Right now I’m especially grateful to have a job in healthcare. There’s been a lot of work around regarding the approved COVID-19 vaccines, but with the essential nature of the work, healthcare workers (regardless of whether they are patient-facing nor not) have been prioritized to get the vaccine at my company.
As of today, I have two doses of the Pfizer vaccine injected in my arm. I believe in science and the efficacy of the vaccines, so I had no hesitation getting the shot at the moment it was offered. The amount of emotion I felt upon receiving the dose could not be understated. It’s the most hopeful I’ve felt ever since this pandemic began, knowing that slowly (but surely) the end of this multifaceted nightmare is in sight.
Side Effects of the Vaccine
For awareness, knowing I got this vaccine much earlier than others, I felt it important to discuss the side effects of the vaccine so others might better be able to prepare for what the experience will be like.
First Shot
The first shot I was nervous about after reading about all the potential side effects. But a precaution, the nurses ask you to wait 15 minutes after obtaining the vaccine to make sure that no abnormal side effects occur.
This dose will lead to an incredibly sore arm you get the dose in (I chose to get it in my left arm, my non-dominant side). A couple days after the dose I felt moderate fatigue and a headache. After a good night’s rest though, those symptoms cleared up and I felt pretty normal.
Second Shot
This shot was definitely the more intense shot of the two. I felt symptoms after this dose within 24 hours. The day after the second dose I experienced an incredibly sore arm (the one I got the dose in), chills, widespread muscle and joint pain, fatigue, and headache. It was like the flu, and the following night I slept around 10 hours due to sheer exhaustion.
However, after a good night’s rest I felt much better. The arm soreness was mostly gone, and the only real symptom I had left was fatigue. After another day the fatigue had gone away, too.
Conclusion
The symptoms were very intense, but short-lived. Even though they weren’t pleasant, they were far better than actually contracting COVID-19. I highly recommend everyone who meets the criteria for the vaccines obtain it when they are first able to.
For now, I look forward to being able to travel again without fear and a world where social gatherings can safely occur in-person.