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Original poster

Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine and the side effects

999 replies

LeSquigh · 19/01/2021 06:44

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!

OP posts:
User2941 · 13/02/2021 16:43

Df had his Thurs, ok after then Fri everything ached apart from him arm! He slept 20 hours. I had warned him not to plan anything after as I was knackered after mine.

I would have it on a Friday if doing again.

User2941 · 13/02/2021 16:47

@FluffySocks75 I was tachycardic on Thurs, had vaccine Sun. Had a horrible dread feeling. Nausea. I put it down to anxiety and stress, thought maybe silent migraine. I was also feeling a bit rigid and tremor like. Found lying with feet up helped. Just taking it super easy this weekend. Going to find a comedy to watch.

NobbyButtons · 13/02/2021 16:48

I had the Oxford vaccine on Wednesday evening as I was volunteering at a mass vaccination centre and they had some vaccines left over (once they've opened a batch, they have to use them within six hours). The day after the vaccine, I felt quite ill, like I was coming down with a bad cold or flu, and I was very tired. Since then I've been fine apart from a slightly sore arm.

FluffySocks75 · 13/02/2021 18:38

Has anyone had a cough? It is listed as a common symptom on gov website. I've just started coughing today esp in last hour or so. Almost impossible for me to have covid btw literally haven't been out anywhere apart from occasional isolated walk for 2 weeks prior to vaccine and went to empty files type bit and saw no one closer than 20m away (that's twenty not typo for 2) so highly unlikely. (Deliberately isolated prior to vaccine in determination not to catch it priot to vaccine after being so careful for months)

QueenPaw · 14/02/2021 00:06

I think it's definitely good that people know. I'm the first at work to have it (the rest are pretty far down the list) and I said to my boss might be an idea to tell people to try and have it when they're not in work soon after. He agreed and said it was a good plan just in case

LaurieFairyCake · 14/02/2021 00:13

Had vaccine yesterday morning (Oxford AZ) - by midnight was shivering uncontrollably with two hot water bottles - pouring with sweat - massive headache that made me want to keep my eyes shut - pains all over body

By 4am I was huddled on the floor in another room with the fire/heater/central heating on and 2 dogs who stared at me

Awful day, felt dreadful - taking constant paracetamol to deal with the headache

Pinkchocolate · 14/02/2021 00:14

I have mine booked and am now shitting it slightly. I care for someone who is just out of hospital after a bad case of Covid and am now worried about being ill.
I think I’ll get DH to book a day off immediately after. By the sounds of it, it seems to be the first day or so so I’m hoping it’s worth it long term.

Flossie44 · 14/02/2021 00:40

Had mine Friday pm. By the evening had chills and fever. Ached top to toe. Came on so suddenly.
Awake through the night due to severe headache. Alternated paracetamol and brufen.
Saturday was wiped out, weak and had temp.
It’s now Sunday early hours and can’t sleep due to pains in both legs!!

Thewinterofdiscontent · 14/02/2021 08:24

I had mine Friday felt ok that evening and had a few wines to celebrate half term. Really sore arm all day Saturday. Very tired but had drunk quite a lot too( I’m aware you shouldn’t). Couldn’t sleep at all last night (Sat) which is unlike me.
So now I’m worried that drinking has effected its efficacy.

Onedaysomedaynowadays · 14/02/2021 08:33

I know a lot of people who have had Pfizer and been fine. Then my aunt had AZ last week and has been really poorly - vomiting, temperature etc. She's had a couple of days in bed. Seems like the AZ just has more side effects

CherryRoulade · 14/02/2021 08:40

I had OAZ. No real side effects at all apart from a mild soreness at injection site.
Some of these might well be psychosomatic. Some will be within accepted reaction parameters but exaggerated. Some will be not quite true.

Certainly trials of huge numbers didn’t show up huge numbers having significant side effects. Vaccination often makes you feel a bit off colour for a day or so but manageable with paracetamol.

Anything else needs reporting via yellow card scheme.

PuppyMonkey · 14/02/2021 08:48

I had my jab yesterday afternoon. Felt fine yesterday and a good night’s sleep. Have woken up feeling slightly spaced out and heavy limbed. You know like when you have been in bed all week incapacitated with the flu, and then the day you feel a bit more human again but you’re still all weak and tired and slow? Like that.Confused

NobbyButtons · 14/02/2021 11:30

My parents (early 70s) had the Pfizer jab and both felt fine afterwards.

