I ended up feeling better yesterday, but not 100%, and I figured as long as I’m a bit under the weather, I might as well get my booster and embrace the suck. I’d put it off until after the marathon that didn’t happen, and then I didn’t want to get it while I was still feeling quite sick. I got Moderna because all indications are that Moderna is the most effective, though also the choice that comes with the most side effects.
Thankfully, the side effects haven’t been nearly as bad as after my second shot. After the second shot, I spent a few hours under the covers shaking with chills and fever, and spent about 24 hours the next day in a haze of fatigue and exhaustion. This time, I felt maybe a touch feverish last night, but nothing major, and I’m tired and don’t feel awesome today, but I am recovering from a cold.
Have you had your booster? How were the side effects compared to the second shot?
B also had zero side effects from her second shot. Unfortunately, since L was sick, we passed on the second shot for her and are now trying to reschedule. And trying to get a kids’ shot in Seattle is like the Hunger Games – practically impossible.
B & I got our booster in the past week. B felt very fatigued but not as bad as the 2nd dose. I felt just fine, and with my 2nd dose, I was very fatigued for about 24 hours.
N got his 2nd dose on Saturday and spent all day Sunday kind of state of malaise. L goes in for her 2nd modern trial shot next Wednesday. I’m secretly hoping to see some side effects to have any clue if she got the placebo or not.
I actually think I may have spoken too soon as after I posted I got hit with a huge wave of fatigue and malaise. Better than Covid at least. Glad you and B didn’t have anything too severe!
So, I slept for 36 hours straight after my second shot (Pfizer). The booster (Moderna, not entirely by choice just because it was all that was available at the walk-in pharmacy I went to to get boosted) mainly caused pretty severe arm soreness and I had to take a nap. Husband had severe side effects from the booster (very high fever, body aches, slept for 2 days). I know two people who got very bad hives from the booster that have not gone away – this is an allergic reaction and there is some thinking it makes it unsafe to take future doses (in fact the CDC right now says no more doses after hives because its considered a “severe” allergic reaction). This is very concerning to me in terms of a vaccine that I think we’ll all probably have to be taking regularly.
I haven’t gotten my booster yet because I was waiting till after the surgery I had last week. But I’m hoping to get one next week. I had minor side effects after my second (Pfizer).
Jose was at the doctor earlier this week and interestingly his doctor said he might want to consider waiting on the booster until there is one tailored for variants. Not sure whether that is good advice or bad, honestly.
Both of my kids got their 2nd shots last week and literally an hour later we learned Charlotte had strep throat, so…her immune system was having some fun.
“Jose was at the doctor earlier this week and interestingly his doctor said he might want to consider waiting on the booster until there is one tailored for variants. Not sure whether that is good advice or bad, honestly.”
This is certainly not consistent with the CDC recommendation. I imagine if a new formulation is required, it will probably be six months before “young” health people are eligible. (We’re still young, right?) But who knows.
Poor Charlotte! I hope she’s feeling better.
Becca – yes, it is worrisome. I’m glad I haven’t had any allergic reactions so far. I do get hives from time to time, but thankfully not after the vaccine. Your friends have a permanent case of hives??? That is not cool.
The whole situation is just not great. 50% of people used to get annual flu shots – 60% of kids and 40% of adults. Given the unpleasant side effects many experience with the covid vaccine, I’m skeptical that we’d get better numbers for a shot needed every 6 months. Once a year feels more achievable.
Versus Delta, at least, vaccines are currently 75% effective against contagion and 83% effective against death, here in King County. I guess we’ll have to wait and see how that changes with Omicron. More than 25% of people here have not received a booster (all ages).
I don’t think hives are permanent in either case, but it has stretched on for several weeks and been uncomfortable, and has required medical interventions and prescription treatment. One of the two people had never had hives before in her entire life.
So far I am a bit comforted that Omicron, at least from early reports, is less severe than the other variants. I think if the dominant variant results in something closer to the common cold than the previous variants, that’s good.
The thing with hives is that they usually continue until the allergen disappears. For example, I got hives once when i bought a plant I was allergic to. The hives continued until I figured out the plant was the culprit. I took steroids which relieved the symptoms, but they wouldn’t “heal” until the plant was gone.
yikes, while i hope their hives aren’t indefinite. the doctors told them both to expect them to last a few weeks. but apparently vaccine allergic reactions get worse, not better, so if you get hives following one vaccination, the next reaction could be even worse.
I have only got hives once after visiting a house with a cat I must have been more allergic to than an average cat (which I am already pretty allergic to). It was pretty shocking it climbed up my hand to my face in about 15 minutes and they were huge huge lumps. I was pretty terrified, pulled into a gas station, bought some benedryl right away and just sat there and watched my skin. I had no idea that my skin was capable of such an extreme fast reaction like that.