How Long Does It Take for the Covid Vaccine to Work?

Congratulations if you’ve already received your shot. It’s just a matter of time before we see the end of the war-on-virus. The ever-evolving field of medicine and some pathbreaking work in virology and the sphere of infectious diseases have made it possible for us to imagine a Covid-free future.

‘Is corona vaccine ready?’ featured second on the list of Top Ten Most Searched Questions on Google, in India last year, according to a report published by the Times of India. While that question may have been answered, thousands of related questions still swarm around us, enough to make us anxious. People from across the world have already started receiving their injections and with it, comes a bunch of queries you might want to ask your doctor. Netizens meanwhile have turned to their trusted source of wisdom, the World Wide Web, to try and figure out some of those answers. So while we’re already here, let’s tackle some FAQs on the Covid-19 vaccine update. Disclaimer: this is a discussion on what we know from popular sources and by no means should be misconstrued as a medical opinion.

How long does it take for the Covid vaccine to work?

How about you’ve come down with the flu? A five-day course of your prescribed antibiotic will help your body recover, but not if you’ve discontinued mid-way. All Covid-19 vaccines work similarly, meaning that the first dose of the vaccine will trigger a partial growth of antibodies towards the deadly virus. Two weeks after the second dose or the final dose is administered on you, your body will reach the full potential of antibody-response. That sums up the Vaccine effect on the body.

What will happen after the 1st dose?

Studies will tell you that the first dose will set off the body’s immune response, and the body will begin mounting the antibodies. However, research also shows that the first dose does roundabout 52% of the work and for a long-standing effective response, a follow-up visit to the doctor is highly recommended. Between your first and second dose, different cell types found in your body would have done their great, big contribution to activate your immune system.

What if you skip the second dose?

Well, in a nutshell, it isn’t a good idea to skip it. Some vaccine-developing companies need you to take two doses while some of them prescribe only one. Let’s do a quick breakdown of the ‘whys’ and the ‘whens’. Companies developing the vaccine performed trial-runs before the vaccines were branded effective and for some of these vaccines, a robust immune system kicked in after the second dose. Those early trials also helped experts gauge the time duration between the two rounds of shots. It’s between 21 and 28 days after the first injection, that you go back for the second one. Polio and Hepatitis shots mandated for children also require follow-up shots at regular intervals. The Covid 19 vaccine is no different and requires a similar response time. While the first dose prepares your immune system for what’s to come next, the second and final dose makes your immune system virus-proof.

Are there any side-effects of the Covid 19 vaccine?

The latest Covid-19 vaccine update has brought the importance of both rounds of shots to our attention. The Vaccine effect on the body after the first dose might last a day or two, ranging from light fever to mild body ache to fatigue but doctors opine that that’s only natural and should be considered as a sign of an appropriate response being triggered in the body. However, if you become allergic, that’s certainly a cause of concern and thorough medical help should be sought. The second dose might even aggravate some of the side-effects your body has shown but will only take you closer to developing what experts call a ‘herd immunity’ for all of humanity.

Bottom line; the vaccine will immune you to Covid-19 but your antibodies will take a while to prepare and destroy the virus. Meanwhile, if you’re showing symptoms, it’s a good idea to go to a  pathology lab like Pathkind and get yourself examined. Pathkind Pathology labs offer all kinds of Government approved Covid-19 related tests like RT-PCR and Antibody tests, performed by trained technical personnel for detection and inspection of Coronavirus. As the time-honored saying goes, better safe than be sorry.