On August 9, 2021, a Bangkok healthcare worker received a booster dose Pfizer's vaccine. Vichan Poti/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images
The US has approved third doses of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine for adults over 65 and those at high risk for severe diseases.
More than 2 million Americans already know the feeling of getting a booster shot.
They describe side effects as similar to a second shot with arm pain and fatigue.
Check out more stories from Insider's business page.
The federal government has begun to recommend third shots for COVID-19 vaccinations to large numbers living in America.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggested, and the US Food and Drug Administration approved, an increase for immunocompromised individuals who had been vaccinated at the least one month before August.
The FDA has expanded its booster authorization to a larger population. This week, the CDC recommends that adults who have had Pfizer vaccines get a second shot at least six months later than their first one.
Many people, regardless of their priority group status, have taken the initiative to get boosted. Their side effects look a lot like those they experienced after taking Moderna or Pfizer, according to them.
Many are sticking with the same brand and reporting milder side effect.
According to CDC data, more than 2.3 million Americans have received booster doses. This number includes those who aren't immunocompromised.
Dr. Ashish Jha from the Brown School of Public Health explained to journalists that it is not random. He also shared how he was at a dinner where nearly a quarter of participants had gained self-esteem. It is not wealthy people that are getting boosts, but it is people with higher education who are doing this."
More than 21900 people reported side effects from their third dose using the CDC's vsafe text messaging system.
Nearly all (more than 98%) remain loyal to the same brand each time they return for a third shot. Moderna recipients are boosted with Moderna, Pfizer recipients with Pfizer. Some people are increasing their J&J shot with another shot, while others are adding a bit of Moderna or Pfizer mRNA vaccine to it.
Continue the story
The reactions to the third dose of both mRNA vaccines are generally similar to those to the second dose. However, side effects from third doses may be milder.
"Out of commission for the day"
After receiving his third dose from Pfizer, Steve Walz, the head of international relations at Israel’s Sheba Medical Center spoke to Insider. Walz, who is in the 60s, stated that "the only thing that bothered" him was his fatigue for 24 hours. That's all. I didn't experience any shakes, fevers or other reactions like most people. I suppose I am lucky.
Insider also heard similar stories from younger adults.
Alec Lynch, 21 years old, is on medication that affects the immune system. He said that he felt "just out-of-competition for a day" after lying in bed following a third dose of Pfizer in August. Lynch described feeling "tired, achy", and "kinda gross", but not having a fever.
Andy Sparks, 32 years old, who had his J&J shot boosted with Moderna and said that his arm felt "way worse" after receiving the Moderna booster than the original J&J.
Katie Bent (30), boosted her J&J and Pfizer. She said that after the second shot, she felt so tired, she slept for 15-hours, while with the J&J, she was only "a little tired, sore afterwards."
She cautioned that she is "a pretty sleep-deprived person" so it's not clear if the fatigue was caused by the shot.
It felt like you were "sick for a while and then your fever goes away and you feel that you are on the mend."
Swelling and pain in the arms
Arm pain at the injection site is the most common side effect after a third dose of COVID-19.
In the first week following a third mRNA-injection, fatigue and other muscle pains (myalgia), are common.
Pfizer presented data to the CDC this week that suggested that people might have swelling after a third dose of vaccine. However, that is only temporary and occurred about 5% of all the time during their trials.
More than 21,000 people have shared side effects from third doses of Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine or Pfizer's. CDC ACIP meeting, September 22, 2021.
The widespread need for boosters is not yet understood by health officials
According to the CDC, people who are:
Are 65 years old or older
You can live in a long-term care facility (such as a nursing home).
Are between 50 and 64 years old and have underlying medical conditions that increase their risk of severe COVID-19
The CDC suggests that adults who have had Pfizer may be eligible for a third shot up to six months after the first.
Are between 18 and 49 years old with underlying medical conditions
Or are between 18 and 49 years old and are at greater risk of COVID-19 transmission and exposure "because of their occupational or institutional setting (e.g. Healthcare workers, prisoners and other frontline workers
According to the CDC, adults younger than 50 years old should consider a booster based on their individual risks and benefits.
Independent advisors to CDC disagreed about recommending booster shots for younger adults at greater risk of contracting COVID-19 at work. These include frontline workers in healthcare and prison guards.
They stated that boosters are not going to stop the pandemic. More people would be vaccinated.
These areas are where the virus is most severe and result in more deaths.
Business Insider has the original article.
