Following on from an earlier video in which he recounted his experience of getting his first dose of the Pfizer vaccine (which he said felt no different than a regular flu shot), pulmonary medicine and critical care specialist Dr. Mike Hansen is now sharing what it felt like to receive the second dose.
Just like with the first dose, Hansen describes feeling soreness in his arm, although this time around, it was more painful and lasted for two whole days. He speculates this is because the needle was in his arm for longer the second time. He also reports feeling “a little feverish” and “some chills” around 40 hours after the shot, in addition to fatigue, and says that this was due to his immune system “revving up all the different antibodies that are going to target the spike protein of the coronavirus.”
“I’ve been feeling fine ever since,” he says.
Studies have shown that the vaccine provides optimal protection against the virus for six months to a year. But Hansen reiterates the importance of still wearing masks, washing our hands and social distancing as we move forward, until approximately 80 percent of the population has been vaccinated, at which point there is a greater likelihood of achieving herd immunity: “It’s going to take time for the entire population to get over this pandemic.”
In a media interview following his vaccination, Hansen addressed concerns that the mutation of the COVID-19 virus that has occurred in the UK might make a vaccine redundant, and explained that the spike protein in the virus variant would have to “change dramatically” to render the antibodies in the body ineffective. “Although it’s not impossible, I’d be surprised if the vaccine weren’t effective,” he said. “And if it is less effective, I expect it to be minimally less effective, not drastically.”
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