COVID-19 Vaccine Side Effects: What to Know Now

• The most common reported side effect following vaccination is pain at the injection site.
• Trial data has shown that the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines are safe and generally well tolerated.
• No deaths from anaphylaxis following either vaccine have been reported.
• If you have a history of severe allergic reactions to vaccines, your doctor may advise you not to get the COVID-19 vaccine.

In December 2020, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued emergency use authorizations (EUAs) for two vaccines against COVID-19 — one produced by Pfizer and BioNTech, and one by Moderna.

Now the FDA is reviewing another EUA request for a vaccine developed by Johnson & Johnson’s subsidiary company, Janssen Biotech.

All these vaccines appear to have mostly mild side effects that over-the-counter pain relievers can treat.

In rare cases, severe allergic reactions have been reported, but in all those cases, people were successfully treated.

If the FDA finds that Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine is safe and effective enough to distribute, that will drastically increase the stock of vaccine doses in the country.

“We are looking forward to it becoming available so that our vaccine supply can grow and synchronize with the demand,” said Dr. David Hirschwerk, an infectious disease specialist at Northwell Health in Manhasset, New York.

“But the FDA is extremely rigorous in their reviews. They will comb through the data methodically,” he said, “and are committed to seeing efficacy and safety demonstrated prior to issuing an [EUA].”