Moderna reports significantly higher risk of common side effects
5,052 vaccine recipients suffered a "health impact event" as of Dec.19
CDC defines "health impact event" as one that renders a patient "unable to perform normal daily activities, unable to work, required care from doctor or health care professional"
That's a rate of about 2.3% of vaccine recipients
CDC says a severe allergic reaction, anaphylaxis, was reported in 6 patients
Both vaccines are effective at reducing the risk of symptomatic COVID-19 for at least 14 days (Moderna) or more than two months (Pfizer-BioNTech)
It's impossible to know how effective the vaccines are beyond the number of days they've been given to humans. It's also impossible to know this soon what are the potential long term side effects, if any.
CDC emphasizes that it believes both of the COVID-19 vaccines approved for emergency use are safe and effective.
The agency is keeping a close eye out for adverse events.
The agency's "V-safe active surveillance program," which allows for patients to voluntarily, directly report adverse events outside of the normal VAERS (Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System), reports that a total of 215,362 people had received their first dose of vaccine as of December 18.
Of that number, 5,052 or 2.3% were reported to have an unspecified "health impact event" defined by CDC as serious enough that they were "unable to perform normal daily activities, unable to work, required care from doctor or health care professional."
The V-safe surveillance program will help identify as-yet unidentified side effects that won't be seen until a much larger number of people have taken the vaccine. It will also assist in monitoring for longer term side effects, as yet unknown since the vaccines haven't been in existence long enough to know. According to CDC, not all vaccine side effects happen immediately after vaccination.
CDC also notes that, as of December 18, it had confirmed six anaphylaxis cases, or severe allergic reaction, following the vaccination.
**unable to perform normal daily activities, unable to work, required care from doctor or health care professional
Source: CDC
Appropriate medical treatment used to manage immediate allergic reactions must be immediately available in the event an acute anaphylactic reaction occurs following administration of the vaccine. CDC's Thomas Clark, MD, MPH
The allergic reaction reports prompted CDC to recommend reinforcing measures to recognize, respond to, and report anaphylaxis. The agency also says that "Persons with anaphylaxis following COVID-19 vaccination should not receive additional doses of COVID-19 vaccine."
CDC reports that as of December 19, 272,001 doses of COVID-19 vaccine had been administered.
Visit CDC.gov for the latest information and recommendations.
Side Effects
Pfizer-BioNTech
According to the FDA, the drugmaker reported the following adverse reactions to the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine in clinical studies in test subjects age 16 and over:
84.1% Pain at injection site
62.9% Fatigue
55.1% Headache
38.3% Muscle pain
31.9% Chills
23.6% Joint pain
14.2% Fever
10.5% Swelling at injection site
9.5% Injection site redness
1.1% Nausea
0.5% Malaise
0.3% Lymphadenopathy
Read more at the link below:
https://www.fda.gov/media/144413/download
The Pfizer studies included children as young as age 12, but the adverse events for ages 12-15 are not included in the above figures.
There is no mercury (thimerosal) or any other preservative in the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine or MODERNA's, according to the FDA.
Moderna
According to the FDA, the drugmaker reported the following adverse reactions to the MODERNA COVID-19 Vaccine in clinical studies in test subjects age 18 and over:
92% Pain at the injection site
70% Fatigue
64% Headache
61.5% Myalgia
46.4% Arthralgia
45.4% Chills
23% Nausea/vomiting
19.8% Axillary swelling/tenderness
15.5% Fever
14.7% Swelling at the injection site
10% Erythema at the injection site
There were two serious adverse events of facial swelling in vaccine recipients with a history of injection of dermatological fillers
According to Moderna: "Available data on Moderna COVID‑19 Vaccine administered to pregnant women are insufficient to inform vaccine-associated risks in pregnancy. Data are not available to assess the effects of Moderna COVID‑19 Vaccine on the breastfed infant or on milk production/excretion."
Those who are allergic to any ingredient in a vaccine should not take it, according to CDC.
Ingredients
Pfizer-BioNTech
Each dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine also includes: lipids (0.43 mg (4-hydroxybutyl)azanediyl)bis(hexane-6,1-diyl)bis(2-hexyldecanoate), 0.05 mg 2[(polyethylene glycol)-2000]- N,N-ditetradecylacetamide, 0.09 mg 1,2-distearoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine, and 0.2 mg cholesterol), 0.01 mg potassium chloride, 0.01 mg monobasic potassium phosphate, 0.36 mg sodium chloride, 0.07 mg dibasic sodium phosphate dihydrate, and 6 mg sucrose. The diluent (0.9% Sodium Chloride Injection, USP) contributes an additional 2.16 mg sodium chloride per dose.
Moderna
The Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine contains the following ingredients: messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA), lipids (SM-102, polyethylene glycol [PEG] 2000 dimyristoyl glycerol [DMG], cholesterol, and 1,2-distearoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine [DSPC]), tromethamine, tromethamine hydrochloride, acetic acid, sodium acetate, and sucrose.
According to the FDA: It is MANDATORY for vaccination providers to report to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) all vaccine administration errors, all serious adverse events, cases of Multi-inflammatory Syndrome (MIS) in adults, and hospitalized or fatal cases of COVID-19 following vaccination with the Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine.