Covid-19 Pfizer Vaccine Experience “A Breeze

According to the Harris County Public Health Department, there have been 343,573 confirmed cases of Covid-19 in Houston/Harris county, and 3,235 deaths, as of February 23, 2021. While the number of deaths appear to be decreasing, for those of us in the 65 and older age range, and for those with pre-existing health conditions, the reality is that we are the most susceptible to contracting the virus. As someone identified as an “Essential Worker,” and with a history of breast cancer, the decision was simple; when the opportunity presented itself, I would receive the vaccine. My appointment for the Covid-19 Vaccine Dose #1 was scheduled via email: February 10, 2021. The location, approximately a 45-minute drive from my home, was at the UT Cooley Health Center. After hearing the horror stories of people waiting 3 hours in line, I was pleasantly surprised to find ample parking in a self-pay surface lot, with directional signs clearly marking the path to the vaccine site. The line in front of me numbered no more than a dozen, with personnel distributing clipboards holding a brief consent form. (Prior to the visit, basic information was submitted requiring recipients only to show proof of completion, further speeding up the process). My appointment was for 11 a.m., but as they were ahead of schedule, my first vaccine was administered early. Truthfully, I didn’t even feel it! After a 15-minute wait to check for a possible reaction, I was on my way out the door. For the next few days, I experienced some arm and shoulder pain, but as it dissipated, no other reactions manifested. I will receive Vaccine Dose #2 on Sunday, March 7, 2021; what a pleasant realization that I won’t have to fight the Houston traffic. Side effects of the second dosage may include headaches, dizziness, nausea, body aches and weakness. This is totally an individual result, as a recipient of 24 developed a number of these symptoms, a woman in her mid-70’s reported that flu-like symptoms lasted only a few days. The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is reported to have a 52% efficacy after the first dose, and a 95% efficacy after the second. Covid-19 vaccines help our bodies develop immunity to the virus that causes Covid-19 without us having to get the illness. The vaccine leaves the body with a supply of “memory” T-lymphocytes, as well as B-lymphocytes that will remember how to fight the virus in the future. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC).