Some people who receive The Experience of Moderna Vaccine Inc. delayed rashes that can be four inches wide or more and can last up to six days to resolve, according to a report in the New England Journal of Medicine.
The researchers reported details of 12 cases of reactions that occurred eight or more days after people received the first dose. They were usually treated with ice and antihistamines, although some patients needed steroid treatments. About half also had skin reactions after the second dose, although they were less severe.
Although there have been previous reports of reactions occurring mainly with the Modern Shot, their appearance may be surprising. the details should help educate physicians and reassure those who develop them, said Kimberly Blumenthal, lead author and co-director of the clinical epidemiology program at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.
Delayed reactions after vaccination in a dozen patients.
the New England Journal of Medicine © 2021
“Our goal was to show how dramatic they can be, while at the same time no one had it more severe with dose 2,” she said in an email to questions. “Many of the patients we cared for with this were worried about them. Is it an infection? (No!) Does that mean I can’t take dose 2? (No!) Will it happen with dose 2? (Not necessarily!).”
“This is a nuisance, but it is not dangerous,” she said in an interview.
Covid Arm
Evidence of reactions has emerged in previous studies. The process of the final stage of the vaccine at Moderna noted delayed reactions at the first injection site in approximately 0.8% of the 30,420 participants and in 0.2% at the second dose. They were usually resolved within about five days.
Reports of rashes after vaccines, colloquially referred to as the “Covid arm,” began appearing on pharmacists’ Facebook group earlier this year. Pharmacists shared their experiences in the group “Pharmacy staff for the assistance of Covid-19”, posting pictures with large red circles on their arms. People asked what 44,000 people knew about the phenomenon and whether others had seen similar effects.
Delayed reactions to the Moderna vaccine are different from the immediate injection site reactions that commonly occur with both Pfizer Inc. and Moderna messenger RNA vaccines, Blumenthal said.
“This is a reaction specific to Modern that appears after the first week and can last for several days,” she said. “I was not told about anyone at Pfizer,” she said.
It is not known exactly what causes them, but it may be a kind of immune reaction to the inactive components of the vaccine, she said.
While most of the delayed reactions developed on the shoulder and upper arm near the injection site, others appeared on the elbow and fingers and palm, according to the study. In some cases, the tissue under the surface of the skin has hardened and lost its smooth appearance in response to inflammation.
– With the assistance of Angelica LaVito
(Add more details about the reactions throughout the story)