# Dreading the second dose **URL:** \ **Category:** The Quarantine Zone\ **Tags:** covid-quarantine\ **Created:** [April 11, 2021, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dreading-the-second-dose/939817 "2021-04-11T20:15:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Skypist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skypist/32/169_2.png) [@Skypist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skypist)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2021, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dreading-the-second-dose/939817/41 "2021-04-15T01:40:49Z")
Interesting how much variation there is, from almost nothing to fever and chills to maybe even a hospital visit, rarely. It’s been about nine hours and so far so good. Kind of waiting to see how I feel in the morning! Luckily able to WFH the rest of the week. ---
**Author:** ![Tride](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tride/32/13907_2.png) [@Tride](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tride)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2021, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dreading-the-second-dose/939817/42 "2021-04-15T13:04:33Z")
Got our 2nd Pfizer shot Monday. Tuesday I was on the couch with a mild fever and severe body aches. It definitely kicked my butt. I was fine yesterday. My wife had no reaction whatsoever. ---
**Author:** ![Fotheringay-Phipps](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/d9b06d/32.png) [@Fotheringay-Phipps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fotheringay-Phipps)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2021, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dreading-the-second-dose/939817/43 "2021-04-15T14:22:48Z")
My wife ended up not taking the second dose. She’ll probably get it down the line sometime, but my understanding is that there’s no big rush to get it so soon after the first dose anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2021, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dreading-the-second-dose/939817/44 "2021-04-15T14:37:48Z")
This thread is interesting reading. It has me dreading my second dose (in three weeks), and looking forward to it. I’m dreading the severe side effects, but I’m also hoping I’ll have a strong reaction so that I know my immune system works. ---
**Author:** ![Skypist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skypist/32/169_2.png) [@Skypist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skypist)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2021, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dreading-the-second-dose/939817/45 "2021-04-15T19:03:34Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > I’m dreading the severe side effects, but I’m also hoping I’ll have a strong reaction so that I know my immune system works This is me. I dread severe effects but am wondering if lack of symptoms means my immune system is not doing anything! I’m about 26 hours out and at this point just have the traditional sore arm. It’s kind of more sore than from my yearly flu shot but nothing crazy. No other weird headaches or chills. Not yet anyway. I’m in my early 50s so may not have the robust immune system of a young-un. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2021, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dreading-the-second-dose/939817/46 "2021-04-15T19:42:41Z")
Second dose in my arm as of 90 minutes ago. No issues thus far but I suppose it’s a bit premature. They asked me if I wanted the vaccine card laminated. I said I wanted it framed. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2021, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dreading-the-second-dose/939817/47 "2021-04-15T19:52:28Z")
You and i are in the same schedule! I got my second jab 110 minutes ago. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2021, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dreading-the-second-dose/939817/48 "2021-04-15T19:53:17Z")
I think I saw you in line. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![mandala](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mandala/32/95_2.png) [@mandala](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mandala)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2021, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dreading-the-second-dose/939817/49 "2021-04-15T21:07:38Z")
Bit the bullet and took the second dose (Moderna) exactly 3 hours ago. Nothing yet - not even pain at the injection site. 😲 Can’t help but admire the scale of this operation; everyone was super-nice and helpful, running the campaign like a well-oiled machine. My brother in Mumbai tells that the operation in India is also run efficiently; they hand out printed vaccination cards linked to India’s national ID system. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2021, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dreading-the-second-dose/939817/50 "2021-04-15T21:47:15Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > This thread is interesting reading. It has me dreading my second dose (in three weeks), and looking forward to it. > > I’m dreading the severe side effects, but I’m also hoping I’ll have a strong reaction so that I know my immune system works. IMO you want some reaction to prove your doses weren’t spoiled, but an over-strong immune reaction to SARS-nCOV-2 is trouble and it’s therefore probably also true that an over-strong reaction to the second vax is also less than optimal. Some, but not too much is probably best. IMO, YMMV, no warrantees expressed or implied. Next Fri for my 2nd Moderna. Not quite counting the days, but ready to enter the next phase of “new normal” = masks for the rest of our lives due to non-team players, but no huge fears of being killed or crippled by COVID … -19. It was only later that humanity learned that COVID-23 was the real killer. ---
**Author:** ![mandala](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mandala/32/95_2.png) [@mandala](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mandala)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2021, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dreading-the-second-dose/939817/51 "2021-04-15T23:11:27Z")
H5N1 avian influenza will probably be the next pandemic; WHO has been long warning us it can break out any day. When that happens, the current pandemic will feel like a walk in the park. 😱 ---
**Author:** ![Seanette](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/seanette/32/9139_2.png) [@Seanette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seanette)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2021, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dreading-the-second-dose/939817/52 "2021-04-16T02:33:17Z")
I’ve personally been a bit more concerned about H5N8. Only a handful of known cases in humans so far, so if it does figure out a more solid cross-species transmission, I would guess our immune systems are totally not ready for that one. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2021, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dreading-the-second-dose/939817/53 "2021-04-16T14:42:26Z")
