How to Handle Vaccine Anxiety

     All across the country, and the world, more people are able to get the vaccines. This means that the end of the pandemic is in sight. The problem is that, if you are not yet vaccinated, you may have some anxiety over it. There’s been a lot of talk over whether or not the vaccine is safe. You may have heard the news of vaccines such as the J&J vaccine getting recalled due to severe side effects. Here’s how you can handle it, and what you can do if you still feel anxious.

How to Handle Vaccine Anxiety

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Remember, Severe Side Effects Are Rare

     All vaccines are going to have side effects. It’s a sign your body is learning how to fight the vaccine. When you take the vaccine, you may have arm pain and some mild fever or cold symptoms. However, this should go away within a few days. If you are taking the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine, the second dose may have worse symptoms, but still nowhere as near as bad as the virus itself. The issue you may worry about is severe side effects. These side effects are one in a million.

     One thing to remember is that all medications have rare but serious side effects. Something as harmless as aspirin may cause someone to have severe bleeding, for example. Not only that, but they are much rare compared to other life events. For example, while your odds of dying from a shot are over one in a million, your odds of dying in a car crash are 1 in 103.

You Are Monitored

     When you are given a shot, you do have to stick around to be sure you do not have any severe reactions to the vaccine before you are given your card. Should you have a reaction, you are treated as soon as possible.

Do the Research

     There are still questions that you may have about the vaccine, and many of them are reasonable. For example, you may wonder how the vaccine was developed so fast. It is true that vaccines usually take a few years to develop, while the COVID vaccine was created in under a year.

     However, there has been massive funding, worldwide collaboration, and previous knowledge of coronaviruses in order to create this vaccine. Look at websites that are medically verified and trusted. Websites that have odd anecdotal stories, unverified information, and fearmongering may not be what’s best for you in these trying times.

Remember All Your Previous Vaccinations

     Remember, you have more than likely been vaccinated multiple times throughout your life and have suffered no ill effects because of it. Take a look at your medical records. Perhaps ask for them if you need to. This can allow you to have some peace of mind.

Talk To People Who Have Had it

     You may know people in your friends and family who have had it. Talk to them about it and ask what their effects are. Talk to multiple people so you can get a bigger picture. With that said, there’s a good chance most of the stories will be the same, where they had some side effects, but felt fine at the end of it.

Practice Mindfulness and Meditation

     If your mind is still racing, why not take a deep breath? Let those intrusive thoughts out of your system, and be in the moment. Plan on getting the vaccine, but do not let worries of the future cloud your mind. Instead, learn to swat away any intrusive thoughts as you get them.

Seek Help

     Vaccine disorder may be a sign of a bigger anxiety disorder, but not always. Regardless, it may be useful for you to see if you have an anxiety disorder. The pandemic has made it so that we are more anxious than ever. If left untreated, an anxiety disorder can take over your life and make it difficult for you to function. If you have had chronic anxiety recently, talking to a therapist about it may be useful. If you want to learn more about how a therapist can help you, please click the link below to see what you can do about your issue: https://www.betterhelp.com/advice/psychotherapy/how-effective-is-psychotherapy-for-anxiety/