What’s it like to get the second dose of a COVID-19 vaccine? We asked health workers – WHYY

Johnson, who is African American, has since spoken to Black congregations at various houses of worship to address their concerns about the ethics and safety of the vaccine. Most of the questions the public have asked him have been around side effects, and if its safe for people with certain conditions to get the shot.

The feedback I have gotten has been very good. Ive heard that people have decided they will get the vaccine after they heard me speak, he said. I anticipated that in some of the presentations I would get pushback from people I didnt.

Erica HarrisEmergency physician, Einstein Medical Center

About six hours after receiving the second Pfizer shot, Harris had chills. She had to start a shift right after getting the shot, but was able to work through it. The following day, Harris had a headache, fatigue and muscle aches, which dispersed after 12 hours.

None of it really stopped me from doing any of my normal activities, I just felt a little more drained, she said.

The symptoms were more severe than the ones she experienced after the first dose she had only a mild headache on Day One.

I definitely feel safer after having the second dose. I feel more confident having the second dose, for sure, Harris said.

But it hasnt changed my behavior, in large part because people in my family have not been vaccinated and most people I know havent been vaccinated, and certainly Im assuming most people in the community have not been either. So I think its responsible to wear masks and social distance until enough people have been vaccinated that theres some degree of herd immunity.

She added that she hopes the vaccine will be rolled out to everyone soon, especially high-risk groups.

I think theres some frustration about the holdup for people to start getting this outside of health care and the group 1A people, so Im really hoping other people will have their opportunity soon, Harris said.

Michael KirchhoffER physician, patient safety officer, Cooper University Health Care

Kirchhoff got his second dose on Jan. 5. He said he felt some aching 12 hours in, took some Tylenol, and the symptoms went away completely. He said he was reassured by the pain.

To me, that was the sign that my immune system was working and mounting a response to the second shot, which meant to me its doing its job. So for me, feeling a little achy really was very satisfying in an odd way.

He said he had talked to other colleagues who got their second doses; some had pain like he did, a small number of people had fevers, but no one had any serious symptoms. He said that, like him, the people who had aches or a fever felt reassured by them.

Quite honestly, I had to talk more to my friends and colleagues that didnt feel anything after the second dose, to say that doesnt mean its not working, it works everybodys immune systems different, Kirchhoff said. Its nice to have that sort of stimulus, that says: Hey, your bodys doing something here.

Whitney CabeyER doctor, assistant professor of emergency medicine, Temple University Hospital

Cabey said that after her second dose, she felt a little like she was about to get a cold, but woke up fine the next day. She said she has talked to other people who got their second doses and that is a common experience.

Most people feel like they just, like, recovered from something they never really got, she said. Feeling like somethings coming on, that first day achy, youve got the sniffles, maybe coughing a little bit, and then waking up the next day, feeling like your illness is really over and broken.

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What's it like to get the second dose of a COVID-19 vaccine? We asked health workers - WHYY