My Experience: COVID Vaccine Booster

What can truly be said about needing a third vaccine? In my view, it is scary to be in a world where a different COVID variant can cause damage, because you so much want and desire to get back to normal.

Scheduling my booster shot

I received an e-mail from my CF clinic stating that it was highly recommended for CF patients pre- and post-transplant to receive the booster vaccine because of the new COVID variant. I was not scared or alarmed because I always knew that if it was necessary that I would do it. Realistically, I am immune-compromised because I take a lot of medication for my CF, and I also am on a high dose of steroids, so I knew where I stood because I want to keep myself safe and my family.

I actually made an appointment for the booster at the appropriate time because it is recommended to take the vaccine 8 months after the second dosage and so I did just that. I honestly thought that it would give me the same side effects that I had before with the second dosage of the Pfizer vaccine, but luckily nothing happened.

A metallic taste in my mouth

I actually was able to take my flu shot and my booster shot simultaneously, which I know a lot of people might not do because then you can get sick from one or the other or both but luckily, I was okay. I was sore in both arms, but the COVID booster arm was a bit sorer, and my arm felt a bit heavy. I experienced a funny new side effect which was this metallic like taste in my mouth. No matter what I ate or drank, that taste of metal was there, lingering. The first day after the vaccinations, I just had the metallic taste in my mouth and I was sore, but otherwise, I had no other symptoms, and I was good to go.

The remaining days were met with little side effects, and I was feeling normal and like myself. I had no issues besides that odd metal taste, but that subsided in a few days. Overall, my experience with the third vaccine was nothing major, to say the least.

My views on getting the vaccination

As usual, there is a lot of apprehension and uncertainty with the vaccination because I have family members that are not vaccinated due to fears and general anxiety. I do not force my views on vaccinations on anyone because we are all entitled to feel and do as we please.

What I can say from my experiences with the vaccination is that as a person living with cystic fibrosis, I feel safe and better knowing that I am protecting myself against COVID. While yes, we may each feel a certain way and we are entitled to it, do what feels right to you. You can either be ready to be vaccinated or not be vaccinated, the decision is yours to make, and you need to be sure that you always make the best decisions for yourself and your family. Thankfully, I had no severe reactions to the vaccines, and I took all 3, I feel comfortable in the fact that I did what I felt best for myself.