More than 57 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been distributed in the US, with 16 million people fully vaccinated. While polls show that one-third of Americans are still reluctant to be vaccinated, a new report from the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, released Friday, offers more reason to be confident.
In a press conference, dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the CDC, told reporters that about 50 percent of individuals experience minor side effects after receiving the vaccine, such as headaches and dizziness. In a tweet following the briefing, she reinforced the promising nature of the data: “We have implemented the most comprehensive vaccine safety monitoring program in the history of the CDC. @CDCMMWR data reflects this effort and is reassuring about the safety of # COVID-19 vaccines. The vaccinations are safe and it will save lives. ‘
Since states fight vaccination barriers, this is what you need to know about the safety data.
The vast majority of the unfavorable outcomes were small
The report covers the first month of vaccine distribution by Moderna and Pfizer, using safety data from the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) and the CDC’s SMS-based health check, known as ‘v-safe’. Between December 14 and January 13, an estimated 13.8 million doses of the vaccine were administered, with 6,994 reports of adverse events after vaccination. The CDC classified 90 percent of it as ‘nonsensical’, meaning it was temporary and not life-threatening.
The five most undesirable outcomes are headache, fatigue, dizziness, chills and nausea, which are likely to occur after the second shot. Dr Gregory Poland, a vaccine expert and co-director of the Mayo Clinic’s Vaccine Research Group, said it was ‘reassuring’ and consistent with earlier data. “What it shows is the lack of serious side effects associated with one of the two mRNA vaccines,” says Poland. “It shows what the clinical trials show with the second dose – that there is an increase in … local systemic side effects that are disappearing.”
Anaphylaxis was rare and occurred at a rate of 4.5 people per million
The nine percent of serious outcomes, Poland says, are no cause for concern. One of the most discussed was anaphylaxis, a life-threatening but treatable allergic reaction that occurred at 4.5 people per million. The number is smaller than the CDC’s previous forecast, which was a rate of 11 individuals per million. Despite earlier suggestions that the vaccines could cause increased allergic reactions, the organization says it is “within the range reported after receiving an inactivated flu vaccine.”
Two-thirds of the 113 deaths occurred among long-term residents and no causal link was found.
Although individual reports of deaths after vaccination may appear disturbing, the researchers found no link between the 113 deaths – 78 of which occurred among long-term residents – and the vaccine. “Reported causes of death in [long-term care facility] residents after COVID-19 vaccination match the expected mortality rate of all causes in this population, “the report reads.” Among deaths in persons with available death certificate and autopsy information who do not [long-term care facility] residents, causes of death were consistent with deaths due to the cause of all causes and did not indicate any unexpected pattern that could suggest a causal link with vaccination.
Poland says this data is expected. “What it clearly shows, anyway, is what we all thought, and that is that all the deaths are unrelated,” Poland says. ‘We would in fact expect a greater number of deaths [among the long-term facility residents] coincidentally alone, given the medical condition of these individuals. ‘
More than 200 women reported getting pregnant after vaccination
The report also adds further evidence to discount the myth that the vaccine can affect pregnancy or cause infertility in women. The CDC writes that more than 10,000 women became pregnant during their vaccination, and an additional 262 received a positive pregnancy test after vaccination.
Poland says the bottom line is that the benefits outweigh the risks. “Except for someone who has an anaphylactic reaction to a component of this vaccine, it’s safe, it’s effective,” says Poland. He adds that it is important to set expectations. ‘You probably have some [local] side effects after the second dose, “he says. This does not mean that something is going wrong – it actually means that you are developing a good immune response that will protect you. “
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