You have likely seen pictures of your friends or family getting their COVID-19 vaccine shot by now. If you have not received your vaccine yet, you may be wondering what it will be like to get it. To help answer this question we spoke with our own pain medicine specialist, Dr. Deepesh Shah, about his experience with getting the COVID-19 vaccine.
Q: What was your experience registering for the vaccine?
A: As someone in healthcare I was able to register mid-December during the first phase of vaccinations through the Maricopa County website. It was a smooth and easy 5 minute process. I received an email detailing the next steps 48 hours later. Scheduling after that was also very easy. I was directed to Banner Del Webb Medical Center.
Q: What was your experience at the vaccination site?
A: I received my first Pfizer dose on 12/21/20. I had a great experience when I got to Del Webb Medical Center. I went on their first day of administering the vaccine, and felt like all of my questions and concerns were answered. I was in my car for the entire process which was about 40 minutes.
Q: Did you have symptoms after the first shot or second shot?
A: My arm was sore for about 24 hours both times. While many others do report experiencing more side effects after their 2nd dose, I was fortunate to not experience any additional side effects, like fever or fatigue.
Q: Did you take or do anything that helped alleviate side effects?
A: I made sure to stay hydrated (at least 100oz of water) on the days I received the vaccine. I also made sure I moved my arm around quite a bit for 4 hours after the vaccine to help with site pain.
This is one account of someone’s experience with the vaccine. It is important to remember that people may experience side effects differently.