto says. Feeling as if nothing happened after the injections could mean your immune system isn’t quite as easy to activate. You might not respond to the real virus with as much vigor, a situation that is more likely to be true for immune systems that have been working hard for, say, 70 years. That being said, someone doesn’t have to feel like they have the flu after the shot in order to develop good resistance to the actual virus.

People receiving the two-shot vaccine might also notice that they only feel run down after the second one — another expected pattern, Malvestutto says. If the first injection tees the immune system up, the second shot is the follow-through swing that sends the ball flying, as the follow-up dose is when the body gets exposed to much more of the protein it now knows to attack. “The second shot comes into a primed body that recognizes [the protein] and goes to work,” Malvestutto says. The two-part act also explains why people who are exposed to the virus between injections — or within a couple weeks of the second dose — might get sick. It takes time for your immune system to build up enough defense tools after the second shot.

If someone feels the weight of the symptoms after the first dose, that could be a sign they were already infected with the virus, Malvestutto says. Studies have found that people who were previously sick with the coronavirus developed side effects and larger immune responses one dose in, meaning their immune system was already in the “teed up” phase. “They already have some antibodies, so half the work is already done,” Malvestutto says. The force of a single dose for those who already had COVID-19 has persuaded a few nations to consider dropping the second shot for previous patients.

The potential day or two spent wanting to stay in bed after the vaccine could be a small price to pay compared to coming down with the virus itself, Malvestutto says. Sure, a large percentage of people infected with the coronavirus never get symptoms. But some patients who had to get hospitalized for the virus — for a long time, that number hovered around 3.5 percent of all cases — as well as those who had more mild infections, are still reporting shortness of breath, chest tightness and other symptoms months after first falling ill. Estimates suggest up to one in 10 people who get sick with COVID-19 become “long-haulers,” or people dealing with symptoms for weeks to months.

And if you still have questions about what the vaccines do inside your body, that's okay. "Everyone has a right to get these vaccines," Malvestutto says. "Don't be afraid to voice concerns, and don’t keep concerns to yourself and quietly decide the vaccine isn't for you."


TOPICS: Health/Medicine; Science; Society
KEYWORDS: chinavirusvaccine; covid19; covidstats; mrna; sideeffects; vaccine
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-50 next last

1 posted on 03/23/2021 9:33:51 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

Had first shot. Moderna. No side effects except my upper arm and shoulder where I got the shot have been sore for a couple of days, like if you had been punched. Now on day 3 and the pain is almost completely gone.


2 posted on 03/23/2021 9:39:24 PM PDT by kaehurowing
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

These vaccines proves that “science” does believe in miracles—they can study the long term effects (five years, ten years, twenty years) in less than a year!


3 posted on 03/23/2021 9:42:26 PM PDT by cgbg (A kleptocracy--if they can keep it. Think of it as the Cantillon Effect in action.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

I found out after my first shot and an immediate immune response to it that my.doctor now thinks I had exposure to Covid recently this explaining why I had such a strong reaction 10 minutes after the first shot that lasted off and on for a week. I had flushing of the skin a 102 fever, felt like I got in a boxing match with Tyson then it tapered off. After two follow ups they are convinced I had covid and didn’t know it so my body saw the first injection and went on the warpath. My second shot is next week if I have little reaction to it then I had covid if I have a stronger reaction then I didn’t is what they say. I declined the $300 antibodies test as it’s irrelevant now that I’m in between shots.


4 posted on 03/23/2021 9:52:35 PM PDT by JD_UTDallas ("Veni Vidi Vici" )
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: cgbg

Name one vaccine a modern one as in under 25 years old that has had long term damages to thousands of people not the random few that make up 0.00001% of the immunized group. Name one that had a 1% or higher dangerous, damaging, or disabilitating outcome again with 1% or more of the subjects having these effects. Do tell.


5 posted on 03/23/2021 9:56:00 PM PDT by JD_UTDallas ("Veni Vidi Vici" )
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

Side effects? Well,normally you would expect them to have a handle on that. Except these experimental gene therapy shots were rushed through after trials on just 0.013% of the US population over a span of several weeks. Long term side effects from this brand new, never tried before in widespread use technology? Anyone’s guess. Literally, roll the dice - lifetime immunity, cancer, auto immune disease. Spin the wheel of chance because we don’t have {expletive}clue what might happen. May the odds be ever in your favor.


6 posted on 03/23/2021 10:07:13 PM PDT by ThunderSleeps (Biden/Harris - illegitimate and everyone knows it.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

People ARE different...I had a friend who when prescribed medications generally could only take about 1/4th the amount prescribed...otherwise she’d have really bad reactions.


7 posted on 03/23/2021 10:16:40 PM PDT by goodnesswins (The issue is never the issue. The issue is always the revolution." -- Saul Alinksy)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

Age Mid 50’s - high risk
Moderna #1 shot - slightly sore upper arm that started about 6 hours after the shot and lasted less than 24 hours.

Moderna #2 shot - I was expecting a response due to hearing that others did not feel well after the 2nd dose.
I had no issues and my arm was less sore than when I got the first dose.

The yearly flu shot affects more than this did.


