Amid a Twittersphere debate about the extent of major side effects from the coronavirus vaccine, Elon Musk revealed that he felt “like I was dying”  after getting his second booster shot.

The extent and severity of side effects from the various vaccines has long been a subject of sharp disagreement.

The official position of the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is that the vaccines are safe and that side effects are rare, posting on its website that “The benefits of COVID-19 vaccination outweigh the known and potential risks.”

However, as data emerges about the extent of side effects since vaccinations began, experts and laymen have debated what exactly that means when talking about a global pandemic. On Friday, cartoonist Scott Adams kicked off a Twitter debate by musing online about how a Rasmussen poll on vaccine side effects should be interpreted.

Musk responded with a major revelation.

“I had major side effects from my second booster shot. Felt like I was dying for several days. Hopefully, no permanent damage, but I dunno,” he wrote, while adding that a cousin of his suffered myocarditis after getting a shot.

I had major side effects from my second booster shot. Felt like I was dying for several days. Hopefully, no permanent damage, but I dunno.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 21, 2023

And my cousin, who is young & in peak health, had a serious case of myocarditis. Had to go to the hospital.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 21, 2023

The CDC has said there is a"small but increased risk of myocarditis after mRNA COVID-19 vaccines."

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The Moderna and Pfizer BioNTech vaccines are mRNA vaccines. Myocarditis is inflammation of the heart muscle, and pericarditis is inflammation of the outer lining of the heart.

"When reported, the cases have especially been in adolescents and young adult males within several days after mRNA COVID-19 vaccination (Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna)," the CDC wrote.

Later, in response to a post that remarked, "You took a 2nd booster shot? I thought you were smarter than that," Musk explained the circumstances behind his decision to get the COVID vaccine booster.

"Was required to visit Tesla Giga Berlin. Not my choice,” Musk posted.

Was required to visit Tesla Giga Berlin. Not my choice.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 21, 2023

Musk later offered his vaccine history.

I had OG C19 before vaccines came out and it was basically a mild cold.

Then had J&J vaccine with no bad effects, except my arm hurt briefly.

First mRNA booster was ok, but the second one crushed me.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 21, 2023

"I had OG C19 before vaccines came out and it was basically a mild cold. Then had J&J vaccine with no bad effects, except my arm hurt briefly. First mRNA booster was ok, but the second one crushed me,” Musk wrote on Twitter.

Musk's comment kicked off a debate over the safety of the vaccine, with Adams offering his verdict.

"It was a coin flip and some guessed right,” he wrote.

This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.