SPOKANE, Wash. – We received the following question from Virginia: “If the vaccines are not a live virus, then why do some people have body aches, chills, and fever after receiving the first or second vaccine?”
Professor of medicine in the Division of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at the University of Washington Paul Pottinger said the symptoms people feel after getting vaccinates, especially after their second dose, is a sign that the immune system is revving up and responding to the vaccine.
Pottinger said this is exactly what they want to happen and says unfortunately, some of that immune response can mean people will feel lousy for about a day. He said some people don’t report any side effects, and that’s okay too. Pottinger said side effects are the antibody’s response and it just means your body is doing its job.
