We are still living with COVID, and with a surge of cases and variants all across the world, the demand for vaccines are even more so. Not much is known about these vaccines apart from the fact they provide protection against the pandemic disease.
There are multiple side effects to vaccines that puts people off getting them. For Eczema sufferers, our skin is very fragile and we try to eliminate as many triggers as possible to keep it contained. What we put on and in our bodies we highly regulate, so what does a vaccine do our Eczema? What can a dose do to our skin?
Please note this is my personal experience, for more information you should consult a doctor who will have a better understanding of your medical history. This is not to discourage anyone from taking the vaccine! Just to raise some awareness of the possible side effects for us Eczema sufferers.
For the record to verify the authenticity of this article, here are my medical records from the ehealth app from Hong Kong which is used to show proof of your vaccination.
Pre-Vaccine
My Eczema was very mild at this point, I had it under control. I had no noticeable flare ups and my skin didn’t need a lot of moisturizing (very humid in Hong Kong!). I am comfortable in saying my skin was in the best condition it ever has been.
I kept a good routine of exercising at least 5 times a week while trying to eat as clean as possible. I do get lazy at weekends, but I knew what I was eating. All my triggers were contained. My routine allowed my skin to flourish.
I used the same products. Dove Sensitive Body Wash and DML moisturizing lotion. Highly recommend them if you haven’t tried them out!
BionTech – First Dose
In Hong Kong we had a choice of two different vaccines, Biontech and Sinovac. I chose Biontech because of the higher protection rate and it was a vaccine that was being distributed back in my home, Scotland. I was scheduled for two doses within 21 days of each other back in Spring.
Prior to my first dose, the nurse asked me if I had any known allergies. I told her about my allergy to G6PD which is quite common for those with Eczema. She had no concerns and jabbed me up!
I had to wait 30 minutes for observation reasons. Everything was going smoothly and I exited the vaccine center with just a sore arm. Nothing to worry about so I thought!
As the days passed, I noticed my body feeling quite frail and weak. My routine didn’t change much as mentioned before. I still ate well and exercised as much as I can. As a result, my skin was getting some small breakouts around my joints that I never had before. I wasn’t concerned and used the moisturizers I am familiar with to treat the infected area.
10 days passed and things got worse. After a shower, I noticed my face was swelling up, in my lips in particular. My skin was burning and something wasn’t right. Noticeably it was all on one side of my face. I was confused, nothing has changed in my routine apart from one thing, the vaccine.
I thought I could sleep it off, but nothing improved! I went to the hospital the very next day and got a Diphenhydramine shot to help my allergic reaction. I told my case to the on-duty doctor and we agreed that the vaccine must be the cause. I got an allergy card stating my allergic reaction to the vaccine and it was put in my medical records.
I got discharged the same day and was prescribed Chlorpheniramine Melate and Predinsolone tablets (allergy) for a week to help further sooth my symptoms.
After my horrible experience with the first dose, you’d think I wouldn’t go for the second dose! Wrong!
BionTech – Second Dose
The reasons why I took the second dose was simple. My allergic reaction wasn’t life threatening and I was confident that my body recovered from the first dose to deal with another dose! My skin was calming down and I wanted the second dose. More protection that will have future benefits (can safely say that now!).
I went to the vaccination center and you had to state if you had any allergic reactions to any previous vaccines. I put up my hand (proudly I might add, special case) and got escorted to consult with the on-site doctor. I presented him the allergy card that was given to me by the hospital and he asked questions about my side-effect symptoms. He was very understanding and was comfortable with me getting the second dose as I was adamant that my symptoms were not ‘life threatening’ and respected my decision. It was agreed that I would be observed for an hour just as a precaution.
I should note that the nurses who knew about my situation called me crazy. Don’t know what the big fuss was about, I was still standing and felt fine!
I got the second jab and off I went to the observation area. I felt fine, just bored! Same as last time, just had a tender arm. Fun fact, I got the jab on my left arm this time, not the right! All the nurses were staring at me expecting me to explode, but I was dozing off from pure boredom.
From my first experience, I knew that it might take time for the vaccine to settle in my body. Though to my benefit, my skin didn’t flare up and I was all fine and dandy! I did feel fatigued but that is a common side effect of any vaccine.
Final Thoughts
Today my skin is definitely better than it was when I got the doses! It took a month or two for my skin to return to the conditioning I had before the vaccination. The vaccine definitely caused my skin to flare up as it was a shock to my system. I didn’t do anything abnormal. Was it worth it? Definitely because of the situation we are currently in with COVID.
To those who have hesitations getting the vaccine, in my personal opinion you should go for it because of the situation we are in. My Eczema was mild and my body had a bad reaction, but this was my situation which was described as rare. As mentioned before, consulting your doctor beforehand and discussing your concerns will give you the ease of mind. I do recommend taking some time off to focus on recovering from the vaccine, in case of a bad reaction.
I do not know what having COVID is like. I do know it makes your body very frail which is not good for Eczema. Getting vaccinated will help prevent this.
I also want to say a big thank you to the Hong Kong government for a swift vaccination process. When I was able to book my vaccination, the process was very smooth (apart from the allergic reaction!). The staff were efficient and took great care. Kudos!