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COVID-19 Vaccine Experience

from a few posts back...

The vaccine is not 75% effective for some people and 85% for others. That percentage is for predicting the outcome for the population as a whole, based on a sufficient sample size.

Also, now there is talk of a booster shot, a third shot for either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, to combat the variants that are more virile. If I get one of those, and then a booster is released, I'll get that too. I will be eligible in a couple of weeks.
 
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Gregg2 said:
Also, now there is talk of a booster shot, a third shot for either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, to combat the variants that are more virile. If I get one of those, and then a booster is released, I'll get that too. I will be eligible in a couple of weeks.
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Any timeline on the 3rd booster ?
 
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Clix Pix said:
“Let’s spray the area down with antiviral cytokines, which also happen to be inflammatory.”

BINGO!!!! OK, now I have an explanation for a couple of things which I have noticed since I got the first dose of Moderna on January 21st..... The first couple of days, a sore arm at the injection site area, not unexpected. Felt fine otherwise. A day or so after that a period of runny nose and typical symptoms that I usually have when I'm having an allergic response in the Spring to pollen. Uh, OK.....that went away fairly quickly. Next up: a cold sore near my nose, when I definitely have not had a cold or any other illness for quite a long time, and the appearance of a second one a day or two later near my lower lip...... Ehhhhh..... I was beginning to wonder if this was all related somehow to that Moderna injection. Weird, but possible.....

Then a couple of days ago out of seemingly nowhere came the distinctly unpleasant surprise of rather intense lower back pain as well as pain radiating halfway down my legs, similar to sciatic pain which I experienced many years ago when having a disk herniation at L-5/S1. Aggggh...... NOT so cool. WTH?!!! In the many years since my surgery for that herniated disk I've experienced minor issues and even some numbness of a couple of toes on the left foot, the side which was affected, and that is not unusual. Apart from occasional twinges of pain reminiscent of that intense pain at the time of the herniation and an occasional nighttime leg cramp or two, nothing else particularly disturbing. Nothing like THIS!

THIS, though, was unusual and definitely disturbing!!! WHOA!!! Rapid onset is an index of suspicion from the get-go, though. I went to bed feeling perfectly fine. I hadn't done anything unusual, I hadn't fallen, I hadn't stressed myself doing strenuous exercises or moving furniture around, but, wow. This situation was sudden. Two mornings ago I arose from bed with this not-so-delightful surprise, barely could get out of bed, and finally yesterday resorted to taking a couple of Aleve when I was feeling extreme discomfort when sitting, when rising from a sitting position, when walking when lying down, when doing anything. Walking did seem to help but that seemed to happen only after a while. Bedtime the second night seemed a little easier, I was able to find a couple of comfortable positions and didn't have that intense burning pain which signaled that this was nerve-related. At first I thought, "OK, I've been sitting too much, I've been doing too much on the computer and because it's cold outside haven't been doing my usual walks around the neighborhood...."

Today things have been much more comfortable and though the day started out with pain and discomfort as time went on I noticed that the severity of discomfort had lessened and that my customary flexibility seemed to be gradually returning. In mid-afternoon I was able to do normal activities such as preparing loads of laundry for the machine and tossing them into first the washer and then the dryer without much of a problem.

Now I'm suspecting that in fact all of these odd things are indeed my body's response to my first dose of Moderna. The key word here for me is "inflammation", of course, when it comes to the issues with my lumbar spine. Exactly what I was feeling in a different way than ever before. Bingo! Makes perfect sense to me. Not fun. Now I'm wondering what the heck I'll be going through after I've had that second dose of Moderna later this month......
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These aren’t particularly surprising side effects. Cold sores (herpes simplex) can be trigger by other viral infections or any type of stress on your body or immune system. Joint pain is another fairly common side effect. Having pain in a site where you’ve had a previous injury is not so surprising either.

I’m not sure if your vaccination site gave you a document with side effect reporting instructions, but if so reporting these side effects could be helpful. The CDC has a particular side effect tracking tool for the COVID-19 vaccines called v-safe.
www.cdc.gov

V-safe After Vaccination Health Checker

Get personalized and confidential health check-ins via text messages.
www.cdc.gov www.cdc.gov

If you have more serious or long lasting side effects, you and your doctor can report this to the CDC’s VAERS system

VAERS | Vaccine Safety | CDC

VAERS is the national vaccine safety monitoring system that accepts reports of adverse events after vaccination. The system can quickly detect potential safety issues with vaccines.
www.cdc.gov www.cdc.gov
 
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poorcody said:
I'm wondering, will the booster have to go through stage 3 trials like the original?
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Any new vaccine will have to go through trials. There is a possibility the trials could be further expedited and tested on less subjects as these boosters will be a modification of an existing medication. The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines have an emergency use authorization rather than a full approval, which might make the FDA more cautious though.

The good news is the mRNA technology used in Pfizer and Moderna allows for very rapid development and scaled production of new vaccine variants. The more conventional vaccine technologies are much more finicky to develop and far more challenging to scale into production (as we’ve seen with J&J).
 
