Side effects of COVID-19 vaccine: What you know now

  • The most common side effect reported after vaccination is pain at the injection site.
  • Test data has shown that the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines are generally safe and highly tolerant.
  • No deaths from anaphylaxis were reported after each vaccination.
  • If you have a history of severe allergic reactions to vaccines, your doctor may advise you not to get the COVID-19 vaccine.

In December 2020, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued emergency use licenses (EUAs) for two vaccines against COVID-19 – one issued by Pfizer and BioNTech, and one with Moderna.

The FDA is now reviewing another EUA application for a vaccine developed by Johnson & Johnson’s subsidiary Janssen Biotech.

These vaccines appear to have largely the same side effects that can treat over-the-counter pain relievers.

In rare cases, a severe allergic reaction has been reported, but in all of these cases, people have been successfully treated.

If the FDA finds that the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is safe and effective enough to circulate, that will significantly increase the stock of vaccine doses in the country.

“We look forward to being available so that our vaccine supply can grow and synchronize with demand,” said Dr. David Hirschwerk, an infectious disease specialist at Northwell Health in Manhasset, New York.

“But the FDA is very hard in their reviews. They comb through the data neatly, ”he said,“ and are committed to seeing efficiency and safety before they are extracted. [EUA]. ”

Prior to issuing EUAs for the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines, the FDA reviewed the available data from ongoing clinical trials.

Pfizer-BioNTech submitted data for people 16 years and older, and Moderna submitted results for people 18 years and older.

The most common side effect reported after vaccination is pain at the injection site.

Some vaccine recipients develop short-term flu-like symptoms, such as fatigue, headache, body aches, colds and fevers.

Swollen lymph nodes have also been reported. These can appear as a lump in the lump, which has upset some women who thought it could be a sign of breast cancer.

Test data have shown that two doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine are 95 percent effective in preventing COVID-19, while two doses of the Moderna vaccine are 94 percent effective.

The tests have also found that both vaccines are safe and largely tolerable.

“The side effect profile for both vaccines was very positive,” Dr Miriam Smith, head of infectious disease at the Jewish Forest Mountains of Long Island in Queens, New York, told Healthline.

Anaphylaxis is a severe allergic reaction that can come from vaccines. When left untreated, it can be life threatening.

Since issuing EUAs for the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines, the federal government has continued to collect information on reported side effects, including rare cases of anaphylaxis or adverse reactions. allergic reactions after vaccination.

The reporting rate of anaphylaxis after vaccination with the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine at 4.7 cases per million, and the reported rate for the Moderna vaccine is 2.5 cases per million.

No deaths from anaphylaxis were reported after each vaccination.

Additional COVID-19 vaccines may soon be available in the United States, including vaccines from Johnson & Johnson and Oxford-AstraZeneca.

Johnson & Johnson submitted an EUA application for its vaccine on Feb. 4, and the FDA’s Advisory Committee on Vaccines and Related Biological Products recorded to discuss the EUA later this month.

Researchers at AstraZeneca and Oxford University have also developed a vaccine against COVID-19. This vaccine has already been approved for use in the UK and several other countries, but the developers may not be ready to submit an EUA application to the FDA until this spring.

The Johnson & Johnson and Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccines appear to be slightly smaller than the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines, but have similar safety images and reported side effects such as sore throat, fever, or chills.

“These vaccines appear to be very safe and also present with injection site soreness as the main side effect,” Hirschwerk said.

If you have certain health conditions, such as a history of severe allergic reactions to vaccines, your doctor may advise you not to get the COVID-19 vaccine.

But for most people, Hirschwerk said the benefits of getting the COVID-19 vaccine “far outweigh the risks.

“At this stage, more than 30 million Americans have received at least one dose, and it has been well and effectively accepted,” he said.

“Serious side effects such as anaphylaxis have been very rare and, of course, easy to treat,” he continued.

If you develop pain around the injection site after receiving the vaccine, Smith said that putting ice or taking over – the – counter pain relief may help.

To relieve flu-like symptoms after receiving the vaccine, she recommends taking a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID).

If you think you may be suffering from an allergic reaction to the vaccine, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommending a 911 call or local emergency services for immediate medical attention.

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