1. What side effects can I expect from a corona vaccine? ↑
“All vaccines have short-term side effects that can make you feel the flu. For example, you suffer from headaches, muscle aches and fever. That is because the vaccine activates the immune system, it is a response of the body to the administration of the vaccine. But even if you haven’t felt these side effects, the vaccine still works. Some people just suffer more than others. We have seen that the vaccines from Janssen and AstraZeneca (so-called vector vaccines) can cause more severe side effects in very rare cases. Basically, a vaccine gives an instruction to the immune system, but sometimes the immune system gets confused. With the vector vaccines, the body then reacts to its own platelets: they clump together, which can lead to thrombosis.”
2. Is there a difference in side effects between different age groups and male/female? ↑
“We see no difference between the side effects of children and adults. We notice that there is less chance of side effects in the elderly. This makes sense, because everything in your body diminishes as you get older. Because the immune system works less well, this means that there are fewer side effects. We also see a difference between side effects in men and women. That has two reasons. First, women tend to report side effects earlier, men do so less. And secondly, we know that women have stronger defenses, so their immune systems react more violently to the vaccine.”
3. Do the vaccines affect fertility? ↑
“No. We do know where these rumors come from: a former Pfizer CEO has said that the vaccine resembles a protein in the placenta. But extensive research has been done and the immune system clearly sees the difference between the corona vaccine and the protein that occurs in the placenta. Even women who are already pregnant do not have to worry about getting the vaccine. Hundreds of thousands of pregnant women in the United States have been vaccinated and no problems have arisen.”
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4. Can side effects cause long-term complaints? ↑
“Unfortunately we can’t see into the future, but that’s very unlikely. A vaccine really works differently than other drugs. It gives an instruction to the immune system, but is completely broken down almost immediately afterwards. In the rare cases that an autoimmune reaction occurs, it can cause damage that will affect you for the rest of your life. But this reaction also occurs shortly after the vaccination. There has never been a vaccine in which side effects suddenly appeared after five years. That would also be strange, because the vaccine itself has not been present in the body for five years. It is therefore very unlikely that complaints will arise in the long term.”
5. Do people who suffered a lot from corona also get more side effects from the vaccine? ↑
“It looks like that. After the first injection, the immune system is switched on, after the second injection, the immune system is stimulated even more. As a result, the body will react extra violently when it comes into contact with the virus. If you have already had corona, your immune system has already been activated. The moment you receive the vaccine, the first shot provides that extra boost. People who have had corona experience a stronger response from their immune system. But these side effects also consist of flu-like reactions: headache, muscle aches, fever and fatigue.”
6. Do people experience more side effects with the first or second shot with mRNA vaccines?↑
“Most people have few side effects with the first injection, they may even be bothered by the site of the injection. After the second shot, people often don’t feel so well for a while. This can of course differ, there are also people who have it the other way around. But in general we see that people experience more side effects after the second shot. You may not feel well for one or two days, but luckily it can often be solved with a paracetamol!”
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