COVID-19 vaccine is here.
Although, all vaccines have likely side effects with mild to moderate severity, how will this rank?
Typical side effects of vaccines include local pain, swelling, redness and sometimes bruising at the injection site, as well as fever and tiredness, says Dr. Roshni Mathew, pediatric infectious diseases physician at Stanford Children’s Health.
With any vaccination, you can expect a bit of pain during and after the injection, says Dr. Thomas Duszynski, director of epidemiology education at Indiana University. Dr. Duszynski adds that some people may experience chills, fatigue, or minor headaches after vaccines.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), common COVID-19 vaccine side effects include:
- Injection site pain
- Injection site swelling
- Fever
- Chills
- Headache
- Tiredness
Pfizer-BioNTech side effects
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) lists a couple of additional side effects for the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine specifically, including muscle pain, joint pain, nausea, and swollen lymph nodes (PDF). The FDA notes that most people experienced these side effects after the second dose of the vaccine.
Oxford-AstraZeneca side effects
In the clinical trial results published in The Lancet, mild to moderate side effects from the AstraZeneca vaccine were similar to mild side effects from the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. Of note, the AstraZeneca vaccine trial was put on hold after a volunteer developed neurological disorder symptoms.
Trials resumed after a safety review confirmed the symptoms were unrelated. It’s not uncommon for clinical trials to pause for safety reviews, as illnesses can occur by chance during large, long-term studies.
Moderna side effects
Once again, common side effects remain typical: injection site pain and swelling, chills, fever, fatigue, and headache (PDF). In a company release summing up the phase 3 clinical trial analysis, Moderna reported that “no serious adverse events were noted in the trial.”
There are several other COVID-19 vaccines in the works, and of those that have reported data so far, common side effects include injection site pain and swelling, fever, fatigue, headaches, chills, and nausea — nothing abnormal.
Would you get one?
Also read: Many Americans Are Hesitant To Get A COVID-19 Vaccine.
