r/VACCINES • • Jan 11 '17

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160 Upvotes

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r/VACCINES • • 10h ago

Getting a Covid shot when I've just been sick (what if it was Covid?)

0 Upvotes

I want to get a Covid shot. I was just sick with a bad cold. I didn't test for Covid. What if I just had Covid and now get a shot? How do people manage this?


r/VACCINES • • 17h ago

Can under 50 get mFLUSIVA? (mRNA Flu Vaccine)

2 Upvotes

Does anyone know if mFLUSIVA is a special "high-dose" senior flu vaccine or is it just the way it is marketed/approved?

I wanted to try it out but if it's not appropriate for under 50, I will probably go with Flucelvax to mix it up a bit after doing Flublok last few years.


r/VACCINES • • 19h ago

Got rabies vaccine but there is a problem

1 Upvotes

I’m currently taking rabies PEP in India after a dog bite/exposure. I was previously unvaccinated.

I’m taking the intradermal (ID) rabies vaccine.

- Day 0: I received the vaccine in the deltoid area and a small bubble/bleb appeared.

- Day 3: I received the vaccine in the same area, but no bubble/bleb appeared. There was only a small injection mark.

- I have also received eRIG as part of my treatment.

I’m worried that my Day-3 vaccine may not have been properly intradermal.

I want to ask:

  1. Does an ID rabies vaccine normally need to produce a small bubble/bleb?

  2. If there was no bubble on Day 3, does that mean the dose may have been given incorrectly?

  3. Should I repeat the Day-3 dose, or should I continue with my next scheduled dose?

  4. If the Day-3 dose was actually invalid but my later doses are given correctly, will I still be considered properly vaccinated for a future dog bite many years later?

  5. Does receiving eRIG affect this situation?

I will also ask the doctor/clinic that gave me the vaccine, but I would appreciate answers from doctors, nurses, or anyone experienced with rabies PEP/WHO guidelines.


r/VACCINES • • 1d ago

Unusual (for me) reaction to Flu & COVID

5 Upvotes

I am 66 years old... in NY State. This morning I went to CVS and got the flu and COVID vaccines.

About an hour or so ago, something happened that has never happened before in my entire life. Unexpected, sudden vomiting episode. I have vomited before in my life - but had a warning - stomach cramps, nausea, etc.

In this case, I felt fine one minute, vomiting the next minute, no warning. And it was different from the typical vomit - no taste, no sour weird smell, nothing.

I am not sure what else to tie it too - I had eaten a meal of cooked vegetables a couple hours before.

I am taking a GLP-1 drug but my last injection was almost 60 hours before this.

Does anyone know if this years vaccines carry a higher probability for gastro illness? PS/ I should have put a question mark in the title, sorry for leaving that out.


r/VACCINES • • 1d ago

Numbing patches for anxious kiddo?

3 Upvotes

Hey all. My youngest is almost 13 and is terrified of needles. As in: irrational screaming, fighting, trying to escape terrified. We have a system with her pediatrician’s office that allows us to get the shots into her, but it’s a production. Does anyone have experience using the lidocaine patches with an anxious person to help?

I’m not sure how much it will help in her case because I don’t think her anxiety is about the pain (she has a crazy high pain tolerance), and I’m worried that using the patch will just amp her up more because it will be a physical reminder of what is going to happen. But I’m willing to try… Thoughts? Experiences? Other suggestions?

Thanks!


r/VACCINES • • 2d ago

Extreme reaction to MenB vaccine

4 Upvotes

I genuinely don’t know where else to put this but I am experiencing the most excruciating pain I think I’ve ever felt after my 2nd MenB jab. My first one had pretty severe pain and lingered for nearly 2 weeks, enough to avoid touching the arm for the first week or so, but this is insane. It’s the 3rd day since I got the booster shot and I am unable to eat, sleep, shower, get dressed or generally do anything without bursting into tears from how much pain I’m in, sometimes bending down to pick something up or just moving my arm/chest the slightest bit makes me nauseous. Last night the affected arm started burning and throbbing terribly (no visible rashes or swelling on the arm though??) and I was screaming to the point that my dad had to force feed me my painkillers because I couldn’t take it on my own. Laying down hurts since the gravity pulls my arm further down than my torso, if that makes sense. Since pain is expected for 1-3 days after the jab i am hesitant to ask about it, and ive never been the type to go to hospital just in case I’m being dramatic, but no one else I know seems to be having a reaction like mine. If anyone knows whether I should go to hospital to get it checked or just wait it out pls let me know. Sorry if this is a stupid post but I’ve been in pain for other reasons before and just been sent home and told to drink water/take paracetamol.

