12 ms·

I received my first dose of AstraZeneca yesterday (I'm in Austria, and qualify as teaching staff). I had severe flu-like symptoms last night and today, to the p

I received my first dose of AstraZeneca yesterday (I'm in Austria, and qualify as teaching staff). I had severe flu-like symptoms last night and today, to the point of having to cancel my classes. It's the worst my body has felt in several years. I don't recall receiving another vaccine in my life that was half as bad. However of course I'll be the first to line up in three week's time to get my second shot. I think a big problem in communication has been that people believe that in order to oppose the anti-vaxxers you need to create a narrative that the vaccine has no negative side effects at all - which isn't true, and thus gives the anti-vaxxers more fuel. It would have been much smarter to present the argument in favor of the vaccine as a cost-benefit analysis from the start. As harsh as it sounds, making everyone feel bad for a few days and possibly causing more severe effects in a small minority is much better than allowing the virus to continue spreading for another year. Not even close.

thebruce87m 6y ago
I wonder if the reaction from the vaccination is proportional to the reaction from the actual virus - e.g. would you have been hospitalised with the actual virus?
- hef19898 6y ago
  My understanding is that the heavy reaction after inoculation of a vaccine means that your immune system is working, as expected. So I'd say rather opposite, as a fast, strong immune reaction would fight COVID better. But I am working from decades old biology knowledge here.
ggm 6y ago
You feel ill possibly because you had a strong immune response. This is a good thing.
- powerapple 6y ago
  so not feeling ill is probably bad?
  - hrktb 6y ago
    As usual it depends on your case. You can have a big immune response, but still within the range your body can take, and you won’t be feeling ill. I think kids will often have very visible effects after vaccination, while adults in their prime are usually more solid and won’t notice much of what’s going on internally.
  - deafcalculus 6y ago
    No. Feeling ill is mostly due to the innate immune response which declines with age (so seniors have fewer side effects). The adaptive immunity triggered does not seem to be correlated with the innate response or feeling ill.
powerapple 6y ago
The question is why COVID vaccine is so harsh, and why is it different than a typical flu vaccine? People say the side effect is good it is your immune response, then why not having side effect is good as well? The more I read the more confused I am. I am getting my second jab tomorrow. Vaccine is still far better than the virus itself.
- macspoofing 6y ago
  >The question is why COVID vaccine is so harsh, and why is it different than a typical flu vaccine? Is it though? You can certainly get a severe reaction from the flu vaccine.
  - tim333 6y ago
    They do seem to be - anecdotally like half people have a day off work. I guess it must be something to do with the nature of the virus as the vaccines seem much the same that way.
    - rutthenut 6y ago
      Anecdotally, I don't think half of those in the UK have had a day or more of ill-effects afterwards. We do hear of those that get ill effects though, amplified by social media channels and press. You don't hear about the majority that don't feel ill.
- detritus 6y ago
  Spitballing outta my rear here – but could it be that we have a lot more exposure to flu-like viruses, whereas Corona viruses are comparatively novel, at least as far as the immune system's concerned, so there'a a lot more a struggle for the body to acclimatise?
  - sbalea 6y ago
    Coronaviruses are not really novel, about 15% of common colds are caused by 4 different strains that are endemic in humans.
open-source-ux 6y ago
This BBC reporter has written of his experience of taking the AstraZeneca vaccine: "The worst was the migraine and vomiting, but I also had aches, chills and exhaustion." The reporter recovered but wonders why some people get more severe side-effects than others. Could it have something to do with age? Paradoxically, the older you are, the less likely you are to experience side-effects. Vaccine side effects: My experience of them and what they mean: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-56375307 https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-56375307 Also, Inside Health: Covid vaccine side-effects (podcast) https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000t48v https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000t48v
- hef19898 6y ago
  Older people tend to have weaker immune responses than younger people. Nothing to wonder about, asking his doctor, in case of the journalist, would have answered that question. Or Google. But then he wouldn't have been able to write yet another AZ side effects article.
nickpp 6y ago
> I'll be the first to line up in three week's time to get my second shot I believe the second dose of the AZ vaccine is at 2 months. If your second is at 3 weeks, you got a Pfizer shot, not AZ.
- the_mitsuhiko 6y ago
  You are told before vaccination what you will get and it's on your card. I doubt OP got the vaccine wrong.
- cehrlich 6y ago
  I might be wrong about when my next shot is (haven't been contacted by the government yet), but I definitely got AZ.
- hef19898 6y ago
  One of the many reasons Germany is lagging so much behind. We insist in administering the second shot after three weeks, even if we could wait (and should, maybe) up to two months. And we have a tendency to keep the second shot in stock already before applying the first one. But what can you do when you fly blond, with instruments and a compass.
  - kcartlidge 6y ago
    > But what can you do when you fly blond, with instruments and a compass. I know it was a mis-type for blind, but I found that quite amusing - thanks :)
robaato 6y ago
I had my first AZ jab 10 days ago. Next day slightly sore arm - that's all.
dm319 6y ago
You might want to consider delaying it until 12 weeks. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0140673621004323 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S014067362...
hayd 6y ago
After my first I had a severe fever/night sweats for two nights (paracetamol helped a lot/meant I could sleep). The second dose gave me no symptoms whatsoever (as suggested by both vaccinators that this would likely be the case). This seems to be the case for younger/healthier people.

