The Covid-19 Vaccine: My Experience

Growing up we were always up to date on our vaccines. We got the flu shot each year and there was no fuss about any of this. I know I have mentioned before that my dad is a physician, and I think anyone who has grown up with parents in the medical field can attest to the fact that it influences a lot of household decisions and ideology. My childhood pediatrician used to tell me the story of how brave I was getting my kindergarten shots. Allegedly there wasn’t a tear shed and I was “very zen” about the whole thing. That phrase can be used to describe very little about me, but it has been true time and again when it comes to shots. Needles in general don’t phase me, which came in handy during very dehydrated Hyperemesis Gravidarum pregnancies. And I assumed as a mother I’d be easy breezy and confident about the numerous childhood vaccinations.  

I’m a little hesitant to share what my true feelings had been regarding those who think differently about vaccines because this topic was a minefield before the Covid-19 pandemic and is radioactive now. But I think it is relevant insight into my decision making process to say that once I had kids my mindset changed. As soon as the tiny bundle we named Margaret was placed in my arms, I wanted to do everything I could to keep her safe. So my brain and heart were at odds as I thought about the upcoming vaccinations. I knew the facts and felt comfortable with the data, but the emotional pull and weight of initiating the immunization schedule brought up questions I didn’t think I’d ever have. Is this really the right thing being the #1. We never amended the schedule or refused vaccinations but very suddenly I understood how families might come to that decision. For the purposes of this conversation I’m not referring to those who are truly unable to vaccinate, but speaking of those who opt out for other reasons.  

My girls have been lucky to avoid any serious reactions, just maybe feeling a little crummy. Last year at 16 months old, Catherine didn’t even shed a tear at her flu shot! Not a peep! And personally I’ve never had a reaction of any kind to my flu shot, except perhaps a sore arm at the injection site. Not a fever, not an ache – nothing! 

So here comes 2020 with all of its baggage. If you’ve been following me for a while you might have seen me mention that I subscribed to the Johns Hopkins email blast to stay up to date on Covid-19 research and findings. You can do so by going to their website here and you’ll find the prompt at the top of the landing page.  I thrive on information and have felt more in control to read through less emotionally charged rhetoric than what we often see via the media. As the vaccine trials launched, I followed closely, along with the rest of the world. We waited. At first I thought oh absolutely, I’ll get a Covid-19 vaccine, no question! But the more I sat with it, the more uncertain I became. Not because of any of the data, but because it was unchartered waters. 

It was when the effectiveness reports started coming out that I started to feel more comfortable with getting the vaccine. With such extensive data, and taking into consideration my high blood pressure, and being overweight, I felt like a Covid-19 outcome for me could be particularly bad. Of course the confounding reality of this virus is that we really don’t know. The amount of times I’ve heard about a previously healthy 30 something person being physically devastated, or lose their life,  is unsettling. When Florida released the vulnerability form, I talked to my cardiologist and she agreed and signed off on the form. Curtis also spoke with his doctor who agreed that his history of asthma qualified him. We waited until there was significant availability in appointments, and booked them through CVS.  As of April 5th, anyone in Florida who is interested and 18+ is eligible for the vaccine and can start registration here. (16+ for the Pfizer)

I received the Pfizer vaccine and after the first shot my arm was mildly sore. To me it was less sore than the flu shot. I might have had a light headache about 6 hours later, but it was so faint, and it was gone before I even went to bed. I waited 6 hours and took a Tylenol just to keep it at bay. I did not preemptively take pain relievers and if you want to learn more about why the practice is no longer recommended, you can read here. The next day I felt completely normal with the exception of a mildly sore arm. 

My second shot was a few weeks later and I’d heard of varied reactions, so I mentally prepared to feel poorly the next day and I would advise those who can, to do the same. If you can take a day of PTO, arrange childcare or some sort of support, I’d highly encourage it just in case. I figured if everything was fine it’d be a happy bonus to not need the help! I wasn’t worried, I just wanted to be pragmatic. Curtis and I had our second shots on the same day which I think if you can stagger your appointments with your significant other, that would be ideal so one of you is guaranteed to feel well if you don’t have back-up childcare.  My MIL was on standby to help and I am so grateful for that because I needed it.   

