[2022-09-27] Loud immune system

As has been the case after almost every vaccine I've received, I'm feeling pretty lousy after getting my fifth dose of a COVID vaccine yesterday.

I received my jab at 9:15 yesterday morning and felt OK for most of the day. But by 7:30 PM, I was experiencing chills, running a mild fever and feeling wiped out. I snuggled up in pyjamas and warm socks under my winter duvet to stave off the shivering.

I spent today in bed, thankful that I didn't have any commitments. My previous shot had been in January while I was undergoing radiation. It took all my energy to go to that appointment. Today, by contrast, I could simply lie in bed, sleeping on and off throughout the day.

I don't know whether it's a good sign that I get so sick after receiving vaccines. In Why Doctors Feel Happy To Get Symptoms From The Covid-19 Vaccine, Alison Escalante wrote:

When doctors got sore arms, fatigue, muscle aches or fevers after their Covid-19 vaccine, they celebrated. That’s because those symptoms are not dangerous ‘reactions,’ but positive signs that the immune system is responding to the vaccine. Feeling yucky after the Covid-19 vaccine means it’s working.

At the same time, however, that's not to say that people who don't have strong reactions to the COVID vaccine are not protected. The article What COVID-19 vaccine side effects do and don't mean states:

Dr. Marcelin says a lack of side effects doesn't mean a lack of protection. "We talk a lot about how this is your immune system working, and [with these side effects] it's showing you that it's working. And that is true, but if a person does not experience those immune side effects or immune symptoms, that doesn't mean that their immune system isn't working."

"How I like to put [it] is that there are different degrees of how loud our immune systems are. Some people's immune systems, like mine, are just really loud, obnoxious even. And then others just go along quietly, do their job and don't make a fuss. And they're doing what they're supposed to, but they're not going to make a fuss about it. So if you don't experience some of these obnoxious immune effects, don't worry about whether or not you got a good vaccine, or is it working, or is something wrong with your body. It has nothing to do with that. It's just different degrees of loudness."

Clearly, I have a very loud immune system.