PORTLAND, Ore — It's not unusual for a vaccine to have mild side effects. After all, something foreign going into your body is going to get your attention. Doctors say you can expect some mild side effects from the coronavirus vaccine too.
Some of the reaction is from the delivery system, a needle into the upper arm. Here you might feel injection site pain with possible swelling or redness.
Inside your body the injection acts like an intruder at the front door of your home. Your antibodies rush to fight the intruder and might knock over some of the furniture on the way.
As a result, you could feel: extra tired, a headache, muscle pain, joint pain, chills, nausea, swollen lymph nodes, and even a fever. But that's your body building a defense against the virus.
The symptoms could last several days and are more likely after the second injection than the first. They might even be bad enough that you need to take a day or two off work. But it's important to remember, getting the virus unprotected could feel a whole lot worse.
Severe reactions have occurred, but researchers say they are not common.