The COVID-19 vaccine is designed to teach our immune system how to fight the virus that causes COVID-19. It typically takes a few weeks for the body to build immunity after receiving the vaccination. Typically, vaccine related reactions occur within a few days after receiving the vaccination. Reactions could include fever, headache, fatigue, muscle aches, joint aches, and soreness, redness or swelling at the vaccine site.
Because it takes time to build immunity after vaccination, there is a chance that you may have been exposed to COVID-19 immediately before or after receiving the vaccination, meaning your symptoms may be from infection and not from the vaccine. If you experience any local symptoms such as swelling or soreness at the site of the vaccination, you do not need to stay home. If you experience systemic symptoms such as headache, fatigue, fever or general joint or muscle aches, you will need to use sick time to stay home and protect the Baylor College of Medicine community. If your symptoms last for more than three days, you should be tested for COVID-19.