You’ve probably have heard some people who receive the COVID-19 vaccine don’t feel well afterward.
It’s true – as with many vaccines, you may develop short-term symptoms such as fever, fatigue and soreness at the injection site after being vaccinated.
The good news: These symptoms typically disappear within a day or two. And your body’s reaction is actually a good sign – it means the vaccine is working as intended and generating an immune system response.
“The COVID-19 vaccine is both safe and extremely effective at protecting people from COVID-19,” says Dr. William Jackson Epperson, medical director of primary care at Tidelands Health. “If you do experience symptoms after receiving the vaccine, they don’t last long – typically one or two days.”

It’s important to be aware of the possibility you may experience temporary symptoms from any of the available vaccines, Dr. Epperson says. The Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna vaccines both require two doses spaced several weeks apart to be most effective, while the Johnson & Johnson vaccine requires one dose.
“We want people to anticipate a temporary response, even if most of them will not,” he says. “That expectation is especially important among people who receive two-dose vaccines because it’s essential they come back in for the second dose after receiving their first.”

Dr. Epperson, who practices at Tidelands Health Family Medicine at Prince Creek, says it’s possible some people will experience strong enough symptoms that they don’t feel well enough to go to work or school the following day.
Even so, he says, one or two days at home is much better than becoming ill with COVID-19, which can result in hospitalization or death and requires isolation at home.
“It’s important that as many people as possible benefit from the vaccine,” he says. “By receiving the vaccine, you can help protect yourself and your family from COVID-19 and help our community, state and nation put an end to the pandemic.”