How to prepare for COVID-19 vaccination? How is the vaccination itself going, what side effects may occur after it and how to alleviate them? Comprehensive material on this subject - as a response to the fake news circulating on the Internet - was prepared by the Polish Society of Family Medicine.

How to prepare for the COVID-19 vaccination?This question is asked by many, whether they are vaccinated with the Pfizer BioNTech, Moderna or AstraZeneca vaccine. They look for answers on the Internet, stumbling upon a lot of unverified information and fake news, which is not difficult to find online.

That is why the Polish Society of Family Medicine has developed a comprehensive material in the form of a poster / leaflet for patients summarizing the principles and knowledge of vaccination against Covid-19. - Based on the experience of vaccination teams, we have created this material to answer the questions most frequently asked by patients - says Professor Agnieszka Mastalerz-Migas, National Consultant for Family Medicine and President of the Polish Society of Family Medicine.

- PTMR is an authority that is very active in educating doctors. Vaccinations against Covid-19 are currently a very important topic, they raise great hopes and we have many expectations of them, but also a topic that raises many questions and doubts among patients - says Professor Agnieszka Mastalerz-Migas.

How to prepare for the COVID-19 vaccination?

Do you have a vaccination date already? PTMR experts advise you to read the information about the preparation you will be vaccinated before the visit (this information should be on the referral, you can also get it at the vaccination center). Information on COVID-19 vaccines that have been authorized in Poland is available, for example, at www.szczepienia.pzh.gov.pl. What else do you need to remember?

  • eat a light meal on the day of vaccination
  • Please come to the vaccination on time, necessarily with your ID card.
  • if you are taking medications, take them
  • take medical records and a list of medications you are currently taking
  • dress in such a way that the upper arm is easily exposed

What side effects may occur after vaccination?

PTMR experts also explain in an accessible way what side effects can appear after vaccination - and what to do then.

The most common side effects of the COVID-19 vaccine are:

  • pain, swelling, redness at the injection site
  • weakness and malaise
  • headache, dizziness
  • muscle and joint pain
  • chills, fever
  • lymph nodes enlargement
  • allergic reactions

Severe pain and fever above 38.5 degrees C can be relieved with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs based on ibuprofen or paracetamol.

When do you need to contact your doctor after vaccination for COVID-19?

It is possible that the side effects of COVID-19 vaccination become so severe that you need to see your doctor.

Consultation with a doctor is necessary when:

  • the fever is higher than 38.5 ° C or does not resolve with antipyretics
  • swelling or redness at the injection site will increase after 24 hours
  • there are symptoms suggesting COVID-19 infection (e.g. loss of smell and taste). You cannot become infected as a result of vaccination, because the vaccine does not contain a live virus - but the infection could have occurred before the production of antibodies as a result of vaccination
  • there will be other worrying side effects that do not go away after 72 hours.
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COVID 19