Covid Vaccine Followup

My better half and I had our second jab (Sinovac) yesterday. So far I have not had any side affects, My better half, on the other hand, has had some side affects for both jabs. She has a swollen and painful arm near to the injection site, a slight fever, head aches and generally feeling nauseous.

She reported her symptoms from the first jab at our second appointment and told to return to the health centre if she experienced similar this time. She has so far refused to return and is relying on painkillers. The symptoms subsided about a week and a half after the first jab.

Steve

Hello Bob
My wife (56) and I (70) had our Pfizer jabs 31/5/21 and 21/6/21 with nothing more than our flu shot side effects, sore arm. Our 3 daughters (29, 25, 21) have had their first Pfizer with no side effects.
regards  Bruce

Enzyte Bob wrote:

My wife had her covid vaccine one month ago, I had my shot two weeks ago at different vaccine centers. We both are sick with the same symptoms.

What we have.
(1) constant high fever topping out at 39.8 for almost one week.
(2) constant coughing with and without phlegm
(3) cold sweats
(4) touchy skin

What we don't have.
(1) Loss of  appetite, smell or taste.

What we been doing.
(1) My wife takes two 500 mg Paracetamol every six hours
(2) I'm taking two 200 mg Advil Liquid Gels every six hours
(3) We sent urine samples to the lab, they came out clean.

Background
(1) We both are seniors
(2) We've never been out in public except for Doctor visits and grocery shopping.
(3) There are six adults in our household, we co-mingle,  the only ones that are sick is My Wife and Myself.

The purpose of this post is to see if any expats in the Philippines had any side effects from their vaccine, not to point a finger or blame.

It would be best to contact your doctor.  It's possible that both of you have Covid-19.

The vaccine doesn't prevent us from getting Covid. It just prevents us from developing severe symptoms which would require serious medical intervention.

-----

For those interested on what to do when Covid hits home, here's an info page from the Department of Health:
https://doh.gov.ph/COVID-19/FAQs

I attended a webinar a few months ago about what to do when a family member has symptoms and how to isolate:
https://www.facebook.com/15628630840167 … 9518655505

The stats / numbers (such as number of active cases, recovered, etc.) in the video are old. You might want to start watching from the 4:00  marker to 30:00 marker. We have actually prepared an isolation kit, designated who would be the caregiver, which room to isolate in, etc.

Thanks for the reply FilAmericanMom, if we do have covid maybe it will be mild with us having our first covid shot. I don't believe in coincidences, both sick, different vacs at different locations, with very extremely low outside contacts. That's why I posted hoping to get feedback from others getting the vaccination in the Philippines. If we do have covid symptoms, I don't want to put the blame on the Vaccine and yet I don't believe there has been any followup to those having their first shot. How hard could that be with a text message? So maybe  if there is a problem it should be reported.

We have had bad experiences with St. Lukes Hospital, my wife had UTI after three prolonged stays and $30,000 USD. Then in addition follow ups, kidney stone removal, expensive medications and gouging doctors. Her urologist would charge 1800 pesos a visit. I just don't have thousands of USD to go any further.

Prior to that we moved my wife from another hospital to St. Lukes after watching cockroaches running up the wall while the Doctor was still in the room. That was $3,000 usd waisted.

My stepson can interpret all the lab results without this high priced urologist as he is an ex St Lukes Nurse now working in England.

We just don't have thousands USD to invest on a maybe.

An addedum, I said to my wife what FilAmericanMom said that we might have covid, I said I wish somebody would make house calls with covid tests.

Surprising to me she said somebody is coming out tomorrow to swab us.

Enzyte Bob wrote:

I don't believe in coincidences, both sick, different vacs at different locations, with very extremely low outside contacts.

You could still get Covid with very extremely low outside contact, especially if other people living with you go out.

A friend of mine barely went out of the house. She was helping her 6-year-old son with his online classes. She lives with her mom and dad. They have a stay-in housekeeper.

