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So what is normal to expect after COVID-19 vaccination?
First of all, there can be side effects!
Currently, three vaccines approved by the European Medicines Agency (EVA) are being used in Lithuania to combat the global pandemic: AstraZeneca, Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna.
Edgaras Kulikauskas, a public consultant for the Ministry of Health and an abdominal surgery doctor, better known by the pseudonym “Cynical Surgeon” in the area of social networks, says that the three vaccines have similar possible side effects: fatigue, pain and swelling in at the injection site, headache, muscle and joint pain, chills, fever.
“Although side effects after vaccination are likely and can occur, they are certainly not necessary. Sometimes side effects occur after one dose of the vaccine and sometimes after two. The UK public health agency, which has vaccinated millions of citizens, reports that side effects are more common after the second dose of the mRNA vaccines, Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna, and that potential side effects are more severe after the first dose after the AstraZeneca vaccine. ., – says the doctor.
In contrast, side effects are less common after the first dose of Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna, and reactions are rare after the second dose of AstraZeneca.
Different vaccines, different side effects?
In clinical trials, pain at the injection site occurred in more than 80% of patients. people after the Pfizer-BioNTech and AstraZeneca vaccines and 92% after the Moderna vaccine. vaccinated people.
More than 60 percent felt tired. people vaccinated with the Pfizer-BioNTech and AstraZeneca vaccines and 70% people after the Moderna vaccine.
More than 50 percent. People experienced headaches or muscle aches after Pfizer-BioNTech and AstraZeneca, and 64.7 percent after Moderna.
Allergic reactions can also occur after vaccination, but more commonly in people who have previously had severe allergic reactions. It is recommended to monitor the onset of an allergic reaction approximately 15 to 30 minutes after the vaccination process.
Adequate fluid intake, looser clothing, and cold compresses at the injection site can help ease side effects, according to your doctor. The use of analgesics or antipyretics before vaccination is not recommended, as they can interfere with the body’s ability to develop an immune response against the pathogen.
However, if the body temperature exceeds 38.5 ° C after vaccination, pain relievers can be taken by mouth. All side effects can disappear in a few hours and your health improves within days after vaccination.
“Don’t worry: if you don’t feel side effects, that doesn’t mean the vaccine isn’t effective yet. It should not be assumed that if the temperature does not rise after vaccination, the vaccine will not be effective. This is not the case, simply each person’s body is unique, and if the temperature of a neighbor has risen after vaccination, it does not mean that the temperature has also risen for you ”, says Dr. E. Kulikauskas.
Why do side effects occur?
According to Dr. E. Kulikauskas, side effects are a natural reaction of the body.
“The essence of the vaccine is to introduce the immune system to pathogens, so that not only antibodies are produced, but immune memory cells are also formed. Side effects are a sign that the immune system is responding to the vaccine. The vaccine receives “instructions” according to which the person produces a virus particle. Then the immune system recognizes it as foreign and quickly neutralizes it. You are instructed to start producing antibodies that can easily defeat the virus, keep it from “raging” and protect it in the future. Therefore, vaccination prevents the disease or causes a weaker form of the disease, ”says the doctor.
He points out that all the vaccines used around the world can cause side effects and they are all similar.
“Researchers are trying to find a balance between the intensity with which a person will react to a vaccine and the maximum protection they will get from a particular disease. The frequency of side effects depends on the reactogenicity of the vaccine, that is, how actively and strongly the immune system responds. If the immune system reacts very violently, there are more secondary reactions, if it is mild, less ”, says Dr. E. Kulikauskas.
Protection: from infection to severe forms of the disease.
After two doses of Pfizer-BioNTech, with a break of 21 days, its effectiveness is 95%. The efficacy of Moderna vaccine after two doses, with a break of 28 days, is 94%.
AstraZeneca is 70% effective after a single dose. After the second dose of this vaccine, with a 12 week break, the vaccine was administered at 94% or more after 7 days or more. protects against infections and forms of symptomatic disease, 92 percent. – of severe forms of the disease and 87%. – for hospitalization.
There is still a public debate about the appropriate age group for AstraZeneca. The EEA, the World Health Organization and other competent authorities have approved the registration of AstraZeneca in the European Union and its use for vaccination in all age groups from 18 years, after a comprehensive evaluation of the results of the tests. clinical trials.
