Like most healthcare workers, I was thrilled when I was eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. She has been involved in caring for COVID-19 patients since then The beginning of the epidemic In the United States, and I saw What this virus can do to people. We all felt incredibly powerless against this incredibly contagious bug.
With time, experience, and study, we learned which treatments help and which don’t. And most importantly, we now have vaccines.
Pfizer / BioNTech and Moderna MRNA vaccines Tested in about 18,600 and 15,000 participants, respectively – it was the first to be made available in the United States with an emergency clearance from the Food and Drug Administration. It remains the most effective. Trials have shown 95% effectiveness in preventing symptomatic COVID-19 infection after two doses.
And most importantly, no one – Not a single participant People who contracted COVID-19 after receiving either of these vaccines died, or were even sick enough to be hospitalized. The numbers of participants who were vaccinated and who contracted COVID-19 were extremely low: just 11 inches Moderna trial (Compared to 185 people who received placebo), and nine in The Pfizer Trial (Compared to 169 people who received a placebo.) These numbers are a real reason for hope!
How did it feel when I received my COVID-19 vaccine – and what happened next
So, on January 3rd, I went to the hospital staff vaccination clinic and almost cried with joy when I received a dose of Moderna vaccine. Yes, I felt lucky the next day: headache, body aches, and fatigue. These mild, flu-like symptoms are common after many vaccinations, and especially after COVID-19 vaccines. I worked from home and took Tylenol, and I was fine within hours.
There is no such thing as real-life testing to highlight the need for vaccines. While I was getting my first dose, my husband was on the job. We learned later that he had it Exposure to high risks To COVID-19 the same day (ironically, it doesn’t work in healthcare, but in professional sports). We went into strict quarantine at that time.
Unfortunately, seven days after his exposure, he developed a fever, chills, fatigue, congestion and a cough. Two tests have confirmed that COVID-19 is complete.
Of course my husband was wearing a mask and we tried to be socially distant. But with two kids in a remote school, I was trying to keep up with hypothetical clinical work, and no chance to let anyone in to help us, it was definitely drawn into the everyday life of the family. Seven days after the symptoms began, our ten-year-old son developed a fever, chills, fatigue, congestion and coughing. He also had the COVID virus. He suffers from asthma.
Worsening asthma, cough, and exposure to the virus
In fact, both my husband and son suffer from asthma, but my son’s asthma especially has worsened. He was coughing and coughing. I administered his breathing treatments, sometimes in the middle of the night, and admittedly, I didn’t always wear a mask. I could not have been exposed to more constant exposure to the high risk of this virus, which is much more dangerous than I was when I worked in the inpatient ward for COVID in April.
But during that month in which I live among loved ones infected with the COVID virus who are experiencing high symptoms, I have been tested regularly through the Occupational Health Department in my hospital, as well as through a clinical trial looking at the effectiveness of the vaccine among health care workers. I tested negative four times.
One dose, three solid weeks of high-risk exposure, no infection.
There is still one mystery: our nine-year-old daughter did not become infected. Tested three times that month, all negative. We don’t think she had a previously asymptomatic infection, because if she had, we’d all have been infected for sure. We’ve been more careful than many families because of my work – we’ll never want to accidentally injure anyone. “I am immune!” She is very proud to declare anyone who will listen. And we think it is, in a way.
Refunds and a second dose
My son and husband recovered well, thank God. I had my second dose of Moderna vaccine on January 31st, and I’ll say the next day was a dizziness: low-grade fever, fatigue, headache, body aches, and arm pain. Once again I worked from home, but this time I gave in to a nice big dose of Aleve. All of these symptoms disappeared and I was back to normal the next day. That week, the test result was negative for the fifth time.
I know some people are hesitant about a vaccine; Some people are hesitant to receive any vaccinations. Others have read media reports of very few and rare allergic reactions. It is true that if a person has a history of a severe allergic reaction to any component in the vaccine, they should not receive it. Otherwise, eligible adults can feel safe to roll up their sleeves. After all, many people have died from COVID-19.
My conclusions about vaccination
Both the data as well as my real-world experience with this vaccine are incredibly positive and reassuring. I am confident that we can reach a new normal. We might still be wearing masks and social distancing to some degree – remember, vaccinated people can still get the infection, and it’s less likely and not very sick. We do not yet know if vaccinated people may develop an asymptomatic infection with which they could spread, or about the role of viral variants.
We may still see cases of COVID-19 among people who have not yet received the vaccine and those who have refused it. But for the most part, once most people are inoculated, I expect restaurants, travel, weddings, and family dinners to reappear. And I can’t wait!
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For more information on COVID-19 vaccines, see the Harvard Health Coronavirus Resource Center The vaccine page.
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