# Why does the COVID vaccine cause such harsh side effects? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Quarantine Zone\ **Tags:** covid-quarantine\ **Created:** [December 15, 2021, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-covid-vaccine-cause-such-harsh-side-effects/956105 "2021-12-15T14:30:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2021, 6:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-covid-vaccine-cause-such-harsh-side-effects/956105/41 "2021-12-19T06:25:13Z")
I’ve had three Pfizer shots now and nary a reaction. But I have had just about every conceivable vaccine you can think of – hell, I’m even vaccinated for Japanese encephalitis and hepatitis B, the latter of which entailed three shots over six months – and I’ve never, ever had a bad reaction of any kind that I can remember. ---
**Author:** ![BigAppleBucky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigapplebucky/32/178_2.png) [@BigAppleBucky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigAppleBucky)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2021, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-covid-vaccine-cause-such-harsh-side-effects/956105/42 "2021-12-20T17:52:47Z")
That has been my experience as well, except I had Moderna. I actually kind of wish I’d of had some reaction other than a slightly sore arm to prove the vaccine was effective in fighting off COVID. ---
**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:** [December 20, 2021, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-covid-vaccine-cause-such-harsh-side-effects/956105/43 "2021-12-20T19:40:39Z")
I admit that I was delighted to have a strong but short-term reaction to my booster. Every muscle in my body ached for about a day, and I was tired. I found it very reassuring. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2021, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-covid-vaccine-cause-such-harsh-side-effects/956105/44 "2021-12-24T05:26:21Z")
> [@Aspenglow](#): > > For now at least, I’m going to give that one a pass and take my chances. I didn’t have chicken pox when I was a kid, never had a cold sore or herpes or any other indication the virus is in me. I know how awful shingles is. My stepmom had a dreadful case. Twice, if memory serves. Still… From what I hear, shingles is a real misery-making experience. I’d suggest discussing it with your doctor; I don’t know what your risk might be of being exposed to the virus at all (assuming you truly have never had it). There may be a blood test that shows whether or not you’ve got antibodies. I got my second Shingrix 2 days ago, and it has indeed hit me harder than the first… for varying definitions of “harder”. The arm is about as sore, overall - and in some odd locations (e.g. if you look at my arm from the side, and say they injected at “12 o’clock”, it’s quite tender at 10 o’clock, and overall sore down around 6 o’clock. The next day, I woke up early in the morning and felt fairly achy. Nothing I couldn’t have shaken off if I’d needed to, but I took 2 Tylenol, and went back to bed (as I’d planned to do anyway, it was just a bathroom break). A couple hours later I got up for the day, feeling fine, and went on a 2 mile walk. Later that afternoon, I was relaxing on the couch and really fighting to stay awake (likely unrelated), and realized I felt a tiny bit chilled (possibly unrelated) and overall a little achy (possibly due to the vaccine) - and I took another Tylenol before conking on the couch for a couple hours. No issues last night / this morning, though this afternoon I had a repeat of the “feeling slightly chilled”, so I took another Tylenol before snoozing again. No achiness. I expect the chills both days were just that - it’s “winter” here, and the house is cooler, and if we’re sitting still we’re gonna feel cold. The arm is still sore, and I expect it will be for a few more days. All in all, I think some people are just more susceptible to uncomfortable reactions to all sorts of vaccines - those who’ve had a bad time with almost everything, and those (like me) who’ve gotten by with very little. I wonder if there’s any correlation between vaccine reaction tendency, and other bodily function issues. A friend who reacts badly to vaccines also tosses her cookies with some regularity - and is flabbergasted at my lack of same (as in, as an adult I’ve thrown up exactly twice… and I’m near retirement age). > [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](#): > > My doctor told me that I don’t have to worry about Shingrix, since I won’t get shingles again. Hearing someone had shingles twice is scaring me, so maybe I’ll seek another opinion on the vaccine. Errrrr… as another poster said, your doctor is full of baloney; I’d suggest you either ignore the doctor (since you can get the vaccine at any drugstore) or maybe find a new doctor! I wonder though whether you would have an easier time of the vaccine reaction, or a harder time. No clue. I must say, the shot itself hurts more than any other vaccine I’ve had as an adult. I had to force myself not to jump away when she was administering it, and I did permit myself some blue language. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2021, 8:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-covid-vaccine-cause-such-harsh-side-effects/956105/45 "2021-12-24T08:08:36Z")
When I got my shingrix vaxes, they warned me that it was going to sting. But it didn’t, or maybe only slightly so. They certainly weren’t traumatic (defined as: If I’d be nervous if I had to get another one). ETA: I strongly suspect that the pain or discomfort of getting any shot, at the time of the actual shot, is probably a function of the shot-giver’s technique. This is entirely separate from any soreness afterward. ---
**Author:** ![Bookkeeper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bookkeeper/32/281_2.png) [@Bookkeeper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bookkeeper)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2021, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-covid-vaccine-cause-such-harsh-side-effects/956105/46 "2021-12-24T16:41:21Z")
In the last 10-15 years I’ve been getting annual flu shots, I’ve had both Shingrix shots, a couple of booster shots for earlier vaccines, and 2 COVID shots (waiting for my third). No reaction for any of them. My wife typically has a sore arm for a day or two. Clearly any reaction is a function of your personal immune system function, so whatever happened for previous shots will likely happen for future ones. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2021, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-covid-vaccine-cause-such-harsh-side-effects/956105/47 "2021-12-29T04:34:37Z")
> [@Bookkeeper](#): > > Clearly any reaction is a function of your personal immune system function, so whatever happened for previous shots will likely happen for future ones. I had the J&J and it was an expected day of misery. The Pfizer booster has made me think twice about getting an additional booster after that. It’s been over a week of fun. ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2021, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-covid-vaccine-cause-such-harsh-side-effects/956105/49 "2021-12-29T12:45:42Z")