Her family has a shop. Her uncle, who manages the shop and interacts with customers and employees, but does not live with them, showed symptoms. After a few days, her mom and dad, who interacted with the uncle at the shop, both showed symptoms. Her mom had a fever for 1 day.  Nothing else. Her dad had dry cough and on-and-off fever and fatigue that lasted for over a month.

Her parents were able to isolate in a room. But her mom, who was manic-depressive, would sometimes stubbornly refuse to wear her mask and would go out of the isolation room.

After few days, my friend showed symptoms. It started as a fever, then severe dry cough, fatigue and shortness of breath. This lasted for at least 10 days. The worst symtoms were on the 5th-8th day. She was the one preparing food and taking care of her parents and kid.

The housekeeper, who did laundry,  and was staying in a room separate from the house felt sorry for my friend and went inside the house to help her cook. Then she showed symptoms after after a few days. Fever, dry cough, loss of sense of smell and taste. This lasted for close to 2 weeks.

Soon after the housekeeper had her first symptom, my friend's 6-year-old kid showed very mild symptom: low grade fever for a few hours for one night only. When he got up in the morning, fever was gone.

All six of them were unvaccinated at that time. They were never tested for Covid either.

So even if one has low incidences of contact with people outside ones home, one can still get Covid from other people living with him / her.

It does sound like you might have Covid, Bob. I had the Moderna vaccine and the second shot really knocked me for a loop. Extreme fatigue, fever, aches, etc. But it only lasted a day or two at most. Well maybe a bit of general fatigue for the following week But all good since then.

My understanding is same as FilAm Mom - that we can still get it (although less likely),  but symptoms and transmissibility will be greatly reduced.

Update, my son called the Baranday and they sent somebody out to administer the Covid Swabs.

She was dressed in a full hazmat suit. She took two swabs one in the throat and a second in a nostril.

She did my wife first, my wife is not a complainer, but she made sounds like she was choking for the throat and yelled it hurts for the nostril.

This really set me up to accept the worst, the throat was nothing, no reflex action. The nostril was no big deal. Maybe because the difference between American nose and an Asian nose.

Now do Asians consider Americans as big nose Americans? Or do Americans consider Asians with pug noses, in descriptions?

An important thing to do for the ones experiencing symptoms is to already isolate themselves from the rest of the household while they're waiting for the results to avoid spreading the virus to others.

I think it's possible that the reason why my friend, whom I mentioned in a previous post, caught the virus is because her mom often went out of her room without her mask on. The mom was probably stubborn, angry and depressed at that time due to her manic-depressive disorder.

My neighbor, who's a doctor, got Covid possibly from a colleague. But he was able to isolate properly early on. Nobody else in his household tested positive for the virus. Not his wife, who is also a doctor, their three children, the housekeeper, the nanny, nor their two senior citizen caretakers.

I got my first shot five days ago. Sinovac, no side effects to date. I'm also a senior (64)

Enzyte Bob wrote:

Update, my son called the Baranday and they sent somebody out to administer the Covid Swabs.

She was dressed in a full hazmat suit. She took two swabs one in the throat and a second in a nostril.

Sad to report we are both infected

Very sorry to hear that. I wish you a speedy recovery. Hopefully the vaccine had time to work, and your symptoms will not get worse.

My wife wants to get the vaccine so she can visit her cousin in Germany, I told her if she takes any of the Chinese vaccine the EU doesn't recognize you as vaccinated, so she needs to find out first, I can get the Phizer or any other vaccine from my grandson in the USA but the shipping might be expensive

I saw an article the other day over 250,000 that were vaccinated have contacted The virus, doesn't suprise me people are the 3rd phase of testing and it is still on going

Best to get Pfizer, Moderna or.. the J&J, which is single dose and easier to ship as cooling requirements not so stringent.

Sad to hear & hope both of you get better soon....some advice/quotes I saw fm some medical professionals whom have shared this advice for those who may be going through a similar situation:

Limit consumption of news and/or information about COVID-19:
Use mindfulness to help you manage difficult emotions:
Distract yourself with acts of self-care:
Be selective about what you watch and listen:
Get back to the basics:
Practice self-soothing:
Reach out for support:
How to care for someone who tested positive for COVID-19, while also taking care of your health:
Practice self-compassion:

Stay strong.

