If you’ve been vaccinated against COVID-19, what was your experience like?
One year ago this week, I was in Hilton Head on spring break with my friends at UNC-Chapel Hill. The water was just a little too cold for swimming, but the sun shined. And we were so grateful for a break.
We never went back to campus that semester due to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Now, I am officially vaccinated against the coronavirus, having been eligible in Group 3 as a journalist working in the field, and I’m just one of many in North Carolina. So far 20% of the population in the state is at least partially vaccinated and 12.9% is fully vaccinated, according to data from the CDC. In Mecklenburg County, more than 100,000 have been fully vaccinated.
North Carolina officially moved into Group 4 of its vaccine distribution plan Wednesday, making people with high-risk medical conditions, people experiencing homeless and people in detention centers or shelters eligible.
It’s incredible to think about just how much changed in the last year. And I’m so lucky to have been able to receive this vaccine successfully.
I received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, one of three FDA-authorized vaccines available in the country. It is just one dose, compared to Moderna and Pfizer’s two doses.
I was so happy. I saw visions of a normal senior year at UNC, where I could see my friends’ smiles, get dinner at my favorite restaurant and crowd into one booth meant for four.
A few hours past the initial joy I felt leaving the administration site, I was in bed with a fever, feeling aches, chills and exhaustion. I didn’t sleep that night, but about 24 hours later, I felt completely fine.
My friends who also received the J&J vaccine reported similar feelings. So we asked Charlotteans: If you’ve received the COVID-19 vaccine or have been eligible, what has been your experience, before and after the vaccine?
Here’s what some of you said (some comments were edited for length and clarity):
Jason Dee (via email): Got the Johnson and Johnson shot Wednesday (3-17-21) in Gastonia. Besides the wait in line, everything else was perfect, and everyone was friendly and very helpful. After getting the shot, my arm was sore but manageable. Worked all night and got a cold chill about 16 hrs after the shot. Took some Advil, and the pain/chill went away. I can still tell where the injection was done at, but other than I’m fine and was back in the gym the next day. I chose the J&J over the others, even though I could have gotten the other vaccine much earlier, due to it being just one and done.
Leticia Espinoza (via email): Had my first Pfizer on 03/02. Had chills, fever and body ache. Side effects lasted about 35 hours after vaccine. I did recover from COVID last year in April 2020, so that is why I believe I had side effects from the first vaccine. I’m due for my second vaccine on 03/22 and curious to see what my symptoms will be with that one.
Caren Estrada (via email): Received my first dose of the Moderna vaccine on Monday, February 1, 2021, sore arm started about 2 hours later, it felt like someone punched me in the arm extremely hard!! That lasted for 3 days. Two days later on Wednesday, February 3, 2021, I woke up to take my dogs out at 7:20 a.m., came back to go to bed and as soon as I laid down my head started spinning, I was sweating and nauseous it was so bad I could not move or open my eyes. The episodes kept coming for 3 hours until I ended up in the ER! Still haven’t received my second dose!
Pamela Everett: Received Pfizer first dose 2/27. Only side effect was a sore arm. I have been telling people it was more sore than flu shot, less sore than tetanus. By 24 hrs later, I had forgotten I had taken it. Also, please use the tracker that you can opt-in to report side effects after your doses (via online survey post-vaccination). As a career R&D person, those responses are the type of info that helps improve a product (vaccine) over time. If you have the option to share your experience in that format, please do!
Danny Fuller-Katz: Got my first Moderna shot 2 weeks ago and only have a really sore arm! Very excited for shot number 2 in a couple weeks!!!
Kathryn Galindo: I’m in group 4 and have my first vaccine dose scheduled for tomorrow evening. Honestly, it was a pain to find an appointment near me — I’ll be driving an hour away, but nevertheless, I’m grateful. Things just aren’t super clear.
Maureen Intemann (via email): I am in the J&J clinical trial for the vaccine. I got my shot on 11/10. Since it was a trial and you don’t know if you’re receiving the placebo or real thing, you don’t know quite what to expect but are asked to monitor pulse ox, injection site, temperature and any other symptom. By late in the day I got the shot, I was tired and then ran a low grade fever, had chills and a headache. I was actually happy to have the side effects, figuring I wouldn’t have gotten them from the placebo. Within 24 hours I was fine and figured this was a small price to pay vs. getting Covid, given that some people I know who’ve had it were much sicker than people who say it was like having a cold — some still suffer from after effects. I was unblinded from the vaccine trial on 3/17 and told that, as I suspected, I received the real thing back in November. Happy I did and happy to have participated in the trial — I knew going in that these vaccines weren’t dreamed up overnight or even in the year and that we’ve been dealing with Covid. I haven’t grown a second head or had any unusual symptoms in the 4 1/2 months since I received the shot. I wish more people believed that Covid is worse than a vaccine and that achieving herd immunity matters to this country for so many reasons — social, economic, public health. We can’t rely on the next person to be the one to get vaccinated and contribute to the herd — it takes all of us.
