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Covid

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Original poster

Has anyone with ME had the vaccine and will you when offered?

18 replies

PulledPineapple · 03/04/2021 11:45

My mum is 63 and is saying she has decided to totally decline the vaccine. She got ME following getting a virus and is concerned the vaccine will worsen her health as it may have the same effects as the virus that made her ill.

Does anyone feel the same way or have you accepted the vaccine?

OP posts:

rosetylersbiggun · 03/04/2021 11:47

I've had the first jab, and had only minor side effects.

Floralnomad · 03/04/2021 11:49

My daughter has quite severe CFS and she had the vaccine a few weeks ago ( group 6 for another illness) , I think the side effects of the vaccine were to her ( and us ) less of a worry than the effects of actually catching Covid .

cls123 · 03/04/2021 18:00

I have had CFS for a very long time,likely to be in the next group(45-49's) to be offered the jab and most definately will take it....and I so wish your Mum could see the bigger picture as she is far more at risk of serious illness or death from the virus then anything vaccine related. However I totally get where she is coming from...having been laid up for the last 3 weeks with the after effects from a simple cold, its hard to read the accounts of side efects that people are experiencing....but I have to bite the bullet and think logically about the relative risk. CFS/ME can be a really soul destroying illness and a lot of people end up in a pattern of avoiding anything that might exacerbate their symptoms.

SpeckledShrimp · 03/04/2021 18:10

I have ME i got it as group 6 for being a carer to my son. I had the usual side affects of vaccine and health hasn't got any worse

ACovidofWitches · 03/04/2021 18:11

I know some who do and none have had issues with the vaccine. Two of them are severely ill. The virus is far more risk to her than any potential issues with the vaccine, but I get why she'd be nervous.

Hazelnut5 · 03/04/2021 18:18

I had the AZ vaccine a week ago. I felt really lousy on the second day but back to normal by the 3rd. I’ve been taking things easy for the rest of the week to minimise the stress on my body.

The ME Association has a running poll of how others have reacted: meassociation.org.uk/mea-surveys/. A few people have found their ME got worse, but most not.

Original poster

PulledPineapple · 03/04/2021 18:38

Thanks all, I do feel like she has more chance of becoming ill from the actual virus than the vaccine. @Hazelnut5 thank you, I’ve forwarded the link to the ME association survey to her.

OP posts:

SingToTheSky · 03/04/2021 18:38

Yes, I had the Pfizer at the end of February. I was fairly unwell for a couple of weeks after. Not like a usual flare up, but exactly like I was after having an awful virus in March last year - weak, wobbly legs, lots of migrainey headaches/nausea. This adds to my suspicion that it was covid I had last year but obviously I’ll never know! Either way I’m glad I had the vaccine, I feel a bit safer now.

Jux · 03/04/2021 18:44

My dd had her first shot last week. She was v tired and felt pretty awful for 3 or 4 days, but she's back to normal now. She has friends (with ME) who've had much worse side effects but mostly they're coming out the other side and feeling OK.

I think what you have to think about is the risks of a) having side effects of the vaccine and b) having COVID. Personnally, I don't see that as a hard choice (I have MS and am in group 6, so had mine a while ago and am waiting for the second, so in a similar position vis a vis possible bad side effects).

Good luck.

Tomnooktoldmeto · 03/04/2021 20:33

I had the Oxford jab 8 weeks ago as I’m group 4 with CFs amongst other problems

I was rough for a couple of days which I expected but the benefits v the risks mean it really is a no brainier for me

Roll on second jab in 4 weeks

nicky2512 · 03/04/2021 20:41

Dd (19) has CFS. She had the Oxford two weeks ago (got letter to come from GP). She was really ill for a few days after - high temperature and flu like symptoms. Was exhausted all week but pretty much back to her usual now, though bit anaemic at the minute too.
She doesn’t regret it in any way though. She has barely been out in the last year as she always seems to get any illness going much worse than the rest of us and gets a lot of chest infections (has asthma too).

maggiso · 03/04/2021 21:05

I have CFS (set off by pneumonia that kept me in hospital for weeks some years ago) but have been well enough in the last couple of years to work half time. I had both the Pfizer jabs. Yes I was a bit off colour and headachy, ( more so after the second one) for a week but recovered fine each time.

msbevvy · 03/04/2021 21:30

I have CFS and had the Pfizer jab at the end of January. No side effects whatsoever.

roseum · 04/04/2021 21:01

DH has me/cfs, he had the 1st AZ jab nearly a month ago. Felt pretty (flu-like) rough for about a week, then back up to his usual level of feeling rough.

Athinginitself · 04/04/2021 21:49

I have ME and had the first vaccine but dont think I'm going to be able to have the 2nd as have had a really bad relapse recently, I dont think this was triggered by the vaccine but by having covid a year ago though.

afrikat · 04/04/2021 21:52

I have ME and had the first jab a few weeks ago. Felt awful for a day but back to normal the next day

Original poster

PulledPineapple · 05/04/2021 07:54

Thanks everyone.

OP posts:

FlagsFiend · 05/04/2021 12:36

I have ME and will have the jab when offered. I have also had covid and still have some symptoms 4 months on :( I'm hopeful the jab might help with the symptoms, apparently some people have found it does.

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