Will my jab definitely be a Pfizer/Moderna one, or is there a chance of AZ (age 21)?

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Also, is it possible to ask them to give the vaccine in a certain arm, or do they insist on giving it in whichever arm is closest to them (probably the left by default)?

The person delivering my first jab did not ask me which arm, my second did.

If you have a preference, just let them know before they start waving the needle around :smile:

Reply 21

Talon

Original post by RJDG14

I had two vaccinations on the same day in Y10 at school, one in each arm, and didn't have any issue drawing or writing later that day. This was about 7 years ago.

I have to assume it was due to the covid jab, rather than just having a needle stuck in my arm. I've had blood removed without the same soreness. Don't assume that any reaction or lack of reaction will be the same with different drugs.

Reply 22

black tea

Original post by RJDG14

My jab should be tomorrow. I'm probably unlikely to know whether it will be the Pfizer or Moderna jab until I get to the vaccination centre, but both appear to be very similar in terms of their side effects and effectiveness, as well as how they work. I think there have been more Pfizer doses in circulation around the UK however I know that a few people have been getting the Moderna one. It appears side-effect wise that relatively few people have any side effects other than a sore arm after their first dose, but that some experience cold-like side effects after their second dose (with the AstraZeneca one side effects are more common after the first dose). The AZ one gives young people about a 1/100000 of developing clots, while the MRNA ones that the UK is now giving to under 40s give young people, males in particular, a relatively similar chance of developing heart inflammations, although more commonly after the second than first dose, from what I've read.

Also, is it possible to ask them to give the vaccine in a certain arm, or do they insist on giving it in whichever arm is closest to them (probably the left by default)? I fooled around with deodorant on my upper left arm about 5 years ago (I was being stupid) and it's caused a scar on a small section of it, which I'm worried they'll comment about or inject the jab into if I get it on my left arm (I have been using scar treatment products for the past few months and it's less visible than it was, but need to keep using them to diminish it almost entirely).

Can assure you that they are far too busy vaccinating people to notice, let alone comment, on a tiny scar on your arm. I got my vaccine close to a pretty bad scar that should have been sutured but wasn't and the person didn't say anything - I mean, who the hell makes small talk about scars?! And they obviously won’t inject into a scar. So yeah, don’t worry about it.

Reply 23

RJDG14

I received my jab earlier today, and it was the Pfizer-BioNTech one. The nurse told me that the Bath/Wiltshire/Swindon area was only giving the Pfizer one to young people, however she said that she knew Bristol were giving the Moderna one.

The vaccination was non-painful and so far, I have no side effects at all aside from a very slightly sore arm if I move it.

Reply 24

Chronoscope

Volunteer Section Leader

Mine was the pfizer one - which one did you end up getting in the end OP? :smile:

I *think* when you originally book and it asks for your age it automatically filters out the centres which do AZ, similar to when it asks if you have accessibility requirements

Reply 25

RJDG14

Original post by Chronoscope

Mine was the pfizer one - which one did you end up getting in the end OP? :smile:

I *think* when you originally book and it asks for your age it automatically filters out the centres which do AZ, similar to when it asks if you have accessibility requirements

I got the Pfizer one as stated in the post above yours. I think there are more Pfizer than Moderna doses in circulation, although the nurse told me that the Moderna one was being given in Bristol, while only the Pfizer one was being given in Swindon. It's still the case that I have no symptoms other than a sore arm.

Reply 26

RJDG14

I don't know if this is a direct side effect or not, but within minutes of receiving my jab I did begin to get a tiny amount of mild throbbing in random areas around my body, including the left side of my neck and the lower right of my chest, which has persisted on and off since I received the jab 12 hours ago - in most cases it's been a mild throbbing in one area for about a minute before shifting to another. I don't recall experiencing this with previous jabs I've received but it could be something to do with the mRNA method of delivery.