How the booster went for me personally.
On 15 December 2021, my Dad and I received the COVID-19 booster vaccine shot. I thought I'd share our side effects in case you're interested to know how things went for use.
Below are the subtopics/sections for this post:
Some Important Notes Before I Get Started
The side effects my Dad and I experienced may be different for you!!! I'm not a doctor. I just thought I'd share my experience with anyone interested. Research and ask for help or for more information from a health professional.
You can also find more information about other COVID-19 vaccines through the Center for Disease Control and Prevention website.
My Experience
I booked my booster vaccine through my local Walmart. I checked-in at the pharmacy and was guided to a tiny closet room where the vaccine was administered.
They told me to wait fifteen minutes at the pharmacy to make sure I didn't have any immediate or concerning side effects. I probably could've walked off because I wasn't being monitored, but I stayed the full fifteen before shopping.
Within a half hour, my arm was swollen and sore. I moved and massaged throughout the day to keep it from becoming stiff.
In the early evening hours, about six hours after receiving my vaccine, I started experiencing other side effects. The worst was the moderate fever and chills (which I still have at the time of writing this post).
I felt nauseous. It wasn't severe. I didn't feel like throwing up, but my stomach was unsettled. I skipped dinner and drank lots of water.
I was also lethargic. I tried to take a nap, but I wouldn't fall asleep. When I finally went to bed around midnight, I didn't remain asleep for long. I woke frequently throughout the night due to the discomfort I felt from the other side effects. It was like I took a lot of short naps instead of getting a good night's sleep.
The chills were completely gone. No more wrapping myself in thick blankets to stop shivering.
When I ate soup for lunch, I noticed I couldn't taste all the flavors. Garlic stood out to me, but the other flavors were mild. The soup I made is usually more flavorful than what I tasted today. I figured my taste buds were off like when I received my Moderna vaccine earlier this year.
To verify that I didn't just have a bad can of soup, I drank a soda that's usually packed with flavor. Today, the soda tasted flat with little flavor. It didn't feel like it had any carbonation.
However, KitKats taste fine to me. I've been snacking on it all day, specifically when I want something flavorful.
The latest side effect I encountered was a mild headache. It started after I turned on my laptop to write this post. After a few minutes of typing, my head started hurting and my eyes became sensitive to light.
I don't know if this would've been a side effect if I decided to avoid the computer today. I've taken many breaks to let my eyes rest. This short post took me hours to write because I can only look at the screen for so long.
Fortunately, I haven't experienced other side effects. It's been less than forty-eight hours since I received my booster vaccine, so there's a possibility I could develop another side effect. I doubt it since my other side effects, apart from the headache, are diminishing.
Dad's Experience
Unlike when my Dad received his Moderna vaccines earlier this year, he experienced more side effects with his booster vaccine. Below are the side effects Dad experienced:
lethargy
brief arm pain
slight nausea
brief, mild heartburn
muted taste
haziness
My Dad suffers from insomnia, but he's spent so much time sleeping the past couple days. Lethargy hit him harder than it hit me.
The heartburn was brief early this morning. Dad said he woke with mild heartburn. He usually drinks a morning coffee, but he skipped it today because he felt he'd have "a bad episode" if he pushed his luck.
While I'm still able to taste some flavor in the foods and drinks I consumed, Dad couldn't taste any flavors. This started late last night for him and is still the case today.
I had Dad eat a KitKat. Dad was able to taste the flavor, but said it left a bad after taste when he finished consuming it. I don't believe Dad will be eating much of anything for the remainder of today.
Haziness, or "brain fuzz" as he called it, also started late last night. Dad would temporarily have a loss for words as he's speaking. It's not that he forgets what he's talking about, but the words escape him for a moment before he can think of it.
My Thoughts
As a recap, below were the side effects I had after receiving my COVID-19 booster shot:
swelling around injection site
sore arm
severe chills
moderate and low-grade fever
lethargy and fatigue
mild nausea
mild headache
change in taste
Before I got my booster, I hoped the side effects would be milder than when I got my Moderna vaccines earlier this year. Instead, I experienced much of the same side effects once again.
My Dad's experience was different. He experienced more moderate side effects with the booster than his initial vaccines earlier this year. My insomniac Dad has spent most of the day sleeping.
Do I regret getting the booster? Nope, especially since I'm heading home to be with my Mom for the holidays within a week.
What's Next?
I'm going to try to take a nap. If I can't sleep, I'll continue crafting and gaming to keep myself preoccupied.
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Thanks, and have a great day!
Simply Jelly Jam
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