As the title reads, I have had a very strong immune reaction to my 1st dose of the moderna vaccine. VERY achy, sore, strong malaise, etc.

I have heard some folks say that if you have such a strong reaction to the 1st dose, that is a pretty dead-on sign that you have come into contact with Corona before.

Over the last 10 months, I've been tested a handful of times when I thought I might have it (nose swabs), but tested negative every time. I have never had the antibody test.

Does all this point to the possibility that I've had c-19 before?

Possible? Sure.
Probable? idk.

First time I'm seeing anything like this.

Personally I would have thought it the opposite - if you had gotten Corona you would have had a tougher time than others because this is training your system.

But I don't know anything about it so who knows!

Cepe,
If you can get behind the paywall, you can see this well-written article that details the current situation.
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/01/health/have-you-had-covid-19-coronavirus.html

As for the OP, who knows? People's reactions to the shot obviously vary. Get an antibody test if you're curious, I guess. Otherwise, congratulations on your vaccination.

Quote:

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A new study may explain why Dr. Romano and many others who have had Covid report these unexpectedly intense reactions to the first shot of a vaccine. In a study posted online on Monday, researchers found that people who had previously been infected with the virus reported fatigue, headache, chills, fever, and muscle and joint pain after the first shot more frequently than did those who had never been infected. Covid survivors also had far higher antibody levels after both the first and second doses of the vaccine.

Based on these results, the researchers say, people who have had Covid-19 may need only one shot.
"I think one vaccination should be sufficient," said Florian Krammer, a virologist at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and an author on the study. "This would also spare individuals from unnecessary pain when getting the second dose and it would free up additional vaccine doses."

A second study released on Monday bolsters the idea. The research included 59 health care workers, 42 of whom previously had Covid (with or without symptoms). The researchers didn't assess side effects, but they did find that those who had been previously infected responded to the first jab by generating high antibody levels, comparable to the amounts seen after the second dose in people who had never been infected. And in lab experiments, those antibodies bound to the virus and stopped it from entering cells. To stretch the vaccine supply, the authors conclude that those who have previously had Covid should be moved down the priority list and receive only one dose of the vaccine while supplies are limited.

While some scientists agree with this logic, others are more cautious. Changing the number of doses could create "a really tricky precedent," said E. John Wherry, director of the University of Pennsylvania's Institute for Immunology. "We don't take FDA approvals of, say, a chemotherapeutic drug and then just throw out the dosage schedule," he said.

Dr. Wherry also pointed out that people who had mild cases of Covid seem to have lower antibody levels, and may not have protection against more contagious variants of the virus. It might also be difficult to identify which people have previously been infected. "Documenting that becomes a really potentially messy public health issue," he said.

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Have you gotten the second shot yet, OP? I'm curious if you had a strong reaction the first time, what the reaction was on the second shot.

No second shot yet, not scheduled to receive until 3/2. Will update this thread with any symptoms when that happens.

Getting my second dose tomorrow. I'll update as well.

Totally anecdotal, but the people I know that had the strongest reactions to the first shot had covid within the last 3 or 4 months.

I had a rough case of COVID back in March 2020 and had a very strong reaction to my first dose of the Moderna. Had about 18 hours of high fever, chills, nausea, and fatigue. Took another 2 days to feel 100%. I wasn't expecting that after the first shot but it seems to be pretty common for those of us who have had COVID.

I don't think it necessarily means you have had it though.

Got the second dose yesterday. Felt fine all day, but woke up feeling pretty groggy this morning. Thus far my reaction has been the same as it was to the first dose.

I got my first dose of Moderna yesterday and about 10 hours later I was vomiting and chilled. Much better this morning. Just a little more tired than usual. The CDC reported vomiting as a side effect with Moderna but not Pfizer. As far as I know I have not had COVID. Of my friends who have been vaccinated (none known to have had COVID) I am the only one who seemed to react to the first dose.

