Side Effects of COVID-19 Vaccines: Introduction

The COVID-19 Vaccine is highly recommended to prevent the potential risk of coronavirus disease. However, like any vaccine, the COVID-19 vaccine can cause mild to moderate to severe side effects, which can vary depending upon specific Vaccine and individual factors. Most are mild to moderate and vanish after a few days to 1 week of vaccination, such as fever, fatigue, pain on the injection site, chills, myalgia, and diarrhea. According to clinical trials, a few rare but severe and long-term side effects, including vaccine-inducing Thrombocytopenia, Guillain-Barr Syndrome, Myocarditis, and Pericarditis, are common and could lead to death. In addition, there are also some less common and temporary adverse effects, such as allergic reactions accompanying trouble breathing and persistent pain in the chest. Common vaccines associated with severe adverse effects are mRNA and viral vector-based Vaccine. The mRNA vaccines like Pfizer and Moderna cause myocarditis, pericarditis whereas Neurological diseases like Guillain Barr Syndrome, Acute Transverse Myelitis, Cerebral Venus Thrombosis, and Thrombocytopenia are commonly associated with viral vector-based vaccines like AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson (Janssen). Vaccines are designed to provide immunity without the dangers of acquiring the disease. When you experience temporary side effects, it’s a sign that your body is building protection. The immune system is being instructed to act in certain ways, increasing blood flow to enhance the circulation of immune cells throughout the body, and raising body temperature to kill the virus. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends vaccinating everyone ages 6 months and older to protect against COVID-19 and its potentially severe complications. The benefits of COVID-19 vaccination, in terms of preventing the disease and its severe complications, far outweigh any potential risks. Thus CDC, The U.S. Food and Drug Administration and federal agencies have introduced the active surveillance system to monitor the side-effects of COVID-19 Vaccines. Though, severe side effects are rare, still there is need to stay conscious and report the cases to higher authorities and follow the post-vaccination protocols to prevent severe complications.