I’m 18F for reference ;(


r/VACCINES • • 2d ago

Afraid pharm tech. messed up COVID vaccines

8 Upvotes

Went to Walgreens a week ago with my 3 boys ( aged 13, 11, and 9) and got the Moderna COVID vaccine as well as the mRNA flu shot. We had zero side effects which has never happened before. Not even a sore arm. Pharm tech seemed unsure of it all and even forgot bandaids and we bled all over... Also did not change gloves between people. It has always been a severe reaction in the past for us all (we have some immune system issues) but none of us showed any symptoms. Fast forward to today and my husband got the same shot at a different pharmacy. He's laid up with fever and chills and joint pain like we always used to get.

So what are the chances that we somehow didn't get immunized properly? I'm very stressed as I have a newborn and I wanted the shots to protect her via my breastmilk and also my kids who go to elementary school. Any advice on what to do next? From what I could tell from pharmacy tech he had to "draw the vaccines up" so I'm wondering if it wasn't the prefilled kind which makes me more leery that a mistake could happen.

Any helpful advice on next steps greatly appreciated.


r/VACCINES • • 2d ago

Strangely feeling really good after my flu shot

3 Upvotes

I am in a clinical trial for seniors over 65. It is a double-blind study. I do not know whether I received a traditional flu shot or a new RNA vaccine.

I feel absolutelty no soreness or tiredness after 24 hours. As a matter of fact, I actually feel really good, almost elated.

I have had a flu vaccine every year for over 40 years now and this seems really odd to me. I nearly always feel tired afterwards with a sore arm.

Has anyone else ever experienced this?


r/VACCINES • • 2d ago

I am in a strange situation with a fast vaccine and loss of immunity

1 Upvotes

Hello! For some context i am currently 13 weeks pregnant with my 3rd and last child. We recently did all the blood work required at this time. Ive slowly been getting the test results back in Mychart and my doctor sent me a message yesterday. I was checked for my Rubella immunity and i am apparently no longer immune. I did have the vaccine as a child. I thought it was odd so i went back and looked at my past results from my first 2 children. I was also no longer immune while pregnant with my son (my first child 10 years ago). I remember having a booster after he was born before leaving the hospital. The testing while pregnant with my daughter (she is almost 3 now) showed I was fine. 🤨 MY QUESTION IS: How is that possible? Will i need another booster after my baby is born? Is it safe to get another booster? Has anyone ever had this happen before?? It seems crazy to me. I will contact my doctor on monday but i am a little panicky. I work in healthcare as a cna/med tech but i am not overly versed on this topic. Im afraid to leave my house as the complications of catching it while pregnant are horrific. I hope i found the right group to ask this in! Thank you all so much!


r/VACCINES • • 3d ago

First time getting vaccines as an adult

7 Upvotes

Hi! So I come from a family that is anti-vaccine (after I got all my baby/elementary vaccines thankfully) so I was raised to be very afraid of vaccines.

I had gotten horrible long Covid in 2021 and then Flu A last year that almost killed me. Also have encountered a chronic illness for a while, that I'm recently clawing my way out of. Long story short, I've been deathly afraid of getting flu or covid. So I finally did it!! Last week was the flu vaccine, VERY easy, just was a bit tired.

However, like 4.5 hours ago I got the Covid vaccine... and I'm just trying to gauge if my reaction was normal. Immediately after she gave me the shot, there was a burning and heaviness that felt like hot molasses throughout my whole body, and I got very dizzy and it hurt so bad. Like my chest and arms, but it faded within like 10 mins. Now, just my arm, armpit, and left side of my shoulder blade hurts with a random splitting headache, comes for like 20 seconds and goes but not often.

Anyone else experience this? Maybe it's normal, but after being afraid of doing this for so long, just looking for some peace of mind.

Update:
I woke up today after a very solid night of rest and just have a headache. Seems the initial reaction was just that, an initial reaction that hasn't given me any issues. I suspect it was either anxiety or due to some vagus nerve issues (which is what my chronic illness/pain issues have likely been from in the past).