Sorry to hear that Bob. Wishing you and your wife a speedy recovery.

FilAmericanMom wrote:

Sorry to hear that Bob. Wishing you and your wife a speedy recovery.

Thanks for your support and the wonderfull advice you posted along for everyone. When you are sick, it's hard to comprehend anything. Everyone one shoud read and understand, while healthy.

If one is sick with Covid, you don't need a thermometer to give you the news.

Thanks again, FilAmericanMom.

pnwcyclist wrote:

Best to get Pfizer,..

I got Pfizer.
Got "knocked out" after a few days, had problem to even get up to sit at the bedside, but only fpr one day and some tired the day after.
No side effects after the second shot.

Enzyte Bob wrote:

Sad to report we are both infected

Sad to hear you're both infected.
Stay strong! Hope you both get better soon.

Hello Bob.
I wish you both a speedy recovery.
Vaccination depends on the person and the vaccine. Some have good results, others not so. Ours so far, wife and I (56&70) Pfizer, 2 doses, no side effects. 2 daughters today, second shot (Pfizer), no reaction so far.  Third daughter has her second shot of Pfizer next week and so far no reaction. Good luck
regards  Bruce

If you are a US military veteran of any kind you can get J&J at the VA in Manila.  I think spouses also qualify.

Bob,
I see you have post in another thread.
I take it you ok now, yes?

Jackson4 wrote:

Bob,
I see you have post in another thread.
I take it you ok now, yes?

I'm still not 100%, was bed ridden over two weeks. For days on end never had the "will" to even read my emails.

When I feel a little better and have time to get my thoughts together and able to sit at the keyboard for an extended time, I'll walk you through my thoughts on my experience from catching to recovery.

Sorry to hear about your ordeal, Bob, I hope your wife is also recovering. Personally, I had my first AstraZeneca shot in mid-May and got the 2nd shot this past Friday. Only a little soreness at the injection site for 1 week after the 1st shot, and for 1 day after the 2nd. I did have a mild fever on the 2nd day in May but only for about 1/2 hour. My wife is going for her 2nd AZ shot tomorrow. For me, I think the biggest risk to getting a shot is having to huddle with hundreds of others waiting for the shot inside a mall (in Cagayan de Oro). Very efficient and orderly once your "priority number" is called (which you get when you arrive on-site), but until then it's about 3 hours of sitting and waiting.

AaronAardvark wrote:

If you are a US military veteran of any kind you can get J&J at the VA in Manila.  I think spouses also qualify.

Aaron,
Is this a for sure thing? I was under the impression that only veterans already under VA care were eligible? Is this for all US veterans? Do you have a contact number or more information?

Glad you're feeling better, Bob. Thank goodness you had been vaccinated as you might not have survived and the forum would be too quiet, haha. Just kidding. Seriously, glad you're ok.

There do seem to be some questions about the efficacy of the vaccines coming out of China. There have been instances of breakthrough infections, as yours would seem to be. But as they say, at least you didn't need to be hospitalized.

Today in the WSJ :

https://www.wsj.com/articles/hit-hard-b … d=djemHL_t

Bob, take care of yourself and hope you & wife get well soon.

Keep us posted once you feel better.

Stay strong, remember the best way to a speedy recovery is just think positive

We have not gone thru the vaccination process yet as we have a baby coming in another 3 months, I/We did plan on doing so afterward and honestly quite scared myself. I'm only in my late 40s but I do have high BP and cholesterol which I am taking maintenance for. Aside from the exit strategy for visa renewal (another story) I did plan on taking it here before travelling hoping it will allow me an easy entry return.

