A slightly unexpected and somewhat uncommon side effect of getting a COVID-19 vaccine

So, you’ve scheduled an appointment to get a vaccine against COVID-19. You’ve probably taken time off from work, and gotten to the location well ahead of time, just in case. It’s not crowded. The check-in process is simple — just furnishing a few of your details, and you are asked to wait. Before you know it, you are seated in front of a doctor, who asks you a few questions — if you’ve had COVID-19, have you had any severe allergic reactions in the past, and most importantly, which arm you’d prefer to take the shot in. You go with your non-dominant arm, and a few seconds later, with a barely perceptible prick in your upper arm, you’re on your way to being protected from getting infected by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Congratulations.

This is a pretty big deal. You are now part of a small, but steadily growing, minority of those that have the access to, and means to avail a Covid-19 vaccine. Maybe your reasons for getting vaccinated are completely self-centered, but there is a certain empathy and altruism in volunteering to get your shot the first opportunity you got. It is understandable that there is a level of skepticism and worry over what side effects, short-term and long-term, that a vaccine developed over the course of just a few months could cause, and the temptation to let others go first is strong, and you are stronger for resisting that. Thank you for doing all that you could to fight this pandemic.

You’ve now been asked to wait for 15 minutes, to monitor for any adverse reactions. Although incredibly rare, it is part of the protocol. You look at the time, and you wait, letting your mind wander, thinking about what these past twelve-some months have been like for you.

You think of the could-have-beens and the might-have-beens. Maybe this was the year you decided you wanted to travel more. Or perhaps, get in shape. You think of all the friends you missed out on making. Hell, you might have even met the love of your life. But these are all just maybes; hypotheticals. A pointless pursuit, wondering how things might have been otherwise. How do you mourn the loss of something you’ve never had in the first place?

And then, you think of other losses, so much more realer, cutting closer to the bone. Lost paychecks, furloughs and layoffs. Frayed and tattered relationships, owing to disagreements centered around science and belief — how this pandemic originated, debates over the efficacy of masks. Maybe you’ve even had to say your final goodbye to a loved one, over the phone or a video call.

As you sit there, absentmindedly stroking your arm, you realize this vaccine is a testament to mankind’s resilience in the face of adversity, a slow but sure path to an eventual return to normalcy. Some of your losses you can recoup, some others you cannot. You’ve survived this far through a pandemic which has claimed millions of lives, and ravaged millions more, and you shall still persevere.

You shake your thoughts off, quell your feelings and look at the time — it’s been over 15 minutes. No anaphylaxis. That’s good. You wipe your eyes and realize you need to get back to work. You’ll face the other side effects, if and when they assail you.

Among the possible side effects listed on the CDC website are tiredness, headache, fever, nausea. What’s not listed is the moistening of the eyes, the welling of tears. If getting viral material injected into your body can cause it to show a few adverse (albeit mild) reactions, then having endured a pandemic and all that it entailed, and finally getting to see what might be the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel can understandably overwhelm your mind.

It is okay to cry.