In this week's edition of the Covid Q&A, we look at vaccine side effects. In hopes of making this very confusing time just a little less so, each week Bloomberg Prognosis is picking one question sent in by readers and putting it to experts in the field. This week's question comes to us from MaryAnne in San Francisco. MaryAnne, 80, recently survived cancer. After receiving a booster shot, she was concerned about whether the vaccine worked:
Is it true that if you don’t have any after effects from a vaccination you haven’t really been immunized?
This question highlights a myth that’s been circulating since Covid vaccines were first widely available earlier this year. Most people likely know someone who, after getting horribly sick after their shot, proclaimed something along the lines of: “Well, at least I know it’s really working.” At the root of such statements is a thought that isn’t true — wouldn’t it be great if enduring not-so-fun side effects was at least a sign that the vaccine was revving up your immune system to fight Covid?
But those lucky people who felt just fine after their jab and those who felt awful probably have equally good odds the vaccine is working well to protect them against Covid.
“There is no evidence to suggest that a lack of side effects is directly connected to a poor immune response to the vaccination,” says Jessica Justman, an epidemiologist at Columbia University Medical Center.
Justman points out that in trials for the Pfizer vaccine (which our reader got), about three-quarters of recipients did experience some mild side effects. She says the proportion of people experiencing side effects was “generally lower in a non-research community setting.”
In the case of people like our reader with compromised immune systems, a third dose may help. But for the general population, experts are by no means in agreement on whether the average person will need a booster at all. In fact, in a paper that came out this past week, a panel of all-star scientists — including two from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration — argued that governments would be better off focusing on immunizing the unvaccinated and waiting for more data on which boosters would be most effective and at what doses.
(On Friday, a panel of advisers to the FDA rejected Pfizer’s proposal to offer boosters to everyone 16 and older, instead backing a third dose for seniors and others at high risk of severe Covid-19.)
Whether you suffered through terrible side effects or none at all, it’s clear that the vaccine still offers good protection against extreme illness. While more vaccinated people seem to be contracting the virus than expected, very few wind up in the hospital.
But, says Justman, people with potential immune issues should discuss their specific situation with their doctor. And with the delta variant ripping through the country, everyone should keep observing Covid-19 safety basics, like wearing a mask.
Thanks to all of you for writing in this week! Next Sunday, we'll be answering the best question we receive again. So if you have any, we want to hear from you. Write to us at CovidQs@bloomberg.net—Kristen V. Brown
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