Has anyone had the vaccine whilst already unwell?

[Fruitteatime]

I have a cough and my vaccine is booked for tomorrow. Do I need to cancel? I had a test at the weekend when my cough started and it came back negative. The cough started as a sore throat, which feels a little better but I'm coughing badly about once or twice an hour. Definitely don't feel feverish but have only checked my temperature once or twice. I can't find any information online so I wondered if anyone had sought medical advice in similar circumstances and if anyone knows who should I speak to about it.

The leaflet I got with my AstraZeneca vaccine says to tell them if you have a severe infection with a temperature above 38 degrees but that you shouldn't delay getting jabbed if it's a mild infection: www.gov.uk/government/publications/regulatory-approval-of-covid-19-vaccine-astrazeneca/information-for-uk-recipients-on-covid-19-vaccine-astrazeneca
If you are having one of the other vaccines, I'm sure there will be a similar leaflet online somewhere.

I had a mild cold with a bit of a cough but decided to go ahead anyway. It was fine.

I had a snotty cold when I had mine on Saturday. Been feeling pretty groggy with it. Spoke to the vaccine centre & they said it was fine to go ahead. I got really lucky that a clinic near me opened vaccines up to the over 33’s & I didn’t want to miss out!

I’m fine now, minimal side effects. Moderate headache on Sat, minor headache on Sunday & tired. Fine yesterday!

I wouldn’t, it’s likely to impair your immune response to the vaccine.

I had a mild cold that was on its way out.

Turned into a full blown sinus and chest infection 5 days after AstraZeneca vaccine

Might be coincidence but I also have long covid so reckon my immune system was just totally done in.

Thank you, bit of a mixed response. Does anyone know a number I can phone to double check?

Leaflet I got with my AZ vaccine #2 today.

If you’ve booked via the National Booking Service it’s easy to go online and rebook, as long as you do it the day before. Whether you should...depends on how poor you’re feeling, how much of an inconvenience it is to you to have it a few days to a few weeks later, and how much you care about a strong immune response to the vaccine.

The official advice seems to be to go ahead despite mild illness but I wouldn’t because it will possibly make your mild illness worse and it because your immune system is under load you may produce a sub-optimal immune response.

I was phoned by my gp and the only times they had were tomorrow. I'm not going to be called up via the national booking service for at least a month I don't think. I'll be having Pfizer due to age. I don't feel poorly. I'm coughing and my throat is slightly sore. I feel perfectly able to work and do my usual activities. But I get what you're saying about it making things worse.

@Fruitteatime

I was phoned by my gp and the only times they had were tomorrow. I'm not going to be called up via the national booking service for at least a month I don't think. I'll be having Pfizer due to age. I don't feel poorly. I'm coughing and my throat is slightly sore. I feel perfectly able to work and do my usual activities. But I get what you're saying about it making things worse.

Ah okay. I’d probably go ahead then in your shoes. Hard to rebook, mild illness, and the first dose of Pfizer is typically pretty gentle for many.

@IndigoC - I have a masters in immunology. That’s categorically not true in the case of minor illness such as a cold or minor stomach troubles etc. Your body is more than capable of dealing with a cold and a vaccination. Where are you getting this idea from that it’ll give a lower immune response? God knows how much medical data on vaccines I’ve studied in my life & I can say with enormous confidence that the reason they tell you to get vaccinated with minor illness us because no data has shown a reduced response of any concern.

A severe infection/illness such as confirmed flu or a severe fever, yes. There could be a reduced response from your immune system. But even this is minor to be honest & the jury is somewhat out. Precaution is given to moderate illness more so to remove the element of confusion around symptoms. a patient believing symptoms of the illness For example, if a patient has a fever of 38 and after the vaccine, this rises to 39 & they develop a rash.. is it the vaccine or would this have happened regardless due to the already present illness. A rash could be meningitis & the patient may ignore it believing it to be vaccine related. Or the patient may report the rash as a vaccine side effect when actually, it’s the pre-existing illness getting worse.

I’ll try link up some accessible research on vaccines & contradictions. & please get your second vaccine unless you are feverish. Your immune response will be just fine!

I had mine when I’d been wiped out for a week with a virus of some sort. I was fine. Got a temp from vaccine and arm ache but otherwise ok.
If you have a cough shouldn’t you be isolating and testing though? So wouldn’t get the vaccine from that point of view.

@Fruitteatime

I was phoned by my gp and the only times they had were tomorrow. I'm not going to be called up via the national booking service for at least a month I don't think. I'll be having Pfizer due to age. I don't feel poorly. I'm coughing and my throat is slightly sore. I feel perfectly able to work and do my usual activities. But I get what you're saying about it making things worse.

