What Are the Side Effects of the 2023 COVID Vaccine? Experts … – Good Housekeeping

You just got your COVID-19 shot, and youre feeling like crap. You know its worth it, but BOY, it doesnt feel that way.

Thats a common reaction:

But even theyre no fun, side effects can be an excellent sign your shot is starting to protect you. A brand new study (a pre-print, meaning it has yet to be peer-reviewed and so should not be seen as final or definitive) from researchers at the University of California San Francisco, found that if you have chills, fatigue, fever and/or headache after your vaccine, your body makes more antibodies against the virus compared to those who didnt have side effects (these antibodies are detectable at both one month and six months following immunization.) The study reports that the more of these symptoms you have, the more antibodies youll have; also, if your heart rate increases and your skin feels warm, thats a further indication that your immune system is revving up.

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Evidence does suggest that local and systemic reactions to the COVID shot may mean they are building more robust protection, says Onyema Ogbuagu, MBBCh, FACP, FIDSA, a COVID vaccine/infectious disease expert and assistant professor of medicine at Yale School of Medicine in New Haven, CT.

Just as with all vaccines, a COVID shot mobilizes your bodys immune response. Your immune systems job is to battle any germ or virus that enters your body, and when you get vaccinated (in this case, with mRNA or a protein subunit) the shot creates antibodies that recognize the latest strain of COVID. If you are exposed to the actual virus, your immune system will remember the germ or virus you were immunized against, and send out those antibodies to fight it.

This falls updated COVID vaccine is new, but it does not produce new, unknown or harsher side effects. I get that people might be worried about getting new shots, including the new booster, says Dr. Ogbuagu. But its important to know that the COVID-19 vaccine, and COVID-19 boosters are very safe. We havent seen any serious problems with side effects. The new booster uses the same technology as the other COVID vaccines do its simply been changed to target the newest strain of the virus, the same way that the flu shot is changed every year. The shot has been rigorously tested.

According to Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, the new COVID vaccine is monovalent, which means its meant to target one strain of COVID, the XBB.15 variant, the latest version of Omicron likely to make you sick.

However, the Centers for Disease Control does note that there are common symptoms associated with this vaccine and previous ones, including:

But remember: If you have side effects, theyre usually due to your immune system responding to the vaccine, which is how vaccines work, says Shira Doron, MD, chief infection control officer for Tufts Medicine health system and hospital epidemiologist at Tufts Medical Center in Boston, MA.

If you dont have side effects, you can still rely on the vaccines effectiveness, says Judith ODonnell, MD, professor of infectious diseases at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and section chief of infectious diseases at Penn Presbyterian Medical Center in Philadelphia. Although most people experience one or two side effects, there are some people who dont have any, she says. Side effects are related to your immune system recognizing the antigen or foreign protein in the vaccine and responding. However, everyones immune system is unique to them, and responds uniquely when presented with something foreign from a vaccine.

As the research shows, side effects may indicate your system got a nice boost against COVID. Still, fewer side effects, less severe ones or a lack of any side effects doesnt mean you're not well-protected it simply shows that your bodies are different. You dont need to worry if youre one of the lucky ones that doesnt have side effects, adds Dr. Doron. The immune system is complex, and the vaccine is still working even if you dont feel it.

Data from the University of Alabama at Birmingham notes that mRNA vaccines, like the COVID shot, deliver their payload and then quickly leave your body, so this eliminates the concern of any long-term side effects. Most side effects last 2448 hours, says Dr. ODonnell. Arm soreness can sometimes last a little longer.

According to Yale New Haven Health, you can reduce any discomfort you have by using an ice pack or cool damp cloth on the injection site, or by taking a nice cool bath. You can also take an OTC pain medication if you dont have any other conditions that preclude that. Drinking extra water for a day or two can also help you feel better.

As is the case after having any vaccine or taking any medication, Yale New Haven Health also advises that if you experience any emergency symptoms like trouble breathing, chest pain or pressure, trouble staying conscious, feeling confused, or having blue skin on your mouth or face, you should call 911. Again, however, this is very unlikely.

The bottom line: Getting COVID-19 carries way more baggage than any side effects you might get from the vaccine, Dr. Ogbuagu sums up. We know that about two out of every 10 people who get COVID will develop long COVID. Plus, there could be many long-term effects COVID can have on a persons health that we dont even know about yet. So get your shot, and try to look at the bright side of side effects that theyre a good sign, and will be gone soon.

As more information about the coronavirus pandemic develops, some of the information in this story may have changed since it was last updated. For the most up-to-date information on COVID-19, please visit online resources provided by the CDC, WHO, and your local public health department.

Contributing Writer

Lisa is an internationally established health writer whose credits include Good Housekeeping, Prevention, Mens Health, Oprah Daily, Womans Day, Elle, Cosmopolitan, Harpers Bazaar, Esquire, Glamour, The Washington Post, WebMD, Medscape, The Los Angeles Times, Parade, Health, Self, Family Circle and Seventeen. She is the author of eight best-selling books, including The Essentials of Theater.

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What Are the Side Effects of the 2023 COVID Vaccine? Experts ... - Good Housekeeping