The flip side is if there are any major side effects, It would have to come out of my own pocket as I am not medically covered here. As Bob said, I don't have that kind of money to invest in a "maybe". Which hospitals here tend to do a lot of with batteries of tests. The problem is non-existent if I return to my home country

Still have yet to decide but I don't think I am going with Sinovac. Living in China for 3 years on and off and meeting a lot of foreigners there, the majority of us agreed that Chinese medicine just doesn't work for us, the dosage is too low and uh, we are just on average larger than most Asians. (no pun intended and not stereotyping here)

This is not a stab or point finger, just my humble opinion and $0.02, the vaccine really needed to be pushed for a longer trial period before release but without going too much into "conspiracy theories". I'd say that PH did what PH had to do.

Enzyte Bob wrote:

The purpose of this post is to see if any expats in the Philippines had any side effects from their vaccine, not to point a finger or blame.

I, my husband, housekeeper and driver were vaccinated  (AstraZeneca) on Monday afternoon. Monday evening we all felt very drowsy and slept at around 8:00pm.

On Tuesday, I and our housekeeper felt feverish (but no fever), heavy / tired, and a slight pain in our joints. We slept it off and were fine when we woke up Wednesday morning.

My husband felt off on Tuesday but only for a few hours.

Our driver had a headache on Tuesday early morning,  which went away by midmorning.

We all took paracetamol at different times.

As of Wednesday, we all still have a slight pain on our arm near the injection site, but it's dissipating. No need to take paracetamol.

I am in my early 50's. My husband is in his late 40's. Our driver is in her early 40's. And our housekeeper is in her late 30's. We all don't have any major health issues.

There is a VFW chapter near where I live in Angeles. I'll check with them and let you know what I find out.

I did attend a Memorial Day event at the Veterans Cemetary at Clark. I met a lady from Manila who is a VA representative. I'll get her name and contact number and any specifics I can.

Carl Isom

FilAmericanMom wrote:

I, my husband, housekeeper and driver were vaccinated  (AstraZeneca) on Monday afternoon. Monday evening we all felt very drowsy and slept at around 8:00pm.

I am in my early 50's. My husband is in his late 40's. Our driver is in her early 40's. And our housekeeper is in her late 30's. We all don't have any major health issues.

Hi FilAmMom. May I ask where you got the jabs? It appears you are all a range of ages. My GF in Cebu is telling me she cannot get it yet due to age restriction, she's 42. I have been pushing her to get the A-Z shot. Thanks.

pnwcyclist wrote:

Hi FilAmMom. May I ask where you got the jabs? It appears you are all a range of ages. My GF in Cebu is telling me she cannot get it yet due to age restriction, she's 42. I have been pushing her to get the A-Z shot. Thanks.

The government has now included people working outside their homes in areas with dense populations to Category A4 vaccination schedule, which before included only essential workers.

https://www.neda.gov.ph/govt-expands-a4 … hest-risk/

If your wife or other family members work outside their home and are living in National Capital Region (NCR) 8 (Batangas, Cavite, Laguna, Rizal, Bulacan, Pampanga, Metro Cebu, and Metro Davao)., they might qualify for Category A4.

My housekeeper was the one who told me about this inclusion. She said she saw it on tv, and that she also saw that kasambahays or househelp and drivers are also included in A4. We filled out forms from our barangay and changed our category to A4. At the vaccination center, my husband and I presented our ID's from work. Our housekeeper and driver presented their ID's from our subdivision's HOA.

I think the best source of information regarding vaccination schedules is your local tv or radio news station rather than the internet.

The vaccine brand one will receive will depend on what's available. When we got to the vaccination center,  AstraZeneca was the one that was available. My relatives whom I mentioned in a previous post got Sinovac. One of my customers was lucky enough to get Pfizer.

Thanks Fil-Am Mom. Great info. Nothing wrong with AstraZeneca shot.

Enzyte Bob wrote:

My wife had her covid vaccine one month ago, I had my shot two weeks ago at different vaccine centers. We both are sick with the same symptoms.

What we have.
(1) constant high fever topping out at 39.8 for almost one week.
(2) constant coughing with and without phlegm
(3) cold sweats
(4) touchy skin

What we don't have.
(1) Loss of  appetite, smell or taste.

