My 2nd-dose COVID-19 Vaccine Experience
Questions from curious and inquiring individuals continue
I received my first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine on December 16, 2020, and my second dose exactly three weeks later, on January 6, 2021.
Once again, it was an exercise in frustration for me. I was hoping for a robust, full-fledged immune response with a low-grade fever and chills but . . . nope. Instead, I got another 24-hour sore arm along with a slight headache and (maybe) a minuscule flash of fatigue. I’m not certain about the fatigue, but I’m going with it.
On the bright side, because I have received two doses of the vaccine people are still asking questions. Okay, maybe they’re still asking questions because there are still so many unknowns about this whole COVID-19 vaccine and people remain uncertain.
When people ask me how I’m feeling, I jump at the opportunity to talk about this vaccine. As a healthcare provider, I feel it’s my duty to help everyone I can understand of the science and facts regarding the COVID-19 vaccine.
For several months, I’ve been answering questions like
what’s the point since they don’t know how long it will provide protection?
But as the world moves forward with the vaccine, more questions are surfacing. And they’re great questions!
What about the cases of anaphylaxis associated with the COVID-19 vaccine?
There have now been over 7 million doses of the vaccine distributed. That’s a remarkable feat. However, there are reports of roughly 11 cases of anaphylaxis per million doses of the Pfizer vaccine. This is concerning, and the CDC addressed the issue on January 15, 2021. There has been only one possible anaphylaxis response to the Moderna vaccine, but it hasn’t been confirmed.
Regardless, both vaccines are under severe scrutiny, no doubt, much more than any other vaccine which means the CDC monitors every reported response and recalculates the risk to benefit ratio often.
As far as the anaphylactic reaction is concerned, there’s good news! An anaphylactic response happens within the first 15 minutes of receiving the vaccine, typically while the individual is being observed inside the clinical setting. The second part of this is that anaphylaxis is a treatable condition with epinephrine. Therefore, none of the people who experienced anaphylaxis from the Pfizer vaccine have died.
It is recommended that anyone who has ever had a severe allergic reaction to any vaccine in the past should not get any COVID-19 vaccine.
Does this require follow-up? Absolutely! This isn’t over yet.
“CDC and FDA will continue to monitor for adverse events, including anaphylaxis, after receipt of COVID-19 vaccines and will regularly assess the benefits and risks of vaccination in the context of the evolving epidemiology of the pandemic.” — Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report
Do we really need two doses?
Both the Pfizer and the Moderna COVID-19 vaccines are mRNA vaccinations, which require two doses. However, these aren’t the only vaccines to require multi-dosing. For example, the flu vaccine is given annually, and the Tdap vaccine is given to adults at least every ten years.
We know that multi-dose immunizations are sometimes necessary to help prime the immune system. The first vaccine often helps the immune system to create an initial response to the antigen that causes COVID-19. Subsequent injections help to boost the immune response.
If I’ve been vaccinated, do I still need to mask and practice social distancing?
The Pfizer and Moderna studies that were completed before the FDA emergency approval looked at prevention of disease, not prevention of infection.
That means it is still possible that people without symptoms could still be infected and shedding the virus. That being said, a person who has had the vaccine should (ideally) be less contagious and, therefore, shedding much less virus. But we just don’t know yet.
As long as the virus is still spreading, and people are still dying, social distancing and masking are solid methods to combat the spread. Remember, the vaccines are 95% effective, not 100% effective.
I’ve had COVID recently. I’m currently infected with COVID. I tested positive for COVID. Can I get the vaccine?
According to the CDC, yes, you should still get the vaccine.
It would be impossible to screen everyone and figure out who actually needs the vaccine and who wouldn’t. Logistically, this would be unrealistic.
So if you’ve been infected, wait until your symptoms are gone, then get the vaccine. Or if you are in quarantine, wait till you’re out of quarantine and then get the vaccine. Since there is no disadvantage to getting the vaccine if you’ve been infected previously, the CDC recommends vaccination unless it is contraindicated.
The CDC recommends waiting 90 days before getting the vaccine if for those who received the monoclonal antibody treatments.
What about pregnant women and those breastfeeding? Can they get the vaccine?
Generally, in the absence of solid data, the CDC would say this is contra-indicated for pregnant or lactating women. In the Pfizer trial 23 women became pregnant and in the Moderna trial 13 became pregnant. These are not large numbers by any means. However, there were two instances of spontaneous abortion, but these were both placebo recipients.
Researchers and the CDC could find no biological difference between those who were pregnant and those who were not. Therefore, since the vaccine was not found to be detrimental to either pregnant women or their unborn babies, the CDC made an unprecedented recommendation: pregnant or breastfeeding women may choose to get the vaccine.
They made this decision because certainly, women who are pregnant are at a much higher risk of adverse effects of contracting the SARS-CoV-2 than women of the same age who are not pregnant.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommend that the vaccine should not be withheld from pregnant women who meet the criteria. Pregnant and lactating women are encouraged to discuss risks and benefits with their doctors to make an informed decisions.
Is there an end in sight?
Yes, I believe there is, and I’d like to offer a message of hope.
First of all, there are two highly effective vaccines circulating, and over 7 million doses have been distributed without incidents of rare or serious adverse events. That’s great news by itself! But even better is that other vaccines have been approved worldwide.
Additionally, we have an incoming administration that wants to help and is already making plans to speed up the distribution. No longer will we have to deal with a cult of denialism and simply hope this will all go away.
The world is moving forward to stop the pandemic.
Do your part to stop the spread by asking lots of questions, following the science and facts, and making informed choices for yourself.
Learn more about the COVID-19 vaccine and my experience receiving the first dose here:
If you found this article helpful, I accept hugs in the form of
— Generous highlighting
— Copious comments spilling with gratitude and deep-thoughts
— Scads of followers Julie Nyhus MSN, FNP-BC
— Positive thoughts directed my way
In peace and hope,
Joolz