September 13, 2021

Other vaccines caused a fever. Should I get this one?

A fever is actually expected after the vaccine. That is your immune system working. 

Fever is a sign that your immune system is working. With the COVID vaccine, real contraindications are limited. If you had a severe anaphylactic reaction to the first dose of the vaccine (speaking of the mRNA vaccine from Pfizer or Moderna because the J&J vaccine is only one dose), then you probably should not get the second dose. That should not stop you from getting a different vaccine that you are not allergic to. If you have a proven severe neurologic illness in close proximity to the vaccine with no other reason, then you shouldn’t get the second dose. 

Submitted by Tom Math, MD and Jill Amsberry, DO