I had mine today and have mild cold like symptoms. The Pfizer leaflet says the same as the az one x

I had a PCR test after the cough started, results were back in under 24 hours. All three of my children had coughs/cold and temperatures in the past week and all their tests were negative. Seems likely I caught from them except I have no snotty nose or temperature so perhaps I caught a cough elsewhere

[quote NotBot]@IndigoC - I have a masters in immunology. That’s categorically not true in the case of minor illness such as a cold or minor stomach troubles etc. Your body is more than capable of dealing with a cold and a vaccination. Where are you getting this idea from that it’ll give a lower immune response? God knows how much medical data on vaccines I’ve studied in my life & I can say with enormous confidence that the reason they tell you to get vaccinated with minor illness us because no data has shown a reduced response of any concern.

A severe infection/illness such as confirmed flu or a severe fever, yes. There could be a reduced response from your immune system. But even this is minor to be honest & the jury is somewhat out. Precaution is given to moderate illness more so to remove the element of confusion around symptoms. a patient believing symptoms of the illness For example, if a patient has a fever of 38 and after the vaccine, this rises to 39 & they develop a rash.. is it the vaccine or would this have happened regardless due to the already present illness. A rash could be meningitis & the patient may ignore it believing it to be vaccine related. Or the patient may report the rash as a vaccine side effect when actually, it’s the pre-existing illness getting worse.

I’ll try link up some accessible research on vaccines & contradictions. & please get your second vaccine unless you are feverish. Your immune response will be just fine![/quote]
My understanding is the actual studies on it are unclear. This seems to be standard advice for the flu shot:

However, if you are sick when you are vaccinated, your immune system is already hard at work trying to fight the germs that have caused that illness. This means it will be harder for your body to develop antibodies to the flu virus at the same time. It could even mean that it will take longer for you to recover from your illness as your immune system tries to do double-duty.1

Reduced Response to the Flu Vaccine

If your body is busy fighting off a different infection, it may not develop strong enough antibodies to the strains of influenza in the vaccine like it would if you were well. This could result in an increased chance that you could still get the flu.

www.verywellhealth.com/what-will-happen-if-i-get-a-flu-shot-while-im-sick-770545

Fever seems to be the usual baseline for holding off but personally I’d want the best response possible given the seriousness of Covid and I wouldn’t want to worsen an existing illness. But I’m also the sort of person that doesn’t drink alcohol when I’m ill and that seems to be a national sport here.

same as VaguelyInteresting

I had slight headache day before my first vaccine that developed into full blown sinus infection days after, requiring 2 lots of antibiotics and 2 weeks of painkillers.

I also have suffered a year of long covid, mainly lung damage that has only really cleared in the last month, so there was no way I was not having my vaccine, I think I would have been in real danger if I'd caught it again in the last year.

I had to have 2 molars out a week before my second vaccine and am still taking painkillers daily 2 weeks later to just dull the pain ( damaged nerves), so I am just hoping that the antibios, steroids and painkillers have not reduced the vaccines effects.

Given my unlying health conditions, I am going to keep distancing until the 3rd dose in the autumn and hope I am well/uninjured & not having to take anything then.

You might have tested too early so it's still possible you or the DC have Covid. I would cancel, if you feel unwell to begin with it's not really the time to be adding a vaccine to your immune system.

@TheTeenageYears

You might have tested too early so it's still possible you or the DC have Covid. I would cancel, if you feel unwell to begin with it's not really the time to be adding a vaccine to your immune system.

How early is too early? I tested at least 24 hours after cough developed, and since it was negative I'm back outside. Why are we told to test immediately if we should be testing after few days?

I was similar to you (cough, snotty nose, tiredness). Did a test and was negative so I rang the vaccination centre and they said it was fine. I then asked again when I got there and they said the same. As long as you don't feel horrendously ill or have a fever you're good to go!

@Fruitteatime unfortunately it's not an exact science. A PCR test requires a certain amount of viral load for a positive test and can be done too early. There is lots of data where whole families test due to one person having symptoms, testing negative and then positive on a re test a few days later - I know of a family this happened to two weeks ago. There's quite a lot written on the subject www.theguardian.com/world/2020/nov/29/getting-tested-for-covid-19-need-to-know

I had a bit of cold with aching ear when I had vaccination, since I felt well enough. I was totally fine.

I spoke to a gp who said it would be fine so hoping it is. I get what you are saying about the test but one child tested on Wednesday and one on Friday last week and I tested on Wednesday last week and Monday after having symptoms for over 24 hours ( I tested twice with PCR because I read the form wrong and thought it said you could book household members even without symptoms). Today my cough had been a lot better than yesterday, I know covid can be mild but I'm not sure I'd necessarily have a cough with no fever and it get better so soon. I am only guessing. Also the guidance is that is you're test is negative you can can stop self isolating so I'm a bit confused about how many people may have tested too early and continued to spread covid. According to BBC in my area yesterday there were only 7 people that week with covid in my area so it really feels unlikely.

I had my first dose when I was on antibiotics for a UTI. No issues

I was just at the tail end of a stinking cold when I had my first. Felt it was on the way out but it did seem to resurface and linger a bit after the vaccine, could be total coincidence though