- Coronavirus vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna were proven to be safe in clinical trials and rarely caused severe side effects.
- Commenting on his own experience, Dr. Fauci said that the only side effect he experienced was a sore arm.
- Side effects from COVID-19 vaccines typically manifest after the second dose.
Back in September, approximately 50% of Americans indicated that they had no interest in taking a coronavirus vaccine due to concerns about side effects. Fortunately, that figure has increased in the wake of effective coronavirus vaccines from both Moderna and Pfizer. Not only are both vaccines 95% effective at preventing a COVID infection, but most volunteers who took the vaccine also experienced no serious side effects. And in instances when side effects did manifest, they typically went away within 1-3 days.
As part of a broader effort to encourage people to get vaccinated, Dr. Anthony Fauci during a recent online talk with the Virginia Department of Health commented on his own experience with the vaccine. Specifically, Fauci said that the only real side effect he experienced was soreness in his arm.
“The side effects of the vaccine and the first dose are generally mild,” Fauci said. “As with the typical kind of side effects you get when you get a flu shot or any other of the shots that you get, you get a little bit of an ache in the arm, which I got it and that’s about it.”
That said, there have been a small handful of instances where people who receive the vaccine experience a severe allergic reaction. In these instances, it’s worth noting, the individuals all reported having a history of allergic reactions.
“There have been some allergic anaphylactic reactions to the tune of about 11 per 1 million people that get the vaccine,” Fauci said. “And it almost exclusively is in individuals who have a history of strong allergic reactions. When you do have that history, it’s a good idea to, if you take your vaccine, take it in a place where they can respond to and give you medication for an allergic reaction in case you’re one of those 11 in a million who get it.”
The CDC currently advises that individuals who are prone to experiencing anaphylactic reactions should refrain from getting the vaccine. The CDC further advises that people who have a severe reaction after the first dose avoid getting the second.
Allergic reactions aside, some of the more common ailments that occur when side effects do manifest include fever, headache, and fatigue. As a final point, the CDC notes that severe symptoms are “more frequent and severe following the second dose” and tend to be more prevalent “among younger persons compared to older persons.”
Fauci’s full appearance can be seen below:
