Here’s what it means if you don’t have any side effects from the vaccine, say doctors

Since December, when news broke that two COVID-19 vaccines were about to be cleared for emergency use, we have all been warned to expect possible side effects from our injections while our bodies strengthens immunity against the new coronavirus. However, with everyone prepared for some common symptoms, patients who have been vaccinated but have not experienced any side effects may wonder if their lack of reaction is cause for concern. Official vaccine guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) state that “some people have no side effects.” But what exactly does it mean if your photo leaves you with no side effects? Read on to learn more, and to learn more about what to do after the shot, check out CDC Says Don’t Take This After Your Vaccine Without Doctor Approval.

Vaccines work by introducing your immune system to a new infection and causing it to recognize and fight off this disease if you do encounter it later in life. Both Pfizer and Moderna vaccines contain a strand of genetic material called mRNA. When this enters your cells, it prompts them to make a piece of the spike protein that is found on the coronavirus that causes COVID-19. While it doesn’t harm your body or cause infection with COVID-19, it tricks your immune system into thinking it’s under attack and working out a response to fight it. Your healthy cells then overwhelm those that have replicated the spike protein, and throughout this exchange, specific COVID-19 antibodies are generated and leave you with future protection.

The Johnson & Johnson vaccine, on the other hand, was created using a non-replicating adenoviral vector, where a tiny piece of COVID genetic material is inserted into a weakened version of the common cold virus, which has been modified so that ‘it can enter cells but not replicate inside them, the pharmaceutical company Explain. This again teaches your immune system to make antibodies against the coronavirus, so that if you were to come into contact with the real virus later on, then you will be able to fight it off more effectively. And for more COVID information delivered straight to your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter.

With so much reassurance offered to the American public that side effects from vaccines are not to be feared, those who do not may fear that the lack of side effects indicates that the vaccine did not work too. effectively. But doctors say it isn’t. “If you get this vaccine and you don’t experience any side effects, that doesn’t mean it doesn’t initiate a strong immune response,” explained Wendell hoffman, MD, infectious disease specialist at Sanford Health, in an article for the healthcare company’s website.

Leana wen, MD, practicing physician and opinion columnist for The Washington Post, assured readers, “People respond to vaccines differently. Some experience side effects – this is normal and it is a sign that the body is generating an immune response that will help fight COVID-19 if exposed. in the future. Others who do not have side effects. This is normal too, and there is no reason to believe that the vaccine is less effective for them. ” more recent ones under discussion, see CDC Just Warned of 3 New Side Effects of Vaccines.

While much information has focused on the side effects people can expect after vaccination, those without arms or body aches have expressed concern that there are no side effects. On the Cleveland Clinic website, one person wrote and asked, “If you don’t have any symptoms, does that mean the vaccine, or your immune system, isn’t working?”

In response, Thaddeus Stappenbeck, MD, chair of the inflammation and immunity department at the Lerner Research Institute at the Cleveland Clinic, explained, “When you actually look at the trial statistics, most people haven’t had side effects. Just over 50% experienced no side effects and remember they were still 94% protected after receiving the vaccine. So, you don’t have to worry if you don’t have any symptoms after your COVID-19 vaccinations. “

Stappenbeck added that he hopes further investigations will reveal why people react differently to the virus. “With so many people getting vaccinated, the medical community is very interested in why some people experience all of the symptoms while others don’t,” he wrote. “They are still working this out. At the moment, we do not understand it. “But,” he added, “the main vaccines that have been approved for emergency use are effective whether or not you have developed side effects – and you don’t have to feel bad to prove it. . that you are protected against COVID-19. And to learn more about a strange reaction that arose, see Doctors Want You To Prepare For This Delayed Side Effect Of The Vaccine.

If you do have side effects, the CDC says they will come in two varieties. First, the localized reaction to the injection itself, in the form of pain, redness and swelling. And second, a body-wide response, most commonly manifested as fever, chills, fatigue, headache, muscle pain, or nausea. “In most cases, the discomfort caused by fever or pain is normal,” they write. However, they say there are two situations in which you should call your doctor: “If the redness or tenderness where you received the injection gets worse after 24 hours” or “If your side effects worry you or don’t seem to go away after a few days. ”And for the more common side effects with the newer vaccine in particular, see These are the side effects of the new Johnson & Johnson vaccine, according to the FDA.