I know that this is hardly the forum for it, but I have a serious question.
I was told today that I will be eligible soon for the vaccine since I am considered an essential worker. I am strongly leaning toward getting it. It just occurred to me though that many people are getting some side effects upon receiving the second dose. My question is this...
Is the vaccine causing the same blood clots? Is that what is responsible for the symptoms? Because my understanding is that the blood clots caused by COVID are responsible for the organ damage that results in long term effects.
You're right, this isn't the right place for this question because you WILL get a bunch of whackadoodle responses, but this has been my life (from an emergency manager standpoint) for the last year now, so I'll give you some facts (I know, I know, facts aren't allowed in this thread.
Yes, some people get a stronger response following the second vaccine. This is because your immune system wakes up and says "crap, I've got to fight this? I'm on it!" Younger people tend to have more adverse effects than older folks whose immune system has seen more stuff.
I know about 20 people who have gotten both shots (both Moderna and Pfizer) and the majority had zero reactions to the first shot and no or mild reactions to the second. The reactions were fatigue and a headache the following day. Women tend to have slightly stronger reactions - one co-worker said the day following the second vaccine "I feel like crap, I'm going home early". She was back at work the next day and said she felt fine.
Of those 20, I only know of one that had any sort of significant reaction. She got the shot early on Friday, worked that day and complained of a slight headache. On Monday, she came in and said she spent Saturday and much of Sunday in bed with fever, chills and the typical flu like symptoms, but she woke up on Monday feeling fine. He daughter had both shots and had zero complaints.
It appears (from my observations) that those people that tend to get sick easily get a stronger immune response. Granted, my personal experience is a relatively small group, but tends to match what is reported elsewhere.
The vaccine cannot give you COVID or any of the blood clot or lung issues - all it does is send your immune system into overdrive. Remember that the "typical flu symptoms" aren't really something that the flu bug is doing, but your body's attempts at getting rid of the flu. Higher temps are your body's attempts to "burn off" the bugs.
Medical folks will say that I've oversimplified how the immune system works (and I obviously did) but the basic theory is correct.
Get the vaccine and schedule (at the worst) a couple of days of feeling bad. I can post links if anybody cares.