MAGIC VALLEY, Idaho — While some people are experiencing symptoms after getting the COVID-19 vaccine, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) tells people not to worry; the vaccine can not make you sick with the virus.
"Can the vaccine make you sick with the virus? The answer is clearly no because there is no virus or virus chunks in the vaccine," Joshua Kern, Vice President of Medical Affairs at St. Luke's Magic Valley, said.
Some people are still experiencing fevers and body aches after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine, but health officials say it's normal to experience those side effects.
"It's just a sign that your body recognizes that you received a shot and it's responding to it. It's trying to figure out what happened, and for all of those who had a fever that cleared up within 24 hours, that's a very good sign that your body figured out we are ok and moved on. So those kinds of things are not only common, but they are very safe responses to this vaccine," Brianna Bodily, Public Information Officer for South Central Public Health District, said.
Although some people are getting sick after receiving the vaccine, health officials tell us that does not mean you have the virus or can pass it on to others.
"The difference is that it's just your immune system saying, hey, we got this thing going on, we better mount a response as opposed to any viral replication or spreading it. You have no potential to spread COVID-19 or the fever. Nobody can catch the fever from you if you're getting the fever from the shot," Kern said.
Health officials tell Idaho News 6, it's normal for those symptoms to last around 24-48 hours. Anything longer than that could mean your body is fighting something else.
"If you encounter those symptoms and they go away within 24 hours, then you know that was likely a reaction to the vaccine. If you started to feel symptoms before you got the vaccine or you didn't get a vaccine, and you start to experience symptoms, or they last for a couple of days, those are signs you are likely fighting something else," Bodily said.
But they say receiving the vaccine does not mean your body is protected right away. Your body could take up to two weeks to build antibodies, which is why they say it is still essential to take the proper safety precautions.
