Coronovirus in the Philippines

Got my vaccine an hour and 10 minutes ago, took a total of 5 minutes in and out, arm has discomfort but it's tiny.

No it won't, vaccines don't work like that, the antibodies you create against the virus are like a lock and key, it is a protein that is exactly the right shape to bind to the protein on the virus for which it is designed by your body, the vaccine is a template it has the same shape as the virus spike protein but it has none of the other nuclear material from the virus, the stuff that makes you ill (nuclear in the sense of the main RNA of the virus not the radioactive nuclear meaning).

There is some evidence that the innate response to one major natural virus infection can prime the innate immune system to fight off lots of other viruses in the same year but that fight is the T-Cells destroying all comers, the main memory response to a virus is through the antibodies you create they stop infection early by neutralising the virus before it can enter cells and cause infection antibodies also mop up the few virus particles that make it into cells and which replicate although if too many cells got infected your antibody response could be overwhelmed.

Whether these vaccines have an effect on the innate response as well is an open question, if they do then you might get less colds it might have a cross effect on other Coronaviruses but there are nearly 200 distinct viruses that cause what we call the common cold so it is not very likely.

You got your first one quite a while ago now Malcolm, how many weeks till your next one?

The medical centre here was certainly very efficient.

Well I have quite a reaction to the AZ vaccine, splitting headache, sore bones, all of them, bit of a fever 38C, my arm is really sore if I try to raise it, but at least I know it is working, those are all symptoms of the immune system mounting a defence.

Blood pressure was higher as well this morning 136/77 but that is normal if you are fighting an infection and the AZ vaccine is after all a modified adenovirus.

Did you get a card to keep Malcolm, detailing that the second appointment would be 10 to 12 weeks and that your GP would tell you closer to the time?