Covid vaccine: When to get booster after having coronavirus and the ‘common’ side effects

This Morning: Phillip Schofield quizzes GP about taking vaccine

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Waning immunity after the second dose of the Covid vaccine and the Omicron variant have encouraged the rapid booster campaign in the UK. The extra shot is set to offer “longer-term protection against” serious disease from the coronavirus, the NHS explains. Here’s how long you have to wait before getting boosted after you’ve caught Covid and what the side effects are.

After the emergence of the Omicron variant, coronavirus cases have been surging in the UK.

The recommendation to get boosted for everyone aged 18 or over, who had their second jab at least three months ago, came at the beginning of December.

However, with record numbers of new cases throughout the last month of 2021, many might have been unable to get their booster.

According to the Government, you have to leave a gap between your booster shot or any vaccine and the Covid infection.

The Government website states that anyone who had COVID-19 “should wait at least four weeks” before getting the vaccine.

The British Heart Foundation specifies that people should wait 28 days from the day of a positive test.

They add: “This gap will help to separate any side effects of the vaccine from effects of your illness.

“If you’ve already booked your booster appointment and then test positive, make sure to log in and reschedule your booking.”

However, if you received monoclonal antibodies during your infection, you have to wait 90 days after you recover before getting jabbed, the Cleveland Clinic explains. 

Monoclonal antibodies are proteins made in a laboratory that mimic the body’s immune response, as reported by the Food and Drug Administration.

Some people might receive these antibodies as an infusion treatment to help fight the virus.

There are also some people who “shouldn’t have a booster” like those who had a severe reaction to the previous dose, according to the Government.

What are the side effects of the Covid booster?

Like any medication, the Covid jabs can also cause some side effects.

The common side effects of the vaccines used in the UK include:

• Pain and tenderness in the place of injection
• Tiredness
• Headache
• Aches
• Flu-like symptoms.

If you struggle with symptoms like these, you can take paracetamol to ease them, the Government advises.

Most people will be given either a Pfizer or Moderna vaccine as their booster shot.

But some might be offered a booster dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine if they can’t have the other options, the NHS reports.

Through the reports of the side effects which occurred at the same time as getting the Covid vaccine, the Government also lists other common signs linked to all Covid vaccines.

They state: “The overwhelming majority of reports relate to injection-site reactions (sore arm for example) and generalised symptoms such as ‘flu-like’ illness, headache, chills, fatigue (tiredness), nausea (feeling sick), fever, dizziness, weakness, aching muscles, and rapid heartbeat.

“Generally, these happen shortly after the vaccination and are not associated with more serious or lasting illness.”

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