10 Ways to Support Someone in Post-Vaccine Recovery 

 

World leaders, scientists and frontline medical personnel have been hard at work distributing and administering COVID-19 vaccines over the past three months. Now, more than 30% of Americans have received at least one dose, so odds are you know someone who’s recently received their shots. By now, they might even be complaining of soreness, fatigue or fever.

 

Luckily, these side effects are normal and should only last a few days as their bodies build immunity. Still, feeling crumby is never fun, even when there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Thus, if you’re looking to cheer up your friend or family member while they recover, the following ideas will help you offer support and encouragement.

Give Them a Call 

If your family member or friend is feeling a little under the weather, give them a call to cheer them up. Share a bit of juicy gossip, talk about the Netflix show they’re binging and ask for an update on their symptoms.

 

While most people will bounce back and recover from the vaccine within a few days, others may battle fatigue or soreness for more than a week. If they still feel awful after a few days of checking in, encourage them to call their doctor.

Send a Note

Sure, your friend should recover quickly, but it’s always nice to receive a get-well card when you’re sick. Send a note with a funny message, quote or a Bible verse to put a smile on their face and hope in their heart. Hand deliver the note, send it through the mail or drop it in their mailbox with a cookie or some other treat to brighten their day.

 

Watch the Kids

Does your recent vaccine recipient have children? Offer to watch them for a few hours — or a few days. They’ll be happy to get out of the house and mom and dad will be forever thankful for the chance to recover in a calm and quiet home. Meanwhile, you can explore the zoo, a local park, build a fort in your backyard with their little ones.

Put Together a Gift Basket

Help your friend relax with a personalized gift basket. Include a bath bomb, lotion, eye mask, Ibuprofen and other similar items. Then, think about their interests. Do they love sports? Consider adding something relevant to the basket. Would they rather watch sitcoms while they recover? Include some snack mix, popcorn or candy bars.

Bring Them Food

Sometimes, the vaccine will make the recipient’s arm hurt or cause their muscles to ache. In this case, they probably won’t want to do much mixing, scooping or whisking. Keep them out of the kitchen and on the road to healing by bringing them a meal or two. Consider making comfort foods that freeze and reheat well.

Drop Off Flowers

Practically everyone loves receiving flowers, especially if they’ll be stuck in bed for a few days. Bring a bright splash of color and a fresh scent into their home with a bouquet of flowers. If they’re plant people you might gift them a succulent or houseplant instead.

Offer to Mow Their Yard 

Spring is here, which means mowing season is right around the corner. If you notice their yard is in need of a trim — or their garden needs tending to — offer to help. Fertilize their garden, plant some bulbs, water the flowers and cut the grass. This way they’ll have one less thing to worry about while they take some time off from completing their to-do list.

Do Some Chores

You might also offer to help them around the house and complete a few chores. Do their laundry, make a grocery run, clean the kitchen or simply stop by and take the dog for a walk. These small acts of kindness will make a huge difference in their lives and give their mind a chance to rest, too.

Provide Entertainment

Drop off magazines, your favorite book or a funny movie to help your loved one pass the time. Odds are they’ll be more than a little bored if they’re stuck at home in bed all day. Alternatively, you can gift them a subscription to their favorite channel or a video game they’ve had their eye on for a while.

Stay With Them

If you’ve received your vaccine or deem it safe enough to stay with your loved one, offer to keep them company in person. Cook, clean and cheer them up by taking care of them and nursing them back to health. Just remember to respect their boundaries and try not to take it personally if they say no.

Stay Positive

The last thing your loved one probably wants to hear is news about the vaccine or your questions about its effectiveness or safety. After all, the dose is already in their body, so there’s no sense in needlessly frightening them or making them question their decision. Stay positive, be supportive and practice kindness.

About The Author

Oscar Collins is the managing editor at Modded. He writes about cars, fitness, the outdoors, and more. Follow @TModded on Twitter for more articles from the Modded team.

Available COVID Vaccines and How They Differ 

 

Since the coronavirus first arrived in the United States last March, scientists and researchers have been hard at work creating a vaccine. Now, there are three different types of vaccines to choose from, and they’re available to most people who are 18 or older.

 

All three COVID-19 vaccines have undergone extensive clinical trials and have proven to be safe and effective. Over the past three months, vaccination providers have administered more than 145 million doses in the U.S., alone. With more doses — and two new vaccines — on the way, it’s important to learn how these vaccines work so you can dismiss misinformation and confidently encourage others to get vaccinated with you.

 

Preventing and Recovering From Infection

If you’ve already had COVID-19, a vaccine won’t reverse the long-lasting effects. However, receiving a dose — or a set of two— can prevent you from getting it again.

 

In the meantime, you can recover from COVID-19 and minimize symptoms by exercising regularly. Retrain your respiratory muscles and boost lung capacity with a total-body workout that incorporates strength training and cardio.

