Department of Health in Clay County Shares What to Expect When Receiving a COVID-19 Vaccine
Post Date:02/03/2021 8:58 AM
Green Cove Springs – The coronavirus labeled COVID-19 is a new disease with novel vaccine technology, and the Florida Department of Health in Clay County (DOH – Clay) wants the community to know what to expect when receiving a COVID-19 vaccine.
The COVID-19 vaccination is a safe and effective prevention tool that will help protect you from getting COVID-19. As with any vaccine, you may have some side effects. Side effects are normal signs that your body is building protection. These side effects may feel like flu and may even affect your ability to do daily activities, but they should go away in a few days.
Common side effects:
On the arm where you got the shot:
• Pain
• Swelling
Throughout the rest of your body:
• Fever
• Chills
• Tiredness
• Headache
If you have pain or discomfort, talk to your doctor about taking an over-the-counter medicine, such as ibuprophen or acetaminophen. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provides the following pain management techniques:
To reduce pain and discomfort where you got the shot:
• Apply a clean, cool, wet washcloth over the area.
• Use or exercise your arm.
• To reduce comfort from fever:
• Drink plenty of fluids.
• Dress lightly.
In most cases, discomfort from fever or pain is normal. Contact your medical provider if:
• The redness or tenderness where you got the shot increases after 24 hours.
• Your side effects are worrying you or do not seem to be going away after a few days.
If you get a COVID-19 vaccine and you think you might be having a severe allergic reaction after leaving the vaccination site, seek immediate medical care by calling 911.
You can report side effects and reactions using either v-safe after vaccination health checker or the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS).
V-safe is a smartphone-based tool that uses text messaging and web surveys to provide personalized health check-ins after you receive a COVID-19 vaccine. Through v-safe, you can quickly tell CDC if you have any side effects after getting the COVID-19 vaccine. Depending on your answers, someone from the CDC may call to check on you and get more information. V-safe will also remind you to get your second COVID-19 vaccine dose if you need one. To learn more about v-safe see www.cdc.gov/vsafe .
VAERS is a national program managed by CDC and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to monitor the safety of all vaccines licensed in the United States. An “adverse event” is any health problem or “side effect” that happens after a vaccination. VAERS defines a “serious adverse event” as a life-threatening illness, hospitalization, prolongation of an existing hospitalization, permanent disability or death. Anyone can submit a report to VAERS, including patients, family members, healthcare providers, vaccine manufacturers and the general public. CDC and FDA encourage anyone who experiences an adverse event after receiving a vaccine to report to VAERS. You can report to VAERS online at https://vaers.hhs.gov/index. For further assistance reporting to VAERS, visit https://vaers.hhs.gov/index or contact VAERS directly at info@VAERS.org or 1-800-822-7967.
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