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Mercer Island MD: Second dose of COVID vaccine may cause temporary ‘fluish symptoms’

Jan 20, 2021, 12:19 PM

Vaccine stockpile, covid treatment, second dose...

(Marijan Murat/dpa via AP)

(Marijan Murat/dpa via AP)

Mercer Island MD Dr. Gordon Cohen previously joined Seattle’s Morning News to discuss the side effects he experienced as a result of getting the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, and now he’s also received the second dose.

“I should preface it by saying that doctors like to compare notes. And since we’re in the 1A category, we’re all talking about, ‘Well, what did you experience after the shot?’ I’ve heard a whole wide range of things from ‘not much’ to some people having fevers up 104 with chills and teeth chattering and so forth. So I didn’t really know what to expect,” he said.

Mercer Island MD: COVID vaccine side effects can be uncomfortable, but temporary

“In the end, I was sort of fluish for a couple of days, I sort of had muscle aches and pains, and felt very tired,” he explained. “And I felt a little bit congested like a cold. But that was about it. I didn’t feel too bad. So what I experienced is the most common thing that I’ve heard. I haven’t heard too many people that have been at the far end of the spectrum getting really sick, and I haven’t really heard too many people who have had minimal symptoms. So I would say that I was average for my response to it.”

What is Dr. Cohen’s opinion on President Biden’s goal of 100 million vaccines in his first 100 days?

“I’ve said all along that this is really a public health issue and not a political issue, but you need to be a little bit careful,” he said. “I think that it’s a very noble goal to say that we’re going to give 100 million vaccines in 100 days, but I sort of feel like we’re going to miss that by a lot.”

In particular, there have been problems with administration of the vaccine on a state by state basis.

“If we look at a big state like California, for example, there’s problems with just the rollout itself. So as of this past Thursday, there had been more than 3.5 million vaccine doses that had been delivered to the state of California. But according to the CDC, only 975,000 of those had actually been administered, which means that California has only used about 27% the vaccines that they’ve been given,” Cohen said. “Whereas other states like Texas, for example, have used half the vaccines that they’ve given. In Washington, we’ve used 35% of the vaccines we have been given.”

Mercer Island MD on building trust in COVID vaccine despite how fast it was developed

“So there’s this widespread variability across the country on a state by state basis, and I think some of it has to do with logistics, and some of it has to do with people’s desire or demand for the vaccine,” he added. “And I think it’s going to take a lot of education to get people willing to actually put your arm out and get the vaccine.”

Listen to Seattle’s Morning News weekday mornings from 5 – 9 a.m. on KIRO Radio, 97.3 FM. Subscribe to the podcast here.

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Mercer Island MD: Second dose of COVID vaccine may cause temporary ‘fluish symptoms’