I Got The COVID Vaccine. Here’s What Happened….

Here I am, after my first Moderna shot. They ask that vaccinated folks sit for about 15 minutes after receiving it, to make sure there’s no adverse reaction.

Ok, so that’s probably the most clickbaity headline that I’ve written for my blog to date. I honestly had no idea how my body would respond after I received the COVID vaccine two months ago. 

Before receiving the two Moderna shots, I did a bunch of research about it. At that time there was not a ton of information about it, nor was there any huge survey pool. It’s all still very new. Lots of pros, including what you can find on the WHO’s site, which includes that it’s over 90% effective at warding off COVID if you receive both doses and have not yet had it. What the heck is actually in the Moderna vaccine? Mostly acid, salt, sugar, and lipids—reportedly. Here’s a full breakdown.  

Vaccination tent

If you would have told me a year ago that I’d be one of the first in my family and friend circle to take the COVID vaccine I would have laughed HARD--out loud. But there’s a lot of things that I would have thought were impossible a year ago!

When I got the opportunity to take the vaccine, I thought long and hard about it. Hubs is in the medical field, and it was a no-brainer for him to take it, to safeguard himself and our family. Unlike me, he wasn’t nervous at all. His sense of calm put me at ease. We decided that he’d go for his vaccine first. After his first shot, we monitored his side effects, which were thankfully minor. I was up next. 

I was both thankful and terrified. Nervous, anxious, happy and an emotional hot mess. Only 15 thousand people had been tested at that time. What if none of them reacted like me? As a wife, a Black woman, journalist, vegan, fitness enthusiast, overall healthy person, semi-skeptical and over-worried mom, I had all sorts of thoughts and feelings percolating. We know people who have been affected by COVID, and some who have even passed away. Although there’s still some skepticism about the vaccine, especially in the Black community, we decided that getting vaccinated made sense.

So, here’s what happened…

With the first shot, my arm was rock hard sore afterwards. I had a minor headache going into it, and that amplified. I took Tylenol Cold and Flu afterwards. That helped, a bit. But the headache was constant. I also had chills, all over my body. I had to lay down a few hours after receiving the shot, because the chills were intense. It felt like I was about to get a major cold or flu, although I never developed a fever. It honestly felt like something was off in my system, overall. The symptoms lasted for about two days. After that, they were gone. And I mean like absolutely gone, as if it never happened. It was slightly bizarre.

“I was both thankful and terrified. Nervous, anxious, happy and an emotional hot mess.”

I heard that the second dose can often produce more intense side effects. It was true for me. It felt like I’d been hit by a monster truck. I’m usually with my children for most of the day. I remember praying my way through, because I felt too weak to move, think or really function quickly. At one point, I piled the kids in the bed with me and we all took a long nap, because I just COULD NOT DEAL. My arm was tender, my energy was completely zapped, the chills were amped up, and my headache felt like the worst pounding migraine ever. (I rarely get migraines). My body was totally limp and weak. I must admit, I felt like pure trash!! Good thing that the second round of symptoms also only lasted for two days, before they completely disappeared.   

If I would have known the scale of the intensity for round two in advance, I would have made better preparations, in terms of getting help with the kids and possibly food delivery. 

The verdict is out on how if you can still carry and pass COVID to unvaccinated people, after receiving the vaccine. Preliminary studies show that it kicks in up to 2-weeks after you’ve had your last shot. It’s supposed to last for about a year, but that’s not yet confirmed. It all feels very experimental to me, so I still continue to wear my mask and socially distance when I’m out.

I’m thankful that both Hubs and I’s symptoms were pretty minor, as were my parents. They are seniors and both got vaccinated at the same time. I did notice that the women in my family who received the vaccine had more intense side-effects than the men. Overall, I’m glad that we made the decision, as a family, to take the vaccine. Have you been vaccinated? What was your experience like?

My parents and I in the car, after our first vaccination round.

***Disclaimer: This blog is not meant to diagnose, suggest or recommend anything. It is a reflection of my experience.