OSU doctor gives advice on COVID shot side effects

With COVID-19 vaccines becoming more broadly available across Ohio, people are asking what they should expect after getting their first and second jab.

The side effects of the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines are nothing compared to the virus itself, which has killed more than 560,000 Americans and infected 31 million in the U.S. alone.

Earlier this week, Ohio and most of the country paused the use of a singledose Johnson & Johnson vaccine over concerns about six cases of blood clots that emerged in nearly 7 million who received the shot nationwide. No clotting incidents have been recorded in connection with the Moderna or Pfizer vaccines, which use a different technology to generate immunity.

Adverse reactions are extremely rare, though they do occasionally occur, said Jim Allen, a pulmonologist and doctor of critical care medicine at Ohio State University’s Wexner Medical Center.

What’s more likely, Allen said, is that some people will experience temporary side effects that show up a few hours after inoculation and disappear a day or so later.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lists nine common side effects of the vaccine, including pain, redness and swelling at the injection site along with tiredness, headache, muscle pain, chills, fever and nausea. Side effects are often more common after someone receives a second dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, according to the CDC.

Not everyone will experience side effects though and for those who might, there’s ways to avoid them or treat them effectively, Allen said.

A sore arm

One of the most common side effects of getting a coronavirus vaccine is a sore arm, Allen said.

To avoid getting one, patients should try to relax their arm muscle as much as possible just before the person administering the shot sticks them. By relaxing the muscle, people will avoid damage to their arm, which could make soreness last for days, Allen said.

“You want to get your arm as relaxed as possible,” Allen said. “If the muscle is real tense, then you can get a little injury to the muscle.”

People experiencing arm pain following a COVID-19 vaccine should apply a clean, cool, wet washcloth over the injection area and should also try to use or exercise their arm, according to the CDC.

Fainting during a shot

Something Allen said he’s seen more recently is fainting among people who

are getting the shot.

Allen said he worked at Wexner Medical Center’s vaccination clinic at the Schottenstein Center last weekend and saw several college students faint.

The main causes, he discovered, were that students either came to get the shot on an empty stomach or didn’t drink enough water.

“Eat breakfast and hydrate before you come over and you’ll get through it with no problem,” he said.

Hyperventilating and anxiety

Another of the most common side effects people will have when getting the vaccine is hyperventilating.

Hyperventilating is a deep, rapid breathing that decreases the amount of carbon dioxide in someone’s blood and can make a person feel short of breath or light-headed. The response is often driven by or accompanied by a lot of anxiety about the vaccine, Allen said.

People struggling with this should try to breath slowly through their nose to better control their breathing, he said. They can also use a paper bag to breath in and out of to recirculate carbon dioxide to slow breathing.

Fatigue, fever, chills and body aches

Sometimes hours after getting a COVID-19 vaccination, patients may feel tired or even suffer some mild flu like symptoms and aches, Allen said.

This isn’t anything to worry about, he said. Rather, it’s a sign that a person’s immune system is kicking in.

“What that tells you is your immune system is churning out antibodies and that’s what it’s supposed to do,” Allen said.

While there isn’t necessarily a way to

avoid this if it happens, Allen encouraged people to plan for it just in case. These symptoms usually show up 12 to 18 hours after injection he said.

He suggested shot recipients go to bed the day of their inoculation with a glass of water and some over-thecounter pain medicine. That way, if they wake up in the middle of the night or the next morning, they already have what they need.

“Some people do get really fatigued,” Allen said. “So, if you can squeeze in an extra hour of sleep that night, we tell them to do it.”

Allergic reactions

Allergic reactions to one of the COVID-19 vaccines are rare but have occurred, Allen said.

In the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines is something called polyethyleenglycol. This substance is also found in some laxatives and the preparation medication people have to take before a colonoscopy. A small percentage of the population is allergic to it, though Allen said most already know they are.

In the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is a chemical called polysorbate, which is found in some cosmetics and ice creams. This substance has also been found to cause some allergic reactions in recipients, though still uncommon, Allen said.

In the event someone has an allergic response to a shot, doctors at clinics typically have Benadryl and Epipens ready to use.

“For people who do have known allergies, we recommend they talk to their allergist,” Allen said. “Either way, the providers will be prepared.” mfilby@dispatch.com @Maxfilby

ADAM CAIRNS/COLUMBUS DISPATCH Getting vaccinated will help protect you from getting COVID-19, but you may experience some mild side effects, which are normal signs that your body is building protection. Find out what to expect and how to plan for, treat and try to avoid as many of them as possible.