The second wave of a deadly pandemic is causing a great threat to human life in India. The country’s surge in infection saw a rise in mid-March and is continuing. On 30th April, the country touched the peak of highest recorded cases of 400, 000. And on 3rd May, there was a subsequent fall in the cases with under 360, 000. India is conducting around two million tests per day.
No wonder, the government is taking necessary measures to have full control over the situation. The authorities of various states state that case levels have fallen but still there are some speculations about the constant rise in cases. There is also a high percentage of people in India with undetected COVID-19.
To have full control over the situation, the vaccination drive has kick-started. Earlier, people above the age of 45years were given full attention by allowing them to get vaccinated first. But now the people above the age of 18 in India are starting to get the first dose of COVID-19 vaccines.
There is positive news of vaccines that have given high hopes to people who are vulnerable to the dangers of COVID-19. But some people concern about the before and after-effects of the COVID-19 vaccination.
Authorized COVID-19 Vaccines and their Possible Side-Effects
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Biontech-Pfizer Vaccine
– The patients taking this vaccine are facing usual side effects like fever, headache, etc. However, there are some isolated cases where British and American people faced allergic shocks and anaphylactic shock. The symptoms included skin turning red, shortness of breath, etc. The Biotech-Pfizer is 95% effective in preventing the coronavirus.
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Moderna Vaccine
– The Moderna vaccine is 94% effective in preventing the virus but there are not many instances of allergic reactions caused by the Moderna vaccine and around 10 patients went into anaphylactic shock with no deaths reported. A small percentage of people did face facial nerve paralysis after taking Moderna.
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Covaxin Vaccine
– This is a vaccine that is developed under Bharat Biotech (a home-grown brand). According to the pharma giant, the vaccine only shows normal side effects like fatigue, nausea, etc. But in rare cases, it does shows allergic reactions like breathlessness, body rash, etc. India’s Covaxin is 81% against COVID-19.
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AstraZeneca Vaccine (Covishield)
– This vaccine has proven to be the milder and safer out of all. People getting the AstraZeneca vaccine are only facing normal side effects such as headache, sore arm, fatigue, etc. According to the manufacturer of this vaccine, it is 63% effective against coronavirus.
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Russian Sputnik Vaccine
– People taking the Russian Sputnik vaccine are only facing mild side-effects like body ache, fever, headache, etc. This is the only vaccine that went under a limited number of trials. The Sputnik vaccine shows 97.6% efficacy against COVID-19.
Some common side effects of a vaccine
Here are some of the common side-effects across all vaccines which you may experience after getting your first and second dose of COVID-19 vaccine:
- Arm soreness
- Fatigue
- Headache
- Chills
- Nausea
- Redness
- Swelling
- Diarrhea
- Mild fever
- Muscle/joint pains or body pains
Things to Consider Before Getting COVID-19 Vaccination
Everyone who is considering getting vaccinated needs to take special care. Ponder upon the points mentioned below before getting COVID-19 vaccination:
- Consult your doctor – Youth need not have to worry about the possible dangers of the vaccination. However, people above the age of 45 with pre-existing medical conditions such as cancer, diabetes, blood pressure, etc. need to consult their doctor. It is better to be safe.
- Know more about the mediations you take – It is essential to about the existing medications which you take. Whether they can increase your chance of developing an allergic reaction or not.
- People on blood plasma should avoid taking vaccines – If you are infected with the coronavirus or receiving blood plasma/monoclonal antibodies, then avoid taking the vaccination.
- Don’t panic – If you feel certain discomfort or any allergies, don’t panic. Try to relax before getting vaccinated. This way you will have a smooth vaccine experience.
- Eat healthy before getting the jab – According to experts, people need to have a healthy diet before getting the vaccine. Plus, routine medicines must be taken after seeking medicinal guidance.
Things to consider after getting vaccinated
Follow the below-mentioned points to have a great post-vaccination experience:
- Wait till monitoring – Health care provider keeps a check on every individual who got the vaccine for about 15 minutes to ensure that the person is not having any immediate reactions.