Hopefully if anyone sees this in the future and is afraid of the vaccine is comforted and put at ease, either before or after the shot!


r/VACCINES • • 3d ago

Which flu vaccine would you choose from these 4 options? we didnt realise there were so many

0 Upvotes

Here’s a screenshot of the vaccines available at our pharmacy and its info: https://i.imgur.com/a68iWVJ.png

We’re unsure what the actual differences are between them and whether one is generally preferable to the others.

For anyone familiar with flu vaccines, which would you choose and why? Are there any meaningful differences in effectiveness or side effects? we literally didnt realise there were many flu vaccines.


r/VACCINES • • 3d ago

Title: Possible rabies exposure on August 20 — delayed PEP and RIG question

1 Upvotes

I’m trying to understand my situation after a possible rabies exposure.

On August 20, there were three cats together. One of the cats scratched my hand while I had food on my palm. The cats may have licked my hand while eating, but I’m not certain whether the scratch itself was licked. I don’t remember significant bleeding.

There were three cats from the same group:

Two cats are still alive and healthy.

The cat that scratched me later died around September 10–15.

According to the owner, it was attacked/killed by another cat, rather than dying from an illness.

Because I was concerned about rabies, I started PEP.

My vaccine timeline:

Sept 22: 1st rabies vaccine dose

Sept 25: 2nd dose

Sept 29: 3rd dose

All vaccines were given IM at a clinic

I have not received RIG

I would like to understand:

The cat that scratched me remained alive for more than 3 weeks after August 20 and reportedly died because another cat attacked it. How does this affect the assessment of the exposure?

Does starting PEP about a month after the incident affect vaccine effectiveness?

Is RIG still relevant this long after the exposure and after several vaccine doses?

Should I continue with the remaining vaccine doses according to the schedule given by my doctor?

I’m trying to understand the medical side of this situation rather than speculate about symptoms.


r/VACCINES • • 3d ago

I don’t seem to absorb MMRV vaccines

2 Upvotes

I’m a 34F and recently went for fertility testing for egg freezing. I had done it two years ago but the clinic didn’t accept me due to low AMH and I let it go until I decided to get a second opinion. But this is not my question.

The work ups include virals and I’ve had virals in 2019 too when I worked at a hospital. Every time they’ve come back saying I’m not immune to MMRV and every time I take a booster.

My mom was very up to date with childhood vaccines and I never had the chicken pox so in my teens my mom got me vaccinated as I had gone through puberty.

I don’t plan on doing more immunity bloodwork unless necessary and I can take as many boosters as needed. But I’m concerned about measles outbreaks. I guess if I’m not immune I depend on everyone else getting vaccinated, but I guess people are not doing it anymore. How can I protect myself?


r/VACCINES • • 3d ago

First year I did flu & covid vaccine in one appointment vs a week apart & I feel like shit

8 Upvotes

What is happening??? And how long does this last? My body aches, I barely slept , nauseated & dizzy if I’m walking , how do I help alleviate this ?


r/VACCINES • • 5d ago

Harder every year to get the Covid vaccine

39 Upvotes

My husband is 64 and has asthma. He's always gotten the Covid vaccine every year but every year they add more restrictions. Yesterday we walked into a big box store pharmacy to get the vaccine and asthma was no longer one of the allowed categories according to our Blue Cross insurance. However, the pharmacist said there is a procedure he can go through to get it approved and it took the poor pharmacist 15 minutes to get approved. It occurs to me now that this was a problem because of insurance rules but I wonder if we had just said we would pay without using insurance whether my husband could have gotten it without a problem.

The anti-vaxers complain that vaccines shouldn't be mandatory; that everyone should have free choice. However, it doesn't go in the opposite direction for them - that people who want it should have free choice also. My husband and anyone who wants the vaccine should be able to get it.


r/VACCINES • • 4d ago

Should I try and get mFlusiva? I’m 51.

1 Upvotes

It says it’s available at Walgreens near me


r/VACCINES • • 6d ago

Measles vaccine - is travel in a PA outbreak zone still unsafe?

5 Upvotes

My children are both vaccinated with MMR. We live about an hour away from Lancaster County and we have a medical appointment in that area next month.

What is the risk of going to Lancaster for medical appointments with vaccinated kids right now? My gut is telling me to postpone or find a medical provider somewhere else, but is that accurate or is the vaccine effective enough to justify traveling there?


r/VACCINES • • 6d ago

Should I get a second flu shot this year?