 

Those who haven’t yet contracted the virus should also get the vaccine to slow the spread and prepare their immune system for a COVID-19 attack. Receiving a vaccine can also prevent you from becoming seriously ill, experiencing long-term symptoms or dying if you do contract the virus.

 

Currently, there are three types of vaccines in the U.S., and each uses a slightly different method to fight infection and produce immunity.

 

1. Pfizer-BioNTech

On December 11 of last year, Pfizer-BioNTech became the first vaccine to receive emergency use authorization from the Food and Drug Administration. People receive this vaccine in two doses, with the second shot coming three to six weeks after the first. Common side effects include chills, headache, swelling at the injection site and fatigue, all of which tend to resolve on their own within a day or two.

 

The Pfizer vaccine is a messenger RNA vaccine, which delivers a tiny piece of genetic code from the SARS CoV-2 virus into your body. This code gives your cells blueprints to begin making the harmless S protein found on the surface of the virus.

 

Soon, your immune system will begin replicating and displaying this S protein on each one of your cells and prompt your body to create antibodies. These little guys will fight off the coronavirus if you happen to contract it.

 

2. Moderna 

Seven days after the FDA approved Pfizer for emergency use, it authorized the Moderna vaccine, which uses the same mRNA technology to fight off COVID-19. Like its predecessor, this vaccine is also available in the U.S. and involves two doses 28 days apart. Side effects and efficacy are similar to that of the Pfizer vaccine as well.

 

However, there are two key differences between these two vaccines. Unlike Pfizer, Moderna can be kept for 30 days using normal refrigeration or stored in long-term storage in standard freezer temperatures. It’s also slightly less effective in people who are 65 and older.

 

3. Johnson & Johnson

Last month, the FDA also granted emergency use approval for the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, which only requires one shot. This vaccine also works differently than mRNA vaccines like Pfizer and Moderna.

 

Instead of directly injecting the host with a genetic code, vaccination providers will inject a harmless adenovirus as a shell to carry a genetic code on spike proteins. Once the code is inside the cells, they can produce a spike protein to train the immune system and create antibodies to protect against infection.

 

However, the Johnson & Johnson vaccine’s overall efficacy was only 66%, which is much lower than that of the other two vaccines. In other words, it doesn’t work as well against mild to moderate disease.

 

Upcoming Vaccines

Scientists around the world are still working on two other vaccines, both of which are currently in Phase three of clinical trials in the U.S. The United Kingdom and a few other countries are already using one, the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, because it’s more affordable to make and easy to transport and store. This vaccine works like the one from Johnson & Johnson but requires two doses.

 

The second vaccine-in-the-making is Novavax, which shows promising evidence of being effective against COVID-19 and mutations that have emerged in Great Britain and South Africa. Unlike the other vaccines in this list, Novavax is a protein adjuvant that contains the spike protein of the coronavirus itself. This protein can’t cause disease but will stimulate antibody production and T-cell immune responses.

 

Hope for the Future

As long as people continue to learn about coronavirus vaccines, there’s hope for the future. As you come to understand more about the efficacy of each vaccine, remember to share this information with your friends and family.

 

Doing so will help prevent the spread of misinformation and encourage everyone to get the vaccine so you can get back to living a worry-free, COVID-free life.

About The Author

Oscar Collins is the managing editor at Modded. He writes about cars, fitness, the outdoors, and more. Follow @TModded on Twitter for more articles from the Modded team.

Here Are Five Reasons Why I Chose To Get My Covid-19 Vaccine.

I have heard many people talking about why or why not they got the Covid-19 vaccine. I think this is a very personal choice for everyone. So here are the reasons I chose to get vaccinated. 

My family:

I have family members who are immunology compromised. Thinking if I get the Covid-19 vaccine then I  could sill go out and avoid bringing this deadly virus home to them. A thought that had my anxiety very high. And I wanted to do everything I could to keep them safe. 

I want to go back to work:

Getting the Covid-19 Vaccine truly felt like a step in the right direction. I will be able to keep myself protected to go back into the classroom and help a teacher grow little minds. Although, I have been very blessed to stay home because of my family situation. I really am ready to get back to some normalcy again. 

Date nights out:

Ever since Covid my boyfriend and I keep date night at home. However,  really ready to get dressed do my hair and make up and have a night out with my love. 

Going back to in person learning at school:

I cannot wait to be able to get back on campus to do homework. To have some decommission time in the car after a long day. To get back to things being normal again!! 

I trust:

Because for me I trust in not only the national doctors who are telling us to get the Covid-19 vaccine, but I also trust the doctors who care for my family members who are asking that I do my part to keep them safe! 

