Bad reaction to Moderna booster vaccine

[cassie46]

I had my booster jab last Friday, I had been hoping that it would the Pfizer booster but they had run out of Pfizer and only had Moderna. I had said I would not have the Moderna jab as I have heard quite a few reports of bad after effects but as I had queued for an hour(a right fiasco at the jab center thats another story) and told that the other centers were giving Moderna I decided to have it.

Friday evening I started to feel ill, tired, headache, aches and pains, feeling dizzy, breathless and my heat rate went mad. I have permanent AF and on medication which keeps my heart rate in the seventies to eighties most of the time. When it does go a bit haywire it is normally upwards. Since Friday my HR has been ranging from 30 to 130, never had a low HR during my nearly eight years of AF. So for the last four days I have been really unwell, have rested as mush as possible, just waiting for things to improve. Today I do feel a little better and HR is a settling a bit now.

So I would advise others who are yet to have their booster to get the Pfizer jab, I see that France and Sweden have now stopped giving Moderna to under 30 year olds because it can cause heart problems. My previous two jabs were AZ to which I had only a mild reaction, heart did not react, I had the flu jab 2 weeks ago and again only a mild reaction. My husband had the Pfizer booster two weeks ago and he had no reaction at all. I really wish I had waited and had a Pfizer jab. Take care all.

Cassie

[doodle68]

Hi Cassie I had a similar reaction with with my second dose of AZ. It began 6 hours after the vaccination and started with shaking and an electric shock sensation all over my body, my heart went haywire. I had gone to bed and couldn't move for some hours it was a very scary experience. There followed 9 days of on and off episodes of P--AF and wild swings in my heart rate. I spent one morning with my legs up against the wall to help me stay conscious because my heart rate was so low (I won't go to my dreadful local hospital to spend hours outside in an ambulance or on a trolley, another person died while waiting to seen again recently )

All medication has the the potential to cause a reaction in a minority of people , to me the reaction I had was a price worth paying for a degree of protection from Covid .

I wasn't deterred from having my booster which caused a minimal reaction

.

[Buffafly]

We had Pfizer for first two - like you I was cautious about Moderna, so after queuing at centre (having an appointment didn’t help!) I was a bit anxious when I found I was having Moderna. We had to fill in a questionnaire (including what anticoagulant we were on) and were encouraged to report any side effects not listed. I expressed my reservations about Moderna (I already had pericarditis twice) but they assured me that usually affected young men (soldiers in the USA) who were super fit which they pointed out (quite unnecessarily) ‘you are not’. Also said Moderna was made with the same technique as Pfizer. But I had the option of queuing in the cold for the Pfizer jab in a pod further down!

So I took a deep breath and had it and we were both fine apart from very sore arm and I had a couple of funny moments when I felt a bit sick and hot but nothing to complain about.

However I was told that symptoms such as yours would indicate a heart reaction and could be easily treated. So it seems you were not given the proper information and I would complain if not.

[cassie46 in reply to Buffafly]

It was a doctor who gave me the jab and I brought up the subject concerned that I had AF and that Moderna can cause irregular HR. He just would not be drawn on the subject just said all of them may cause a reaction and it was up to me and that the Moderna booster was only a half dose so should be okay.

[Deacon-L in reply to cassie46]

Hi, Last Saturday my wife and I had the Moderna vaccine. We have had years of flu vaccines and already had the Pfizer vaccines twice and never had any side effects whatsoever. We didn't mind having the change to the Moderna vaccine as the medic administering it had told us that the change of vaccine can offer a broader cover which was encouraging.

Unfortunately we have never had a side effect like we had following the Moderna jab.

3 days on, we were completly back to normal but within hours of the jab we felt unbelievably exhausted, light headed, particularly sore arm and I woke up next morning with AFib.

I checked with my Kardia device which confirmed AFib. heart-rate 140bpm while lying in bed (my normal resting heart-rate is 57-62) and over the next few hours Kardia also noted Sinus Rhythm with Supraventricular Ectopy. After 4-5hours of complete rest and mugs of water, I returned to Normal Sinus Rhythm and heart-rate.

I have no-idea how many other people have unexpectedly lost a couple of days with the side effects of the Moderna vaccine. I have PAF which is pretty well under control with very infrequent episodes, so I didn't expect this outcome after having other jabs which has never triggered off an episode of AF before.

For the potential extra cover against Covid, maybe it was worth it. Nothing life threatening (I don't think), but I did wrongly anticipate the same 'NIL side-effects' from every other vaccine I've have had before.

