Many people who receive the mRNA COVID vaccines by Pfizer and Moderna experience body aches and fatigue that indicate the vaccine is triggering their immune system to recognize and fight the coronavirus.
But some people just feel fine and have no such symptoms.
In a new study from the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, researchers found even if you don’t have side effects from your COVID-19 vaccine, it’s likely still working to protect you.
In the study, the team looked at 206 hospital employees at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for antibodies against the coronavirus before and after they received the two-dose Pfizer vaccine.
The employees received their vaccines between December 2020 and January 2021, were followed until March 2021, and had lab work conducted in April and May.
The team found the most commonly reported symptom was arm pain, with rates of 91% after the first shot and 82% after the second.
After their first shot, 42% of participants reported feeling tired or weak, and 28% reported body aches and pains.
After their second shot, 62% reported feeling weak or tired, and 52% reported body aches and pains.
The team also found being female, younger and having a lower weight were associated with increased vaccine side effects.
However, the team found no link between the presence or severity of side effects and a person’s level of immune system antibodies one month after vaccination.
The researchers explained that mRNA-based vaccines teach the body’s cells how to make a protein or a piece of protein that triggers an immune response inside the body.
The findings suggest people receiving these vaccines can be reassured that lack of post-vaccination symptoms does not mean that the vaccine is not working as intended.
These results also suggest that it may be possible to design future mRNA vaccines that offer robust antibody responses with fewer vaccine-related symptoms.
If you care about Covid, please read studies about Omicron and COVID boosters, and existing drug that could prevent COVID death.
For more information about health, please see recent studies about people who can fight COVID-19 much better than others, and results showing green tea may protect your body as a vaccine.
The study is published in Open Forum Infectious Diseases. One author of the study is Si’Ana Coggins.
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