Was Getting The Booster Jab The Right Move Me?

Being an asthmatic and eczema patient, I had to think long and hard about whether to get the booster jab this winter. The reason was simple.

When did my skin spiral start?

When I tracked back to when my skin first began to spiral, I noticed that it was during the first lockdown in 2020. And from that point on, after every inoculation shot, my skin really deteriorated quite badly. It still has not gotten back to where it was pre-pandemic. I cannot be sure whether or not I actually had COVID or whether there is a direct link between the vaccines and eczema.

All I know is that my eczema has been totally out of control from March 2020 until the present day, except for a few months during the summer when I was on powerful steroids.

What did my dermatologist really think?

In a previous article, I mentioned I had told my dermatologist of this, and he did not respond. Perhaps he did not want to be drawn into an awkward spot, knowing that I am an asthmatic. He can hardly agree and tell me to avoid future vaccines. However, I felt strongly that he knew this could be the case. Otherwise, I am sure he would have said something. Who knows?

I decided to get the booster

After chatting with friends and family, I decided that getting the booster jab would ultimately benefit my overall health. I booked it for the 21st of December. The reaction was a delayed one.

How did my body react?

On the 23rd, I was in bed all day with a high temperature. It felt like I had been hit by a truck. My eczema went into overdrive, and before I knew it, I had torn my skin to pieces.

The heavy sweating during my fever made my skin irritable and sore, particularly on my face, arms, and body. On the 24th, I booked myself a PCR test in a walk-in clinic near my home. I wanted to be sure I had not contracted COVID and did not want to completely ruin Christmas. I was pretty confident that the effects I was suffering from resulted from taking the booster jab. And sure enough, my test came back negative.

Did I do the right thing?

On reflection, I am not sure that taking the booster jab was the right move, especially considering that the Omnicron variant is milder than previous strains and knowing that I had already had my two jabs earlier in the year. Maybe I had adequate protection. Has anyone else had a similar experience? Unfortunately, I now have to use topical steroids again and am waiting to be seen by a specialist on the NHS.

Will I be able to try new eczema treatments

My primary carer has assured me that she has marked my case as urgent, so fingers crossed, I will be able to see someone in the next few months with the view of trying different medications. So, as we all step into 2022, we have to keep our hopes and dreams alive. To use a nice quote that I read by Ziad K. Abdelnour: "Life is like a camera. Focus on what is important, capture the good times. Develop from the negatives, and if things don't work out, take another shot."