What Vaccine Side Effects Tell Us

If you're old enough to be advised to get the shingles shot, you've probably had that mental debate "I need to get that vaccine....but I hear the side effects are rough....but I SURE don't want to get shingles...."

I've been there. Having had significant reactions to the COVID and "accelerated" flu shots, the shingles vaccines turned out to be no better or worse--and I'm glad they're behind me!

Why do some people have reactions to vaccines?

A sore arm isn't a big deal but what about fever, achiness, and fatigue? They're a sign that your immune system is revving up, just what you want it to do.

The shot delivers a weakened form of the virus. Your body learns to recognize it and responds by creating antibodies to fight it.

Does a big reaction mean greater immunity?

​Some studies say yes while others disagree. The studies that found a correlation concluded that the difference between people who get side effects and those who don’t is negligible when it comes to protection.

People can get the same vaccine and have different reactions, for a range of reasons including age, sex, health and immunization history, and maybe some things we don't know about.

I'd never had a reaction to the flu vaccine until I was given the "supercharged" version that they give us old folks. It made me as sick as the shingles shot!

Now I make a special request for the regular flu shot and double-check to be sure I'm getting the one I specified.

So far, I've never had the flu.....and want to keep that streak going!

I participated in a study for UCSF, which indicated that my antibody response to the first COVID vaccine was extraordinarily high.

I was sidelined with fever and fatigue. Until the Novavax vaccine came along, I always had a significant reaction.

I also have never had Covid.

Other people who haven't had Covid have no reactions to the vaccine. 🤷‍♀️

Does no reaction mean no immunity?

No. Scientists work at creating vaccines with minimal side effects. Most people get an immune response to a vaccine. The response of those who are immune-compromised may not be as strong.

👉 Getting side effects tells you your immune has been activated.

👉 But no side effects doesn't mean you didn't get an immune response.

Taking pain relievers such as ibuprofen, aspirin, or Tylenol before vaccination to try to prevent side effects is not recommended.

It's ok to take them to treate the side effects, once your immune system has been activated.

This myth just won't go away

​A flu shot won’t give you the flu just as the shingles shot won't give you shingles, the chicken pox vaccine won't give you chicken pox, the Covid shot won't give you Covid, the tetanus shot won't give you tetanus, the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine won't give you any of those diseases....

....and we're lucky to live in an era in which we don't have to worry about smallpox!