HildegardNightingale · 14/02/2021 11:37

Had my jab on Thursday. Slightly sore arm (not as bad as my annual flu jab sore arm), nil else.

YanTanTethera123 · 14/02/2021 12:39

Had OAZ yesterday morning, awoke at 3am with nausea and headache, arm a bit sore. Now feeling ‘off’, very tired and achy.
Thinking about going back to bed this after!

DownToTheSeaAgain · 14/02/2021 12:51

I had OAZ about 4:30 yesterday evening - awful night tossing and turning and feel stiff and exhausted today. I have taken paracetamol and retreated to bed. DH can cope with the DC for one day I am sure.

So glad to have had it though. A little short term discomfort totally worth long term benefit.

balkanscot · 14/02/2021 12:57

I had OAZ yesterday morning (am in the CEV category), felt grand until about 6 pm, then a huge tiredness descended over me, fever started at 9 pm, cold extremities but boiling head. Felt really feverish, fever up to 38.1 by 10 pm, at which point I started s myself with fear. I am in the middle of radiotherapy and was worried it would be a no go area on Monday (they have a nurse at the entrance to the radiotherapy building taking everyone’s temp.). Took paracetamol and slept until 9 am this morning. Temp. is back to normal now but still feeling wiped out and aches, so will be spending the rest of the day in bed. My arm is really sore this morning. My brother had the Pfizer one and the only side effect he had was a sore arm.

Took me by a complete surprise as I have never had a reaction like this to any vaccines before, including the flu one.

HeadIsFucked · 14/02/2021 13:00

My dad got it on friday, and has been feeling 'really spaced out' ever since. My mam is NHS and says she has been asking colleagues and they say it might be his immune system causing this, rather than the vaccine? Like his system reacting to it. It kind of makes sense, as his immune system will be quite shot due to having no spleen, but he was basically told the worst symptom he would get is a potentially sore arm for a bit.

ivfbabymomma1 · 14/02/2021 13:00

My parents had the Oxford yesterday, they reported headaches & a general achy feeling but nothing unbearable

balkanscot · 14/02/2021 13:03

Still glad I had it and I felt quite emotional going to my GP surgery. It just felt like a momentous occasion. It never, ever occurred to me not to have it, however, as I mentioned earlier, the side effects knocked my confidence a bit (albeit temporarily),. I have to be honest, when I saw 38.1 on the thermometer I asked myself “What have you done to yourself?”

The alternative would be contracting COVID with no immune system to speak of (cancer treatment). Doesn’t bear thinking about.

PutneyHill · 14/02/2021 13:15

How long does it take to build an immune response after the first dose? I'm in group 6 but wfh; would like to know when it's safe to go back into the office.

Mykittensmittens · 14/02/2021 13:24

I’d just like to say I’m really really glad to read this - I came on searching for a thread for reassurance!

I am very pro-vaccine. I can’t wait to have mine but I am WAY down the list.

However DM had hers. OAZ at 9am yesterday. She was so pleased to be going - she’s 65 and had recently recovered from cancer. She was fine for hours then around 3pm started feeling quite unwell - flu like, shivery, blinding headache. She doesn’t know if it’s an actual temperature as she doesn’t have a thermometer (I know!) but she is fairly sure she has. She’s been in bed for almost 24 hours and is having either paracetamol or a lemsip at 4 hourly intervals.

I don’t think sharing this is alarmist - had I had the same I’d have needed to not be in work. I’ll also now know to stagger when DH and I have ours so one of us is good for the DC.

My Mum was really getting worried (she has anxiety too) so being able to send her a link to this thread has helped her.

lynsey91 · 14/02/2021 16:37

I had the AZ vaccine yesterday. Have been absolutely fine. No side effects whatsoever.

I can't even feel where they injected my arm unlike when I have the flu jab which always leaves me with a really sore arm for at last a couple of days.

To be honest I would not even know I had been vaccinated as did not feel the injection at all. I was actually amazed when the guy said he had done it

VaccsyPoxsy · 14/02/2021 17:27

@lynsey91 that’s great that you are not having noticeable side effects. If you don’t mind could you share your age? It’s that there seems to be a view that the younger have a stronger response to someone in their 50s for example.
I’m 39 well will be 40 soon so knot sure where I’ll sit on the age/side effects scale

Fauvist · 14/02/2021 17:52

My mother is 76 and had a really strong reaction so I am pretty sure age is not the defining factor.