I may have misspoke when I said "bad" flu-like symptoms: they were on par with symptoms from the flu, not relatively worse (although, unpleasant), and they were all expected side effects and began the night I got the vaccine. The several months of lethargy accompanied with random pains was the unexpected part.

I was quarantining at the time and hadn't gone anywhere except the place where I got the vaccine. It would be ironic if I wound up getting COVID there, which lengthened and intensified my side effects. I hadn't considered that before.

The line to get my first covid shot was the largest group of people I had been around for a very long time. Much longer than the lockdown was.

It was about an hour of walking back and forth in the switchbacks. Outdoors in the sun.

Such is the cost of getting it during the early rush. Second shot was much quicker line, and booster I got a bit late so no line to speak of.

For what it's worth, the J&J aftermath experience for me was on par with actually having covid 8 months prior.

Having also had omni (apparently getting covid is my superpower) with symptoms on par with a mediocre sore throat, I have absolutely no desire to repeat the vaccine experience.

yep - OP got COVID.

This is kind of an example of why relying on personal experience and anecdotes is so bad. OP took intelligent countermeasures to avoid a negative outcome which was unfortunately ineffectual due to mischance.

Despite the theory making no sense OP assigned the consequences of covid to the vaccination he received not due to a sound theory but due to proximity in time and will now make measurably worse choices for decades for lack of communicating with a medical professional.

We rarely know what we don't know.

Some degree of caution is warranted on the part of the individual when unwelcome side effects manifest following a drug or vaccine. Doubly so when you can find cases where others have reported the same side effects.

https://www.reddit.com/r/CovidVaccinated/comments/nnqm8u/lon...

We are also dealing with a novel (and evolving) virus and an even more novel set of vaccines. We're still learning about both. I find it silly that one could possess hubris about their stance on such a matter.

What's your sound theory (that it's the result of Covid and not a vaccine with documented side effects that he happened to take the morning of)?