Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine and the side effects

[LeSquigh]

Morning all

Many of my colleagues have now received the first dose of the Oxford vaccine and every single one of them has reported side effects, quite a large number have had to take time off work and been bedridden. Are we in the minority or is this true for all that have it? Not really looking forward to my turn!

AZ yesterday. The only side effect is a sore arm. I had covid a few weeks ago.

I just wanted to add my experience of this vaccine to the thread. I had mine on Monday I'm 35 and was called at short notice by my GP due to spare doses at the end of the day.

My arm is sore, I have a red patch around the site and it's very hot! I've felt a bit rough mainly on Tuesday and Wednesday. This is how I normally feel when I get the flu jab. Which I get because I have some health issues.

I've had worse reactions from the flu vaccine. I did have to take time off once. Its not been too bad really. No nausea or headaches. Just a bit blah. Probably most close to when I'm on my period.

Had it last week, absolutely no side effects.

Had it this afternoon. Arm was a bit sore but has got better. I ate a normal dinner, thought I might try to get to bed early but didn’t.

I became incredibly unwell overnight. Temp 39.5. Rigors. Tachycardia. Vomiting. Most horrific headache I've ever had, eyeballs hurt to move. Violently shaking. Lasted for about 10 hours like that.

Had very high temp during day slightly improving now. Feel a little more human.

Spoke to GP he said has been hearing a lot of people with v high temps.

I'll report via yellow card website incase there a link to my autoimmune illnesses that's useful to know.

As is necessary on here because people think if you report a vaccine side effects you're a liar/antivax I'll state - PLEASE ALL GET IT. IM PRO VACCINE. HAPPY TO HAVE 2ND I'LL JUST BE MORE PREPARED.

This thread could be very alarming/off putting to people about to have the vaccine.
but also reassuring to those who have had it.
TBF, symptoms are not outside those i was warned of
Arm was OK at first, started aching 12 hours after jab.coldest
Still awake at 4am trying to work out if it's me feeling shaky and shivery or it is the absolutely the coldest night of this cold snap.
have just turned CH on and piled my weighted blanket on top o f duvet.
thankful that I scheduled both appointments on Fridays.
now to try and get to sleep😪

Vaccine on Thursday evening, early hours of Friday morning started to get the shivers and aching arm. Spent all day on the sofa Friday, aching body, nausea, shivers, dizziness. Haven't felt this unwell in a long time, I'm 31.

Husband had it 3 weeks ago, he's 40 if that makes any difference. Zero side effects, besides sore arm at the jab site.

I woke up feeling fine today. So from vaccine to feeling fine, with mild side effects for maybe 48 hours, only took 4 days.

@FluffySocks75, so you mind me asking what meds you're on for your autoimmune condition, and did you get specific instructions around taking these and having the vaccine? I did, but I know others on MN didn't. It does seem this could be improved.

Disclaimer: I believe getting the vaccine is completely worth it and I am not an alarmist scaremonger or hypochondriac. Also, I live abroad in a country that is distributing AZ vaccine to all population groups

My DH and I and nearly all my work colleagues (organisation of 100 people) had the AZ vaccine a couple of weeks ago.
I'd say about 70% of us had side effects of some sort - fever, chills, fatigue and nausea. We were all completely fine after 24 hours though.

My symptoms didn't start until around 12 hours after I got the vaccine (I got it done at 9am) - I was at a vet getting treatment for one of my pets when I suddenly got floored with fatigue, nausea and also chills in my joints. As I was driving home (10 minute drive) I kept feeling more and more fatigued to the point where I felt I was going to fall asleep at the steering wheel! If I knew about the possible side effects being so severe I could have arranged a different appointment.

Many of us genuinely had to take the day off work following the vaccine as we felt so ill - this includes people who never take a day off sick.

I think it is good to inform people that the symptoms extend beyond a mild headache/ a little tiredness/ slightly elevated temperature - this way people can plan in advance (e.g. make sure they don't have side effects on the day of an important meeting/sort out childcare if needed).

I've had other vaccines but never felt any effects from them - so it wasn't a case of expecting symptoms and being hypersensitive to it!

I work in an organisation where we need to be regularly tested for Covid - I know I've not had Covid and neither has my husband. We are both otherwise fit and healthy (27 + 32 years old) with normal BMIs.

I don't think pretending side effects are only very mild or rare is going to help the vaccine rollout - it is better to be honest and accept people's experiences rather than being deceptive and dismissive.

