Covid-19 vaccination experiences

well the vaccination people have just rung to ask if I'd like to book a slot ( will still mean queing tho).
I explained that it would take me 1/2 hr on the bus there and 1/2 hr back and that I was concerned, given that very few people were wearing masks. So we've left it that they will call me back in a couple of weeks ....... although I'm not sure what difference that will make

 

Well its taken 17 days but i finally feel back to my normal. The intense flu like feeling with chills & major body aches & horrid headache, plus drowsy sleepy crushing fatigue appeared at 24hrs ish, lasted till 72 hrs (only difference between it & PEM is that jab side effects give no cognitive impairment, a bit foggy but not impaired at all really, and i dont normally get such weird headaches).

But then after 72hrs the intense 'flu like' disappeared but the crushing fatigue - and i mean 'fatigue' - what I, JemPD describe as fatigue..... just felt like i could barely lift my head so exhausted & longing for sleep all the time, although not able to drop off to sleep outside normal hours, but not actually weak - ie could get up walk to bathroom etc, sensation of fatigue but not actual weakness -unlike in PEM where i feel flu like but no drowsiness, but am very weak - when i try to get up i cant, plus cognitive impairment. Plus intense muscle pain all over, neck pain, mild chest pain & much worse photo & sound sensitivity.

I dont believe any of the jab effects could have been exertion related because i was well rested before i went, was driven in car 3 mins aroud the corner to local pharmacy, sat in wheelchair very short time, with ear defenders & visor on, & then back to bed, which would not normally send me into PEM on its own.

Anyway then middle of day 17 - today, the overwhelming fatigue & muscle pain, chest pain, weird headaches.... just changed and turned into my normal again. -Flu-like but low level because i've done pretty much nothing but rest for nearly 3 wks, my ME symptoms are the best they can be.

This is the longest jab effects have lasted so far, 1st dose AZ lasted only 10 days but was much worse. 2nd AZ 7dayys, flu jab i cant remember but not 10 days.

To be honest i was getting a bit nervous that it wasnt going to go off, but it has done, thank God!

Am a bit nervous about getting a 2nd booster if its pfizer again... dunno, i'm pretty sure covid effects would knock me up for longer than 17days though, so.... ??? I will be leaving as much time between as possible before i have it though!

Edited to clarify

 

Haven't been following this thread but thought it might be worthwhile to post a positive experience.

Had a Moderna booster two days ago and grateful to be back or close to back to baseline today. Far lighter reaction than my 2nd vac of the same.

Very sorry and best wishes for improvement soon to all those on this thread who haven't been as lucky.

 

Can you arrange for someone to come to your house to give you your vaccine?

 

I'm having the Pfizer booster shot on Wednesday 5th January. Thought I would have to book but the Pharmacy said I could just walk in. So I will try to be there when they open at 9.am.

Hope all goes well.

 

Ha, I wish. The GPs here have never understood that going anywhere for me is a big problem.
Unless I can get someone to take me, any hospital appointments also very problematic.
It took a year and a half of hassle for the benefits people to finally agree to do a home assessment.
I have tried to get them to understand but they really dont get it.

 

@Sly Saint

Do they offer homebound visits for vaccines in your area? Do you have a phone number to call to make arrangements to come to your home? There might be a different requirement to get a vaccine in your case and b/c of high Covid transmission they might consider it?

When I booked my home visits it was just a matter of asking what health condition I had, no proof of anything. I didn't need a GP referral. They assumed I had fibro.

 

Here in BC I think that your GP has to get you signed up originally, but then after that you can phone directly yourself to set up home visits.

 

Update: Went back to my old baseline within 2 weeks.

 

The reaction to the booster might just be idiosyncratic, but I wonder if it is influenced by what you had for your first and second shot (if you had a second shot).

I had Pfizer for all three shots:

Shot #1 - No reaction at all.
Shot #2 - A noticeable flu-like response. Lasted about a day after symptoms began.
Shot #3 (Booster) - An even stronger flu-like response. Lasted a little more than two days after symptoms began.

Given that "trend," if there's to be a Shot #4, I think I'm going to try to get Moderna.

 

Vaccine update - It's now six months after having the 2nd Moderna vaccine and I still have not recovered. My ME has gone from mild/moderate to severe. I had to stop working (part time from home) in late October after being able to work for the past 28 years while living with ME. At least the neuropathy has settled down considerably so that's good. My doctor wants me to get the third vaccine so I will probably get that done next month but I'm considering asking about getting the Pfizer instead of a third Moderna. I don't know if that will make any difference or not. I still live in hope that my ME will settle down and become mild again.

 

I hope so too @TigerLilea

 

My parents (who don't have ME/CFS) only had Pfizer. They felt nothing after the first two shots but were surprised to have quite strong (but typical) side effects after the booster. I don't know how common this is.

As for me, I got Pfizer after two AZ shots and each time the side effects were milder than with the previous one.

 

Isn't it contraindicated to have a booster shot of a vaccine that you've already had a bad reaction to?

 

I suspect that short-term flu-like symptoms are considered "normal." In the media, the message I've seen is that if you get a reaction it's a sign that it's working, but if you don't get a reaction that isn't a sign that it's not working.

The odd thing is that I've been getting annual flu shots since 2010, after I came down with what was likely an infection from the trail end of the H1N1 pandemic of 2009. I can't remember any of those flu shots giving me flu-like symptoms (just pain at the injection site), so I have to wonder if it's something to do with the mRNA tech of the Pfizer vaccine. I don't know if any of the Covid vaccines are "symptom-free" for everyone.

[I think the two dose shingles vaccine is also known for producing symptoms in some people.]

 

Only if it was life threatening.

 

A friend of mine recently had the two dose shingles vaccine and she felt awful after each one - felt like she had the flu each time and ran a
fever.