I don’t know how many of you experienced virtually nothing after the second shot. Me, I have to look hard to find the ever so slightly sore spot in my arm. I was tired yesterday evening but I didn’t sleep well the night before so I attribute it to that. Otherwise, zero reaction after second dose. So now I’m wondering if the sketchy Urgent Care Center that administered the shot actually gave me a proper vaccine or saline. ---
**Author:** ![Jumpbass](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jumpbass/32/147_2.png) [@Jumpbass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jumpbass)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2021, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dreading-the-second-dose/939817/54 "2021-04-16T16:41:31Z")
I got the J&J shot last week. (No, I’m not worried about the blood clot thing.) My arm never hurt, but I woke up at 4 the next morning feeling like I had the flu. Tossed and turned for a few hours, took some Ibuprofen and felt better. Just a bit blurry the rest of the day. I came back into focus the next day. Now I’m dealing with hay fever. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2021, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dreading-the-second-dose/939817/55 "2021-04-16T17:45:38Z")
Second Moderna yesterday. Rest of day, OK. This morning, were I not already teleworking I’d have called in. The arm soreness is about the same, but more of an overall miserable feeling, with early morning nausea, mild hot flash/chill (but temp within “normal” range per the instrument), tired feeling, a little bit of brain fog; kind of like being mildly hung over. If this is it, I say quite fine! ---
**Author:** ![nelliebly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nelliebly/32/5422_2.png) [@nelliebly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nelliebly)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2021, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dreading-the-second-dose/939817/56 "2021-04-16T18:25:10Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > IMO you want some reaction to prove your doses weren’t spoiled, but an over-strong immune reaction to SARS-nCOV-2 is trouble and it’s therefore probably also true that an over-strong reaction to the second vax is also less than optimal. I’m curious as to how you figure this. The vaccination doesn’t mimic the illness. Older folks are more likely to have severe symptoms from COVID; younger folks less so, yet the reverse is true re: vaccine side effects. Anecdotally, all my older siblings and their spouses had no side effects from either dose of the vaccine, but everyone vaccinated so far in the younger generation has. But anecdotes don’t mean much, I know. Here’s the scoop from an expert: > As for why younger people experience more symptoms, that could be a result of them having stronger immune systems. > > “Older people’s immune systems tend to get weaker over time,” Liu explained, meaning their reaction to the vaccine will be less intense. > > “If you have no side effects, you may have a weaker response,” Liu said. > > That’s not to say the vaccine isn’t working. The immune system is complex and multi-pronged, and side effects aren’t the only sign the vaccine is efficacious. > **[These two groups tend to report more COVID vaccine side effects. This is why](https://www.ksnt.com/health/coronavirus/these-two-groups-tend-to-report-more-covid-vaccine-side-effects-this-is-why/)** > > Headache, chills, fever — these are just a few of the side-effects some have reported after getting the Moderna or Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines. ---
**Author:** ![Saintly\_Loser](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saintly_loser/32/4045_2.png) [@Saintly\_Loser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saintly_Loser)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2021, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dreading-the-second-dose/939817/57 "2021-04-16T18:41:39Z")
I had my second shot of the Pfizer vaccine on this last Wednesday (April 14). I didn’t feel anything out of the ordinary that day. The next day, maybe I felt a bit run down, but on the other hand, it was a busy day and I was up too late the night before and then up too early, and I might have felt that way anyway. Today I feel fine. So, pretty much nothing, with either dose. And I’m vaccinated. Yay! ---
**Author:** ![Lavender\_Pebble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lavender_pebble/32/6290_2.png) [@Lavender\_Pebble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lavender_Pebble)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2021, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dreading-the-second-dose/939817/58 "2021-04-16T18:55:55Z")
I had my second shot of Pfizer on Wednesday. Thursday I went to a virtual meeting in the morning and was fine until noon, when I developed a 101 fever. The weird thing is that I felt fine and in good spirits the whole time. I napped for a couple of hours and then sweated so intensely I weighed three pounds less this morning than yesterday morning. But overall, I never felt “sick.” It was a weird thing - I’ve never had a fever break with so much, uh, hydration released. ---
**Author:** ![Melbourne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Melbourne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melbourne)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2021, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dreading-the-second-dose/939817/59 "2021-04-16T22:19:21Z")
> [@Lavender\_Pebble](#): > > The weird thing is that I felt fine and in good spirits the whole time. Which can be a problem. “I finished the exam and then came down with mumps”. Um yeah, better ask for a retest anyway – sometimes you’re delirious without even knowing it. ---
**Author:** ![pacheen1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/51bf81/32.png) [@pacheen1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pacheen1)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2021, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dreading-the-second-dose/939817/60 "2021-04-17T00:10:53Z")
I didn’t get a reaction after the second dose, but husband had fever chills and nausea 17 hours post. Got Pfizer at the same time. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dreading-the-second-dose/939817.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dreading-the-second-dose/939817.md?page=4)