Moderna’s Covid-19 Second Vaccine Dose has Brutal Side Effects. Be Prepared.
A narrative based on personal experience on receiving Moderna’s mRNA Vaccine.
In early February 2021, my husband and I were grateful and overjoyed when the vaccination category opened for individuals in the health and food industry. We both qualified and scheduled our jabs for the first available appointment at a CVS pharmacy. Finally, we saw light at the end of the pandemic tunnel and hoped to resume some form of normal life after our inoculation.
Our CVS appointment showed we were getting the Moderna vaccine. The media was rife with information that both Pfizer and Moderna vaccines were made using messenger RNA, or mRNA, a technology that delivers a bit of genetic code to cells. They both boasted a 94%+ efficacy rate. To us, it didn’t matter which one we got. Both were equally good and effective.
We were in for a BIG surprise!
I called our doctor friends to confirm their experience with the shots they had received. One had received the Pfizer vaccine and said her post-vaccination side effects were mild; a sore arm and slight joint pain, which wore off within 24 hours. Another friend, also a doctor, said her side effects from Moderna, were harsh and lasted 2 days. Hmmm.
Taking a huge leap of faith, we were ready to take our 1st shot. My husband’s appointment was a day before mine. Our first shots were a breeze. A slight pinch and a sore arm for 2 days. Nothing major. We were back to our normal routine and eager to complete the process of receiving the second shot in 28 days.
Then Came Moderna’s First Shot Side Effect
Almost a week after my 1st shot, I noticed a huge red stiff patch on my vaccinated arm. It looked weird, felt firm, and slightly itchy. I got worried. Why didn’t anyone mention this? Is this a side-effect or an adverse reaction?
A quick Google check answered my question. It was a rare side effect, mostly experienced by women, 7 days after receiving their first Moderna vaccine shot. It was expected to clear up within a few days.
Not wanting to take any chances. I called my doctor friend, (the one who had received the Moderna shot), and she confirmed not experiencing this symptom. She told me to keep a watchful eye and go to the emergency clinic if the patch grew larger or more painful. Fingers crossed.
Thankfully, the patch started clearing within a few days and was completely gone by the end of the week. Phew!
Ready for Round 2
After 28 days, we were scheduled for our second shot. By now my husband and I had heard from friends and seen a few videos on Social Media, of people complaining about the side effects of Moderna’s second vaccine.
Although not exactly excited for the second round, we bravely drove up for the appointment, relieved that we were near the finish line of COVID-19’s fear-fest.
Again, my husband got his 2nd shot a day before I did. His first few hours after the shot were almost normal besides a slightly sore arm. However, later that night, my otherwise strong, gym-enthusiast, bodybuilder husband, was cowering under the comforter with a spell of chills. Just to be clear, we live on the West Coast where it’s a balmy 70 degrees Fahrenheit.
He barely slept through the night and the next day looked tired, forlorn, and miserable. He lost his appetite and complained of body aches, fatigue, and chills.
He warned me to brace myself, I would probably feel worse since I’m a lot more fragile (in his not-so-humble opinion).
The next day, I heroically showed up for my appointment. I told the vaccination RN about my 1st dose-related skin lesion. She didn’t seem to care. Before giving the jab, she casually mentioned that the 2nd dose may result in mild symptoms of fatigue that can be resolved with any standard OTC painkiller.
The second shot felt as uneventful as the first, at least during the day. It left me wondering if my husband was over-exaggerating the side effects.
I was doing just fine. Then, it hit like a Tsunami.
At night, I started getting severe body aches, chills, and a heavy head. I was wrapped under 2 comforters and still shivering and writhing in pain, moaning like a child. I have no recollection of when I finally fell asleep but the next morning, I could not get up from bed, attend to the breakfast routine, or do my daily work.
My husband, who felt slightly better, knew exactly what I was going through and helped with the home and childcare duties. I barely made it out of bed for a bit to fix a family lunch and take a shower. Just two hours of doing this left me drained and exhausted. I lugged myself back to bed and slept through the rest of the day.
The body ache and fatigue left me incapacitated. Moderna’s side effects are harsh and hit you like a roller-coaster, plunging you down a steep drop. This is not something that an OTC pain reliever can overcome.
The second day, I awoke with a heavy head and body ache, less than the previous day but nowhere near normal.
Over lunch, we looked at each other and realized this was not something either of us had expected.
The media was underplaying the side effects of the Moderna vaccine. I told my husband that this vaccine may only be effective for a few months, a maximum of a year. The guidelines suggest we may need to retake the vaccine next year. He looked at me with a combination of disbelief and anger and said, “No. Never again. Not Moderna.”
I began researching why both mRNA vaccines, Pfizer and Moderna gave such different side effects. What I found was that while the Pfizer shot delivers only 30 micrograms of vaccine, the Moderna shot was delivering 100 micrograms (three times more). Despite the difference in dosage, both Moderna and Pfizer have the same efficacy rates so Moderna’s 3 times higher dosage is simply injecting a cocktail of heavy side effects.
In fact, the U.S. government’s vaccine development program, formerly called Operation Warp Speed, has asked Moderna to test if it could lower the dosage of its vaccine without eroding the vaccine’s protection. They are seeing an uptick in the complaints about Moderna’s second shot side effects.
Three days after the second shot, my head was still heavy, though my body ache was much better. While I’m thankful to the brave scientists and heroes behind the operation warp speed vaccine development project, it’s important to state that the side effects of Moderna’s vaccine have been severely downplayed in the mainstream media. These are not mild, but harsh side effects that knock you out for 48+ hours.
I’m not against vaccines and I believe they are an effective means to help us get over this pandemic. However, Covid-19 vaccines are new and no one knows enough about them, not even their manufacturers.
Takeaway
For anyone scheduled for the Moderna vaccine, please know that when you get to your second dose, you may be out of commission for 2 to 3 days, recovering from its severe side effects. Plan your work and home routine to account for this downtime and stagger the vaccination days between each family member.