Fauci said he had the “prototype” experience in regards to vaccine side effects. Just as others have reported, he noted that his own second dose of the COVID vaccine caused a more pronounced reaction, but that his side effects resolved by the following night. Read on to learn what Fauci experienced that you should also expect, and for more on the side effects that are actually cause for concern, check out If You Have These Vaccine Side Effects, Don’t Get Another Shot, CDC Says.
1 Pain at the injection site
After both the first and second doses of the vaccine, Fauci shared that his most notable side effect was pain at the injection site. “If I pressed on it, I felt a little ache on the arm,” he explained. Fauci’s discomfort lasted through the next day, but he said that by the following night, the pain in his arm was gone. And for more on how the newest vaccine may affect you, check out The Side Effects of the New Johnson & Johnson Vaccine.
2 Muscle aches
Fauci explained that his second dose of the COVID vaccine triggered more side effects, compared with the first dose. These included “a lower back muscle ache” that made him feel “not 100 percent normal.”
However, Fauci said that he still found this symptom to be manageable. “It didn’t prevent me from coming to work—I did everything I do normally on a working day. Went to bed, woke up, it got a little bit better the next day and by the following night, I was back to 100 percent normal,” he shared. And for more vaccination tips from Fauci, check out Dr. Fauci Says You’ll Easily Get a Vaccine Appointment After This Date.
3 Fatigue
In addition to muscle aches and pain at the injection site, Fauci said that after his second shot, he experienced some fatigue “towards the evening” on the day of his vaccination. This is a somewhat common response to the COVID vaccine, and experts explain that fatigue is the natural product of your immune system kicking in to fight a perceived viral threat. And for more COVID news sent right to your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter.ae0fcc31ae342fd3a1346ebb1f342fcb
4 Fever
While Fauci said he did not personally experience a fever after receiving his COVID vaccinations, he acknowledged that some other recipients might. “It’s unusual to get a fever, but it has occurred in some people,” he explained.
Like fatigue, running a fever after getting your COVID vaccine is actually a sign that it’s working to produce a strong immune response. And for more on that, check out Dr. Fauci Says These 2 Side Effects Mean Your COVID Vaccine Is Working.