Sorry you've had such a hard time on this thread OP - I know where you're coming from. I've been actually completely quiet about my symptoms to friends and family so I wouldn't put them off!

wow - I took a paracetamol, the shivering stopped & I slept for three hours.
I feel fine now.
I think I'll take a pre-emptive paracetamol when I get the second dose.
Before taking the paracetamol I genuinely felt as bad as I did when I had covid.

I had a sore arm and I felt a bit under parr so I used it as reason to have weekend with duvet, Netflix snd kids cooking (always pasta). But if I had to work I would have been able to. Is that what they mean by bedridden?

Dh mid 30s had to have it this week. Hes not had a day off sick in about 4 years. The following day after receivn AZ he went to work but called me to say he felt really unwell. He walked through the door at 5pm and went straight to bed and woke at 7am the next day. Still felt really poorly, hot sick shaky really exhausted etc. Went to work and was okay by the evening.
His colleague who had it at the same day was off work for 2 days
My 78 year old nan also had it this week with no side effects

I've woken up with a temp 39 again. Rigors and vomiting. Hurts to move eyeballs headache bad. Will reply to questions above soon. Feel so comforted to no others similar type effects.

Disclaimer for the trolls...I am pro vaccine. Me saying side effects doesn't mean I'm not

I’m a bit 😌 that the Oxford vaccine is made with the use of GMO fetal kidney cells.

Where are these kidney cells from?

@FluffySocks75 that's like I was. Horrendous but still glad I've had my first dose. Im still tired and feeling queasy and it's a week since I had the vaccine but I'm always tired due to chronic conditions and just life so I think it's just added to that. I've got anti sickness tablets now for next time. Hope you recover quickly.

@Calledyoulastnightfromglasgow

I’m a bit 😌 that the Oxford vaccine is made with the use of GMO fetal kidney cells.

Where are these kidney cells from?

Chimpanzees, I read.

I'm also on a medication called Adalimumab which is is a recombinant human monoclonal antibody expressed in Chinese Hamster Ovary cells.

I also suffered the same @FluffySocks75 (although nausea rather than vomiting) and feel bad as previously I would have been one telling people not to add to anti-vax sentiments. Hope you feel better soon!

Two days on I’m fine but next time I will absolutely start paracetamol before having the vaccine.

It’s better than getting Covid!

It's a cell line not "cells"(very different thing) and its made in/using that fetal kidney cell line, the actual resultant vaccine that goes into your arm doesn't "contain fetal kidney cells"

A cell line is a standard biotechnology containing medium. All cell lines, which are artificially propagated cells that's have been replicated millions of times and are used as a base substrate, are derived from an original cell out of an actual human or animal, many millions of generations ago. This particular cell line, which is also used for thousand of lab purposes, eg cancer research, was derived from original cells from the kidney of a foetus in the US in 1973 (before they had to get permission for developing human cell lines, as they do now - Google the Henrietta Lack HeLa cell line story)

Everyone I know of who has had the Oxford has been ill for 1-2 days

The vector that carries the business end of the Oxford vaccine - the bit that corresponds to the covid coronavirus spike protein is a modified version of an adenovirus (common cold) virus that circulated in chimpanzees.

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/european-doctors-shun-oxford-astrazeneca-vaccine-amid-reports-of-side-effects-fm908k2bl

Alarmist headline but basically doctors in France and Italy reportedly suggest stagger staff vaccinations to avoid large absences caused by side effects

Thanks for this thread, my mum had the AZ vaccine and had the most horrific headache and vomitting, she gets mirgraines so is used to bad headaches but said this was out of the world.

I have seen a few posters mention a horrible headache and has reassured me a bit.

I have a slight headache and feel a little tired and nauseous today (jab yesterday) but that’s it. Going to have a quiet day and binge watch Dinnerladies on Netflix, maybe go for a short walk later.

I had the AstraZenica jab on Wednesday. I'm in the vulnerable category, and they invited DH along as well to get his.

I was fine all afternoon; even managed to pot up some winter pansies for my balcony, but felt incredibly tired in the evening, with a headache and chills, plus raised temp. The next day I had awful nausea and stomach cramps, but after a day in bed, I am pretty much back to normal. DH had a sore arm, that's all.

I am definately pro-vaccine, and am incredibly grateful to the virologists and scientists who have worked so very hard on these vaccines. however, I feel that it is important to be aware of possible side effects, so that one can be prepared, in case they happe.

My GP had to have 3 days off work after his!