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2nd Vaccine Dose Reaction/ Symptoms - Do I get Booster?

J

JackPurvis

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I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes only 2 weeks after my 2nd dose of the Moderna vaccine, therefore almost indefinitely had diabetes before I had my second dose. I had no reaction to my first dose back in July at all, no symptoms what so ever. However I reacted pretty badly in my opinion to the second dose. It only lasted around 12-24 hours, however I felt the worst I've ever felt with an illness before in my life. Extreme headache, eye pain, temperature, shivers, extreme fatigue etc. However it didn't last too long only around 12hours. I think its fair to say this is most likely down to my weakened immune system.

I'm due to speak to my doctor in the coming days regarding my booster and whether or not I need to get a booster or a 3rd jab for people with weakened immune system. Just wanted to know if any fellow type 1 Diabetics out there reacted badly to their 2nd dose?

Also after reading through the NHS website it does state that if you reacted badly to your 2nd jab, to not get the booster/3rd straight away and to discuss it with your doctor before getting it. I will be speaking to my doctor so that isn't an issue and of course she will tell me how to go forward, but just for now I'm not sure if my reaction is classed as a "bad reaction" as even though I felt absolutely awful, It was in a nutshell "extreme flu like symptoms" therefore not sure if a "bad reaction" actually means more than flu systems and something more serious?

I'm very eager to get my booster but also definitely now more nervous then I ever have been due to how badly I reacted to it 2nd time round. Any advice to help me prep to try and keep the symptoms at bay?

Thanks!
 
The flu-like reaction is nothing compared to Covid without proper protection. And taking the booster will protect others around you. I took paracetamol for my symptoms. You can check with your GP.
 
Hi Sorry you were unwell after your 2nd vaccine. I think the most important question is what were your blood sugars like? If high were you checking for ketones? Interestingly my neighbour reacted in a very similar way to you to her 2nd dose of Moderna, she is not diabetic, slim and reasonably fit and well. As a type 1 I did not have flu symptoms but did have high blood sugars and ketones.
 
I do agree with Ert, I think actually having COVID would likely be worse. Despite my reaction I still had my booster about a month ago.
 
Reactions: ert
My non diabetic partner felt very ill (shivers, headache, fever, ...) after all his vaccinations. But, as it was for less than 24 hours, we did not consider it a "bad" reaction.
As per the government advice, he has had his booster.

So, I do not think you reaction is diabetes related and, in your position, I would not delay getting the booster. 24 hours of feeling rubbish is better than months of Long Covid.
 
I think the most important thing is to make sure they asperate before injecting. Here is a video on why


Hope you find it helpful
 
I was undiagnosed at this point so wasn’t checking my blood sugar levels at all, only thing I can say is when my blood sugars do go high I get really bad migraines specifically eye pain, and when I fell I’ll from the jab that’s the exact eye pain I experienced so I can have a good guess they did go relatively high but will never know how high.
 
A reaction to your 2nd dose is generally a good thing. It means your body recognised the virus and started producing the correct antibodies to kill it. the booster is a half dose of the orginal amount so you may or may not have another reaction. As other have said, I'd rather have a sore arm or feel a bit rubbish for a couple of days, rather than the (possibility) of being seriously ill. (Triple pfizer)
 
Personally I would think that what they meant by a “bad reaction” is anaphylactic shock, or blood clots, or stroke, or myocarditis, or something like that. Not feeling unwell for 12 hours. But I agree actually it’s a bit ambiguous, they should make that clear.
 
My first two were Astra Zeneca, mild reaction to both, sore arm, slight temperature. My third was Pfizer, and I would classify that as a bad reaction. Severe aches and pains, bed-bound and semi-unconscious for 24hrs, temperature up to 104F at one point, bg off the top of the meter. Really didn't want to go to hospital because I'd catch every other bug going around as well.
Talking to my GP later, the 3rd booster includes protection against some variants not included in the first two jabs, and I probably reacted to one of those.
 
I had Pfizer and felt awful after my second dose - blood sugars all over the place, night time hypos, exhausted etc. Zero reaction to the booster at all apart from a sore arm.

Most reactions are a good thing because it's your immune system waking up. Personally I think covid is worse than a pretty minor reaction to a vaccine
 
To be honest, aside from those with sever allergies or an historic anaphylaxis, reactions to each vaccine dose seem like a bit of a lottery.

For those in the foregoing group, depending on the specifics, the recipient should take their EpiPen to their appointment, and a doctor will decide on the day, usually having referred to the recipient's medical records. If it considered in the individual's best interest to have their booster, but not at a mass clinic, or at the local surgery, it would usually be delivered as an outpatient at an appropriate hospital.

My first dose of the AZ vaccine floored me for 48 hours. I slept away the dire headache. Second dose, I was just very tired, and my booster of Pfizer had me in bed for an extra 12 hours.

During the initial roll-out of the vaccine, it was often discussed that older patients receiving their vaccines were absolutely fine, but those a bit younger regularly had debilitating symptoms of varying natures.

@JackPurvis , it makes total sense that you have a conversation with your GP about your concerns - even if just to ease your mind. How we feel about an event often influences how it goes.

Good luck with it all.
 
I have had minor reactions (just feeling nauseous/fluish) to all 3 including the booster which I wasn't looking forward to but decided to still have them as protection from covid which I have also had and I think it would have been a lot worse for me had I not had my vaccines but only you can decide for yourself.
 
Hi my name is Zoltan - zolly for short, i have been Diabetic Type 1 for nearly 45-50 years. When any germs bugs or anything else comes around i get it very Bad. But i have had both my Covid Jabs my Booster + my Flu jab which i don`t usually have & NO Problems at all. Please take the Booster you will be More PROTECTED than with out it.
 
Yes I had high blood sugers after 1st 2nd 3rd covid jab, it looks like the 4th jab will be fairly soon for me and I will 100% have it
 
I been reading that the new booster starts wearing off after 10 weeks and they have even started given out a 4th booster in israel, not sure where its going to end tbh
 
ultradad said:
I been reading that the new booster starts wearing off after 10 weeks and they have even started given out a 4th booster in israel, not sure where its going to end tbh
Click to expand...
I think it might be a regular mandated quarterly vaccination to keep up with the various strains of Covid as they appear.

I will be getting the new jabs as they come out, I might get one that reacts as I have had no problems with the two AZ and one Pfizer shots.
 
Yes it is every three months here in France just had a notification to get my 4th jab on the 15th January, that's 3 months since my last booster jab
 
Had 2 jabs of Pfizer with no reaction but am not planning to get a booster unless it becomes mandated for overseas travel.
I had covid and it was a big nothing but even had I not been a 'case' (teting positive but asymptomatic) I think I'd consider my own risk profile for covid:
age is still the most important risk stratification
blood sugar control for type 1
male greater risk than female
obesity and other metabolic disease
There is a lot of coercion to get a booster and the subsequent new variant boosters (the pressure won't die down) and I think your choice needs to be based on your own health rather than society's. Especially where there are risks to balance up. The benefits (some waning immunity to a disease that isn't fatal to over 99% of us) may not outweigh the risks even if you are diabetic. And you've already had 2 jabs so you do have protection against the more serious variants.
BTW type 1 is an autoimmune disease but I am not aware that this in itself triggers the massive autoimmune reaction that has caused vaccine harms. In other words as far I know destruction of beta cells in your pancreas doesn't imply global over reaction to infection.
 
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