[News] Coronavirus: Dos and Don'ts Before Your Second Dose of the COVID-19 Vaccine

[#Steeven.™]

To be fully immunized, it is essential to receive that second dose and take into account the recommendations of the experts.

If you received the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, that means you are on your way to being protected against the coronavirus. But it should not be neglected, as you are not fully immunized without first receiving the second dose, experts say.

"We've told everyone that these vaccines are 95% effective," says Infectious Diseases specialist Dr. William Schaffner of Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech's two-dose vaccines currently being administered in the United States. at the University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee. "But they are only 95% effective if you give that second dose."

Side effects can be stronger
According to research by the AARP news portal, a large number of people who did not feel any reaction to the first dose of the vaccine, have claimed that the second dose is stronger, which has surprised the researchers.

Dr. Greg Poland, an infectious disease expert at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, and director of the institution's vaccine research group, had only mild symptoms after the first dose of it. But the second left him shivering, with chills and a temperature of 101ºF.

However, he told journalist Michelle Crouch; “I took a Tylenol and went to bed, and the next morning I woke up 90% recovered, and by noon I was back to normal,” says Poland. “This is not an indication that something is wrong; it is indicative of a vigorous immune response ”.

Participants in the clinical trials of both vaccines had experiences similar to those of Poland, in those of Pfizer, 31% of participants between 18 and 55 years old reported having a fever after the second dose, compared to 8% after the first.

 

Avoid painkillers at all costs before vaccination
Some have talked about the 'side effects' of the second dose, which may tempt you to take a pain reliever before your appointment.

However, according to Poland and Schaffner, it is not a good idea unless advised by your doctor. Taking painkillers preventively before a vaccine could decrease the effectiveness of the vaccine, explains the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of the United States.

On the other hand, they recommend taking acetaminophen (Tylenol) or a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory like Advil or Motrin after the vaccine if you experience side effects such as pain, fever, chills, or headache.

 

The second dose must be from the same manufacturer as the first
CDC allows Pfizer and Moderna vaccines to be combined only in "rare situations," such as when the vaccine used for someone's first dose is no longer available due to a supply shortage, or if it is unclear which vaccine they received. for your first dose.

Still, the organization suggests avoiding it: Moderna and Pfizer vaccines "are not interchangeable with each other or with other COVID-19 vaccine products," it has been exposed in official statements. "The safety and efficacy of a series of mixed products have not been evaluated."

 

Temporarily avoid other types of vaccines

Please be patient if you are interested in getting the poster herpes vaccine or Tdap, as there is no data on the safety and efficacy of COVID vaccines given at the same time as other vaccines, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. US Disease Prevention.

The CDC recommends avoiding other immunizations in the two weeks before and after both doses. Waiting also helps avoid confusion about the cause of a reaction if you do experience one.

On the other hand, the organization allows exceptions in circumstances where avoiding vaccination would pose an emerging risk, such as a post-injury tetanus vaccine, or hepatitis due to an outbreak.