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!

I just want to thank MN for not pulling the thread (which says a lot about how much they respect free speech - thanks) as I think most people are quite honestly stating what side effects or none that they had and it is very useful. Most of the posts don't seem to be written by an AI bot and seem to be a genuine description by real people of how they felt.

Well I am now terrified and have severe anxiety about my jab this week. Only reason I am having it is so I can protect those around me but after reading this thread, I am petrified and wish I had not read it.

Lemon - please ignore the negative posts. I had my vaccination on Saturday and haven’t had any side effects. The majority won’t and even if you do, they would only last a couple of days which is nothing compared with the benefits.
Plan something nice for afterwards to celebrate (as far as you can in lockdown!).

@LemonSherbetFancies

Well I am now terrified and have severe anxiety about my jab this week. Only reason I am having it is so I can protect those around me but after reading this thread, I am petrified and wish I had not read it.

The benefits outweigh any mild side effects

@LemonSherbetFancies

Well I am now terrified and have severe anxiety about my jab this week. Only reason I am having it is so I can protect those around me but after reading this thread, I am petrified and wish I had not read it.

They're just side effects. I'd say I had about 24 hours feeling a bit rough. I had it Sunday eve and now my arm just aches a bit. Totally worth it.

Hi everyone. I had the Oxford vaccine 2 weeks ago tomorrow. Initially I had pins and needles and numbness in my left hand, (the same arm as I had the jab in) that then subsided around 18hours later but I woke up the next morning like I’d been hit by a bus. Fever, migraine, sweating, arm pain and dizzy. All gone within about 4days. Today I’ve woken up and I have a rash on the injection area and my hand once again feels tingly. Has anyone else had this? I can’t get any help from anyone.

Please stop posting how side effects have put you off. It makes no sense. The worst effects are basically like flu for 4 days. COVID itself kills people and leaves others exhausted for months.

It’s sensible to plan your vaccination for when you can rest, it’s not remotely sensible to be put off.

@LemonSherbetFancies. I had the AZ at 5.30 last night having read this thread. It was all very well organised and I didn't even feel the jab itself. I slept very well, waking with an upper arm that feels the tiniest bit stiff. No other symptoms and about to start working from home. Will let you know if anything else develops but I feel it's very unlikely.

LemonSherbetFancies please don't be terrified! I had mine last Tuesday, slightly sore arm (less so than the flu jab) and NOTHING else at all. I had forgotten all about it by the next day.

My friend had hers a month ago and said she had no effects at all either.

@LemonSherbetFancies For most people who have a reaction, it's no worse than catching a virus which you could have done at any point pre-pandemic without worrying too much. You feel rough for a couple of days, take some paracetamol and feel soon feel better again.

This has the benefit of protecting you against what can be a very serious illness.

I had it last Wednesday and my arm felt slightly bruised if I poked it. Nothing else.

Lemon, I was terrified of having the vaccine - I’m fine with needles, it was all the unknown and half expecting to have a huge reaction to it.
As it is, I had the jab on Saturday, slept most of Sunday, felt a bit fluey/not well, but honestly the build up and fear were the worst part.
I now have a slight headache and an itchy arm, but the side effects did not match up to my fear at all.

I have a right to say that I am concerned about side effects.
As I mentioned upthread, I know many who have not had coronavirus as bad as the side effects of the vaccines that most of you are reporting. So I am very frightened about it. Just have to hope I am one of the lucky ones and that I don't have days of fever, throwing up and headaches/fever like most of you are reporting.

Ploughing through, I got the opposite impression, that most have very minor side effects.
People I know who’ve had theirs, somewhere around 20 now, have had slight headaches, slightly raised temperature, stiff arm for 24 hours, in combination or singly, nothing worse than that.

I had the AZ vaccine a week ago (I posted upthread). My main symptoms were a really bad headache (which lasted 24 hours then vanished), body aches, feeling tired. It was unpleasant but it hasn't put me off having my second dose.

I'm just counting up the people I know who've had the AZ - so far, eight of us. Two of us had the side effects I mentioned above, the rest had no issues at all.

So for all those who are concerned, you have a good chance of have minimal/no symptoms.

Stealhsquirrelnutkin

"Their sensitivity to the vaccine may indicate that they would also be extremely vulnerable to the live virus, meaning that they would not be as lucky as the people they've known who had no symptoms at all, or just a sniffle and temporary loss of smell."

It appears that the opposite is true. People with symptoms from the jab are those that have immune systems strong enough to fight the virus successfully. If you have no symptoms from the jab then you would have had severe problems if you had caught covid. Your immune system is too weak to fight. Our immune system weakens as we age and if we have certain medical conditions, hence why most elderly people had no reaction to the jab.

Update:

was very tired last night and achy and could not get warm. took 2 co-codamol, slept quite well and woke up a lot better. Temperature has come down and I just have a sore arm now .

So yes, yesterday was a rough day but that is all it lasted. Just book your jab if you can the day before you know that you do not have a lot on and can just rest up.

I think one day of feeling a bit ill is a small price to pay for getting out of this pandemic.

Another one with only mild side effects here. I got my jab at noon last Monday and felt absolutely fine til that evening when I got a bad headache and muscle aches. Found it a bit hard to sleep that night with aches and chills but felt a lot better the next morning, and by Tuesday evening the only noticeable symptom was a sore arm. So less than 24 hours of feeling a bit shit, and I’m so relieved to have had it done! My friends who had the AZ mostly reported the same.

Those reporting no symptoms, how old are you? It's being reported that the younger you are the more likely you are to have symptoms. I'm in my 30s getting it tomorrow and am petrified of throwing up from it.

I’m 48 - had no symptoms

@starbrightstarlight8888 I am also phobic and didn't even feel sick. My best advice if you can is take paracetamol and head off to bed if you feel rough. I slept through most of the side effects as mine started at midnight! Woke up feeling a bit tired and was fine then

I am 51 but have had Covid at New Year so that might be why I had a strong reaction.

@LemonSherbetFancies

Well I am now terrified and have severe anxiety about my jab this week. Only reason I am having it is so I can protect those around me but after reading this thread, I am petrified and wish I had not read it.

Your anxiety is very misplaced though.

I'm sorry you're so anxious, and it must be very hard to suffer like that, but please don't be anxious about the vaccine or any potential side effects. I'd be much more anxious about contracting Covd-19.

Have you been given any strategies for coping with your health anxiety? Time to get these in place I feel.

@starbrightstarlight8888

Those reporting no symptoms, how old are you? It's being reported that the younger you are the more likely you are to have symptoms. I'm in my 30s getting it tomorrow and am petrified of throwing up from it.

Do you have a link to that?

Headache, knackered - all over body ache, arm sore.
Just needed sleep and lots of it.