Covid-19 vaccination with type 1 diabetes

After putting it off for ages, I finally went and got my vaccination. I work the weekends in a bar and the government just brought in new restrictions requiring that you check the vaccination certificates before serving customers. It seemed bizarre that I would be the one interacting with everyone inquiring about their health status while yet being the only unvaccinated person on the premises.

I can see why it took me a while. The experience included a three-hour wait in the freezing cold train station and an arm that is still painful four days later. I’m glad that I took the Johnson and Johnson vaccine, so I don’t have to go back for seconds. The blood sugars have also been a bit erratic. Two hours after I got the jab, they shot up to 10 mmol/l (180 mg/dl) for no reason and although I went to bed with 5 mmol/l (90 mg/dl) they crept up overnight and I woke up at 11 mmol/l (198 mg/dl). After the first two days though, blood sugars went back to normal without any random spikes so all good there. As with anything that triggers an immune response, you can expect high blood sugars following a vaccination.

It makes sense to get vaccinated if you’re diabetic. It’s one of the highest risk conditions in the pandemic. I read a study that showed that 40% of covid death cases in the US are connected with the disease although only 10% of the population suffers from it. That’s a sobering statistic. It makes sense to get vaccinated in general. People are dying in hospitals and one reason the virus is still spreading so fast is that so many of us remain unvaccinated. I did my bit. Better late than never.