Some Americans have received their full set of COVID vaccines: meaning both Pfizer or both Moderna shots.
Some of them, have reported feeling 'in a fog' or otherwise 'sick' after getting the second dose.
But there's a third option available now – the Johnson and Johnson single-dose COVID vaccine, and people are wondering if getting a single shot means you won't feel sick afterward.
VERIFY: Does the single dose vaccine have fewer side effects than the double dose vaccine?
Here are the sources:
- Dr. Liam Sullivan, infectious disease physician at Spectrum Health and participant in the Johnson and Johnson covid vaccine trial.
- Dr. Del DeHart, infectious disease physician at Metro Health.
Dr. Liam Sullivan says just because you're getting one injection does not mean you're not going to feel side effects.
"When people get the systemic effects from Moderna and Pfizer, they're much more common after the second injection. And that's because your immune system has been primed by the first injection, now you get the second injection in 21 or 28 days later and your immune system reacts very vigorously to it and that's why people have more systemic effects to it with the two vaccines," says Dr. Sullivan. "Even if you have had COVID, please do not pass up the opportunity to receive vaccination when its offered to you."
Dr. Sullivan says in the 24 to 48 hours following the single injection, he experienced common side effects including tiredness and muscle aches.
Dr. Del DeHart says feeling the common side effects after the first or second injection is proof that the vaccine is working.
"Thus far in clinical trials it has not seemed to produce more or less side effects. Fortunately, it looks like one vaccine of Moderna or Pfizer is good, the second is better to get both, and one vaccine from Johnson and Johnson is good and we will only know 6 months or a year from now if one is a little better than the other as far as how long it protects."
VERIFY: FALSE to assume the by getting a single dose vaccine, a person will not experience common systemic effects following injection.
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