8 posted on 03/23/2021 10:20:25 PM PDT by stlnative
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: ThunderSleeps

“...Except these experimental gene therapy shots...”
***********************************************
I keep seeing folks posting about “gene therapy shots” but they never explain the needed miraculous mechanism for the vaccines to make their way to the genes inside the cells’ nucleus. Can you explain the process to accomplish this biological trip to inside the nucleus? If not, I’ll continue to be sure that “gene therapy shots” are nothing more than meaningless boogeyman words meant to scare the gullible.


9 posted on 03/23/2021 10:20:37 PM PDT by House Atreides
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: stlnative

“...Moderna #1 shot - slightly sore upper arm that started about 6 hours after the shot and lasted less than 24 hours.

Moderna #2 shot - I was expecting a response due to hearing that others did not feel well after the 2nd dose.
I had no issues and my arm was less sore than when I got the first dose.”
****************************************************
Describes my experience exactly.


10 posted on 03/23/2021 10:22:35 PM PDT by House Atreides
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

Wife browbeat me into the moderna shot due to travel interests.

Felt on and off a bit more achy than my usual gym workouts would cause, first week. No big deal, took some more Chondtroitan. Have had some weird itchiness on the upper arm where the shot was given.

Two weeks until the next shot, may be croak after that one.

Wish i still had my old spectrum analyzer to scan for weird signals coming from microchips.............


11 posted on 03/23/2021 10:23:13 PM PDT by doorgunner69 ("Those who vote decide nothing. Those who count the vote decide everything.." -Joseph Stalin)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

Go on and get ya some. Not this hillbilly white boy thank you very much. I’ll wait and observe the population that receives this “new and improved” vaccine for a bit. Ya know.... God made the body’s immune system for a reason.


12 posted on 03/23/2021 10:26:45 PM PDT by LastDayz (A blunt and brazen Texan. I will not be assimilated.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

I got my first Moderna shot two weeks ago. I had a sore arm for two days and I’ve been experiencing chills on and off ever since getting the shot. Shot #2 is due April 6.


13 posted on 03/23/2021 10:30:13 PM PDT by Pelham (Liberate the Democrats from their Communist occupation)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

my 97 year old mother got the 1st and 2nd Moderna shot and had no side effects, so did 90 year old neighbors, I also got both, no side effects-I’m not saying no one gets side effects, some do, my wife had side effects for 24 hours two years ago from a shingles shot but some people are also whiners-every little ache is a side effect


14 posted on 03/23/2021 10:36:43 PM PDT by TECTopcat (e)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Pelham

You mright have already had covid then. I’m a week from my.second Pfizer dose. My first shot kick in 10 minutes after injection , with chills then flushing to heat flash then chills again. On a every 2 hour cycle 30 min of chills feel fine then flush to heat for 45 min then fine went on for days nearly a week. My internal med guy is convinced I was exposed to covid and that is my body’s immune system in war mode to the already recognized vaccine proteins. I declined an antibodies test no need to spend the money since the second shot will convey immunity regardless. I broke my isolation bubble in the first week of January for patriot duty and that’s where I think I got exposed.


15 posted on 03/23/2021 10:36:58 PM PDT by JD_UTDallas ("Veni Vidi Vici" )
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: House Atreides; ThunderSleeps

The “altering genetic code” idea is promoted by people who don’t know the difference between DNA and messenger RNA.

Or by those who do know the difference but want people to be afraid to get vaccinated.


16 posted on 03/23/2021 10:42:12 PM PDT by Pelham (Liberate the Democrats from their Communist occupation)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: House Atreides

By “gene therapy” I think they mean mRNA vaccine, of which these Covid vaccines are the first. Normally a vaccine contains the entire bacteria or virus, albeit modified or attenuated so as not to infect the patient. Then antibodies form to that injected vaccine, and the person is protected should the disease organism enter. The antibodies glom onto the bug, take it to a Macrophage cell, which gobbles up the whole mess. THIS vaccine injects a “spike protein” portion of the virus, which is a bit of Messenger RNA, which then enters YOUR cells, and takes over reproduction of cells, instead making little virus particles that are supposed to then be released, and trigger an antibody response.

This DNA-altering vaccine is not for me. Nobody has explained why this vaccine was produced in this fashion, rather than the traditional way. There may be a good reason, but I haven’t seen the explanation


17 posted on 03/23/2021 10:55:44 PM PDT by Hardy Weinberg
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: JD_UTDallas

Could be. Your chills sound similar to what I’ve been having.

A year ago through much of January and February I was uncomfortably short of breath, especially at night. It didn’t respond to my asthma meds. I had a low grade fever and a painfully inflamed ear as well. This was maybe a month before Covid was known to have broken out in the US but I’ve wondered if there was mild variant already going around Southern California.


18 posted on 03/23/2021 10:59:20 PM PDT by Pelham (Liberate the Democrats from their Communist occupation)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: Pelham
Moderna Chief Medical Officer Admits mRNA Alters DNA

Intriguing Title, eh?

19 posted on 03/23/2021 11:07:44 PM PDT by grey_whiskers (The opinions are solely those of the author and are subject to change with out notice.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]

To: Hardy Weinberg

“This DNA-altering vaccine is not for me.”
*************************************
You need to study this more. I can’t take you through Celular Biology 101.

“DNA-altering vaccine”, like “gene therapy shots” are just more meaningless boogeyman words meant to scare the gullible and the ignorant.


20 posted on 03/23/2021 11:19:50 PM PDT by House Atreides
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 17 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-50 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson