Side effects of all the three approved covid vaccines have been detected, says an article published in The Guardian.
Side-effects of vaccine
The most common side-effects include:
- Soreness where the vaccine is injected.
- Fatigue.
- Headache and muscle soreness.
Less common side effects includes:
- Nausea
- Chills
- Fever
Root of side effects
Side-effects are caused by the release of chemicals in the body which signal to the immune system it is time to mount a response. These naturally occurring chemicals are called cytokines and chemokines. Though there is not a one-to-one correlation between side-effects and an immune response, side-effects are an expected part of the process.
Head of the Vaccine Research Group Dr Greg Poland said, “What we look for as vaccinologists is the Goldilocks response. We don’t want too little immune response, we don’t want too much, we want just enough.”
Safety assured by the vaccine
The covid vaccines are said to be safe.Their safety is tested in large trials of tens of thousands of people, then the FDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) continue to monitor vaccine safety data, including side-effects, after the vaccines are authorized.
Vaccines and their side effects
The Moderna vaccine
Formally called mRNA-1273, the Moderna vaccine is a two-dose regimen spaced 28 days apart.
- Side effects of Moderna
A clinical trial involving more than 30,000 participants across 99 sites in the US found the vaccine was safe, but still there were signs of side effects in many.
The major effects shown by the first dose of vaccine were pain where the vaccine was injected, fatigue and headache. Some minor side effects were muscle soreness, joint pain, enlarged glands, nausea and vomiting.
The second dose showed all the major and minor side effects enormously.
The Pfizer vaccine
A vaccine developed by Pfizer with the pharmaceutical name BNT162B2 uses mRNA technology, much like Moderna’s vaccine.
Their trial used 152 sites around the world.A clinical trial involving 43,000 participants was done.
The side effects shown by the dose of this vaccine were more common to that of Moderna.
Johnson & Johnson
The most recent vaccine authorized in the US is from the Johnson & Johnson subsidiary Janssen. The trial included more than 40,000 people across 19 geographic regions.
This vaccine requires only one dose and shows lesser side effects.
Dr. Poland on why to trust the vaccine data
Dr. Poland says, “We have a very, very robust system in the US to track adverse vaccine events. It’s how we were able to pinpoint a risk of anaphylaxis in specific kinds of people occurring at the rate of 2.4-4.5 per million, something you could never have done in this kind of timely manner in the past.”
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Source: TheGaurdian