[Auriculaire in reply to Buffafly]

Just shows how badly informed they are. Moderna does use the same delivery technique as Pfizer but it has 3x the active ingredient. Which may well be why in some people it causes worse side effects. Even if what Cassie's vaccinator says is true and the booster Moderna is half the dose it is still stronger than the Pfizer. As for myocarditis and pericarditis only occurring in fit young men this is probably not true either. The cases are being uncovered because these ARE fit young men ( and women too though on a lesser scale) . The same symptoms in older people are probably being dismissed as background " just old age" . Here in France the pharmacovigilance are not even bothering to investigate the side effects -even severe- in people over 50 to see if they are related to the vaccine.

[Desanthony]

Sorry to hear that - as I have said previously I had 2 pfizer jabs and then moderna booster and no problems at all. Thanks for letting everyone know too it may be wise for others to avoid this

[jeanjeannie50]

Thanks for letting us know Cassie.

[secondtry]

Hope you are much better. It can be important to go with what you believe is best. I read recently with a trial for antiviral pills that the placebo caused MORE side effects than the pill - I believe this is known as the nocebo reaction.

[purpleswimmer]

I had my booster two weeks ago, my previous two being Pfizer and had no choice but take Moderna which at the time was a bit put out. I too have permanent a fib so was concerned. It turned out to be the best out of the three. Last twice I was stiff and sore for a few days and just a bit under the weather. This time sore upper arm for a day but other than that right as rain. Goes to show the differences between individuals but maybe also that more work is needed on perfecting this vaccine. Xx

[Maggimunro]

Sorry to hear about your reaction Cassie. I hope you continue to recover.

I had my booster last Saturday and my husband had his yesterday.

We both had Moderna and can honestly say that apart from 36 hours of a sore arm, then neither of us would have known we had been jabbed.

I’m glad we had a different vaccine to our first two jabs (AZ) since I feel , rightly or wrongly, that being a different vaccine it would trigger a different immune response thus broadening our defenses.

[beardy_chris]

I had the Moderna booster on Tuesday (after initial doses of AZ) . I felt a little 'off colour' but no real side effects.

[SuziElley]

I don’t think we should advise others as to which jab to have. We all react differently to many medications and vaccinations are no different. Personally, I had the Pfizer booster after having had two AZ jabs previously. I reacted badly to the Pfizer but would I have it again? You bet I would! I’d rather that than actually have COVID

[Thomas45]

There was no queue at my jabbing centre so I walked straight in. I was asked if I needed a wheelchair but declined.I answered the question " Are you on blood thinners?" By saying "No, but I take an AntiCoagulant which does not thin the blood."

I had Pfizer injection. Reactions so far 1. Sore upper arm.

I did have the oddest dream on the first night after and woke up in a soaking sweat, although I wasn't wet or sweating. Did have more urticaria than normal, but who knows what caused that.

Hope you are feeling better soon.

[DKBX]

All Moderna and no reactions other than sore arm with each of the three. No worries.

[Awldgranny]

hi Cassie …I too have been feeling unwell since I hd my Moderna booster…I posted this (below) on one of the other forums so have copied and pasted it here …hope you soon feel much better

I’m 69, had my COVID 19 booster 8 days ago. (First two vaccines were Astra Zeneca) I initially had 24/36 hours of feeling hot, very tired and very headachy following this booster. Then I developed light headedness/feeling brain foggy and generally weak and still very tired. Rang GP who cited recent chest infection, 2 lots of antibiotics, short steroid tablets course then flu jab and now vaccine booster as body’s reaction to a lot going on in a five week ‘window’. But I am still somewhat anxious and wondered whether anyone else has experienced similar side effects beyond the 24-36 hours post vaccine? It’s not getting any worse now but it doesn’t seem to be getting better either. (For context I have asthma, paroxysmal atrial fibrillation and GORD/Hiatus hernia and Barrett’s Oesophagus, for which I take daily med of one sort or another)

Thanks for reading this

[Ger12345]

Maybe the next booster jabs you get will be pfizer.

[cassie46]

Thanks for your replies. I am now feeling a lot better, still not quite back to normal. If we have to have more boosters it has not put me off, just not Moderna for me. Hubby had his weekly visit from the district nurse yesterday and they were chatting about booster jabs, she said that the Moderna booster has been causing quite a few of her patients problems far more than the pfizer. Take care.Cassie

[Awldgranny in reply to cassie46]

Me too Cassie …I’d have the Pfizer one next time if given the choice. Very glad that you are feeling a lot better now... I’m still struggling but hoping that things will improve before long. Interesting and quite reassuring to read your district nurses comments re the Moderna booster.

[PrivateRyan]

I had two doses of AZ and the booster was Pfizer, no reaction whatsoever to any of the 3 jabs.