
Once a vaccine is approved, it's closely monitored to continue to make sure it is safe and effective. The MHRA makes sure the vaccines meet strict international standards for safety, quality and effectiveness.

people with different health conditionsĪll vaccines used in the UK must be approved by the independent Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). Common Side Effects Pain, swelling, and redness on the arm where the shot was given Tiredness Headache Muscle or joint pain Chills Swollen lymph nodes.children and young people aged between 12 and 17.people from different ethnic backgrounds.The approved COVID-19 vaccines have been tested on thousands of people in the UK and around the world, including: How COVID-19 vaccines are developed, tested and approvedĬOVID-19 vaccines have to go through several stages of clinical trials before they can be approved for use.Ĭlinical trials are where a vaccine or medicine is tested on volunteers to make sure it works and is safe. Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine patient leaflet on GOV.UK.Oxford/AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine patient leaflet on GOV.UK.Moderna (Spikevax) COVID-19 vaccine patient leaflet on GOV.UK.

For people aged 40 or over and those with other health conditions, the benefits of being vaccinated with the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine outweigh any risk of clotting problems.įor people under 40 without other health conditions, it's preferable for you to have the Pfizer/BioNTech or Moderna vaccine instead of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine.įind out more about COVID-19 vaccination and blood clotting on GOV.UKįind out about the side effects for the COVID-19 vaccines currently available in the UK: The COVID-19 vaccine can help stop you getting seriously ill or dying from COVID-19. It's not yet clear why it affects some people. The MHRA is carrying out a detailed review of reports of an extremely rare blood clotting problem affecting a small number of people who had the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine. If you have a serious allergic reaction to the 1st dose of a vaccine, you should not have the same vaccine for your 2nd dose. Staff giving the vaccine are trained to deal with allergic reactions and treat them immediately. A small number of cases of Bells palsy after Covid-19 vaccination have also been reported in the literature. If you do have a reaction, it usually happens in minutes. Serious allergic reactions to the COVID-19 vaccines are very rare. They may ask what you're allergic to, to make sure you can have the vaccine. Tell healthcare staff before you're vaccinated if you've ever had a serious allergic reaction (including anaphylaxis). Most people with allergies (including food or penicillin allergies) can be vaccinated against COVID-19. "I haven't seen as much with Moderna, so it's going be interesting because they're using a half dose, whether they'll see less of the both local and systemic side effects but also whether there will be less of this swollen lymph node issue as well."įor the Moderna vaccine, the booster shot is a half dose of what was used for the initial vaccination series, the doctors noted, while Pfizer and J&J booster shots use the same dose.Report a vaccine side effect on the COVID-19 Yellow Card website Very rare side effects Allergic reactions "There's some evidence that the rates and severity of the Pfizer vaccine in the booster are almost identical to the second dose," Boston Medical Center's Dr. Israeli data suggests that the booster shot might be a little bit easier to tolerate than the second dose, Dr. Will the booster side effects be as bad as the second dose? In the case of the COVID-19 vaccines, these can involve pain or tenderness at the injection site. The data available for J&J was more limited, but people reported fever, fatigue and headache after receiving a second dose of that vaccine, according to the agency. Reactions to a vaccine usually occur shortly after the vaccination and can last for several days. "I'm certainly hearing a lot about that, you know, and it may be more than the first and second shot but it is harmless." Shira Doron of Tufts Medical Center said. "With the Pfizer booster, and I think this has been confirmed, there appears to be a fair amount of swelling of the lymph nodes in the underarm area on the side of the vaccine," Dr.

The most common side effects reported after getting a third shot of an mRNA vaccine, the type made by Moderna and Pfizer, were pain at the injection site, fatigue, muscle pain, headache and fever, followed by chills and nausea. Local doctors, clinics and pharmacies can start administering COVID vaccine booster shots Friday in Massachusetts now that federal health officials approved the mix and match approach.
