The approval of the COVID-19 vaccine manufactured by Pfizer and BioNTech for public use in the UK, the US, and Canada is the ray of hope people have long been waiting for. At a time when a new wave of the coronavirus is sweeping across many countries, the news of vaccine approval has given the public a renewed hope that there’s a way out of this pandemic. On the one hand, people have breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that sooner or later, they will be able to protect themselves from the deathly virus. On the other hand, there’s also a concern about the safety of Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine.
Are There Any Side Effects of Pfizer’s COVID-19 Vaccine?
The vaccine prepared by Pfizer and BioNTech has been found to be largely safe. The first dose of the vaccine was well-tolerated by the majority of the participants during the clinical trials. Only a small number of participants experienced some negative effects, and that too after the second dose. The side effects were also mild and short-term.
The side effects of Pfizer’s COVID vaccine that were observed among the trail participants included muscular pain, fatigue, headaches, flu-like symptoms, and fever. Some people also experienced pain at the injection site. The side effects, however, only lasted for about a day in most people. The negative effects were also fewer and less severe among older participants.
Has There Been Any Reports of Serious Side Effects With Coronavirus Vaccine?
Two NHS workers experienced an allergic reaction to the Pfizer vaccine. They were among the people who received the injection on the very first day of vaccination against coronavirus in the UK. According to healthcare experts, both people developed an anaphylactoid reaction to the vaccine. The symptoms of this allergic reaction include breathlessness and skin rash. Some people may also experience a sudden drop in blood pressure.
As the news went public, it sparked a new debate over the safety of coronavirus vaccine, pushing the healthcare experts to further investigate the probability of side effects. It turned out that both the NHS workers who had an allergic reaction have had a history of serious allergies and both carried adrenaline pens with them. Even though both people recovered from the reaction, the regulators of the vaccine in the UK issued a warning that people with a history of serious allergies shouldn’t get the Pfizer vaccine.[1]
There were also four cases reported where people developed Bell’s palsy after getting the COVID-19 shot. However, the FDA has ruled it out as a matter of concern with regards to the vaccine. According to the FDA, those cases were consistent with the general occurrence of Bell’s palsy.
For those who do not know, Bell’s palsy is a temporary paralysis of official muscles. It’s also not life-threatening. [2]
Can There Be Long-Term Side Effects of Coronavirus Vaccine?
The data that we have so far regarding the safety of the COVID-19 vaccine is quite reassuring. No significant serious issues were reported among more than 43,000 people who participated in the clinical trials.[3]
Most healthcare experts are of the opinion that if the vaccine had any serious side effects, they would have become apparent by now. However, the possibility of long-term effects cannot be completely ruled out. This is because no drug or vaccine is 100% safe in the world of modern medicine. There are potential risks involved with every medicine we take, even if it’s paracetamol or ibuprofen that we take without even thinking about their downsides. Also, the COVID-19 vaccine is still very new, and only a limited number of people have received it until now. As the vaccine will become more widely available, over time, some new, rare side effects may resurface.