COVID-19 Vaccination: Here’s why females are less immune to COVID vaccines than males

New Delhi : As the pandemic has gained immense momentum and is rising at a fast pace, countries have rolled out vaccination drives and campaigns to help citizens get jabbed against the deadly SARs-COV-2 virus. While being subjected to certain side effects post any vaccination is common, the intensity of the same depends on various factors including, gender, lifestyle and how one’s immunity system fights the foreign pathogens and offers protection.
#Common side effects one may likely experience post vaccination
Depending on such factors, effects may be mild or severe, and most commonly include fever, headache, nausea, and body ache.Varying from person to person and their body types, one may also experience redness, swelling, tiny bumps, itching on the skin, especially a shooting pain and swelling on and around the area of injection. However, one needs to rest assured that these effects are only short lived and will recover within a day or two, and need not be afraid to get vaccinated fearing it might be a life threat, as rumours have it.
#Here’s how gender impacts the severity of COVID-19 vaccination side effects, and makes women more prone to them than men
Well, while there is no such established study that confirms to gender inequality when it comes to receiving post-vaccination side effects, certain studies and research methods are on a rise, that increasing serve evidences of why females are less immune to those effects than men. As per the ‘Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report’ published by the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, in February, it was found that higher number of women experienced side effects as compared to their counterparts, the reactions being not so severe.Out of the total number of vaccinations rolled out, 79 percent of side effects reportedly occurred in women although about 60 percent of the doses were administered to women. As per the study, it was found that 19 women who received the Moderna shot reported an adverse reaction, while 44 percent of women, who complained of anaphylactic reactions, were given the Pfizer shots.

#Immunity system is the key
The reason why a person is subjected to side effects after being vaccinated, is because the immunity system gets alarmed and activated to produce antibodies and fight against pathogens, and the process proves to be exothermic, releasing heat and inflammation in the process, which occur as reactions on the body.
This also proves that women have stronger and a more active immune system than men, as they are more prone to reactions post vaccination, and females also produce antibodies at a faster rate and more vigorously than males.
#Being vocal about ailments also contributes
Apart from actually experiencing reactions and adverse effects, expressing what one is going through and being vocal about one’s ailments also contribute to why women are more subjected to such reactions than men. Women are said to be highly expressive and speak up about their body situations more as compared to men, and thus their body reactions are more likely to get reported than their counterparts.
#Genetic differences and hormones at play
Females produce oestrogen, that is likely to boost immunity and fight infections at a faster pace, unlikely the males, who produce testosterone, that is said to supress their immunity, thus answering the gender bias behaviour of post vaccination effects. Also, genetic characteristics and differences play a major role in determining whether a person will experience more intense reactions than those of the opposite gender.
#How can you manage side effects with ease?
Well, a body’s reaction to vaccine is a sign of it being healthy and highly immunized, sometimes such side effects may cause discomfort and intense physical pain, which can be managed and controlled in various ways. One such way is to give your body enough rest and avoid going through physical and mental stress and hard-core workouts or other strenuous activities. Some other remedies include consuming enough water, a healthy and a balanced diet, and taking over-the-counter painkiller tablets whenever required.
Also, physicians advise to indulge in small physical activities and limb movements, to regulate blood circulation and get rid of rigidity and body ache.