thebruce87m 6y ago

I wonder if the reaction from the vaccination is proportional to the reaction from the actual virus - e.g. would you have been hospitalised with the actual virus?

hef19898 6y ago
My understanding is that the heavy reaction after inoculation of a vaccine means that your immune system is working, as expected. So I'd say rather opposite, as a fast, strong immune reaction would fight COVID better. But I am working from decades old biology knowledge here.

ggm 6y ago

You feel ill possibly because you had a strong immune response. This is a good thing.

powerapple 6y ago
so not feeling ill is probably bad?
- hrktb 6y ago
  As usual it depends on your case. You can have a big immune response, but still within the range your body can take, and you won’t be feeling ill. I think kids will often have very visible effects after vaccination, while adults in their prime are usually more solid and won’t notice much of what’s going on internally.
- deafcalculus 6y ago
  No. Feeling ill is mostly due to the innate immune response which declines with age (so seniors have fewer side effects). The adaptive immunity triggered does not seem to be correlated with the innate response or feeling ill.

powerapple 6y ago

The question is why COVID vaccine is so harsh, and why is it different than a typical flu vaccine? People say the side effect is good it is your immune response, then why not having side effect is good as well? The more I read the more confused I am. I am getting my second jab tomorrow. Vaccine is still far better than the virus itself.

macspoofing 6y ago
>The question is why COVID vaccine is so harsh, and why is it different than a typical flu vaccine? Is it though? You can certainly get a severe reaction from the flu vaccine.
- tim333 6y ago
  They do seem to be - anecdotally like half people have a day off work. I guess it must be something to do with the nature of the virus as the vaccines seem much the same that way.
  - rutthenut 6y ago
    Anecdotally, I don't think half of those in the UK have had a day or more of ill-effects afterwards. We do hear of those that get ill effects though, amplified by social media channels and press. You don't hear about the majority that don't feel ill.
detritus 6y ago
Spitballing outta my rear here – but could it be that we have a lot more exposure to flu-like viruses, whereas Corona viruses are comparatively novel, at least as far as the immune system's concerned, so there'a a lot more a struggle for the body to acclimatise?
- sbalea 6y ago
  Coronaviruses are not really novel, about 15% of common colds are caused by 4 different strains that are endemic in humans.

open-source-ux 6y ago

This BBC reporter has written of his experience of taking the AstraZeneca vaccine: "The worst was the migraine and vomiting, but I also had aches, chills and exhaustion." The reporter recovered but wonders why some people get more severe side-effects than others. Could it have something to do with age? Paradoxically, the older you are, the less likely you are to experience side-effects. Vaccine side effects: My experience of them and what they mean: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-56375307 https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-56375307 Also, Inside Health: Covid vaccine side-effects (podcast) https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000t48v https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000t48v

hef19898 6y ago
Older people tend to have weaker immune responses than younger people. Nothing to wonder about, asking his doctor, in case of the journalist, would have answered that question. Or Google. But then he wouldn't have been able to write yet another AZ side effects article.

nickpp 6y ago

> I'll be the first to line up in three week's time to get my second shot I believe the second dose of the AZ vaccine is at 2 months. If your second is at 3 weeks, you got a Pfizer shot, not AZ.

the_mitsuhiko 6y ago
You are told before vaccination what you will get and it's on your card. I doubt OP got the vaccine wrong.
cehrlich 6y ago
I might be wrong about when my next shot is (haven't been contacted by the government yet), but I definitely got AZ.
hef19898 6y ago
One of the many reasons Germany is lagging so much behind. We insist in administering the second shot after three weeks, even if we could wait (and should, maybe) up to two months. And we have a tendency to keep the second shot in stock already before applying the first one. But what can you do when you fly blond, with instruments and a compass.
- kcartlidge 6y ago
  > But what can you do when you fly blond, with instruments and a compass. I know it was a mis-type for blind, but I found that quite amusing - thanks :)

robaato 6y ago

I had my first AZ jab 10 days ago. Next day slightly sore arm - that's all.

dm319 6y ago

You might want to consider delaying it until 12 weeks. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0140673621004323 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S014067362...

hayd 6y ago

After my first I had a severe fever/night sweats for two nights (paracetamol helped a lot/meant I could sleep). The second dose gave me no symptoms whatsoever (as suggested by both vaccinators that this would likely be the case). This seems to be the case for younger/healthier people.