Unexpected side effect
The uprecedented vaccine rollout has generated many insights about how the jabs affect the body. According to thejournal of Science Immunology, there are some side effects commonly reported after the second dose of the Pfizer vaccine. But women around the world have recently taken to social media to discuss a new unexpected side effect of the jab.
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Women who have received the Pfizer vaccine have reported an unexpected side effect—claiming their breasts have grown bigger after having the jab. Social media platforms including TikTok and Twitter, have been inundated with reports from women stating their breasts have 'got bigger', with some wondering whether they were imagining the symptoms. Many have shared their shock at the side effect, dubbed the 'Pfizer boob job.'
I feel like my boobs got bigger because of Pfizer - or am I just hallucinating,
Another stated on the social media platform.
Some TikTok users shared videos of their breasts after receiving the jab, with one woman in the UK reporting she had gone up two cup sizes, from an A to a C. One Twitter used explained:
At first I thought those 'Pfizer boob job’ memes were a joke but I don’t think it’s a joke anymore,
Reason for swelling
When people have vaccines in their upper arm, the lymph nodes on that side of the body are activated, which can cause swelling. The swelling is a sign that the body is preparing a protective immune response, according to The Conservation.
While it is not clear how long it takes for the swelling in lymph nodes to go down, health experts have noted it is only a ‘temporary effect'.
According to Doctor Laura Dean, swollen lymph nodes are a potential side effect of any vaccine. Doctor Dean noted:
The whole point of the vaccine is to get your immune system to mount a response to whatever the vaccine agent is,
They encouraged widespread patient education regarding vaccine-induced lymph swelling, as it could easily be mistaken as a sign of malignancy.
Authors of the study, published in RSNA, stated:
When vaccines are administered, side effects such as axillary swelling should be highlighted and normalised as an immune response initiated by the vaccine.
