What Are the Side Effects of the COVID-19 Vaccine?
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), healthcare professionals have given more than 13 billion COVID-19 vaccine doses since 2021, saving an estimated 14.4 million lives. These vaccines can also help prevent hospitalizations and serious illness caused by COVID-19.
Researchers carefully track the side effects of the COVID-19 vaccine. Side effect considerations were an important part of clinical trials before the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the vaccines, and will remain in consideration as people continue to get the vaccines.
Here's what you should know about COVID-19 vaccine side effects.
What are the common side effects of the COVID-19 vaccine?
As with all vaccines, side effects may occur after getting the COVID-19 vaccine. Currently, two types of COVID-19 vaccines are available: mRNA vaccines from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna and protein subunit vaccines from Novavax.
Each type of vaccine has the potential for side effects. Here are the more commonly reported side effects for each type of COVID-19 vaccine:
Side effects mRNA vaccines subunit vaccines
pain, soreness, redness
at injection site √ √
fatigue √ √
headache √ √
muscle pain √ √
joint pain √ √
chills √ √
fever √ √
nausea and vomiting √ √
in infants: irritability or crying,
decreased appetite, and sleepiness √
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), even if you've had side effects from a COVID-19 vaccine, you can likely still have that vaccine at the next recommended vaccination dosage. However, if your healthcare professional suspects your reaction was an allergic reaction, you may need to see a doctor who specializes in treating allergies (allergist or immunologist) for a consultation before having another COVID-19 vaccination of that type.
What are the chances of getting serious side effects from the COVID-19 vaccine?
Serious COVID-19 vaccine side effects are very rare. According to the CDC, researchers have identified four adverse event types that have occurred. These include:
Anaphylaxis: This is a severe and potentially life threatening allergic reaction that can cause breathing problems, hives, and low blood pressure. The CDC reports that Anaphylaxis affects approximately 5 individuals per one million people who receive a dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS): GBS is a rare side effect that can cause the immune system to attack healthy nerve cells. Symptoms include muscle weakness and sometimes paralysis.
Myocarditis and pericarditis: These heart conditions are rare COVID-19 vaccine side effects. Myocarditis occurs when the heart muscle becomes inflamed, and pericarditis occurs when the tissue surrounding the heart swells and becomes inflamed. According to the CDC, though rare, these side effects most often affect young adult males within 7 days of their second mRNA COVID-19 vaccine dose. Currently approved mRNA vaccines include Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech.
Thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome (TTS): TTS is a very rare side effect, affecting approximately 4 individuals per 1 million Johnson & Johnson Janssen COVID-19 vaccines given. It's associated with the now-discontinued Johnson & Johnson's Janssen COVID-19 vaccine. TTS can cause blood clots or increased blood clotting, which can potentially be life threatening. Once reports of individuals with TTS following the Johnson & Johnson's Janssen COVID-19 vaccine were studied, this vaccine was removed from the market in the United States.
As of June 1, 2023, the FDA changed the Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) granted to the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, limiting authorization. This decision follows an analysis of the safety concerns regarding thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome (TTS). The (Johnson & Johnson) Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine is no longer given in the United States.
Federal agencies continue to track and investigate both mild and severe side effects of COVID-19 vaccines.
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Do the side effects vary by age?
COVID-19 vaccines are now FDA-approved for people ages 5 and up. Here are some of the side effects reported by age.
Children
Research suggests that children who receive the Pfizer-BioNTech (BNT162b2) have mainly mild and self-limiting side effects, such as discomfort at the injection site. Clinical trials in which researchers tested the vaccines in children also revealed no serious side effects, according to 2021 research.
The most common side effects from the study were similar to those of adults. These included pain at the injection site, fatigue, chills, and headache. The most common symptom in children was a mild to moderate fever.
Young adults
A 2021 study of vaccine side effects published in JAMA found that younger adults were more likely to have adverse side effects than older adults.
Another 2021 study found young adults and adolescent males were the most likely to experience myocarditis as a vaccine side effect. The study found that 79% of reported myocarditis events were in men.
Older adults
A 2024 survey of over 200,000 older adults who had between one and three COVID-19 vaccinations and boosters found that older adults who had COVID-19 vaccination had no increased risk of emergency hospital visits or hospitalization when compared to unvaccinated older adults. The participants reported common symptoms that rarely required medical assessment and resolved.
Do the side effects vary by vaccine brand?
The FDA has approved two COVID-19 vaccine brands in the United States: Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna for mRNA vaccines and Novavax for protein subunit vaccines.
The side effects of the two different types of vaccines are very similar. However, if you have a severe allergic reaction after getting a COVID-19 vaccine, the CDC recommends that you avoid getting another dose of the same vaccine type.
For example, if you have an allergic reaction to the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, avoid the Moderna vaccine (and vice versa) since they work in the same way.
Individuals are seven times more likely to experience myocarditis after infection with the virus that causes COVID-19 than after a COVID-19 vaccination.
The CDC reports 80% of patients who were diagnosed with myocarditis at least three months before participating in a survey study had fully recovered or likely fully recovered as determined by their cardiologists.
What does a lack of side effects from the COVID-19 vaccine mean?
Some people will experience mild side effects from the COVID-19 vaccine, while others may have none.
Your side effects (or lack thereof) don't mean the vaccine will work better for you than another person. The vaccine can help protect you regardless of your body's response.
How to cope with the side effects of the COVID-19 vaccine
If you experience side effects from the COVID-19 vaccine, here are some measures that may help:
Apply cold compresses to the injection site.
Drink plenty of fluids.
Perform light stretches to relax your arm muscles.
Take over-the-counter pain relievers like acetaminophen, ibuprofen, or aspirin (but only for those older than age 18).
Rest and give your body time to recover.
Side effects are generally mild and usually resolve within a few hours to a few days – less than a week.
If you experience a significant side effect of the COVID-19 vaccine, report it to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS). This resource can also be used to report any new side effects you haven't heard mentioned before.
How effective is the COVID-19 vaccine?
At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, there were no readily available protections or treatments for the coronavirus. Since then, researchers have found that the COVID-19 vaccinations have been highly effective at reducing the death rate from COVID-19 while finding no indication of increased risk of non-COVID mortality after vaccination.
The COVID-19 vaccine has helped protect people against the coronavirus. According to the CDC, people who are unvaccinated have higher diagnosis and death rates than people who are vaccinated.
People who are vaccinated, especially those ages 65 and older, can further reduce their risk by receiving a booster dose.
Takeaway
All vaccines have the potential for side effects. However, very few adverse events have been reported for the COVID-19 vaccine, and many worldwide health groups are monitoring side effects closely.
Given the recommendations for COVID-19 vaccinations for people at increased risk, you may want to speak with your doctor or a healthcare professional to see if you have any health conditions that put you in the high risk category and if you are recommended to get a COVID-19 vaccination.
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