Global COVID-19 vaccine summary: Side effects

Currently, in various areas of the world, 13 COVID-19 vaccines have been authorized for use. In this feature, we look at the types and their reported side effects. 

As the global effort to produce vaccines that can curb the COVID-19 pandemic forges ahead, headlines continue to highlight development breakthroughs and safety concerns.

This article summarizes the known side effects of the 13 authorized vaccines and provides insight into risks that researchers are still investigating.

Stay informed with live updates on the current COVID-19 outbreak and visit our coronavirus hub for more advice on prevention and treatment.

Currently authorized COVID-19 vaccines

The table below gives an overview of the 13 authorized vaccines, categorized by type, based on how they function. It also shows their efficacy.

Each of the following vaccines has received use authorization in at least one country.

Name	Manufacturer	Type of vaccine	Efficacy rate
BNT162b2	Pfizer-BioNTech	mRNA	95%
mRNA-1273	Moderna	mRNA	94.5%
Ad26.COV2.S	Janssen (Johnson & Johnson)	Viral vector	66%
AZD1222	Oxford-AstraZeneca	Viral vector	81.3%Trusted Source
Covishield*	Serum Institute of India	Viral vector	81.3%
Ad5-nCov	CanSino	Viral vector	65.28%
Sputnik V	Gamaleya	Viral vector	91.6%Trusted Source
Covaxin	Bharat Biotech	Inactivated	80.6%
BBIBP-CorV	Sinopharm (Beijing)	Inactivated	79.34%Trusted Source
Inactivated (Vero Cell)	Sinopharm (Wuhan)	Inactivated	72.51%
CoronaVac	Sinovac	Inactivated	50.38%
RBD-dimer	Anhui Zhifei Longcom	Protein subunit	Unknown
EpiVacCorona	FBRI	Protein subunit	Unknown

* Covishield is the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine produced for India.

Common side effects

Vaccines allow the body to build immunity by activating T and B lymphocytes, cells that, respectively, recognize the targeted virus and produce antibodies to combat it.

A vaccine cannot cause COVID-19. No vaccine contains a complete form of the virus responsible for this illness.

While their body builds immunity, it is normal for a person to experience minor side effects.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)Trusted Source and the World Health Organization (WHO)Trusted Source, common side effects of a COVID-19 vaccine include:

• a fever
• fatigue
• headaches
• body aches
• chills
• nausea

A person might also experience side effects around the injection site, which is usually the upper arm. These might include swelling, pain, redness, an itchy rash, and other mild forms of irritation. People sometimes refer to this issue as COVID armTrusted Source.

Health authorities recognize that each of the 13 authorized COVID-19 vaccines can cause side effects. These are often mild and last for only a few days. They are not unexpected.

Every vaccine facility in the United States has to report specific post-vaccination symptoms, known as adverse events, to the government’s Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS). Individuals can also submit reports through the VAERS portal.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA)Trusted Source, CDCTrusted Source, and other regulatory agencies are closely monitoring VAERS to scrutinize the safety of the vaccines used in the U.S.

Similar systems are in place in other countries. In the United Kingdom, for example, the scheme is called Yellow Card. The European Union asks people to report suspected side effects to their healthcare practitioners or fill out dedicated online forms.

Fonte: MNT

As informações e sugestões contidas neste blog são meramente informativas e não devem substituir consultas com médicos especialistas.

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