@sue16833 @becsbuddy Becky will be sorry she brought me into this conversation. LOL You’ll both need a cup of coffee and a comfy chair.
I could have reduced this to two sentences. Get the vaccine ASAP if your doctor says it’s ok. And…Pfizer. But where’s the fun in that!

Hi Sue, It’s my understanding that you’re concerned about possibly upsetting your immune system by getting the vaccine. And also which vaccine would be better for not causing a problem. Well, since I received an entirely new immune system from having a stem cell transplant I’ve really gotten an education on immunity and autoimmunity.

The immune system is your body’s army of defense against disease and infection. The entire premise of a vaccine is to initiate a response within your immune system to recognize those disease cells in the future and launch an attack. You want a response to the Covid vaccine so that your immune system can seek and destroy the virus if you’re exposed. It’s really cool to watch this happen under an electron microscope. It looks like Pac-Man! Munch munch…
So don’t be alarmed if you do have a fairly normal response to the vaccine such as a sore arm, slightly elevated temp and fatigue. It generally goes away in a day or so.

However, people with a pre-existing neurological diagnosis caused by an autoimmune condition such as PMR, PN, Shingles, etc.. can have slight autoimmune reaction. It can cause an awakening of the symptoms of their disease but is usually slight and disappears.

I had such a reaction after my first Pfizer dose. After physical evaluations from my transplant doctor, neurologist and an allergist, all 3 cleared me to get my second dose as the risk of actually getting Covid outweighed any other risk factors. They were also supportive of the Pfizer vaccine for me.

Before my 2nd vaccine, I was given a prescription for steroids. Not to take but to have on hand should my symptoms return after the 2nd dose. The doctors were not concerned that the steroids would interfere with the vaccine at all. They wanted to calm the auto immune reaction should there be one.

So for you, Sue, being on 2mg per day is very low but it may help ward off any potential issues with your PMR. ***If your doctor has given you permission to get the vaccine***it would be really in your best interest to do so as soon as possible to jumpstart your immunity! Continue on the Covid protocol of wearing a mask, hand washing, etc…

And anecdotally, from a tally of friends & relatives in my orbit, there seemed to be fewer issues from the Pfizer…for no scientific reason! They all have the same end result. Protection!