Side effects to COVID-19 vaccines are reported to be mostly mild and short-lasting, but we have heard of a few cases of more serious or long-lasting side effects. Since the start of the vaccination drive against coronavirus, researchers worldwide have been monitoring the COVID-19 vaccines to detect any adverse events. Now, the US have launched a clinical trial to study rare but potentially serious systemic allergic reactions to Covid-19 mRNA vaccines. Currently, two COVID-19 mRNA vaccines, developed by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna, are authorized for use in the US.
According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the trial will be conducted at a single site and recruit up to 100 people aged 16 to 69 years who had experienced an allergic reaction to a first dose of Covid-19 mRNA vaccine.
The study will help determine if individuals who experienced moderate systemic allergic reactions after receiving a COVID-19 mRNA vaccine can safely receive the second shot, as these people may be hesitant to complete their vaccine regimen, stated Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
The participants will be given a second dose of the vaccine as inpatients under carefully controlled conditions at the NIH’s Clinical Center in Bethesda, Maryland.
Breathing tests and frequent blood draws will be done to determine any allergic or other responses to the vaccine. In addition, participants will complete mental health questionnaires before, at the time of, and in the months following vaccination, the NIH said.
Most side effects from COVID-19 mRNA vaccines are mild
Recently, a large-scale study confirmed that side effects of COVID-19 mRNA vaccines are typically mild and short-lived.
For the study, researchers looked at data from over 7 million self-reported instances of negative side effects from mRNA vaccine doses administered between December 2020 and June 2021. More than 298 million doses of mRNA vaccines were administered nationwide during the study period (132 million Moderna and 167 million Pfizer), the study noted.
According to the study published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases, pain at the site of injection, fatigue, headache, fever and chills were the most commonly reported negative side effects.
The data suggested 92 per cent of negative side effects were not serious, and less than 1 per cent of people reported seeking any medical care following vaccination.
