This past Monday I got my second vaccine dose. One step closer to normalcy, I thought to myself. A phrase that’s become a staple in our lives today. It’s weird how we’re in the same position as we were a year ago. But, then again, it’s amazing that we’ve come so far. Oxymoron? I think so. But still, we’re so far yet in the same place. And although it may be a little “existential”, I feel that everyone can relate to what I’m trying to convey.

But, more about the vaccine. It was really surprising to see how different people reacted to the vaccine. My mom and I both got our first and second dose together. During my first dose, I only experienced slight arm pain but otherwise it wasn’t too bad. 

My second dose… was the exact same. Surprising. I know. I just had the exact same reaction as the first time but my mom on the other hand had it really bad. She was encompassed by chills, and fatigue and had a fever for a solid 36 hours. It was so crazy to see that I was fine and was able to go about my day when somebody else couldn’t even leave the bed. 

So, I did some research. And, I learned that younger people and women are more likely to experience side effects. Fitting in both of those categories, it was interesting to see that I didn’t share the common denominator. But, it’s not a negative thing. It’s perfectly normal not to experience any side effects. The thing is, our bodies just react differently due to the way that our immune systems are composed. We’re still making the antibodies that are needed in order to shield ourselves from COVID-19. With my weak respiratory system, I expected that to influence the way the vaccine affected me, but I turned out to be incorrect. 

Another thing that I’ve heard is that those who take the Moderna vaccine have a higher chance of experiencing more adverse side effects. My entire family took the Pfizer vaccine so maybe I lucked out in that aspect since I didn’t meet the necessary age requirement. 

We’re like snowflakes: no two bodies are alike. And that’s not a bad thing. It doesn’t matter whether you felt side effects or not. What matters is that you took the next step in protecting yourself and those around you. Even still, I feel some comfort in knowing that even though I didn’t get any physical confirmation that the vaccine was doing its job, it’s still protecting me however possible.