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A.Goldberg said:
Any new vaccine will have to go through trials. There is a possibility the trials could be further expedited and tested on less subjects as these boosters will be a modification of an existing medication. The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines have an emergency use authorization rather than a full approval, which might make the FDA more cautious though.

The good news is the mRNA technology used in Pfizer and Moderna allows for very rapid development and scaled production of new vaccine variants. The more conventional vaccine technologies are much more finicky to develop and far more challenging to scale into production (as we’ve seen with J&J).
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Agree, but how is the LONG TERM immunizing ability of mRNA vs DNA ?

I know there hasn't been enough time to monitor presence of the anti spike proteins due to the emergency use authorization compared to conventional vaccine testing....

Do you expect we will need boosters or new vaccine shots every year or less ??

The J&J adenovirus DNA delivery design seems like it would last longer due to the stability of DNA vs RNA ???
 
Well I got my first shot. Was worse than the flu shot injection wise. They injected it slowly. Felt like forever.

I hate injections. Blood work is no problem. My BP was sky high I’m sure. 2 other RNs came over to ask if I was ok. I’m such a baby with shots.

I survived. Got the Pfizer version. Now I just have to convince my self to do the 2nd one
 
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yaxomoxay said:
Maybe. But people need to understand that the procurement and distribution of the doses is very complex - and no dose can be wasted. So, if you apply for the vaccine: go get it. If you get the first shot, go get the second shot. It's very important not to mess with all the logistics and we should never assume that the dose assigned to us will be or can be used for someone else.
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I understand how it works. I have a long standing phobia of injections. Due to a childhood illness. Spent a week in The hospital and was given mult injections daily. Was terrified.

Amazing how some here are quick to insult(not you). Must be nice to be perfect.
 
Td1970 said:
I hate injections. Blood work is no problem. My BP was sky high I’m sure. 2 other RNs came over to ask if I was ok. I’m such a baby with shots.

I survived. Got the Pfizer version. Now I just have to convince my self to do the 2nd one
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I'm really bad with them. I get nauseous just thinking about it. I have to stay seated for a few minutes after I get one. Then I think maybe it won't be like that next time and it always is. 😐
 
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Td1970 said:
God don’t even say that. I’m already a mess About getting a 2nd.
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Moderna vaccinations here. (Both completed.) No issues.

My wife is a cardiologist and had her second vaccination last week, no issues. We’re both in our mid 30’s.

[Anecdotally, I have to agree with an infectious disease doctor that she works with, and said that some reactions are worse depending on which blood type you are.]
 
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Apple_Robert said:
My aging parents got their first shot on Monday and haven't had any other symptoms outside of a sore arm for a few days. They couldn't tell me the manufacturer of the vaccine.
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They each should have received an official CDC vaccination record card with all the relevant information on it: the recipient's name and date of birth, plus proof that they've had at least one dose of the vaccine, including the name of the manufacturer/name of the vaccine. (Moderna or Pfizer), batch number, date of dosage and name of healthcare professional/clinic/location of administration. They should each have that card with them when they return for their second dose, and carry it with them for subsequent medical visits with their doctor, when at a medical clinic or are admitted to the hospital, etc.

When one flips the card over, on that side the date on or after which they are eligible to make an appointment for the second dose is notated, with the reminder to make that important second appointment.
 
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kurtatx said:
Time to man up
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Apple_Robert said:
My aging parents got their first shot on Monday and haven't had any other symptoms outside of a sore arm for a few days. They couldn't tell me the manufacturer of the vaccine.
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I actually dont feel sick just a super sore arm.

That doesn’t bother me. It the injection part more than anything.

Guess I’m just a baby according to some 1 all knowing member. Must be wonderful to be so perfect 🙄
 
Clix Pix said:
They each should have received an official CDC vaccination record card with all the relevant information on it: the recipient's name and date of birth, plus proof that they've had at least one dose of the vaccine, including the name of the manufacturer/name of the vaccine. (Moderna or Pfizer), batch number, date of dosage and name of healthcare professional/clinic/location of administration. They should each have that card with them when they return for their second dose, and carry it with them for subsequent medical visits with their doctor, when at a medical clinic or are admitted to the hospital, etc.

When one flips the card over, on that side the date on or after which they are eligible to make an appointment for the second dose is notated, with the reminder to make that important second appointment.
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Thank you for taking the time to post that information. I will speak with them again and see if I can get the facts.
 
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Clix Pix said:
They each should have received an official CDC vaccination record card with all the relevant information on it: the recipient's name and date of birth, plus proof that they've had at least one dose of the vaccine, including the name of the manufacturer/name of the vaccine. (Moderna or Pfizer), batch number, date of dosage and name of healthcare professional/clinic/location of administration. They should each have that card with them when they return for their second dose, and carry it with them for subsequent medical visits with their doctor, when at a medical clinic or are admitted to the hospital, etc.
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2021.01.28_CDC Covid-19 Vaccine Record Card-1.jpgCDC Covid-19 Vaccine Record Card-2.jpg
 
I had the first Moderna shot over a week ago. Arm was sore for a couple of days and the injection site itched for about a week. The day I got the shot i was so tired I fell asleep at my computer desk. No fever, aches, chills, or headaches though. Hopefully shot two won’t be bad.
 
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