Can One Fly After Vaccine Side Effects?
 

I know that Delta's policy is that one is not allowed to fly if one has had any of the Covid symptoms within the past 14 days. I am trying to schedule my Covid vaccine, but have read about potential side effects because it would mean that I would not be able to fly for 14 days afterward. Is there any exception to this rule for vaccine side effects? How do most people handle this?

The checklist is basically an honor system. If you clearly know that it’s just vaccine side effects you have nothing to worry. AFAIK, the most common side effects are just fatigue, low grade fever, headache, chills, etc so it’s not like anyone would know that you are having side effects unless you specifically told someone.

If you are concerned that you have Covid, you should get tested. That is true whether you are traveling or not. For you and for others.

If the OP is suffering from minor side effects from the vaccine, they don’t have to worry about spreading the virus to others as they don’t actually have COVID.

Thank you everyone for the advice. I appreciate it. Just to clarify--I do not have any Covid symptoms (fortunately) at this time. However; I am wanting to schedule my vaccine, but my concern about getting side effects that would prevent me from being able to fly for two weeks is the one thing that is now preventing me from doing so. I am a professor and I keep getting emails from students letting me know that they are feeling side effects from the vaccines, and this has scared me. I understand not being able to fly during the side effects, but my concern is being banned from flying a full two weeks afterward.

I would take the view that getting vaccinated does not constitute "exposure to COVID". Delta's website refers the reader to the Centers for Disease Control definition of exposure, which is at the following link.

Public Health Guidance for Community-Related Exposure | CDC

Since vaccination is not listed here, I think you can affirmatively certify with confidence that you have not been exposed to COVID as the result of being vaccinated.

If I'm wrong, please let me know, as I am scheduled to fly one day after my second COVID shot (I got my first such shot two days ago).

Exactly. Vaccine side effects are not from COVID because none of the vaccines contain or are derived from COVID - so you can honestly answer no to the questions presented at check in.

The vaccines are basically small snippets of biological “source code” that cause your body to make harmless pieces that look like viral pieces - but they are entirely missing the virus itself.

The only vaccines made in a “traditional” way from inactivated covid-19 are from China, and are not in use in the US.

You are confusing two entirely separate issues.

The sole question is whether someone exhibiting symptoms of Covid has been tested to rule out Covid. Whether that person has been recently vaccinated is a complete red herring.

Have symptoms = get tested.

I got the pfizer vaccine, flew 5 days later. My only side effect was I slept for 2 days after the vaccine.

Use common sense.

I have not heard any suggestions that people who get vaccinated and in the next 1-2 days get fever/chills/aches consistent with both the vaccine and actual COVID should get tested. It is a numbers game, and that points to 99.? percent it is the vaccine. Might as well say you should tested any day you go to the store.

I would avoid traveling for those few days though because even that temperature gun might call you out as a problem.

I would not worry about reporting this as "symptons within the 14 day window".

P.S., If you do test for Covid in this window, make it molecular (PCR or ID-Now). The antigen I expect to generate a false positive as you do have the Covid-19 antigens floating around.

EDIT 2: Symptoms a week or more later, yes, get tested. The vaccine is not always an end all.

If your vaccine symptoms last two weeks, I think you have another problem.

Yeah I had no issue with either Pfizer dose. But I would say of the 20 or so peeps I know fully vaccinated (with Pfizer or Mod) around half had some sort of side effects. Usually after the second dose and in all cases were gone within 48 hours.

I had moderna and got most every side effect with the 2nd shot. Headache, fever. body ache, chills, naseau. I spent a day in bed and was almost 100% the next day- just a little tired. I would not plan to fly the day after the shot. But after that seems like it would most likely be fine.

Even though the side effects hit me hard it was worth it for the peace of mind.

Systemic vaccine side effects are, by and large, not similar to COVID symptoms.

Vaccine side effects tend to be pain at the injection site, fatigue, headache, muscle aches, chills, fever, joint pain and nausea. [source]
COVID-19 symptoms are fever, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, and diarrhea. [source]

There's really very little overlap there, other than fever, fatigue and headache. If you lose your sense of taste or smell or have respiratory symptoms of any kind, it's not a vaccine side effect - get tested for COVID-19. If your arm is sore, you have a slight fever and you're fatigued, but you have no respiratory symptoms or loss of taste/smell, it's almost certainly the vaccine. If there's any doubt at all, get tested.

The point of my post was to correct the common misconception that getting vaccinated is an exposure to COVID: it is not, because no COVID is involved in the production of the vaccines.

I am not a doctor and this is not medical advice.