> [@jamespeterson](#): > > I did a little research on this and found that the dead virus in the form of vaccine enters your body and your body fights against it and makes antibodies, so you feel sick. Which vaccine did you get? I didn’t think any of the COVID vaccines used a dead virus, but I could be wrong. > [@Magiver](#): > > It’s been over a week of fun. I wonder if you happened to get a breakthrough case when you got the vaccine. Maybe take a home test, if you can find one. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2021, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-covid-vaccine-cause-such-harsh-side-effects/956105/50 "2021-12-29T12:49:51Z")
> [@RitterSport](#): > > Which vaccine did you get? I didn’t think any of the COVID vaccines used a dead virus, but I could be wrong. mRNA is a very new technology. He likely doesn’t understand how it differs from dead/live vaccines. ---
**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:** [December 29, 2021, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-covid-vaccine-cause-such-harsh-side-effects/956105/51 "2021-12-29T13:06:34Z")
> [@RitterSport](#): > > Which vaccine did you get? I didn’t think any of the COVID vaccines used a dead virus, but I could be wrong. At least one of the Chinese vaccines uses dead virus. Maybe two of them. > **[CoronaVac](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/CoronaVac)** > > CoronaVac, also known as the Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine, is a whole inactivated virus COVID-19 vaccine developed by the Chinese company Sinovac Biotech. It was phase III clinically trialled in Brazil, Chile, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Turkey and relies on traditional technology similar to other inactivated-virus COVID-19 vaccines, such as the Sinopharm BIBP vaccine, another Chinese vaccine, and Covaxin, an Indian vaccine. CoronaVac does not need to be frozen, and b A real-world study of ten... ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2021, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-covid-vaccine-cause-such-harsh-side-effects/956105/52 "2021-12-29T13:22:20Z")
Learn something new every day! I guess it’s possible that a poster named **jamespeterson** got a Chinese vaccine. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2021, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-covid-vaccine-cause-such-harsh-side-effects/956105/53 "2021-12-30T00:17:03Z")
> [@RitterSport](#): > > I wonder if you happened to get a breakthrough case when you got the vaccine. Maybe take a home test, if you can find one. Sorry, what do you mean by breakthrough case? I actually looked at a home kit at a drugstore and they wanted $170 for it. It felt heavy, maybe it was for 10 of them but that was way over priced. I wouldn’t mind getting tested. ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2021, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-covid-vaccine-cause-such-harsh-side-effects/956105/54 "2021-12-30T00:30:38Z")
I mean, if you happened to get COVID, even though you’re vaxxed with J&J, it would be considered a breakthrough case. So, maybe you got infected with COVID right around when you got the booster, so the week of side effects was actually a breakthrough case of COVID, not the effects of the booster. Around here (NJ), there are tons of testing places that are free if you have insurance. I imagine that’s the case in most places? ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2021, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-covid-vaccine-cause-such-harsh-side-effects/956105/55 "2021-12-30T03:03:35Z")
I’ll have to poke around and find a test. I keep track of my oxygen levels and ECG in case I get covid so I’ll know if it’s causing problems. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2021, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-covid-vaccine-cause-such-harsh-side-effects/956105/56 "2021-12-30T03:05:48Z")
I huat bought a 2 test kit on Amazon for under $20 earlier today. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2021, 10:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-covid-vaccine-cause-such-harsh-side-effects/956105/57 "2021-12-30T10:45:29Z")
A seven-test kit has just arrived in the mail this morning. It was free. UHC is _awesome_. ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2021, 11:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-covid-vaccine-cause-such-harsh-side-effects/956105/58 "2021-12-30T11:59:45Z")
> [@Machine\_Elf](#): > > What makes the side effects of this vaccine so much worse than, say, the flu vaccine? Layman’s take here, but my understanding is that most viruses cause illness as a consequence of binding its spike to a human cell’s receptors, then entering the cell, and reproducing until it kills the cell. Sars-Cov-2 does all those things, but it seems like it causes most harm merely in the first phase of binding the ACE2 receptor (by disrupting the balance of Angiotensin-II). The entire live virus is not needed for this, just the spike protein. Every COVID vaccine introduces some spike protein to the body, whether it comes from mRNA or dead virus. The COVID vaccine is different in that it stimulates production of viral fragment can bind and cause harm like a live virus would. But it will never accumulate to any dangerous level because the spike protein alone lacks the machinery to produce a live functioning virus. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2021, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-covid-vaccine-cause-such-harsh-side-effects/956105/59 "2021-12-31T23:58:56Z")
I had to make a run to the drug store for meds so I picked up a kit for $10. It appears I’m getting a cold so I may be using it sooner than later. I read through the instructions and there’s nothing about pushing the swab stick into your brain. Only need to go in 3/4 of an inch. Makes me wonder about those horror stories you see on the news with the long swab sticks. ---
**Author:** ![Bookkeeper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bookkeeper/32/281_2.png) [@Bookkeeper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bookkeeper)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2022, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-covid-vaccine-cause-such-harsh-side-effects/956105/60 "2022-01-01T04:09:48Z")
The PCR test is the one which usually needs the deep penetration swabbing. The RAT 15-minute tests allow for less penetrating but in both nostrils as an option. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2022, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-covid-vaccine-cause-such-harsh-side-effects/956105/61 "2022-01-01T19:08:47Z")
Thanks, something to read up on. RAT (Rapid antigen tests) The disadvantage of a much higher false negative rate than PCR. PCR (polymerase chain reaction) appears to be the more expensive version that requires a lab to process. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-covid-vaccine-cause-such-harsh-side-effects/956105.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-covid-vaccine-cause-such-harsh-side-effects/956105.md?page=4)