What we been doing.
(1) My wife takes two 500 mg Paracetamol every six hours
(2) I'm taking two 200 mg Advil Liquid Gels every six hours
(3) She sent urine samples to the lab, they came out clean. (UTI)

Background
(1) We both are seniors
(2) We've never been out in public except for Doctor visits and grocery shopping.
(3) There are six adults in our household, we co-mingle,  the only ones that are sick is My Wife and Myself.

The purpose of this post is to see if any expats in the Philippines had any side effects from their vaccine, not to point a finger or blame.

My wife and I continued to get sicker

My stepson contacted the Barangay and they sent out  medical personal to take Covid Swabs, both of us came back positive. Both of us were now bedridden, I for almost two weeks. I had no appetite for days, only could have soup.

Now for a little background

As stated in the original post, we both had Sinovac shots two weeks apart. My wife has had prior medical problems with a UTI infection, with three costly stays in the hospital (two while covid epidemic was ongoing) ending up with Kidney Stone removal and a stent place in her urinary tract.

Originally after her shot she had a heavy arm, after my shot I had no side effects, none, nothing, nada.

One day my wife wasn't feeling well and I took her temperature 39.8C or 103.6F. I was afraid her UTI had come back as it did before. Then two weeks later I got sick and then the Covid swabs confirmed Covid for both of us.

Prior Isolation

Myself, I was well isolated even before Covid came on the scene. Prior to Covid I only ventured out of the house for grocery trips twice a month and two trips to the BI. Once Covid arrived in the Philippines, I ventured out twice a month to Landers, with face mask and shield.

My wife, after Covid, two trips a month to Landers same as I, but surgery and post surgery trips to the lab and Urologist office. After the first trip she still had a bacterial infection. Repeat for the following week, the infection was clearing up. Repeat again for the third week, the day before the Urologist visit he cancelled out, cancelled again the next week and again for the third week.

Finally when he was in his office the bacterial infection had cleared up and he removed the stent and she was a go for her Covid shot within the week.

Now how did we contract Covid after our first Sinovac shot? My guess is that she caught Covid on many trips to the lab or from the Urologists Office. Then passing it on to me.

My wife is now having vision problems in one eye, in August she will make an appointment with the eye doctor who did our cataract surgery three years ago. Depending on the results, if not covid related she and I will get our second Covid shot.

The above post was a abbreviation of our events.

FilAmericanMom wrote:

pnwcyclist wrote:

Hi FilAmMom. May I ask where you got the jabs? It appears you are all a range of ages. My GF in Cebu is telling me she cannot get it yet due to age restriction, she's 42. I have been pushing her to get the A-Z shot. Thanks.

The government has now included people working outside their homes in areas with dense populations to Category A4 vaccination schedule, which before included only essential workers.

https://www.neda.gov.ph/govt-expands-a4 … hest-risk/

If your wife or other family members work outside their home and are living in National Capital Region (NCR) 8 (Batangas, Cavite, Laguna, Rizal, Bulacan, Pampanga, Metro Cebu, and Metro Davao)., they might qualify for Category A4.

My housekeeper was the one who told me about this inclusion. She said she saw it on tv, and that she also saw that kasambahays or househelp and drivers are also included in A4. We filled out forms from our barangay and changed our category to A4. At the vaccination center, my husband and I presented our ID's from work. Our housekeeper and driver presented their ID's from our subdivision's HOA.

I think the best source of information regarding vaccination schedules is your local tv or radio news station rather than the internet.

The vaccine brand one will receive will depend on what's available. When we got to the vaccination center,  AstraZeneca was the one that was available. My relatives whom I mentioned in a previous post got Sinovac. One of my customers was lucky enough to get Pfizer.

Depends entirely on the LGU.  In Angeles City they are not giving vaccinations to foreigners.  Next door in San Fernando, in the same Province, is giving.

Glad you're okay Bob. I actually was thinking last night that I needed to check and glad to see a post this morning. So the shot helped you. I didn't realize before that you had only had the first shot. Good to see you back!

sinovac is bad vaccine only work at 65% and country like Belgium don't use.