David Flores, a UCSD emergency nurse, received the second dose of the Pfizer vaccine on Thursday. Unlike the first dose, this one had side effects.
“My hips were killing me,” Flores said. “That’s why I had a hard time sleeping. I couldn’t get comfortable. My back, knees and ankles hurt. “
Flores said many of his co-workers shared similar experiences.
“It’s something we’ve observed from clinical trials,” said Dr. Edward Cachay, a specialist in infectious diseases at UCSD. “When people receive this second dose, they receive the second reinforcement to try to achieve maximum effectiveness. Thus, by boosting the immune system, people generally develop joint pain and low-grade fevers that usually last 24 to 48 hours. “
According to Pfizer, about 3.8% of clinical trial participants experienced fatigue as a side effect and 2% had headaches.
Moderna says 9.7% of its participants felt tired and 4.5% had a headache.
But regardless of side effects, Dr. Cachay says it is extremely important that patients receive the second dose of the vaccine.
“Whenever you get the first shot, only about 51% is protected, so you need that second dose to get that 95% against COVID-19,” he said.
Despite the joint pain, Flores says there is no doubt he made the right decision to move forward with the vaccine.
“He’s the lesser of two evils,” Flores said. “Just being sick for a day or so and being dead or sick for months or days is a good commitment.”
Dr. Cachay adds that patients do not achieve maximum immunity until 10 to 14 days after the second dose.
According to UCSD officials, they have already administered the vaccine to approximately 10,000 workers. Many of whom have already started receiving the second dose.
They add that only 3% of employees have rejected the vaccine.