Post Vaccine Care: Things To Keep In Mind After Getting Your Covid Jabs

Following all Covid protocols i.e. hand washing, social distancing and mask wearing is necessary even after you receive the second dose of the vaccine.

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New Delhi: Vaccines is currently the only real weapon against the deadly coronavirus which has claimed at least 2,66,207 lives in India, so it is essential for everyone to get vaccinated. 

The government began vaccines for those above the of 18 upto 44 years old earlier it was for 45+ age group only. It is also necessary for people with comorbidities to take the vaccine as fall under the high risk group.

While taking the vaccine is one step, post vaccine care is also important to make sure you body adjusts to the vaccine dose. It is common for a person to have fever like symptoms after any vaccine but common symptoms after the Covid-19 vaccine include - a sore injection site, pain in the injected arm, mild fever, moderate fatigue, headaches, chills, and diarrhoea. Unless you get any severe reaction to the vaccine, post covid symptoms can be taken care of at home. 

While it extremely rare for immediate reactions, it is important for a healthcare professional to monitor the person who has just been administered a dose for about 30 minutes which is why after a person receives the vaccine they are asked to stay for at least 30 minutes at the site. 

Sujeet Ranjan, Executive Director of The Coalition for Food and Nutrition Security (CFNS) told IANS, "Vaccines are designed to give immunity without the dangers of getting the disease. While it's normal to build immunity without side effects, it is also common to experience some mild-to-moderate side effects that go away within a few days on their own." 

"Fatigue, headache and body weakness are a few ailments that can be noticed post the vaccination. Adequate water intake is important to stay hydrated. Alongside proper sleep, a balanced diet, less strenuous exercise and low intake of caffeine is recommended. A paracetamol tablet can be taken to reduce the body pain," Tejaswini Deepak, Physician, Apollo Spectra Hospital, Koramangala, Bengaluru told IANS. 

In case you feel a pain on your arm or the injection site, a clean wet cloth on the vaccinated arm helps to reduce the pain, swelling and the redness. It also helps to keep the infections at bay, say doctors.

Navneet Kaur, General Physician, Apollo Spectra Nehru Enclave, New Delhi suggests was quoted by IANS as saying, "Eat anti-inflammatory foods like strawberries, cherries, oranges, mackerel, green vegetables, and nuts after vaccination. Limit your intake of processed and junk food. Remember that a healthy diet will reduce inflammation and strengthen your immune system. Moreover, you will have to get a good night's sleep and avoid exertion."

While vaccines take about 2 weeks to develop immunity after the second dose. The doctors also emphasize that these vaccines aren't a 100% effective and that chances of 'break through infections'. 

There are varying opinions about alcohol consumption or smoking, it is best to distance yourself from it. Following all Covid protocols is necessary even after you receive the second dose of the vaccine. AIIMS director, Dr. Randeep Guleria says wearing masks and physical distancing need to continue even by those who are fully vaccinated against Covid-19 as the virus is constantly mutating and there is still uncertainty about how much vaccines can protect against the emerging variants.