Do's & Don'ts Before & After Taking COVID-19 Vaccine

New Delhi: With the number of COVID cases and deaths related to coronavirus is on a constant rise, the rush for COVID vaccines too has gone up. Starting May 1, all people above 18 years of age will be eligible for the COVID vaccine.

Remember Before and After Getting COVID Vaccine

Here is a list of things that one should keep in mind before going for the vaccination and after...

1. Getting six hours of sleep per night a week before your vaccination is important.
2. Consumption of probiotics will help keep the gut clean. This is necessary as 70 percent of our immunity lies there.
3. Acute stress can weaken the response and effectiveness of the vaccine. Calming exercises, meditation, and aromatherapy are recommended. Breathing exercises should be done routinely.
4. Smoking needs to be avoided before and after getting vaccinated. Smoking reduces the antibody response to several vaccines. The same goes for alcohol too. Experts suggest refraining from alcohol before and after the jab for the best response to the vaccine.
5. Nutritional diet is what every expert or doctor has been stressing upon. Consuming green vegetables like kale, spinach, broccoli which is high in antioxidants can help fight inflammation after getting jabbed, doctors say. Irrespective of getting a vaccine or not, loading up on zinc, vitamins C, B12, D has always been recommended. Introducing chickpeas (chole), legumes (different types of beans like lobia), and lentils (dal) would help the body fight COVID better and also help the vaccine work well.

6. Protein intake to has been highly emphasized by doctors. Elderly people should increase the amount of protein in their food. Having paneer (cottage cheese), chicken, eggs, fish, rajma (red kidney beans) would help get the necessary quota of protein. Read more

The effects of the vaccine are normal and expected and it would naturally go away within a few days. The common side effects include pain or swelling in the arm, mild fever, tiredness, joint pain or muscle ache, and headaches.

FAQ

Q. What about the possible side effects of the COVID-19 vaccine?

A. COVID-19 vaccine will be introduced only when the safety is proven. As is true for other vaccines, the common side effects in some individuals could be mild fever, pain, etc. at the site of injection. States have been asked to start making arrangements to deal with any COVID-19 vaccine-related side-effects as one of the measures towards safe vaccine delivery among masses.

Q. What are expected immediate and delayed side effects of this vaccine?

Covishield: Some mild symptoms may occur like injection site tenderness, injection site pain, headache, fatigue, myalgia, malaise, pyrexia, chills and arthralgia, nausea. Very rare events of demyelinating disorders have been reported following vaccination with this vaccine but without the causal relationship establishment.

Covaxin: Some mild symptoms AEFIs may occur like injection site pain, headache, fatigue, fever, body ache, abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting, dizziness-giddiness, tremor, sweating, cold, cough and injection site swelling. No other vaccine-related serious adverse effects have been reported.

Q. Which drug should be taken to minimize the adverse effects of this vaccine?

A. In case of minor adverse effects such as injection site pain, tenderness, malaise, pyrexia, etc., paracetamol may be used to alleviate the symptoms.

Q. Claims on social media suggested that COVID-1919 vaccine could affect female fertility. Is it true?

A. Rumours or social media posts suggesting that COVID-19 vaccines could cause infertility are not true and totally baseless. Such rumours were floated in the past against other vaccines also e.g. polio and measles. None of the available vaccines affects fertility. All vaccines and their constituents are tested first on animals and later in humans to assess if they have any such side effects. Vaccines are authorized for use only after their safety and efficacy is assured.

Also Read: Age of Anxiety' a timely book in midst of pandemic

Also Watch: