For the first time in about 40 years, I returned home from work in daylight. And for the first time in about 50 years, I just couldn’t take my regular night bath before I went to bed on the night of 1st September, 2021. I was dramatically suffering from shivering to sweating at almost same interval. One moment I felt cold and covered myself with blanket, seconds later i started feeling hot from inside and threw the blanket away. I also experienced some slight muscular and joint pains, including pains in the center of the forehead.
But none of these symptoms was serious enough to warrant any emergency. As dramatically clumsy as these symptoms presented, paracetamol was all I needed to clear them off and got back to work the following morning.
The September 1, 2021, was just about 24 hours after my first dose of Moderna Covid 19 jab. So, I didn’t need any confirmation or validation to know that the symptoms that I experienced were the side effects of the vaccine.
Side effects of vaccinations are signs that the body is building protection. WHO says COVID-19 vaccines are safe, and getting vaccinated helps protect the body against developing severe COVID-19 disease and dying from COVID-19.
Vaccines are designed to give you immunity without the dangers of getting the disease. It’s common to experience some mild-to-moderate side effects after the vaccinations. It means the body is reacting to instructions from the immune system to increase blood flow for more immune cells to circulate, and to raise body temperature to kill the virus.
Kill What Virus?
This is a frequently asked question when explaining the dynamics of vaccinations. What virus is the vaccine causing my body immune system to kill, when I don’t have the virus? Our post ‘Join the Vaccine Team for Mutual Protection’ answers the question. Visit https://www.citizencomfort.com/2021/08/23/join-the-vaccinating-team-for-mutual-protection/
Vaccines ingest weakened or killed type of the germ (virus or bacteria) that it supposed to protect into the body, for the body’s specialized search and destroy army (the antibodies) to fight, kill and recognize against future exposure to the germ. The post vaccination mild discomforting symptoms are the signs that the immune system antibodies are fighting the weakened virus in the body.
Medical experts and journals say mild-to-moderate side effects such as low-grade fever or muscle aches, are normal and not a cause for alarm: they are signs that the body’s immune system is responding to the vaccine and is gearing up to fight the virus. These side effects usually go away on their own after a few days.
WHO says COVID-19 vaccine technologies have been studied for years and used in other treatments without issue. According to the global health body, Moderna vaccine, currently in use in Nigeria is mRNA vaccine, that sends message to immune system with instructions on how to fight the coronavirus infection. mRNA vaccines teach body cells how to make a protein—or even just a piece of a protein—that triggers an immune response inside our bodies. The benefit of mRNA vaccines, like all vaccines, is those vaccinated gain protection without ever having to risk the serious consequences of getting sick with COVID-19. The Moderna vaccine according to reports is very effective against the rampaging delta variant
Side Effects of COVID 19 Vaccines
Like any vaccine, COVID-19 vaccines can cause side effects, most of which are mild or moderate and go away within a few days on their own. COVID 19 side effects according to WHO include the following:
– pain & swelling at the injection site
– fever
– fatigue
– headache
-muscle pain,
-chills
-diarrhoea.
– nausea
Less common side effects may include allergic reactions and extremely rare severe anaphylaxis. This is why vaccinees are requested to stay for about 15 to 30 minutes in the vaccination Centre upon receiving the jab so that health officers at the vaccination centres can take care of any allergic reactions
How to Relieve Side Effects
- Talk to your doctor about taking OTC Drugs, such as ibuprofen, acetaminophen, aspirin, or antihistamines, for any pain and discomfort you may experience after getting vaccinated. Medical experts say you can take these medications to relieve post-vaccination side effects if you have no other medical reasons that prevent you from taking these medications normally.
- Do not take these medicines before vaccination for the purpose of trying to prevent side effects.
- To reduce pain and discomfort where you got the shot, apply a clean, cool, wet washcloth over the area.
- Use or exercise your arm.
- To reduce discomfort from fever, drink plenty of fluids (nonalcoholic); Dress lightly.
When to Call the Doctor
Now you know that discomfort from pain or fever is a normal sign that your body is building protection. However, you must consult your health care provider if:
-the injection site gets worse after 24 hours
-your side effects are worrying you or do not seem to be going away after a few days
-you think you might be having a severe allergic reaction after leaving the vaccination site.
Warning
Medical experts and journals say the first dose of the two-dose vaccine does not fully protect against the virus. It takes two weeks for the body to build protection after any vaccination. This implies that people can only be considered fully vaccinated two weeks after taken second shot of a two-dose vaccine like the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, or two weeks after taken the single-dose vaccines.
It is therefore imperative to keep observing all the protection guidelines against COVID 19 until we are fully vaccinated– 2 weeks after taken the second dose.
To register for COVID 19 Vaccination, follow this link
https://nphcda.vaccination.gov.ng/
Source: Dare Agbeluyi, Chief Publisher
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Well stated