Coronavirus Vaccine Side Effects: Will the vaccine give you more or less severe reactions if you have had COVID (and why)

Someone who has had COVID-19, and opts to get vaccinated in a scheduled time is bound to experience some side-effects, as it expected. However, those with a history of COVID-19 tend to suffer from severe reactions and experience intense side-effects with their jab. This has been seen not just through anecdotal evidence, but multiple research and case studies as well. In fact, those who have had COVID-19 are more likely to record side-effects than the ones who have no natural immunity.

According to a study conducted with the administration of Pfizer mRNA COVID-19 vaccine, which is reportedly slated to arrive in India soon as well, people in the focus group, who have had a prior experience with the SARS-COV-2 virus had a slightly higher than usual side-effect profile. Similar inferences have been also drawn amongst people who have received Covishield (Astrazeneca) vaccine as well.

While severe intensity side-effects could undoubtedly make for an unpleasant experience, one of the primary reasons experts believe people with a history of COVID-19 get more side-effects is because of a level of natural immunity, including memory-B cells present in the body. To give you a better perspective, an encounter with COVID builds natural immunity in the body. Our immunity is made up of robust infection-fighting WBCs, or antibodies, T-cells and memory-B cells. While the antibodies may wane over time, the memory-B cells mapped in the system ‘recognize’ traits of the infection when the antigen (even though harmless) is introduced via the vaccine. The administration thus triggers the immune system into remembering the pathogen, launching more robust and quick-working antibodies into action, which subsequently show up in the form of ‘severe’ intensity side-effects. Therefore, a person with history of infection is more likely to record intense reactions, which could be a high fever, severe pain, bodyache, myalgia, intense weakness, profuse sweating, or even gastrointestinal issues.