Just got mine…last year it wasn’t a big deal, but this year it fucking HURT. I’m already a giant baby who hates getting my vaccines but this was way worse than usual. When I started telling people about my reaction this year a number of people agreed that it hurt way worse this year and/or they had different reactions than previous years.
Please note I’m not looking for any conspiracies about it being worse or different somehow in a bad way, and I’m not trying to scare people into not getting it; even if it fucking hurt this year please get it, the temporary pain is better than getting and spreading covid.
But it definitely felt different in my arm and in my body this year and I have heard the same from others. Did something change or are we just misremembering? Or are our bodies reacting different somehow this year for other reasons? Or is it just random and this year for whatever coincidental reason I know a bunch of people who had a worse muscle reaction to it.
The vaccine is different this year as it’s updated for the 2024-2025 covid variants, kind of like how the flu shot is a little different every year to vaccinate against the expected dominant variants.
I did know that, but is it different in a way that would make it feel different?
There are other things that can contribute to the pain you feel during an injection, or lessen it: the distance of the needle insertion from a bundle of nerves, the gauge of the needle, the angle and speed of the insertion of the needle, the speed and depth of the administration. The temperature and ph of the vaccine also can change the experience, which can vary widely depending on the type of vaccine or the sort of preservatives/substrate the vaccine is in. Then there are differences between mrna vaccines, live attenuated, etc. The other things that affect the pain you are feeling: did you tense up or were you relaxed? What mindset were you in? Are you already in pain or was there something distracting you?
The truth is when someone gives you a shot or IV there are only a few things in their control that can actually affect how painful something is- most of it is up to chance or the vaccine itself.
Oh I was in the same mode I’m always in which is actively trying not to have a panic attack. I have an IMMENSE fear of needles to the point that for blood draws I basically require Xanax or similar.
When I got my first COVID vaccine years ago the nicest nurse in the whole world helped me prepare for the future though. I told her how scared I was and how vaccines always hurt and I’m always a huge mess after. She told me to let my arm dangle at my side which I do now and that helps a lot. She also held my hand and stroked the injection site very gently after which just made me well up with how much care she showed me. Honestly every vaccine now I think of her and how relaxed my arm was and how calm I felt and that helps. This was the worst one I’ve had in years now.
So yeah maybe it was just my turn and randomly people around me to be unlucky with them hitting it weird.
Good post
The Moderna dose is larger than the Pfizer one.
Oooo that could be it
Yeah, general anecdotal consensus is the Moderna hits harder because of that. I’ve been sticking with Pfizer so far but am hoping to try the Novavax this time. I’m a pretty large guy, but Pfizer always knocks me out for a day or so. And every mRNA shot has resulted in a longer and longer period of swelling in the lymph nodes of my armpits. Hoping for something less drastic this time.
I just got my flu and COVID Monday.
the flu was a joke. didn’t even perceive it happening.
COVID was the same for injection and immune response compared to all previous years. I feel it happen. at
- t+12 hours I am sore at the site
- t+18 hours I am sore+stiff
- t+24 hours I am chilly, sore, and stiff
- t+26 hours things begin tapering
- t+30 hours not chilly anymore, but extra fatigued
after a sleep from that point in I just feel mildly stiff, but otherwise 100%
Mine hurt more going into my arm. But it didn’t feel very sore the next day, and I wasn’t wiped out like I have been previously.
Yeah I was surprised. Expected it to be worse/more like the previous years
I don’t know, but immune systems are weird little guys. They might be reacting differently than they have in the past.
First COVID shot my spouse and I got… nothing but some injection site soreness.
Every shot since has knocked us out for at least 24 hours. The flavor doesn’t seem to matter.
My experience was very mild fatigue with a slightly elevated temp. Overall a much easier experience, but I’ve heard others say this was the worst yet. I guess it really weirdly depends on the individual. Tylenol/acetaminophen if you can take it should help with general aches and pains from the shot. (Not a doctor)
Are you talking about side effects or the immediate feeling in your arm? For me, it was honestly the same as last time except I chose a different location and chose a different vaccine manufacturer than what I usually used. I remember the very first time I got the shot was hell. I basically had a fever and couldn’t lift my arm for the entire day. Now, they don’t even bother telling me to wait for 15 minutes for side effects. But then again, I know someone who fainted right after they left the pharmacy and was just about to drive home.
I havent had any noticeable reaction to a vaccine since the first two covid shots. Didnt get my booster and flu shot yet this year, should probably do that soon.
Yeah go get it done ASAP, it takes a couple of weeks for full immunity to build up!
I didn’t notice any more pain then last time, and got covid+flu. I had more body ache last time. It’s weird how the effects vary so much between people.
I got it, didn’t hurt noticeably more than any other. I felt weak and had a head ache that night, slept in and felt fine mid day the next day.
So I’m not an expert and take this with a grain of salt. The one I got a month or two back was a “spike protein” vaccine, where there are just bits of the same spike protein that covid uses injected into you. I think the previous were MRNA (makes your cells produce the protein), and the J&J one was another thing, basically a genetically modified cold virus that has those spike proteins. To me they all were moderate soreness.
I think both are available? Im pretty sure the pfizer ones that are advertised are still mrna
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