The coronavirus pandemic has tested humanity, but it has also shown its resourcefulness. Developing and deploying vaccines at record speeds has put the world on the right track.
While the benefits of vaccination far outweigh the risks, a number of side effects have been reported.
The results of a new study published in JAMA Dermatology has associated the Pfizer vaccine and the most recently deployed Moderna vaccine to skin reactions.
The study emphasized that the skin reactions are rare, and usually not a cause for concern.
The study reviewed the effect of the Moderna and Pfizer jabs and found four main side effects that are common in both.
The most common reactions were rashes and itching elsewhere than where the injection was administered.
Patients also indicated hives – a raised and itchy rash that can spread throughout the body.
Others who had been vaccinated said they had suffered swelling or angioedema – the swelling of tissue under the skin.
The research paper, carried out by allergists at Massachusetts General Hospital, concluded reactions are very rare, nearly 2% of 49,197 people later reporting skin reactions following vaccination.
The study also highlighted that men were less likely to develop a skin reaction post-vaccination compared to women.
Approximately 85 per cent of women report a skin reaction following vaccination, compared with only 15 per cent of men.
Allergologists also reported in the group they studied that it was not common for patients to suffer the same reaction again when they received their second dose.
8 in 10 people (83 per cent of the group) who first suffered from itching or rashes after their first jab did not report any other issues.
Lead author Lacey B. Robinson, MD, MPH, an allergist and researcher at MGH, stated skin reactions should not be taken as a problem for getting a second dose.
She said:
For those that occur within hours of vaccination, or for severe reactions at any time, patients should see an allergist or immunologist who can evaluate and provide guidance on dose two vaccination.
Importantly, millions of people have been vaccinated against the coronavirus (COVID-19) and vaccine safety continues to be monitored.
Reports of serious reactions are very rare.
You should also not question the effectiveness of vaccines if you develop COVID-19 following vaccination.
You can’t get COVID-19 from the vaccine, but you may have got it right before or after your vaccination.
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