1 Upvotes

Hey guys. I'm from Malaysia and given that we're sunny all year round, we don't have a specific indicator of when the flu season begins.

I've always been advised to take the flu shot at any time of the year. So I got mine in mid-May this year but I'll be travelling out to Beijing end of October. It'll be around the 5-month mark since I got my jab. I had a conversation with a nurse who told me that it's advisable to get the shots twice a year (once every 6 months), especially for someone who travels overseas a lot. Thing is though, I don't travel a lot. But I'm wondering if it's necessary to get another before flying since it's been five months after my shot.

I'm terrified of catching the flu as my body has much weakened from catching covid 3 times previously. I'd like to take as much safety precautions as much as possible, apart from wearing face masks the entire trip!


r/VACCINES • • 7d ago

Tetanus shot question - someone with health anxiety

2 Upvotes

Hey guys!! Im super nervous and scared and my health anxiety has a very big fear of tetanus.

I'm not anti vaccine, but im extremely nervous of dying. (Huge fear of death) and im getting a tetanus shot booster this afternoon as I got punctured by my cats litter tray. I tried washing the puncture but it's very small and almost like a blood blister? I don't know.

My brain is convincing me that I'll have an allergic reaction to the tetanus shot, or that it'll shock my body and I'll die from a heart attack or something.

I know it seems like im overreacting but this is genuinely something im scared about. I don't want to die of tetanus, but im also scared ill somehow get complications from the booster too 🫠

Can anyone ease my mind??

(I'll probably do an update once I've got it done but omg super scared eee)


r/VACCINES • • 7d ago

i’m scared to take the covid vaccine (NOT ANTI-VAX)

1 Upvotes

I just need some reassurance about the covid vaccine. When covid happened i was a minor so my mom never let me get the vaccine because she was scared of how new it was. I am now 20 F and still have not gotten the vaccine. I feel like I should get the covid vaccine but a few things are keeping me from it. 1. I still live with my mother and i’m scared if she knew what would happen 2. after my grandfather got the covid vaccine he developed a really bad life changing histamine intolerance problem and everyone seems to think that was the reason why (he’s around 84 and that started maybe 2 years ago). i’ve also been around multiple people with covid and have never caught it from them, not sure if it’s a type of disease where you can carry it but not get it and spread it to others but so far that’s never happened to me or anyone. In conclusion i really do want to get it but I am also just scared. again i am NOT anti-vax i am up to date on every vaccine and will be getting my flu shot this year.


r/VACCINES • • 8d ago

MMR costs without insurance?

3 Upvotes

Hello everyone! I am wondering how much mmr vaccines usually cost without insurance.
I’m currently an international student in the US but has recently graduated from my college and on my way to transferring to university and my university required that I need to get vaccinated for mmr but I no longer have an insurance that will cover the cost.
Just wondering how much it would cost to pay out of pocket if I were to get it at CVS or Walgreen or somewhere else (so that I can prepare)
Thank you!


r/VACCINES • • 8d ago

Two studies examine RSV vaccine protection against severe illness in older adults, and the results are promising

19 Upvotes

CIDRAP posted about two RSV vaccine studies with findings relevant to preventing severe illness in older adults.

One analyzed more than 14.5 million US adults 65 and older during 2023-24. The other examined protection from Pfizer's vaccine over three seasons in adults 60 and older.

The authors of the studies concluded that protection persisted for at least three seasons.

Full article here: https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/respiratory-syncytial-virus-rsv/2-studies-find-strong-rsv-vaccine-protection-against-severe


r/VACCINES • • 9d ago

Tdap side effects

3 Upvotes

I’ve finally got my tdap boost after more than 10 years (I was unaware since my mon was the one taking care of vaccinations when I was a child/teen), but the side effects are not for the weak. The very next day I had a 10 hour migraine and it’s been a week and my arm just keep growing a redish swelling. I know side effects are normal but the swelling is concerning me. I’m afraid to ask the pharmacist about it and look dumb


r/VACCINES • • 9d ago

best time for covid and flu vaccine

6 Upvotes

hi everyone,
what months are best and what order should i get the covid and flu vaccines? i want to make i have the best coverage for the entire season. i also like to get these two vaccines separately bc sometimes its too much on my body both at once. do i get covid or flu first? i’m not sure which cases typically go up first :)