My reasons for getting the vaccine are unique to my situation. And I believe that I made the best decision for me and for my family. All the while doing my part to help the country as a whole to get back to normal. So for me this was a no brainer. Because for me, it was for my family! 

So please stay safe, mask up, and consider getting vaccinated. 

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My Thoughts On The COVID19 Vaccine

Either way that you land on the great debate of the COVID vaccine, everyone has to admit the amount of anxiety surrounding this feels very similar as it did in the beginning of the pandemic. All of the Facebook and Twitter posts about it don’t seem to make this any easier either. Although, I’m putting my trust in the doctors who handle the case of my immune-compromised family members, I’d be lying if I said I was not anxious about this at all and here is why:

We still don’t know everything about COVID: 

COVID is still new, and yes, I’m so over living under the anxiety that we will get COVID. However, one of my biggest concerns is that because COVID is so new, do we have enough information to know that the vaccine is going to work and work well? I do want to note how appreciative that I am to the scientists who are working around the clock to help ensure that this is a safe drug for us to take and that it’s going to be effective. Although, being really real here, everything with COVID seems to change on the daily, still, even though we are coming up on a year of living this COVID normal! 

 

New strains: 

As we all have heard by now, there are new strains of the virus in Europe right now. So, will the current vaccines work on the new strains? Also, being that this virus seems to be able to mutate in no time, what about future strains? Or is this something that we are going to have to keep waiting for the new latest and greatest vaccine for? I swear sitting up and night thinking about all these factors can drive someone crazy! 

 

Is it safe for the immune-compromised: 

So, being that I have two family members that I’m very worried about getting COVID, my next worry would be is it safe for them to get vaccinated? I mean should we wait and see how others react to it. 

These and many more concerns swirl my head and those of others that I have talked to. They are valid, and because COVID is so unknown and unpredictable, I think it makes the worries so much worse. One thing that I will say, for my family and me, we will be listening carefully to the doctors who care for us and will make the best informed decisions we can. 

My advice, check your sources but do as much research and make the decision that is best for you and your family. Breathe because one way or another we will get through this confusion, too!!

Stay safe and well!

21 Reasons To Get A COVID Vaccine In 2021

The pandemic has completely altered all of our lives. And while I know there are reasons for some to not receive the COVID-19 Vaccine, here are twenty one reasons why I can’t wait to take the vaccine.

1.) Hugs – I love hugs! Hugging friends and family members makes me happy.

2.) Live Person Yoga Classes and Yoga Retreats. Workshops. All of it.

3.) Traveling again.

4.) Concerts. I cannot wait to attend a crowded concert.

5.) Dining Indoors. While I love a good patio with a decent heat lamp, I look forward to dining inside, enjoying the ambiance of my favorite restaurants.

6.) NYC- Out of all the places I have travelled to and have missed this year, NY is at the top of the list. I want a springtime shopping spree in Soho. And I will definitely ride the subway.

7.) Long plane rides. I have not even been on a plane this year. Those extra long flights usually sound awful but now I am daydreaming of long distance getaways. How about the Maldives?

8.) I remember the days of being at a crowded bar with my bestie, taking bets on who gets served first. I miss that. And being shoulder to shoulder with my bestie.

9.) Family time. As an auntie, I miss jumping on the trampoline with my nieces and nephews and taking them out to restaurants, the beach etc. I look forward to that quality time with them again.

10.) Amusement parks. I never thought I would see the day when I would want to be at Disney World, but here it is. All this time away from crowds makes me want to visit the happiest place on earth.

11.) Fancy hotels are so fun to eat at, lounge in and do overnights in. I miss the opulence of a nice hotel.

12.) Travelling with my boyfriend. I have been daydreaming of my next trip, and I definitely want to it be somewhere warm.

13.) Using my southwest app again. It just sits on my phone, abandoned.

14.) Going to the movies. I love the fancy ones, with the recliner seats and the adult drinks and popcorn and…

15.) Chatting with the bartender. Being on the patio when I am dining out, I miss the best part of the bar, the knowledgable bartender. I look forward to being a barfly once again.

16.) Petting every dog I see. Because of Social Distancing, I have been refraining from greeting every dog I see with a handshake and a hug. I miss that!

17.) Girl get togethers. When this is all done, I want a girl trip! Share rooms? Sure! I will even let my bestie borrow my clothes.

18.) Las Vegas. The lights, the lounges, the La in Vegas, I miss it, and I want it!

19.) Spa time. Spa time is the best time. And I look forward to some spa lounge time when this is all over. Body treatments, especially!

20.) Volunteering. Animal Sanctuaries, Surfrider Foundation, Animal Rescue, I miss my volunteer time.

21.) Having things to look forward to is what brings us excitement and keeps us from just talking about the negative things. I look forward to planning trips again and spending time with loved ones.

Cheers to Optimism and 2021! Stay Safe, Everyone.

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