We can say that I was on the seventh heaven, when my turn came to get a vaccination from COVID-19. I wrote about a pandemic from the very beginning, even when the number of infected were limited to several dozen inhabitants of Uhanny, when he told about how different countries were trying to design their vaccine. Therefore, when my turn has come to roll the sleeve in a medical office, I felt like a marathonet, who finally finally before the finish line, writes a BBC correspondent on science and health issues.
But, and I will be extremely frank with you, the vaccine easily put me on both blades. I will say right away that even if I knew in advance how I would be bad, I would still make vaccinations. It is better to the side effects than the Cake or another year of quarantine. Or, which is much worse, an increased chance to infect someone from relatives and loved ones.
The first dose of Astrazeneca vaccine to me in 9.30 am. In the evening, my well-being was worsened to such an extent that the next three days I got out of bed with great difficulty.
The most unpleasant symptoms were migraine and vomiting, to which pain in the whole body, strong chills and the complete absence of any forces.
"Strashilki", "Side" and deficiency. Why do vaccination in Russia goes so slowly and what threatens it?
Of course, a sorry chained to ADRU, I wrote back: "Why am I?"
When recovering, I wondered: why for someone the vaccination passes without a trace, and someone, how do I have to suffer and suffer? And do these suffering mean that my immune system has developed super strong protection against the virus? And that's what I managed to figure out.
Where do side effects come from?
Any vaccine, including from COVID-19, is engaged in understanding our body, forcing him to think that he fights with a real coronavirus. The deceived body includes an immune system, ordering her urgently start the fight against another infection.First of all, you may not be threatened with too nice sensations specifically in the area of the injection: let's say, this is a small swelling and not too strong pain, which means that your immune system has become gaining momentum.
Further effects can already spread to all other parts of the body, causing influenza symptoms, including elevated temperature, chills and nausea.
Professor Immunology From Edinburgh University, Elene Riley told me that all these sensations are caused by the reaction to inflammatory processes.
Vaccine is a kind of biochemical fire alarm, which blows into all the pipes and calls all the bells, telling us that something is wrong in the body.
"The vaccine mobilizes the immune system, which sends its cells directly to the place of injection so that they figure out, what is happening there," says Professor Riley.
These are the very cells and cause painful symptoms.
Why does someone have strong side effects, and someone does not have?
Although the mechanism of influence of the vaccine on the body is always the same, the strength of side effects varies very much.
Someone will not notice anything at all, someone can fall into drowsiness, but not so strong so that it is impossible to work, well, and someone will have to reinforce (or rather, to transfer) this thing in bed.
"James," Professor Andrew Pollard told me, who headed the clinical trials of the Astrazeneca vaccine, is the most important factor in your age. The older man, the easier it transfers the vaccination. For those who have almost no side effects at all. " I, by the way, for 30.
Suppose. But why then side effects differ in people of one age? Professor Riley believes that the wide range of side effects is based on a huge genetic diversity of our immune systems.
"This means that someone's immune system is inclined to ride at all pores and respond to stimuli much more aggressive. People who, like you, side effects turn into a realistic similarity of influenza, are the happy owners of the body, inclined to too fast and A strong reaction. It is possible that you enter the group of those who have flu and colds also take place particularly hard. "
In addition, the immune system has a good memory, and if she had previously had to fight with some other coronavirus, then she already knows what to do, and shoots immediately from all stems.
Does my reaction to vaccinate stronger protection?
I was hoping somewhat selfish that my strong side effects mean and stronger, and, consequently, a more useful reaction of the immune system. And yes, in the past were precedents, when such a connection was traced. As Professor Pollard noted: "There are such examples. For example, during the influenza epidemic in 2009, strong side effects meant a stronger immune response."
But with a care vaccine, this number does not pass: if you have side effects, or not, but everyone gets about the same amount of antibodies. Older people, for whom vaccination passes almost without any unpleasant feelings, get exactly the same protection as those whom the vaccination places into bed.
You can explain this phenomenon if you consider how two parts of the immune system interact.
The first is the so-called innate immunity, the ability of the body to neutralize the unreasonable guests, even if they did not come across. The second is the immunity acquired, in which our body first learn how to deal with a specific danger, and then it remembers it.
The immune system synthesizes special in-lymphocytes, which produce antibodies to search and subsequent destruction of viruses, as well as T-lymphocytes, they are T cells that attack any part of our own body affected by infection.
Professor Riley explains that there is precisely congenital immunity, which depends on age, and also differs from different people. It determines the power of side effects.
"To wake acquired immunity, and get a complete set of V- and T-lymphocytes, a very small intervention of innate immunity, which is different," he says.
Will me be as bad and after the second vaccination?
It is quite logical to assume that if my first experience was as unpleasant, then the second portion of the same pleasure on the horizon looms. But I was assured that it would not be so scary.
"The second dose will be completely harmless, the professor Pollard reassured me." She is not as strong as the first. " But this also applies to the Astra-Zenica vaccine developed in Oxford.
Do you need a vaccination from coronavirus and how do various vaccines from COVID-19?
Pollard warned that, according to some sources, the second dose of Pfizer vaccine can cause slightly stronger side effects than the dose of the first.
Do you need to discuss side effects in general?
Just in case, British citizens after vaccination are asked to wait 15 minutes to make sure they feel good enough to get to the house safely. On the sign inscription: "The place where you can come to yourself after vaccination"
The newsletters are full of conversations that a very small number of people developed in Britain vaccine may cause thrombus formation.
Even before the start of the large-scale vaccination program, I talked about how dangerous to make the spelling conclusions that the problems that happened after vaccination were caused by it.
The European Medicinal Agency has already confirmed: there are no indicators that vaccination causes the formation of thrombov.
But there are other side effects, and they are quite real. According to the same Pollard, they should be discovered openly and honestly.
"If from the very beginning you will say that, yes, you can easily feel disgusting, like James Gallacher, but it is not dangerous, but just not too nice, then you just accept paracetamol and relocate a couple of days," said Pollard. - But if such sensations are poured on you unexpectedly, you are ensured by anxiety. "