Dr. Frank McGeorge shares experience with the second dose of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine

DETROIT – As COVID-19 vaccines continue, we are now at a time when many people who received the first doses of the Pfizer vaccine got the second.

This includes Dr. Frank McGeorge of Local 4 News. He recently opened up about the side effects he had from the second dose so he knows what to expect.

Related: Questions about COVID-19? Ask your doctor

“My experience with the first dose of the Pfizer vaccine was almost in line with what I expected. Mostly just the pain in the arm where I received the injection, although it was more severe than I had ever experienced from any other shot. The pain responded to Motrin and he disappeared in a day. My second shot was a different story, ”McGeorge said.

He shared some reflections from a recorded video diary after his first shot.

“Something else happened to me as I was driving home to find out about the news, a thought late, three weeks from today, the date of my vaccination card on which I am selling my second dose of vaccine that I have shifts at three o’clock at night.I was bad planning, as according to the study data, the highest incidence of side effects like fever, body aches, etc. are the day or two after the second shot, “McGeorge said.

Fortunately, he was able to reschedule his second dose after his midnight shifts.

Data from the study that Pfizer submitted to the Food and Drug Administration for its emergency use authorization clearly shows a significant number of side effects after the second dose.

Almost a third of people aged 18 to 55 had a fever, 35% had chills, 52% had a headache, 22% had joint pain, 37% had muscle pain and almost two-thirds had fatigue.

McGeorge was part of the unfortunate group and felt all the side effects.

On Sunday morning he was shot at 7:30 a.m. and went to sleep at home.

At noon, four hours later, when he awoke, McGeorge had a sore arm. During the day on Sunday it felt good until nine in the evening, 14 hours after the shooting.

He began to have body aches. At ten o’clock at night he had taken some Motrin. The next 12 hours were really nasty.

McGeorge says he experienced muscle pain, joint pain, headache, chills and fever of up to 100 degrees.

It did not feel normal until 36 hours after the shooting.

“I want to be clear. I’m talking about this so you have an idea of ​​what might happen after the second shot and be prepared. Make sure you plan a light day and have some Tylenol or Motrin. I’ve talked to many of my co-workers who also had the second dose and at least a third had significant side effects, ”McGeorge said.

“I also want to point out that I have seen the effects of a severe COVID infection. The vaccine is definitely the best option. “

He number of confirmed cases of coronavirus (COVID-19) in Michigan has risen to 525,612 as of Tuesday, including 13,501 deaths, state officials report.

Tuesday’s update includes 1,994 new cases and an additional 100 deaths.