COVID vaccination side effects good news for immune system
There are now three vaccines available with FDA emergency use authorization, and soon all adults over 18 will have the opportunity to be vaccinated. Now is the time to become more educated on these vaccines, the possible side effects and why this is all good news for our immune system and our community as a whole.
The fastest way to end the pandemic and get back to some sense of a normal life is attaining herd immunity. Herd immunity will be achieved when a significant portion of the population becomes immune to COVID-19 and lowers the risk of infection for everyone.
Vaccinations are one of the most effective tools we have in achieving this goal and are a normal part of wellness. From childhood immunizations to annual flu shots, vaccines are proven to protect health and prevent disease.
Compared to the flu, which kills an average of 60,000 people a year, COVID-19 has killed over 500,000 since January 2020 and has proven to cause severe medical complications, sometimes leading to hospitalization and death. Moreover, there is no way to know how COVID-19 will affect you until you are sick.
Many are experiencing long-term illnesses and side effects that last much longer than those who have been impacted by influenza. Additionally, COVID-19 is highly contagious especially to those who are in contact for more than 15 minutes such as family, friends and coworkers. Being vaccinated protects those you care most about, particularly people at increased risk of severe illness from COVID-19.
Scientists have used only ingredients that are safe and effective to create the two types of COVID-19 vaccines available. The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines were created using mRNA. mRNA are temporary pieces of genetic code from the virus that stimulates your body’s immune response into making virus-fighting antibodies.
The new Johnson & Johnson vaccine uses a modified adenovirus (a type of virus that causes the common cold) that can’t replicate or cause illness as a vehicle to deliver instructions to cells on how to fight the virus. Since neither of these methods contain a live COVID-19 virus, it’s impossible to catch COVID-19 from getting vaccinated. However, you may have some side effects, which are actually normal signs that your body is building protection.
Each individual’s experience will differ depending upon his or her body’s immune response, but higher numbers of people have mentioned experiencing greater discomfort after their second dose.
These side effects are not unique to the COVID-19 vaccine. In fact, being inoculated for shingles can cause similar symptoms to what has been experienced with the Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna vaccines. However, they are short term, and should resolve in a few hours up to a few days. In that time, you may experience symptoms such as pain or swelling at the injection site, low-grade fever, chills, joint pain, tiredness, headache and nausea.
These flu-like symptoms people are encountering are caused by the body’s response to a foreign invader. The fever and muscle aches come from inflammation, a sign that immune cells are sending out an alarm, dispatching cells and molecules to memorize the features of the invader.
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