What side effects to be expected from COVID-19 vaccines?

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This report covers the period 9 December 2020 to 28 April 2021.

At the time of this report, over 127,500 people across the UK have died within 28 days of a positive test for coronavirus (COVID-19).

A national immunisation campaign has been underway in the United Kingdom since early December 2020.

Three COVID-19 vaccines, Pfizer/BioNTech, COVID-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca and COVID-19 Vaccine Moderna, are currently being used in the UK.

All vaccines and medicines have some side effects. These side effects need to be continuously balanced against the expected benefits in preventing illness.

The Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine was evaluated in clinical trials involving more than 44,000 participants. The most frequent adverse reactions in trials were pain at the injection site, fatigue, headache, myalgia (muscle pains), chills, arthralgia (joint pains), and fever; these were each reported in more than 1 in 10 people. 

Adverse reactions were reported less frequently in older adults (over 55 years) than in younger people.

The COVID-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca was evaluated in clinical trials involving more than 23,000 participants. The most frequently reported adverse reactions in these trials were injection-site tenderness, injection-site pain, headache, fatigue, myalgia, malaise, pyrexia (fever), chills, arthralgia, and nausea; these were each reported in more than 1 in 10 people. 

Adverse reactions reported after the second dose were milder and reported less frequently than after the first dose. Adverse reactions were generally milder and reported less frequently in older adults (65 years and older) than in younger people.

The COVID-19 Vaccine Moderna was evaluated in clinical trials involving more than 30,000 participants. The most frequent adverse reactions in these trials were pain at the injection site, fatigue, headache, myalgia (muscle pains), arthralgia (joint pains), chills, nausea/vomiting, axillary swelling/tenderness (swelling/tenderness of glands in the armpit), fever, injection site swelling and redness; these were each reported in more than 1 in 10 people. 

Adverse reactions were reported less frequently in older adults (over 65 years) than in younger people.

This report is based on detailed analysis of data up to 28 April 2021. 

For all COVID-19 vaccines, the overwhelming majority of reports relate to injection-site reactions (sore arm for example) and generalised symptoms such as ‘flu-like’ illness, headache, chills, fatigue (tiredness), nausea (feeling sick), fever, dizziness, weakness, aching muscles, and rapid heartbeat.

Generally, these happen shortly after the vaccination and are not associated with more serious or lasting illness.


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