Can I get sick from the vaccination?
The most common side effects of the Pfizer vaccine, which is used first, are according to it Medicines Evaluation Board (MEB) redness, pain and swelling at the puncture site. This is comparable to many other vaccinations, such as the flu shot.
Muscle aches and joint pain can also occur, as can fatigue, headaches, chills, and elevation. These side effects are mild according to the MEB and disappear after a few days.
There is also a possibility that unknown side effects may occur, such as a rare allergic reaction, but that chance is very small, according to the ministry.
According to professor of immunology Marjolein van Egmond, you get the flu-like side effects because your immune system is activated by the vaccine. You cannot get corona because of the vaccination, because only a very small part of the virus is used in the vaccine.
Can I still get corona after the vaccination?
Yes, you can, it reports RIVM. But more than 90 percent of people who receive the Pfizer vaccine are protected against corona from seven days after the second vaccination. You get the Pfizer vaccine in two parts. You will receive the second vaccination 21 days after the first injection.
The chance that you will get corona after vaccination is therefore small and the course of the disease is less serious, according to the RIVM. It is therefore important to have yourself tested when you get complaints that are consistent with corona. Even if you have been vaccinated.
Why should I take the vaccine if I can still get sick?
The majority of people no longer get sick after the corona vaccination, says Van Egmond. According to her, the protection of the Pfizer vaccine is extremely high. “It was hoped for a protection of about 70 percent, but it is even 95 percent.”
According to Van Egmond, you also not only take a vaccine for yourself, but also for the protection of others. “As a person you may in some cases be unlucky enough to still get sick, but by vaccinating you make society safer from the virus. In this way we protect the weak and we can slowly get rid of the measures. It is also a matter of solidarity.”
Healthcare worker Sanna Elkadiri will receive the first vaccine today. She mainly takes it for herself, but also for her clients:
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