Many of those who received the COVID booster shot have experienced stronger side effects than they did from their first two inoculations, doctors have observed.

But this is nothing to be concerned about, they stress. Rather, it is a “reassuring” sign that the vaccine is working.

The president of the Malta College of Family Doctors, Edward Zammit, and the head of the Public Health Response Team, Tanya Melillo, both confirmed doctors were seeing more people complaining of side effects compared to the first shots.

Both agreed this was “nothing to worry about”.

First, the side effects consist mainly of fever and aches lasting no longer than 12 to 24 hours.

Secondly, they are a sign that the person’s immune system is responding well to the booster by fighting back, they said.

Melillo explained that, according to research, giving a booster jab made by a different manufacturer to the first two doses results in a stronger boost.

So, for example, people who received two Pfizer shots were being administered the Moderna booster. As a result, they were experiencing more side effects with the third dose.

Malta kickstarted its booster campaign in September when residents in care homes for the elderly started receiving a third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. The booster shot is currently being administered to healthcare workers and teachers before being rolled out to the rest of the over-12 population.

Since the booster roll-out, several people have reported being “hit harder” than with the previous two shots.

One woman said the side effects kicked in at night: “Chills, cold sweats, bones aching, fever, headache and nausea. It lasted a day and then it was like a switch was turned off and no more side effects. I just felt exhausted until a few days later,” she said.

Several people reported being ‘hit harder’ than with the previous shots

Another woman described how, about 15 minutes after getting the shot to her left arm, she felt a bruising sensation on her left hand. Then, at night, the pain intensified and spread throughout her arm and chest area close to her right arm.

“By 4am the pain woke me up. I had no fever but I did feel chills,” she said.

Side effects, Melillo stressed, were nothing unusual. “We seem to have forgotten that this happens with all vaccines. When we give a child a vaccine we are told to give them Calpol. Same with this.

“We need to give our body time. With the vaccine we are introducing a foreign agent into our body. This sets off the body’s ‘soldiers’ to fight the virus and they go to war.

“Give your body time, rest and take pain killers if need be.”

Zammit agreed: “I must stress that this is nothing to worry about. We’re talking about normal side effects like fever and aches and nothing alarming. It’s actually a good thing since the side effects mean that the body is responding well to the vaccine.”

But should people worry if they don’t feel anything?

“Absolutely not,” Melillo said.

“We are all different and react differently. Even the way you are feeling on the day of the booster – being under the weather or stressed – can impact the way you react.”

The reported side effects have not so far affected booster uptake, she said. But she is concerned the younger generation might resist taking it to avoid the side effects.

Her firm advice is to take the booster. The brief discomfort of side effects are far outweighed by the possible symptoms of COVID in those who have not been vaccinated.

“Do you want to spend your Christmas at home, or in hospital, with your family in quarantine,” she asked as she reminded the pubic that measures such as mask-wearing, regular hand-washing and social distancing should still be followed.