Richard and I had our COVID booster shots on Friday afternoon. This was my third Moderna shot; Richard had had the one-shot Janssen vaccine so he opted this time for Moderna.
The pharmacist at CVS said the dose was half of the regular Modern. She also said that some people had experienced a reaction of sore arm, fever, fatigue, etc., and some hadn't had anything.
Richard didn't have any reaction to the shot. I started feeling feverish, achey and just all around flu-ey in the middle of the night on Friday. Spent Saturday on the couch and in bed, alternately shivering and sweating. I am better today but still so tired! Curious as to why I was so sick and R had nothing more than a sore arm, I Google'd "Why some people have side effects...." The article had lots of medical jargon in it but, basically, the fact that I had side effects means that my immune system was working harder than R's was. (Some may argue with this, but it works for me.) Apparently, it's usual for people older than 65 to have "age-related decline in immune activity." Doesn't mean that the vaccine isn't working, just means that a lot of 65+ people won't feel all those antibodies doing their job. Or something like that :) I guess I still have a younger immune system than R does.
Anyway, despite feeling like road kill for the past couple of days, I am glad I had the vaccine. I said to R that it's amazing how some of us just trust that what a "professional" (a pharmacist at CVS Pharmacy) is putting into our arm is going to be helpful and not kill us. Personally speaking, I am trusting of vaccines because I have watched--and been given--vaccines developed and administered over the past 64-odd years, since I was a child. I had the Salk vaccine for polio and the dreaded smallpox vaccination. I also vaguely remember being tested for TB in my schoo (scratches on my back); there must have been some kind of outbreak but I was too young to remember.
The MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine was developed after I'd already had all of those diseases but I made sure Laurie had them all. She was too old for the chicken pox (varicella) vaccine but her children have had the vaccination. Laurie had chicken pox, her children did not. Nor did Laurie have any of the childhood diseases I suffered through.
So now I am immunized up to the nth degree for COVID. I am thankful we were able to access the booster as I have been substitute teaching and the kiddos do not wear their masks over their noses and mouths (although I do.) And the reason I am called in so often to substitute is because people are still being exposed to it and getting sick from it. However, outside of the school district--which requires that everyone wear a mask on school premises--mask wearing here in our town is spotty. It's become a political issue rather than a health issue and I feel sad for that. Wear a mask, don't wear a mask. Let's not argue about it. I wear one, don't judge me and I won't judge you. I just won't come close to you, especially if I am not sure whether you are vaccinated.
It's true that, at this point, we are COVID weary. Many of us just feel that COVID will be with us and we need to adjust to that. I suppose I feel that way although I also feel that more people should (1) have access to vaccine and (2) take it. It's a blessing. It may be a mixed blessing for a few days but it's a blessing.
Thanks for doing the research! If there's anything to this, my immune system is "young" based on my reactions to shingles shot #2, and Covid shots #2 and #3 (both Pfizer).
ReplyDeleteI'm just thinking this has to be better than the disease. Thank you for being there as a substitute teacher... there's a front-line worker if ever I saw one!