Martha Just Received Her Second Dose of the Coronavirus Vaccine and Documented the Experience on Instagram

After receiving her first vaccine in early January, Martha was recently administered her second dosage, also referred to as a booster shot, at Mount Sinai Downtown in New York. Because Martha falls into the age group of individuals 65 and older, she was fully eligible to receive the first dose of her vaccine on January 11. Now, following the second inoculation, our founder has received the two full doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, which was proven to be 95 percent effective at preventing COVID-19 illness based on evidence from clinical trials.

Health experts say that individuals who receive the booster shot are more likely to feel side effects than the first dose, but any symptoms including aches, fatigue, chills, or a fever should go away within 24-48 hours. In case she had any negative side effects, Martha received the vaccine in her left arm since she is right-handed. Fortunately for our founder, "I had no ill effects although prepared for such," she said in a video posted to her personal Instagram handle, @MarthaStewart48. Martha commented that the vaccine shot was fast and she didn't feel any pain receiving it.

"I am so proud of and grateful to the doctors, nurses and medical staff who are wading through the red tape and confusion of the distribution of these very important vaccines," Martha wrote on Instagram after receiving her first vaccine.

So far, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Pfizer-BioNTech's and Moderna's COVID-19 vaccines for emergency distribution. Individuals over the age of 16 may receive Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine and individuals over the age of 18 may receive Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine. Additional vaccines are currently in the process of being reviewed by the FDA.

Although the requirements for those who can receive the vaccine vary state to state, vaccines are generally available at pharmacies, hospitals, VA centers, and through local health departments statewide. Contact your local or state health department to learn more about where and how to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.

Even once you receive both vaccines, health experts recommend that you continue to wear a face mask that covers your nose and mouth, maintain six feet away from those you do not live with, wash your hands, and limit non-essential travel. For more information about the vaccine, visit the CDC's official website.