COVID-19 Update: Vaccine Edition

I wanted to give you a little update on the vaccines and what to expect as well as things to keep watching for. I hope this doesn't read negatively because that is not my intent - I just want to provide you with the facts as I currently know them so you can make an informed decision. As more information emerges about the two pending vaccines, (Pfizer's and Moderna's) we are getting a closer look at some of the details and there is a very important element you need to be aware of: reactogenicity.

Reactogenicity is basically a reaction brought on by a vaccine. There are adverse effects and then there are reactogenicity effects - think of it as an intense immune response. Remember, vaccines work by triggering your immune response to an invader. This generates as natural a response as we can get without you actually getting the virus/disease. But this means your immune system thinks you are under attack and launches a response. Sometimes you don't notice much - a sore arm, maybe a low-grade fever or feeling tired. Sometimes you notice more, you may feel run down and under the weather for a day or two after the shot. This is normal and varies from person to person.

But with the COVID vaccine, you need to prepare for something more. The vaccine may elicit a more notable immune response than we are used to and you could feel quite ill for 24-48 hours after receiving it, particularly after the second dose. (Remember both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines require 2 doses).

The most common effects being seen are fatigue, muscle pain, joint pain, headache, fever, chills, and hot flashes. For about 2% of people, these can be "intense" and "unbearable" - 2% doesn't seem like many, but that is about 700k of us. Short term side effects are not dangerous but are admittedly unpleasant and you need to be mentally prepared that that may happen.

Also of note, we do not know the long term effects of RNA vaccines because they are new. I mention this because there are questions being asked about people with autoimmune disorders and how safe the vaccine will be for them. Right now we don't know definitively. HOWEVER, while we haven't gone to market with a mRNA vaccine, we have created them in the past (they didn't go all the way to market because we ended up not needing them). They are designed to eliminate the threat of an adverse autoimmune response but for this particular vaccine that has not yet been tested. If you have an autoimmune disorder definitely talk to your doctor before getting the vaccine and discuss which of the vaccine options may be right for you.

Do keep in mind that we are talking about one or two nights of feeling pretty bad compared to a potentially fatal disease and a vaccine with a 95% effectiveness rating. But you do need to know what to expect and only you can determine what is right for you. Both vaccines have been tested on a host of ages but Moderna's vaccine is reporting a more racially and ethnically diverse test pool in their clinical trials. I will keep you updated as I learn more.