Durham, NC – As North Carolina continues to receive additional doses of COVID-19 vaccines, more and more residents are being vaccinated. Health experts say possible side effects are normal when receiving a vaccine.
“When we inject the body with a vaccine, we effectively inject an irritant into the body. The body creates an immune response, and when the body fights, you feel sick,” explains Dr. Christopher Chao, a family. medicine doctor at WakeMed Hospital.
Chao said he had a difficult experience with his second dose of the Pfizer vaccine.
“It took me about 72 hours to get back to normal. I had nausea and a mild fever for about 48 hours. It wasn’t very pleasant. My wife had the second vaccine and [experienced] fatigue and pain, and that was it, ”he described.
Chao added that side effects vary from person to person. Some have none, while others may experience arm pain or even “mild fever, chills, fatigue, headache, nausea, some vomiting, dizziness, body aches, and even swollen lymph nodes at the injection site.”
“These are normal side effects. This is your body saying,” Hey, there’s something in me. I do not like it. We’re going to create a response, “” said Chao. “The responses you see are the body’s normal response when they encounter an antigen, and it provides that defense for the future.”
Chao said it is too early to know the side effects of Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine.
Durham resident Benjamin Reed said he received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine around noon, went back to work, played basketball after work and was feeling fine. But later that night, things changed.
“When I went to bed that night, I had really awful aches and pains in my joints,” said Reed. “I was in bed, but felt like I was tossing and turning on concrete all night long.”
Reed added that despite having “ the worst headache of his life, ” the side effects didn’t last.
“By morning the aches and pains were gone,” he said. ‘I would definitely recommend taking the next day off. I think you should plan for that. ‘
Carla Kelly, who received her first dose of Moderna vaccine last month, says she plans to.
“I’m not really worried,” said Kelly. “I’m just more aware that I might be tired because that’s the most common thing I’ve heard after the second shot [is that] many people are tired. I’m just preparing. ”
Her next admission is scheduled for Friday, so she has the weekend to recover if needed.
‘Do not be afraid. It’s another shot. Yes, my arm hurt more than expected, but otherwise I’d say there’s nothing to be afraid of, ”Kelly said.
Those who have a cough, shortness of breath, loss of taste and smell, or side effects that last for more than 72 hours should seek medical attention. Health experts said the other side effects, if any, would go away in a few days.