My experience with the COVID vaccine

 So, yesterday, I got my second shot of the Moderna vaccine and am now fully vaccinated. I decided it might be good to discuss vaccination as theres a lot of misinformation out there about it.

I'm very much in favor of vaccination. It's how to prevent diseases. And regardless of what side effects the vaccine has, it is worth it to get the vaccine because it's better and far less deadly than actual COVID. 

However, I'm going to be honest. The vaccination process isn't always sunshine and rainbows.

The first shot wasn't bad. I barely felt the needle go on, and then I went home. At night, around 12 hours later, I started noticing my arm felt sore. It got worse as the night went on, and I could not sleep on the side where I got the shot. It felt like I was punched in the arm, HARD. But then it went away after a few days.

A month later, I got the second shot. I'm still recovering from that one. This time I felt the needle a little but I was largely distracted due to talking to the person giving it. I went home, and I started noticing around 6 hours later that my arm was sore. I tried putting ice on it, as this was recommended at the vaccination site, but that just made it worse. 

This shot...hit a lot harder. The last time the only symptom I had was that my arm hurt. This time overnight, I started feeling weird. Like, I was cold, despite it being warm in the room I was in objectively. When I woke up the next morning...I felt like death. Here's the thing, the second shot tend to evoke a much stronger immune response. You know how you feel when you have a really bad cold and you're just so tired and out of it and don't want to do anything? That's how I felt most of today. That's the immune response. My body is fighting the virus, or more accurately, the proteins the virus creates since Moderna is a mRNA vaccine. I have no other symptoms of disease, I just felt very tired, had fever, chills, etc. I also had a splitting headache every time I got up. 

It's necessary though. Like, if the vaccine is this bad, imagine getting COVID. Not only would my immune system be that bad but I would suffer this disease that could make it where I suffocate to death. And if I recover my organs would be so eviscerated I would die or suffer from that. COVID is no joke people, get your friggin vaccines. I know I'm sounding critical of the vaccine, but I'm really just stating my experiences. Yes, I experienced side effects, as will many of you. But it's still better than getting the virus. I'd take one day sidelines over the risk of a disease that lingers for weeks, potentially kills me, and if it doesn't the effects could be with me for months. As a precaution though, I would recommend preparing a sick day if possible when you get the second shot. That's the rough one.