- Modern
clinical studies found that injection site pain, fatigue, headache and pain were frequently reported after vaccination. - Because millions of people have received the vaccine outside of studies, the top side effects include pain at the injection site, along with chills, headaches and fever.
- In general, older adults are less likely to experience side effects after vaccination.
More than 47 million doses of Moderna vaccine have been given to US adults since the FDA issued
Modern
Now, with so many blows in the arms, we have managed to analyze even more clearly the side effects caused by the Moderna vaccine.
Like those involved in clinical trials, people have frequently reported pain at the injection site, along with chills, headaches and fever.
There have also been several reports of “COVID arm” after the Modern vaccination, a harmless rash probably triggered by the vaccine’s ingredients.
Reactions are usually more intense after the second dose in people who have previously developed COVID-19.
Infectious disease doctors say these reactions are to be expected, as they indicate that the immune system is doing its job in learning how to recognize and fight the coronavirus.
Pain at the injection site, chills, headache and fever are
All of these reactions – which are temporary and non-threatening – indicate that the vaccine is doing its job. It usually clears in a few days.
“Because the vaccine works to” train “your immune system to start developing antibodies, the pain is a sign of the inflammation that occurs as part of this process,” said Dr. Shobha Swaminathan, associate professor of medicine at Rutgers New Jersey Medical. School and clinical research leader for the Rutgers Modern study.
Like other vaccines, each person’s response may be somewhat different.
In general, older adults are less likely to experience side effects after vaccination.
It is not clear why the side effects could be different between the sexes. Some health experts suspect that women are more likely to report side effects, while others believe there is a biological component.
Several people also reported rashes on the arm in which they received the shot – aka COVID arm.
“This is a fairly common side effect and is probably related to the ingredients in the vaccine that are intended to teach the immune system that something dangerous is being introduced,” said Dr. Anne Liu, an infectious disease physician at Stanford Health Care.
Anaphylaxis, a severe allergic reaction, seems rare. Anaphylaxis also appears to be
Modern Shooting is a messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccine that teaches our cells to produce a piece of SARS-CoV-2 protein and form an immune response against it.
In this way, if a person were exposed to coronavirus, his body would already know how to fight it and prevent severe diseases.
The first dose is considered “first” and trains your body to recognize the virus, according to Swaminathan.
Because this is the first exposure, reactions tend to be mild, Swaminathan said.
The second dose, the “booster”, further cements the immune response.
Because patients have already ‘seen’ the vaccine since the first shot, the second booster is an exaggerated response to the same, Swaminathan said.
Research also suggests that reactions are more intense in people who previously had COVID-19 because they probably have some pre-existing level of immunity.
Reactions to the Moderna vaccine are similar to those reported after the Pfizer vaccine, which is also an mRNA vaccine.
Recipients of Moderna and Pfizer mRNA vaccines frequently reported pain at the injection site and redness after the first dose, along with fatigue and joint pain after the second dose.
Reactions to mRNA vaccines were not terribly different, certainly not to the extent that a person should choose one or the other based on side effects, Liu said.
In clinical trials, Johnson & Johnson shooting was associated with milder side effects compared to mRNA shots.
Because Moderna and Pfizer require two photos and most side effects were from the second shot, the J&J vaccine may have slightly fewer side effects, Swaminathan said.
With over 47 million doses of Modern vaccine given to Americans, we have a clearer picture of the types of side effects that can occur after vaccination.
Most commonly, people have pain at the injection site and redness after the first dose, along with fatigue and joint pain after the second dose.
Reactions tend to be more intense after the second dose in people who have had COVID-19 before.
The reactions are to be expected and indicate that the vaccine is doing its job in learning how to recognize and fight the coronavirus in the immune system.