Worried about the side effects of the coronavirus vaccine? Somerset's local democracy reporter tells of his experience

It's now been five days since I willingly queued up to get my first dose of the coronavirus vaccine.

Since that time there have been various stories circulating about the side effects of the Oxford AstraZeneca jab, including its rumoured links to blood clotting (unproven) and the decision of several EU countries to suspend using this particular vaccine (which seems foolhardy).

Early on, I complained about having "a bit of a sore arm and a slight headache", but said I would nevertheless take these over having the miserable virus itself.

My view has not changed on this – but in the interests of both honesty and accuracy, I figured it would be worth letting you know exactly how I've been bearing up over these last few days.

Let me be abundantly clear from the outset: I am NOT trying to scare you into not having any form of coronavirus vaccine.

Side effects are a normal part of any vaccination – they are nothing to be scared about. They are a sign your body's immune system is working, and are unequivocally preferable to having the virus or disease which they exist to prevent.

Of course there are very rare occurrences where side effects can be quite severe, but in my view that is not an argument for not having the vaccine – just as feeling faint after giving blood is not an argument against blood donation.

I'll not deny that the first 24 hours post-jab turned out to be decidedly unpleasant. My left arm (the one that was pricked) got steadily sorer as Friday (March 12) wore on, and by the end of the day I had very little strength in my left hand.

As the hours wore on, I developed mild fever-like symptoms, alternating between feeling very warm and shivering, and I wasn't able to get a great deal of sleep on either of the first two nights.

As I write these words on Wednesday (March 17), I'm definitely over the worst - my arm remains sore, so I can't sleep in my usual position, and my left hand still occasionally feels weak or tired.

As well as the weekend, I needed to take Monday (March 15) off to ensure the worst had disappeared – which turned out to be the right decision.

Now there's no more headache or fever, and I'm confident at the rate of current progress that the remaining side effects will disappear very soon. If nothing else, I now know what to expect when I get my second and final dose.

If you're having your first jab soon, I hope that the side effects you experience will be minimal and manageable.

No-one responds to either vaccine the same way, but every jab is vital for beating this awful pandemic.

Let's endure achy arms and sore heads to avoid a much bigger headache later on.