- Do not run from side effects – Every COVID-19 vaccine is designed to boost your immunity without any dangers of the virus. However, it is common to face side-effects from mild to moderate after getting vaccinated. The side effects like headache, chills, diarrhea, etc. go away after few days.
- Do not lose your patience – Vaccine stakes some time to build your immunity. Depending on the vaccination there is a certain period after which your immunity will be boosted. So, try to have patience.
- Be safe – The vaccines are only effective to protect you from serious illness from the virus. This is the reason why you should keep practicing the norms to protect yourself and others from getting infected.
How to Put up with the aftereffects of Vaccination?
- The use of painkillers – There are no valid points or research done about at which stage that you need to have painkillers after getting the jab. According to doctors, there are some painkillers that may dim the immune system if taken before or after the vaccine. So, unless prescribed do not take any painkillers.
- Try cold compress to get rid of the fever – It is normal to have a mild fever after getting vaccinated. Therefore, using a cool compress or washcloth to get rid of the fever is the best non-medical way. This will help break the fever easily.
- Take a good healthy diet and hydrate your body – The ultimate way to counter the side effects of vaccination is to eat healthy foods and hydrate your body. Ensure to have good sleep and eat homemade food.
- Move your ‘injected arm’ around – After you get vaccinated your arm creates stiffness. To deal with this, follow the remedy of moving it around. This is a gentle exercise that allows your arm to stretch properly.
- Get a hot water bath and Epsom salt steam for pains – In case you suffer from bouts of muscle pain, body pains, or weakness, try taking hot showers. Hot water or Epsom salt steam soothes the inflammation and offer relief from pains.
- Add soothing spices in your diet to fight nausea – Some people, especially women face nausea along with fever as a side-effect. Try having soothing spices like peppermint, ginger in lemon water to deal with it.
- Exercise a bit – Some sort of physical activity improves your body reacting to the vaccination. However, do not rush into it. Go for less intense exercises which do not exert your body.
FAQs
- Is it safe to get a COVID vaccination with a history of allergic reactions?
If you have any history of allergic reactions which are not in relation to vaccines or injectable medications, then it is safe to get COVID-19 vaccination. Ensure to monitor yourself for 30minutes after getting vaccinated.
- Do I need to get vaccinated with existing health issues?
Yes, it is safe to get vaccinated with existing health issues till you have not faced any reaction to the virus. However, there is less information about vaccines for people with weak immune system.
- Is it safe to get the vaccine if a person is pregnant or breastfeeding?
A person has a choice to get the vaccination. According to some findings, getting the mRNA COVID-19 vaccine is safe for women. However, seek advice from your doctor to avoid risks.
- Does COVID-19 vaccination affect the fertility or menstruation cycle?
There are no solid pieces of evidence related to this but some women have experienced temporary changes in their period-cycle.
- Is there a need for me to get vaccinated if I had COVID-19?
Getting COVID-19 offers natural protection from the virus. But it is not certain for how long the protection may last. People can get vaccinated who had COVID-19 but if you are treated with monoclonal antibodies the wait is for 90 days to get vaccinated.
- People who should not get COVID-19 vaccination?
There is no coronavirus vaccine for children under the age of 12. Several clinical trials of vaccines for children are in progress.
- Is it possible to get infected even after getting vaccinated?
The vaccines are meant to protect you from COVID-19. Fully vaccinated people can still get infected with the virus if they are exposed to it.
EndNote
The vaccines are meant to prevent the serious effects of the deadliest coronavirus. Every vaccine is the best hope to end the pandemic across the globe. Several COVID-19 vaccines are still under clinical trials. This is essential to approve the vaccines but the vaccines approved by the government and went under clinical trials must be taken by the common people.
Despite some normal side-effects of the vaccine, it can prevent you from becoming seriously ill. By getting vaccinated you can prevent spreading the COVID-19 virus to your loved ones. However, ensure that you take necessary precautions before and after getting vaccinated.