Chelsea Kidd (via email): I am currently in a Phase 3 trial of the Novavax vaccine through Atrium Health. I’m young and in relatively good health, so I wanted to do my part to help. The study is double-blind, meaning none of the participants or the staff working at the site know who is getting vaccine vs. placebo. There are, however, some telltale signs that you’ve gotten the real jab. I had redness at the injection site and flu-like symptoms after my two first jabs, which to me indicated either the craziest coincidence on the planet or that I did in fact get the real stuff. There is a crossover happening in April, so we will all return to get another 2 injections — if you received placebo the first round, you’ll get the vaccine, and vice versa — so all of us in the study should be vaccinated by early May. The length of the study is 2 years, during which we’ll go in for regular appointments, getting less and less frequent as time goes on. They take blood to determine antibody levels and other data, so we will help determine lots of important factors, including how long exactly the vaccine lasts. We’re required to fill out a daily diary of any symptoms and our temperature. I’ve gotten some interesting responses when I tell people what I’m doing, including some who think I am a lab rat (sort of true), could die (not really) and some vitriol from the anti-vaxxers when I’ve shared publicly on social media (kind of disappointed I didn’t get the Bill Gates microchip). Lots have been positive, though! My mom keeps calling me an astronaut. But overall it’s been awesome to help further scientific discovery and help humanity fight this pandemic!
Nick Loveluck: First dose of Moderna. Kind of sore arm the next day. Looking forward to getting the second one in April. Just want to hug my parents.
Nirali Patel: I’ve had both doses of Pfizer. Had mild body aches after the second dose!
@the_nerdy_virgo: Had my first shot already and no symptoms of side effects, I received the Pfizer vaccine. My second shot is in the next few weeks.
Stephanie and Reuben Rodriguez (via email): My husband got his first dose at the end of January. We were worried because he has autoimmune disorders and when he gets sick, he gets knocked down hard. He had arm soreness on the arm he got his jab in his first day. On the second day, bit of headache, slightly upset stomach and feeling a bit run down, but all manageable. I had my 1st dose in mid February and felt the same things. My husband’s 2nd dose was right before Valentine’s Day, and he felt the same things (to our great relief) that he did with his first dose ... all mild and manageable. So, I went into my 2nd dose thinking I’d sail through it like the 1st time. Wow, was I wrong. I had my 2nd dose the second week of March. My arm that I chose for my jab was really sore (significantly more than the first time). About 6 hours after my shot, I started feeling run down and “lazy” along with the onset of body aches (joints, etc). By 10 hours post-2nd dose, the low grade fever started — 100.6F— along with chills, headache and more widespread body aches. By the next day, my temperature was up to 101.9F, and I felt like I’d been run over by a truck and left in the street a crumpled mess. The water from the shower head felt painful to my skin. Brushing my hair made my headache worse. I spent that whole 2nd day and most of the 3rd day camped out on the sofa or asleep in bed. By the 4th day, more and more feeling like “me” as the day wore on. All in all.. it totally knocked me down, but I would take that mess ANY DAY without hesitation knowing my body is doing what it needs to do to use the vaccine to protect me than take a chance with real COVID.
Danielle Sofia: Received first dose on Monday. Other than a sore arm and a little tiredness yesterday, feeling great today.
Dave Walters (via email): My wife and I, both in our 70s, received our shots at the Panthers stadium earlier this year through Atrium Health. Both times were joyful experiences. The workers were cheerful and excited to be part of a solution to this dreadful health problem. The organization of both events was first rate. It made me proud of our city and country. I am so perplexed when I read about the vast amount of vaccine hesitancy in our society. It shows, I think, a crisis of understanding about world realities, and in the final analysis, folks who refuse the medicine are nothing short of utterly selfish. Our minds have become so addled with conspiracy theories and fake news that too many people are putting their own — and others’ — lives at risk. I was so excited to get my shot — as were the thousands of others in line those days. I guess there is just no helping some people who live in a lurid and sad fantasy world of their own making.
@whoelsebutritajeryl: I had my first dose of the Pfizer vaccine yesterday afternoon. I got pretty sleepy yesterday evening and went to bed early, but other than a sore arm this morning, I feel fine! Definitely agree that the sore arm after the tetanus shot is wayyyyy worse. I have no worries about my second dose coming up in early April.
Iris Young: Received Johnson & Johnson on Sunday. Got super sick Sunday night, muscle aches, fever, headache, no energy. Fortunately by Monday evening I was feeling okay.
For more responses, check out the comments on our Instagram post. If you’ve been vaccinated, what was your experience like? Send us an email to charlottefive@charlottefive.com and we may publish your responses.
Editor’s note: Answers have been edited for punctuation and capitalization.
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This story was originally published March 19, 2021 at 11:12 AM.