MY PFIZER VACCINE SIDE EFFECTS: Shots 1 & 2

My side effects after the second shot, from the standard to the weird included: 

Sore Arm – Again, my arm was sore but never remarkable. 

Fatigue – About 10 hours after my shot I felt TIRED. Like 1st Trimester tired.  

Fever – For about 48 hours after the shot I ran a fever. The highest it got was 102 which actually is something because I rarely run fevers over 99 and have been like that since I was little.  

Muscle Aches – It felt just like I had a really bad virus. These side effects were classic “virus” feelings.  

Nausea – Mild nausea and for a few hours about 24 hours after the shot. 

Chills – Like I said, classic virus. 

Body Odor – This is the super weird one but my body odor was SUPER different. Like I needed some medical grade teen spirit for about 48 hours after. There is research on how immunizations can trigger change in body odor, and I found this particularly fascinating but I am also relieved it was short lived!  

Dry Eyes – My eyes were extremely dry, way more than usual, for 3 or 4 days following my 2nd dose. There is some debate about whether or not it is a side effect, and of course I don’t know for sure, but I do know I got the injection, the next day noticed the dry eyes more than normal, and a few days later my eyes felt back to normal.  

Menstrual Cycle – After my first dose, my period was 5 days late. I’m not a perfect 28 day gal, but I am not a 5 day late one either. I didn’t connect the dots until I was talking to a friend who had the exact same thing happen and when she mentioned it to her husband, he referred her to the mounting anecdotal reports that the Covid-19 vaccines might be affecting menstrual cycles. It immediately brought me back to a time I was super sick with pneumonia and my period was significantly late as well. I’ll be surprised if we don’t find there is some connection, even if that connection is simply that under stress, such as your body “getting the message” via the shot to fight a new virus, that a women’s cycle is affected. Alice Lu- Culligan, an MD/PhD student at Yale studying the immunobiology of fetal development, wrote an opinion piece for the New York Times that does a great job walking through the reality that most studies do not include findings on menstruation to avoid “complication” thus we don’t actually have the relevant data, but not just in this case. In that spirit, if you would like to participate in a study by Washington University about this very topic, you can find it within this article.  I want to be sure to be clear since there has been a history of fertility concerns inappropriately associated with the vaccines, that it is not thought that the vaccines affect fertility. You can read more about the origins of that rumor in this article from STAT news.  After my second shot my period was different, this time it was significantly early. Which lends me to my last side effect; 

Headache – This was the side effect I was most worried about. As a migraner, what starts as a simple headache can turn into a multi-day migraine event. So I was hopeful that the 2nd dose wouldn’t trigger one of those. Almost 48 hours after my shot I woke up with a headache that felt akin to a blood pressure headache. It didn’t go away and my blood pressure was normal, so I took my migraine medication and it went away. It was there the next morning the headache was back but worse. I took my prescription medication again and it subsided and I went about my day. That night it came on again and I took the last pill of my prescription that I am allowed to take within a 7 day time frame. Once again it temporarily knocked it out. The next morning I felt better but SuRprIsE! I got my period super early, if we’re basing it off of my last period. This is relevant because my migraines largely follow my cycle and intensify the closer I get to starting my period. So at first I thought this was a vaccine side effect. But once I got my period, it was hard to say whether or not it was the 2nd dose or my typical pre-period headaches.   

Nothing about my experience changes how I feel about getting the vaccine. And the single day of feeling like I had the flu kind of felt like a vacation thanks to my MIL watching Catherine. A little bed and Bravo wasn’t the worst thing! Bottom line is that I am so grateful and beyond relieved. Even with the side effects, it just wasn’t that big of a deal. I wanted to wait until I was truly two weeks past my second dose to share anything at all so that I could give as comprehensive of a reflection as possible. This Johns Hopkins post goes through a lot of questions that people have about the vaccinations, myself included. It covers topics such as the speed of development. The Mayo Clinic hub is also very helpful.  If you have any specific questions and want to talk through concerns specific to your particular needs and risk factors, talk to your doctor or trusted healthcare provider. To find a vaccine, you can use the CDC Vaccine Finder.