My husband and I got the first dose of the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine on February 4, 2021 at 1:15 p.m. We had read numerous accounts of side effects (maybe not such a good idea, but we couldn’t help ourselves) but still wondered how it would affect the both of us.
For me, it turned out to be quite a bit worse than getting a regular flu shot. When my husband gets the regular flu shot, it doesn’t affect him at all. His arm doesn’t even get sore. With the first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine, his arm got quite sore but that was about it.
The regular flu shot makes my arm hurt a lot and I get really tired and rundown for a few days. The first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine amped that all up. And the side effects all lasted much longer. The severe headache for several days in a row was not much fun. I didn’t like the chills and night sweats either.
With the first shot, it took about 50 hours for the full effect to hit me. With the second shot, it hit me within hours. My arm hurt like a … well you know … and my head ached and I was so tired that the next morning I did not want to get out of bed. I did anyway. We had too much to do.
But here’s the thing, with the second shot, even though it hit me harder, the side effects cleared up much quicker. Within just a couple of days my arm hurt almost not at all, my headache had cleared out and I was starting to get my energy back.
The very next day after our second shots, we were both standing out in the cold and wind on our driveway (we live in Wyoming so when I say cold and wind, I really mean it) sanding and prepping base molding for our new laminate flooring. I couldn’t have done that after the first shot.
I’ve heard that some people have a much harder time with the second shot than we did. I feel sorry for them but grateful we got through it with a minimum of bother.
In the beginning, I was on the fence about getting vaccinated but decided it was the smart thing to do. Having gone through the process, I still think it is a good idea to get vaccinated.
When most people think of a “second shot,” they are likely thinking about a second chance at something. Maybe the opportunity to get something right that went wrong.
I know there are some people who are skipping the second shot. That’s probably not a good idea.
With the Covid-19 second shot, it’s the chance to improve immunity and it’s what it takes to get it done right.
Maddie's Mom Writes 