I had that nausea as well after the first dose (along with fever, chills, and fatigue). Was dry heaving for a few hours which was very unpleasant. Didn't realize that side effect was limited to Moderna but I could have really done without it.

My neighbor had the same reaction after his first Moderna shot and he did have COVID back in November, said he was a brutal 8 hours of feeling sore all over and then shakes but then was back at work the next day

Not necessarily.

I had a mild case of Covid and also had a mild reaction to the vaccine.

My wife never had Covid but she had much more of a reaction to the vaccine.

Wife and I both received our 2nd Moderna shot last Saturday. Only really issue was fatigue and feeling a little blah on Sunday/Monday plus some gastro issues but that could have been the sketchy tacos i ate sunday morning.

Pretty sure we never got COVID over the last year. (I say pretty sure because my FIL and his wife got it, no symptoms whatsoever. Only way he knows is his work made him get tested prior to returning from a flight to PIT after his sister passed away).

Got my 1st Moderna shot Tuesday around noon. No issues. Not even a sore arm. Last night around 9 became incredibly tired and a bit nauseous. Went to bed and slept like the dead. Coffee maker went off at 6. Didn't feel like getting up so stayed in bed until 8:30. Feel fine now. Seems odd it took so long to get a reaction.

A week later, I am feeling like a human being again.

That day of the shot, felt fine, but that night it hit like a beast and was slow to let up. EXTREMELY fatigued and had high malaise. Extremely sore throat, light dry cough, felt like I had strep throat. Never got tested for strep but gave symptoms to Doctor over TeleHealth and they called me in a z-pack.

Finally got on multiple days dosage and feel like myself. Granted, an out-of-shape early 30-year-old but am not achy anymore.

To those of you that don't get symptoms, kudos, but man hit me like a beast.

Got my first Moderna dose this afternoon. I do not believe I've had covid to this point, so will be curious about side effects. Wife didn't have anything except the sore arm, hoping for the same for me

Got my first shot of Moderna over the weekend. Sore arm and was achy that evening, but took some tylenol and was fine by morning.

I don't know that it's limited.

My co-worker got the pfizer yesterday and said he vomited today and felt bad today.

He may have had covid in December though. He lost his sense of smell/taste, but never got tested.

Interesting reading this thread. Never had covid that I know of. Got Moderna #1 yesterday and about 16 hours later got the chills and general malaise. Sharp shoulder pain but aside from the chills, not horrible. Not looking forward to #2 though. 33/male.

I took my first shot Monday. I had Covid in January. I felt like **** all day yesterday. sore, achy, couldn't sleep because of aches

Had covid in December. Took my first shot of Pfizer yesterday and real achy, tired all day today and now 100.3 fever with some chills. Crazy

The second shot is supposed to induce a more noticable reaction. You essentially just got your second dose.

I had very mild COVID the first week of December with only myalgia, no fever, and altered, but not loss of taste. Had first dose of Moderna 6 days ago. Had fever of 101.5 the next day. Had near syncope at work on day 3 resolved with Gatorade, then a second worse episode followed by vomiting on day 4. I've developed pretty significant right knee pain & stiffness, otherwise on the mend. I'm a retired emergency physician, a believer in vaccines without trepidation before now, but there's no way in hell I'm getting the second dose.

I'm curious about not getting the second shot. I had Covid (relatively mild case) last summer, and after the first shot I felt like I had it all over again for about 24 hours. Our kid's pediatrician just told my wife that he had a similar episode after the first dosage so he wasn't getting the second round.

Had covid in December. First Moderna shot 2/9. Fever, muscle aches, couldn't sleep on the side of the injection. Mostly gone 2 days later. Got my 2nd shot yesterday. Arm not nearly as sore, no other effects.

Had COVID in November and first dose of Moderna last week. No reaction at all.

78 yr old neighbor got her 1st Moderna last week. Made her real sick. White blood count went haywire.