side effects of Pfizer booster shot: To stave off the threat of a resurgent coronavirus this winter, the UK Government has launched a booster shot campaign. Millions of people at risk of waning immunity from their second dose have been offered a third shot of the Pfizer Covid vaccine. A point of interest is the side effects to expect after another dose of a Covid vaccine.
Early data released by the CDC on Tuesday provides a picture of the side effects to expect post-vaccination.
The CDC drew its conclusions from a report published in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
It relies on submissions from thousands of people who received third shots of the mRNA vaccines from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna after such doses were authorized for people with compromised immune systems.
People submitted their reactions to v-safe, the CDC’s smartphone-based surveillance network.
Among more than 12,500 people who completed surveys after each shot, 79.4 percent of people reported local reactions (including itching, pain, or redness at the injection site), while 74.1 percent reported systemic reactions (mostly fatigue, muscle aches, and headaches), typically the day after the shot.
That compared to 77.6 percent and 76.5 percent of the people who reported local or systemic reactions, respectively, after their second shot.
The data, therefore, suggests the side effects are similar between the third and second dose.
The report didn’t shed light on the very rare, but more serious complications reported after getting the Pfizer vaccine.
For example, there have been rare cases of inflammation of the heart reported after COVID-19 vaccination.
However, complications remain vanishingly rare in the general population, and the risks of not getting vaccinated far outweigh any direct risks posed by the vaccine.
Vaccine booster shot – everything you need to know
A coronavirus (COVID-19) booster vaccine dose helps improve the protection you have from your first two doses of the vaccine, early data out of Israel suggests.
It helps give you longer-term protection against getting seriously ill from COVID-19.
Booster vaccine doses will be available on the NHS for people most at risk from COVID-19 who have had a second dose of a vaccine at least six months ago.
This includes:
- People aged 50 and over
- People who live and work in care homes
- Frontline health and social care workers
- People aged 16 and over with a health condition that puts them at high risk of getting seriously ill from COVID-19
- Carers aged 16 and over
- People aged 16 and over who live with someone who is more likely to get infections (such as someone who has HIV, has had a transplant or is having certain treatments for cancer, lupus or rheumatoid arthritis).
People who are pregnant and in one of the eligible groups can also get a booster dose.
The NHS will let you know when it’s your turn to have a booster dose. It’s important not to contact the NHS for one before then.
Most people will be invited to book an appointment at a larger vaccination centre, pharmacy, or local NHS service such as a GP surgery.
Frontline health or social care workers can book a booster dose appointment online. You do not need to wait to be contacted by the NHS.
People who work for an NHS trust or a care home will usually get their booster dose through their employer.
You can book your COVID-19 booster vaccine dose online if you are a frontline health or social care worker.
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