People who get the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine reported feeling more side effects than any other vaccine patients, according to a new study.
Details of new vaccine study
The new study — published in the medical journal JAMA — used data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention program “v-safe.” The program uses text messages to track side effects to the COVID-19 vaccine, The Verge reports.
- People in the program text their side effects to the CDC once every day. They noted side effects such as fatigue, arm pain, fevers, headaches and more — all symptoms of the COVID-19 vaccine, according to The Verge.
The numbers of the vaccine study
- In total, 3.6 million people participated in the study.
- About 67% of the participants said they had pain and/or swelling at the injection location.
- About 55% said they had fatigue (30.9%) or chills (31.3%).
Moderna has more reactions
According to the study, Moderna patients had more reactions. About 73% of Moderna patients had pain at the injection site compared to 65% of Pfizer patients. And 51% of Moderna patients said they had chills, fatigue and body side effects, where as 48% of Pfizer patients said the same.
- That’s a really small difference, but it is a difference.
‘Moderna arm’
Moderna has actually made headlines for its vaccine for months, specifically because of the “Moderna arm” or “COVID arm” symptom where the injection site begins to swell, as I wrote for the Deseret News.
Dr. George Morris told CBS Minnesota that the Moderna arm side effect isn’t a worry since it’s common among other vaccines.
- “We’ve seen reactions like this even with other vaccines,” he said. “We know, when you get a flu vaccine, many people will have a local reaction in their arm. Tetanus vaccines. Shingles vaccines.”