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- James Gallagher
- BBC Health Sciences Reporter
James Gallagher (James Gallagher) is a BBC health science reporter who has been following the outbreak and vaccine development since the outbreak of the new crown.
I am very happy to be vaccinated. Since the emergence of some cases of infection in Wuhan, I have been tracking and reporting on the new coronavirus epidemic, including the process of countries competing to develop vaccines. So when it’s my turn to roll up my sleeves at the clinic, it really feels like a historic moment.
But I want to tell you frankly: the side effects of the vaccine made me sick for a few days.
But it should be clear that even with the foresight, I will still decide to get vaccinated. I would rather have side effects than contract the new coronavirus, or be subject to another year of quarantine restrictions, and less willing to increase the chance of accidentally transmitting the virus to my loved ones.
I received the first Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine at 9:30 in the morning. That night, I felt so bad that I could barely get up for the next three days.
The most uncomfortable are migraines and vomiting, as well as body aches, chills, and weakness.
To tell the truth, I actually groaned on the bed: “Why am I so unlucky?” After I recover, what I want to know is why some of us have more serious side effects than others. Does this mean that a superimmune response has been established in my body? So I did a BBC radio show “Health Insider” to find the answer.
Where do the side effects come from?
The new corona virus “tricks” the human body into thinking that it is fighting the new corona virus and allows us to initiate a natural immune response to the infection.
First, there will be reactions like swelling and pain in the injected arm, due to the immune system entering a high-speed state of operation.
This can progress to affect other parts of the body and cause flu-like symptoms such as fever, chills, and nausea.
Eleanor Riley, professor of immunology and infectious diseases at the University of Edinburgh, told me: “This is caused by an inflammatory response.”
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Its principle is like a chemical fire alarm, releasing a large number of chemicals into the body to warn that something is wrong.
Professor Riley said: “It mobilized the immune response and sent immune cells to the tissues around the arm to find out what happened.”
However, it is these chemicals that make us temporarily uncomfortable.
Why do some people have more side effects?
However, the side effects vary greatly from person to person. Some people feel almost nothing; some people feel a bit uncomfortable but can still go to work without major problems; some people need to stay in bed.
Professor Andrew Pollard, who is in charge of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine trial, told me that it has something to do with me being under 40 this year: “The side effects of the vaccine on you are so good. important reason may be related to you. My age is related. “
He said: “The older you get, the fewer side effects – people over 70 have almost no side effects.”
But even two people the same age will have completely different reactions to the vaccine.
Image source,fake images
Oxford University Professor Andrew Pollard is vaccinating
Professor Riley said on the “Health Insider” program: “Our immune system has enormous genetic diversity, and this is the basis of the difference.”
This diversity means that some people’s immune systems function a little more vigorously and are more likely to respond positively.
Professor Riley said: “For people like you who have all the symptoms of the flu, it is your immune system that has overreacted.”
“I don’t blame you for the meaning of ‘male cold’ (referring to men who have a mild illness, such as a cold, keep complaining about the severity of the symptoms), but you may really be the type of person who It really feels very uncomfortable with a little cold and cold. “
Another factor that slightly influences the side effects of the vaccine is previous infection with the new coronavirus. This can result in a very strong immune response after vaccination.
Does the side effect of the vaccine mean greater protection?
Selfishly speaking, I was hoping that having such strong side effects meant I had a very strong immune response, and there was some evidence from previous vaccinations that this was actually the case.
Professor Pollard said: “There have been some precedents, like the 2009 pandemic, and the precedents show that the greater the side effects, the stronger the immune response.”
But this is not the case with the new corona vaccine: everyone has roughly the same immunity.
He said: “This is puzzling. Although the side effects of the vaccine in the elderly are small, their immune response is exactly the same.”
To explain why this is the case, it is necessary to understand how the two parts of the immune system work together.
The first part is called the innate reaction and includes the physical reaction as a chemical alarm. The other part is the adaptive response. Learn and remember how to fight infection by designing B cells. These B cells make antibodies to find and destroy the virus. There are also T cells that can kill any cell in the body infected by the virus.
Image source,PA media
The side effects of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine have become the focus of news reports in recent days. The European Medicines Agency announced on March 18 that the vaccine was “safe and effective” after a review.
Professor Riley said: “It is the early immunity from this innate response that changes with age and differences between people. This is why you decide whether you have more or fewer side effects from the vaccine.”
“You only need a small innate response to awaken the adaptive response and get whole B cells and T cells that can give you protection.”
Will it also be so bad for the second shot?
After experiencing such a big side effect from the first injection, the natural concern is: will I have to experience the second injection again? However, I heard something that reassured me from the experts.
Professor Pollard, who is in charge of the Oxford vaccine trial, said: “Your second injection will feel nothing. Compared to the first injection, the second injection is very gentle.”
However, he also cautioned that there is some data showing that the second injection of the new corona vaccine produced by Pfizer may have more side effects than the first injection.
Is it necessary to discuss the side effects?
After a very small number of people experienced blood clots with the Oxford vaccine, concerns about the vaccine’s side effects became the focus of news reports.
Occasional health problems were mistakenly believed to be caused by vaccines and I warned of this danger before vaccine promotion began. The European Medicines Agency stated that “there is no indication that vaccination is causing these health problems.”
Professor Pollard said that vaccines do have side effects, and it is important to say frankly and frankly what they are.
He said: “During the trial, we have the opportunity to tell people that you can have big side effects like those and so on, and you can feel particularly uncomfortable for a few days; you know what can happen after vaccination, and the side effects they are just causing you discomfort. Take some acetaminophen tablets and that’s it. “
“But if you’re (mentally) unprepared and the side effects are in your head, you may be really scared.”
