Dr. Fauci Admits Experiencing Side Effects After Getting COVID-19 Vaccine

By Neil P. First Posted: Dec 28, 2020 10:40 AM EST

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the country's top infectious disease expert, admitted and said that he experienced side effects after getting Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine.

(Photo : Patrick Semansky-Pool/Getty Images)
Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, prepares to receive his first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine at the National Institutes of Health

Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna's COVID-19 vaccines are rolling out today across the country.

After the first administration of either of the two vaccines, there were reports of allergic and adverse reactions that led the U.S. CDC to release new guidelines.

Dr. Fauci Experienced Side Effects

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the country's leading disease and infectious expert, admitted and said that he experienced side effects after he received the first dose of Modern's COVID-19 vaccine but he also said that it is as good or better than an influenza vaccine, according to a published article in Business Insider.

During CNN's "State of the Union" on Sunday Dr. Fauci said that he experienced few side effects after taking Moderna's vaccine last week.

Other health experts who received the same dose of vaccine did not give any statements yet if they also experienced any side effects.

Dr. Fauci told CNN's Dana Bash, "The only thing I had was six to ten hours following the vaccine I felt a little bit of an ache in my arm that lasted maybe 24 hours, a little bit more. Then went away and completely other than that I felt no other deleterious types of effects."

Fauci is already 80 years old and will receive his second dose after four weeks. According to the health expert, he experienced mild symptoms but it was definitely better than the influenza vaccine.

I might feel a little bit achy because the immune system will be revving up even more," added Fauci.

Since Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna received their emergency use authorization, there were 9.5 million doses of the vaccine have been distributed across the country.

Almost two million Americans have received their first doses of either of the two vaccines, according to the U.S. CDC.

Other reports of Side Effects

There have been different reports of side effects of the vaccine. A geriatric oncologist at Boston Medical Center said he felt dizzy and had an allergic reaction minutes after receiving the Moderna vaccine, though it's not clear yet if the vaccine itself was the cause of the allergic reaction.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that anyone with a history of anaphylactic shock to things like shellfish or other allergies should wait at least fifteen minutes before leaving a vaccination appointment or after getting the vaccine.

It can be recalled that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration that the Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine has been shown to cause an allergic reaction in some people who have had facial fillers and injectables.

In a previous report, Dr. Shirley Chi explained: "Your immune system, which causes inflammation, is revved up when you get a vaccine. That's how it's supposed to work. So it makes sense that you would see an immune response in certain areas where they see some substance that is not a naturally occurring substance in your body."